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Portrait  and ^ 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


'i^i^  ■ 


OF 


LACKAWANNA  COUNTY 

PENNSYLVANIA 


Containing  Portraits  and  Biographical  Sketches  of  Prominent  and  Representative 

Citizens  of  the  County. 


Together  with  Biographies  and  Portraits  of  all  the  Presidents  of  the 

United  States. 


NEW  YORK  AND  CHICAGO: 
CHAPMAN  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1897. 


THE  N'EV/  YO.-^K' 

408640A 

A«roR,  Lsnoy.  amb 


preface: 


HE  greatest  of  English  historians,  Macaulay,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of  the 
present  century,  has  said:  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the  lives  of  its 
_  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea,  the  Portrait  and  Biographical  Record  of  this 
county  has  been  prepared.  Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and  taking  therefrom  dry  statistical 
matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  our  corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men 
and  women  who  have,  by  their  enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  a  rank  second  to  none 
among  those  comprising  this  great  and  noble  state,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent  public. 
In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation  of  coming 
generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and  economy  have 
accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have 
become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an  influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and 
whose  names  have  become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to 
succeed,  and  records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very 
many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way," 
content  to  have  it  said  of  them,  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy— "They  have 
done  what  they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left 
the  plow  and  the  anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession, 
and  at  their  country's  call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the 
Union  was  restored  and  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every 
woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from  the 
fact  that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would 
otherwise  be  inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work,  and  every 
opportunity  possible  given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and 
the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence. 
In  addition  to  the  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this 
the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give 
the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some 
member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of 
the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found,  though 
repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residences  or  places  of  business. 

Chapman  Publishing  Co. 

April,  1897.  ; 


'; 


\i^'^^ 


Portraits  and  Biographies 


OF  THE 


PRg§ID§NT§ 


OF  THE 


UNITBD  STATKS 


(•.]■( )KGK  WASHINGTON 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was  born  in  West- 
moreland County,  Va.,  February-  22,  1732. 
His  parents  were  Augustine  and  Marj'  (Ball) 
Washinglon.  The  family  to  which  he  belonged 
has  not  been  satisfactorily  traced  in  England. 
His  great-grandfather,  John  Washington,  emi- 
grated to  Virginia  about  1657,  and  became  a 
prosperous  planter.  He  had  two  sons,  Lawrence 
and  John.  The  former  married  Mildred  Wanier, 
and  had  three  children,  John,  Augustine  and 
Mildred.  Augustine,  the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore  him  four  children, 
two  of  whom,  Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his  second  mar- 
'••-•riage,  George  was  the  eldest,  the  others  being 
Betty,  Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles  and 
Mildred. 

Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George, 
died  in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property. 
To  his  eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an 
estate  on  the  Potomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mt. 
Vernon,  and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  resi- 
dence. George  received  onh-  such  education  as 
the  neighborhood  schools  afforded,  save  for  a 
short  time  after  he  left  school,  when  he  received 
private  instruction  in  mathematics.  His  .spelling 
was  rather  defective.  Remarkable  stories  are 
told  of  his  great  phj-sical  .strength  and  develop- 
ment at  an  early  age.  He  was  an  acknowledged 
\eader  among  his  companions,  and  was  early 
acted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fairne.ss  and 
veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  fourteen  years  old  he  had  a 
desire  to  go  to  sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant 
was  .secured  for  him,  but  through  the  opposition 
of  his   mother   the   idea   was  abandoned.     Two 


years  later  he  was  appointed  surveyor  to  the  im- 
mense estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In  this  business 
he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier  life, 
gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  appointed  Adjutant, with  the 
rank  of  Major,  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being 
trained  for  active  service  against  the  French  and 
Indians.  Soon  after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West 
Indies  with  his  brother  Lawrence,  who  went  there 
to  restore  his  health.  They  soon  returned,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence  died,  leaving  a 
large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter,  who  did  not 
long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the  estate  of 
Mt.  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddle  as  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia 
was  reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into 
four  military  districts,  of  which  the  northern  was 
assigned  to  Washington  as  Adjutant-General. 
Shortly  after  this  a  ver\'  perilous  mission,  which 
others  had  refused,  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted. This  was  to  proceed  to  the  French  post 
near  Lake  Erie,  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania. 
The  distance  to  be  traversed  was  about  six  hun- 
dred miles.  Winter  was  at  hand,  and  the  journey 
was  to  be  made  without  military  escort,  through 
a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.  The  trip  was  a 
perilous  one,  and  several  times  he  nearly  lost  his 
life,  but  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished  a  full 
and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  three  hundred  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and 
put  in  command  of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Maj. 
Washington  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel. Active  war  was  then  begun  against  the 
French  and  Indians,  in  which  Washington   took 


ao 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


a  most  important  part.  In  the  memorable  event 
of  July  9,  1755,  known  as  "Braddock'.s  defeat," 
Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer  of  dis- 
tinction who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor. 

Having  been  for  five  years  in  the  military  serv-- 
ice,  and  having  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the 
royal  army,  he  took  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Ft.  Du- 
quesne  and  the  expulsion  of  the  French  from  the 
valley  of  the  Ohio  to  resign  his  commission.  Soon 
after  he  entered  the  Legislature,  where,  although 
not  a  leader,  he  took  an  active  and  important 
part.  January  17,  1759,  he  married  Mrs.  Martha 
(Dandridge)  Custis,  the  w^ealthy  widow  of  John 
Parke  Cu.stis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  clo.sed  the 
port  of  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the 
provinces,  ' '  The  cause  ot  Boston  is  the  cause  of 
us  all!  "  It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Vir- 
ginia, that  a  congress  of  all  the  colonies  was 
called  to  meet  at  Philadelphia  September  5, 
1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties,  peaceably 
if  possible.  To  this  congress  Col.  Washington 
was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  inten- 
tions of  England  were  plainly  apparent.  The 
battles  of  Concord  and  Lexington  had  been  fought, 
and  among  the  first  acts  of  this  congress  was  the 
election  of  a  commander-in-chief  of  the  Colonial 
forces.  This  high  and  responsible  office  was  con- 
ferred upon  W'ashington,  who  was  still  a  member 
of  the  congress.  He  accepted  it  on  June  19,  but 
upon  the  express  condition  that  he  receive  no  sal- 
ary. He  would  keep  an  exact  account  of  ex- 
penses, and  expect  congress  to  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch 
to  trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom 
the  fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this 
country  were  so  long  confided.  Tlie  war  was 
conducted  by  him  under  every  possible  disadvan- 
tage; and  while  his  forces  often  met  witli  reverses, 
yet  he  overcame  every  obstacle,  and  after  seven 
years  of  heroic  devotion  and  matchless  skill  he 
gained  liberty  for  the  greatest  nation  of  earth. 
On  December  23,  1783,  Washington,  in  a  parting 
address  of  suryjassing  beauty,  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army  to  the 


Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mt.  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning 
all  connection  with  public  life. 

In  February,  1789,  Washington  was  unani- 
mously elected  President,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  his  first  term  he  was  unanimously  re-elected. 
At  the  end  of  this  term  many  were  anxious  that  he 
be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely  refused  a  third 
nomination.  On  March  4,  1797,  at  the  expiration 
of  his  second  term  as  President,  he  returned  to  his 
home,  hoping  to  pass  there  his  few  remaining 
years  free  from  the  annoyances  of  public  life. 
Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose  seemed 
likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France.  At 
the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  army,  but  he  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  .superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command,  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  prepara- 
tions his  life  was  suddenly  cut  ofi".  December  12 
he  took  a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain, 
which,  settling  in  his  throat,  produced  inflamma- 
tion, and  terminated  fatally  on  the  night  of  the 
14th.  On  the  1 8th  his  body  was  borne  with  mili- 
tar\-  honors  to  its  final  resting-place,  and  interred 
in  the  family  vault  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible 
to  speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration.  The  more  we  see  of  the  operations 
of  our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel 
the  difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common 
Interest,  the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the 
force  of  his  talent  and  character,  which  have  been 
able  to  challenge  the  reverence  of  all  parties, 
and  principles,  and  nations,  and  to  win  a  fame  as 
extended  as  the  'imits  of  the  globe,  and  which  we 
cannot  but  believe  will  be  as  lasting  as  the  exist- 
ence of  man. 

In  person,  Washington  was  unusually  tall,  erect 
and  well  proportioned,  and  his  .nu.scular  .strength 
was  great.  His  features  were  of  a  beausiful  sym- 
metry. He  connnanded  respect  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  haughtiness,  and  was  ever  serious 
without  being  dull. 


JOHN   ADAMS 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


(John  ADAMS,  the  second  President  and  the 
I  first  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  was 
v2/  born  in  Braintree  (now  Quincy)  Mass.,  and 
about  ten  miles  from  Boston,  October  19,  1735. 
His  great-grandfather,  Henry  Adams,  emigrated 
from  England  about  1640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The  parents  of 
John  were  John  and  Susannah  (Boylston) 
Adams.  His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  also  engaged  in  the  business  of  shoe- 
making.  He  gave  his  eldest  son,  John,  a  classical 
education  at  Harvard  College.  John  graduated 
in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the  school  at 
Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a  ' '  school 
of  affliction, ' '  from  which  he  endeavored  to  gain 
relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  tc  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town. 
He  had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profes- 
sion, but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by 
what  he  termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesi- 
astical councils,  of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvin- 
istic  good  nature, ' '  of  the  operations  of  which  he 
had  been  a  witne.ss  in  his  native  town.  He  was 
well  fitted  for  the  legal  profession,  possessing  a 
clear,  sonorous  voice,  being  ready  and  fluent  of 
speech,  and  having  quick  perceptive  powers.  He 
gradually  gained  a  practice,  and  in  1764  married 
Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister,  and  a 
lady  of  superior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  in  1765,  the  attempt  at  parliamentarj- 
taxation  turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He 
took  initial  steps  toward  holding  a  town  meeting, 
and  the  resolutions  he  offered  on  the  subject  be- 
came ver>'  popular  throughout  the  province,  and 
were  adopted  word  for  word  bj'  over  forty  differ- 
ent towns.  He  moved  to  Boston  in  1768,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  courageous  and  promi- 
nent advocates  of  the  popidar  cause,  and  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
islature) in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  dele- 


gates from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continent- 
al Congress,  which  met  m  1774.  Here  he  di.s- 
tingui-shed  himself  by  his  capacity  for  business 
and  for  debate,  and  advocated  the  movement  for 
independence  against  the  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers. In  May,  1776,  he  moved  and  carried  a  res- 
olution in  Congress  that  the  Colonies  should 
assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  five  ap- 
pointed June  1 1  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson, 
but  on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it 
through  Congress  in  a  three-days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm 
with  the  glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  his  wife,  which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to 
have  been  dictated  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 
"Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the  greatest  question 
was  decided  that  ever  was  debated  in  America; 
and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  will  be  de- 
cided among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  'that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  in- 
dependent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The 
Fourth  of  July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch 
in  the  history  of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it 
will  be  celebrated  by  succeeding  generations  as 
the  great  anniversary  festival.  It  ought  to  be 
commemorated  as  the  day  of  deliverance  by 
solemn  acts  of  de\'otion  to  Almighty  God.  It 
ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows,  games, 
sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from 
this  time  forward  forever.  You  will  think  me 
transported  with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I 
am  well  aware  of  the  toil  and  blood  and  treas- 
ure that  it  will  cost  to  maintain  this  declaration 
and  support  and  defend  these  States;  yet,  through 
all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the  rays  of  light  and 
glor\-.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is  worth  more  than 
all   the  means,  and  that  posterity  will  triumph, 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I  hope  we 
shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed 
a  delegate  to  France,  and  to  co-operate  with  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then 
in  Paris,  in  the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in 
arms  and  money  from  the  French  government. 
This  was  a  severe  trial  to  his  patriotism,  as  it 
separated  him  from  his  hcjme,  compelled  him  to 
cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  exposed  him  to 
great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruisers,  who 
were  seeking  him.  lie  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was 
again  chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  him- 
self in  readiness  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and 
of  commerce  with  Great  Britain,  as  soon  as  the 
British  cabinet  might  be  found  willing  to  listen 
to  .such  proposals.  He  sailed  for  France  in  No- 
vember, and  from  there  he  went  to  Holland,  where 
he  negotiated  important  loans  and  formed  im- 
portant commercial  treaties. 

Finally,  a  treatj-  of  peace  with  England  was 
signed,  January  21,  17.83.  The  re-action  from  the 
excitement,  toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr. 
Adams  had  passed  threw  him  into  a  fever.  After 
suffering  from  a  continued  fever  and  becoming 
feeble  and  emaciated,  he  was  advised  to  go  to 
England  to  drink  the  waters  of  Bath.  While  in 
England,  still  drooping  and  desponding,  he  re- 
ceived dispatches  from  his  own  government  urg- 
ing the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health 
was  delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and 
through  storm,  on  .sea,  on  horseback  and  foot,  he 
made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr. 
Adams  envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here 
he  met  face  to  face  the  King  of  England,  who 
had  so  long  regarded  him  as  a  traitor.  As  Eng- 
land did  not  condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to 
the  United  States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he 
was  accompli.shing  but  little,  he  sought  permis- 
sion to  return  to  his  own  country,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President, 
John  Adams,  rendered  illustrious  by  his  signal 
services  at  home  and  abroad,  was  chosen   Vice- 


President.  Again,  at  the  .second  election  of  Wash- 
ington as  President,  Adams  was  chosen  Vice- 
President.  In  1796,  Washington  retired  from 
public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was  elected  President, 
though  not  without  much  opposition.  Serving 
in  this  office  four  \ears,  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While  Mr.  Adams  was  Vice-President  the 
great  French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of 
Europe,  and  it  was  upon  this  point  that  he  was 
at  i.ssue  with  the  majority  of  his  countrymen,  led 
by  Mr.  Jefferson.  Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy 
with  the  French  people  in  their  struggle,  for  he 
had  no  confidence  in  their  power  of  self-govern- 
ment, and  he  utterly  abhorred  the  class  of  atheist 
philosophers  who,  he  claimed,  caused  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence 
originated  the  alienation  between  these  distin- 
tinguished  men,  and  the  two  powerful  parties  were 
thus  soon  organized,  with  Adams  at  the  head  of 
the  one  whose  sympathies  were  with  England, 
and  Jefferson  leading  the  other  in  sympathy  with 
France. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the 
half-century  .since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  arrived,  and  there  were  but 
three  of  the  signers  of  that  immortal  instnunent 
left  upon  the  earth  to  hail  its  morning  light. 
And,  as  it  is  well  known,  on  that  day  two  of 
these  finished  their  earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coinci- 
dence so  remarkable  as  to  seem  miraculous.  For 
a  few  days  before  Mr.  Adams  had  been  rapidly 
failing,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  he 
found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from  his  bed.  On 
being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the  cus- 
tomary celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed 
"Independence  forever!"  When  the  day  was 
ushered  in  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing 
of  camions,  he  was  a.sked  by  one  of  his  attend- 
ants if  he  knew  what  daj'  it  was?  He  replied, 
"O  yes,  it  is  the  glorious  Fourth  of  July — God 
bless  it — God  bless  you  all!"  In  the  course  of 
the  day  he  said,  "It  is  a  great  and  glorious 
day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were,  "Jeffe:* 
son  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock, 
resigned  his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 


THOMAS  JEKFERSON 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was  boru  April  2, 
1743,  at  Shadwell,  Albemarle  County,  Va. 
His  parents  were  Peter  and  Jane  (Ran- 
dolphj  JeflFerson,  the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  London.  To  them  were 
bom  six  daughters  and  two  sons,  of  whom  Thomas 
was  the  elder.  When  fourteen  j-ears  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a  most  liberal  educa- 
tion, having  been  kept  diligentlj-  at  school  from 
the  time  he  was  five  years  of  age.  In  1 760  he 
entered  William  and  Mary  College.  Williams- 
burg was  then  the  seat  of  the  Colonial  court,  and 
it  was  the  abode  of  fashion  and  splendor.  Young 
Jefferson,  who  was  then  seventeen  years  old,  lived 
somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine  horses,  and 
going  much  into  gay  .societj*;  yet  he  was  ear- 
nestly devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproachable  in 
his  morals.  In  the  second  year  of  his  college 
course,  moved  by  some  unexplained  impulse,  he 
di.scarded  his  old  companions  and  pursuits,  and 
often  devoted  fifteen  hours  a  day  to  hard  study. 
He  thus  attained  very  high  intellectual  culture, 
and  a  like  excellence  in  philosophy  and  the  lan- 
guages. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly, 
and  distinguished  himself  by  his  energy  and 
acuteness  as  a  lawj-er.  But  the  times  called  for 
greater  action .  The  policy  of  England  had  awak- 
ened the  spirit  of  resistance  in  the  American  Col- 
onies, and  the  enlarged  views  which  Jefferson  had 
ever  entertained  soon  led  him  into  active  politi- 
cal life.  In  1769  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.     In  1772  he  mar- 


ried Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beautiful, 
wealthj-,  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Colonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  com- 
mittees, and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed 
for  the  drawing  up  of  a  declaration  of  independ- 
ence. This  committee  consisted  of  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson, John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger 
Sherman  and  Robert  R.  Livingston.  Jefferson, 
as  chairman,  was  appointed  to  draw  up  the  paper. 
Franklin  and  Adams  suggested  a  few  verbal 
changes  before  it  was  .submitted  to  Congress.  On 
June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made  in  it  b3f 
Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July  4, 
1776. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henrj- as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one 
time  the  British  officer  Tarleton  .sent  a  secret 
expedition  to  Monticello  to  capture  the  Governor. 
Scarcely  five  minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried 
escape  of  Mr.  Jefferson  and  his  family  ere  his 
mansion  was  in  possession  of  the  British  troops. 
His  wife's  health,  never  very  good,  was  much 
injured  by  this  excitement,  and  in  the  summer 
of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United 
States  in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretarj- 
of  State  in  Wa.shington's  cabinet.  This  position 
he  resigned  January  i,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was 
chosen  Vice-President,  and  four  years  later  was 
elected   President  over  Mr.   Adams,  with  Aaron 


28 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


Burr  as  Vice-President.  In  1S04  he  was  re- 
elected with  wonderful  unanimity,  George  Clin- 
ton being  elected  Vice-President. 

The  earlj-  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  ad- 
Tiinistration  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which 
threatened  the  tranquillity  and  peace  of  the  Union; 
this  was  the  conspiracy  of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated 
in  the  late  election  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  and 
led  on  by  an  unprincipled  ambition,  this  extraor- 
dinary man  funned  the  plan  of  a  military  ex- 
pedition into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our  south- 
western frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  was  generally  supposed 
to  ha\-e  been  a  mere  pretext;  and  although  it  has 
not  been  generally  known  what  his  real  plans 
were,  there  is  no  doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far 
more  dangerous  character. 

In  1S09,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  tenn 
for  which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  de- 
termined to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period 
of  nearly  forty  years  he  had  been  continually  be- 
fore the  public,  and  all  that  time  had  been  em- 
ployed in  ofiices  of  the  greatest  trust  and  respon- 
sibility. Having  thus  devoted  the  best  part  of 
his  life  to  the  serv'ice  of  his  countrj-,  he  now  felt 
desirous  of  that  rest  which  his  declining  years  re- 
quired, and  upon  the  organization  of  the  new  ad- 
ministration, in  March,  1809,  he  bade  farewell  for- 
■«ver  to  public  life  and  retired  to  Monticello,  his 
famous  country'  home,  which,  next  to  Mt.  Vernon, 
was  the  most  distinguished  residence  in  the  land. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  an- 
niversary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Inde- 
pendence, great  preparations  were  made  in  every 
part  of  the  Union  for  its  celebration  as  the  nation's 
jubilee,  and  the  citizens  of  Wa.shington,  to  add  to 
the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, as  the  framer  and  one  of  the  few  surviving 
signers  of  the  Declaration,  to  participate  in  their 
festivities.  But  an  illness,  which  had  been  of 
several  weeks'  duration  and  had  been  continually 
increasing,  compelled  him  to  decline  the  invita- 
tion. 

On  the  2d  of  July  the  disease  under  which  he 
was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants  entertained  no 
hope  of  his  recovery.     From  this  time  he  was 


perfectly  sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand. 
On  the  next  day,  which  was  Mondaj-,  he  asked 
of  those  around  him  the  day  of  the  month,  and 
oil  being  told  it  was  the  3d  of  July,  he  ex- 
pressed the  earnest  wish  that  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  breathe  the  air  of  the  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary-. His  prayer  was  heard — that  day  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our 
land  burst  upon  his  ejes,  and  then  they  were 
closed  forever.  And  what  a  noble  consummation 
of  a  noble  life!  To  die  on  that  day — the  birth- 
day of  a  nation — the  day  v.'hich  his  own  name 
and  his  own  act  had  rendered  glorious,  to  die 
amidst  the  rejoicings  and  festivities  of  a  whole 
nation,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  the  author,  un- 
der God,  of  their  greatest  blessings,  was  all  that 
was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  recurd  of  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  cham- 
pions of  freedom;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark 
and  desperate  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they 
had  cheered  and  animated  their  desponding  coun- 
trymen; for  half  a  century  they  had  labored  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  the  country,  and  now  hand 
in  hand  they  departed.  In  their  lives  they  had 
been  united  in  the  same  great  cause  of  liberty, 
and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not  divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair,  originally  red,  in  after  life  be- 
came white  and  silver}-,  his  complexion  was  fair, 
his  forehead  broad,  and  his  whole  countenance 
intelligent  and  thoughtful.  He  possessed  great 
fortitude  of  mind  as  well  as  personal  courage,  and 
his  command  of  temper  was  such  that  his  oldest 
and  most  intimate  friends  never  recollected  to 
have  seen  him  in  a  passion.  His  manners,  though 
dignified,  were  simple  and  unafiected,  and  his 
hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that  all  found  at 
his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conversation  he 
was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic,  and  his 
language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  clas.sical  .scholar,  and  in  his  writ- 
ings is  discernible  the  care  with  which  lie  formed 
his  style  upon  the  best  models  of  antiqviity. 


UiS' 


\ 


JAMKS  MADISON 


JAMES  MADISON. 


(Tames  MADISON,    "Father  of  the   Consti-  , 

I  tutiou,"  and  fourth  President  of  the  United 
Q)  States,  was  born  March  i6,  1757,  and  died 
at  his  home  in  Virginia  June  28,  1836.  The 
name  of  James  Madison  is  inseparably  connected 
with  most  of  the  important  events  in  that  heroic 
period  of  our  country-  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of  this  great  republic  were  laid.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  founders  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  to  be  called  to  his  eternal  reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among  the  early  emi- 
grants to  the  New  World,  landing  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Chesapeake  but  fifteen  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of  James  Madison 
was  an  opulent  planter,  residing  upon  a  very  fine 
estate  called  Montpelier,  in  Orange  County,  Va. 
It  was  but  twenty-five  miles  from  the  home  of  Jef- 
ferson at  Monticello,  and  the  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustri- 
ous men  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  con- 
ducted mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  Col- 
lege, in  New  Jersey.  Here  he  applied  himself  to 
study  with  the  most  imprudent  zeal,  allowing  him- 
self for  months  but  three  hours'  sleep  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  His  health  thus  became  so  seriously 
impaired  that  he  ne\er  recovered  any  vigor  of 
constitution.  He  graduated  in  1 77 1 ,  with  a  feeble 
body,  but  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and 
a  mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with 
learning,  which  embellished  and  gave  efficiency 
to  his  subsequent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  law  and  a  coutse  of  extensive  and  systematic 
reading.  This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of 
the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with 
which  he  associated,  all  combined  to  inspire  him 
with  a  strong  love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for 
his  life-work  as  a  statesman. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  twenty -six  years  of 


age,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Con- 
vention to  frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The 
next  j-ear  (1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly.  He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lov- 
ing voters,  and  consequently  lost  his  election ;  but 
those  who  had  witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and 
public  spirit  of  the  modest  young  man  enlisted 
themselves  in  his  behalf,  and  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  re- 
mained member  of  the  Council,  and  their  apprecia- 
tion of  his  intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth 
contributed  not  a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence. 
In  the  year  1780  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Continental  Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  il- 
lustrious men  in  our  land,  and  he  was  immediately 
assigned  to  one  ot  the  most  conspicuous  positions 
among  them.  For  three  years  he  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  mem- 
bers. In  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no 
national  government,  and  no  power  to  form  trea- 
ties which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law. 
There  was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than 
Virginia  in  the  declaration  that  an  efficient  na- 
tional government  must  be  formed.  In  January, 
1786,  Mr.  Madison  carried  a  resolution  through 
the  General  Assembl}-  of  Virginia,  inviting  the 
other  States  to  appoint  commissioners  to  meet  in 
convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss  this  subject. 
Five  States  onlj-  were  represented.  The  conven- 
tion, however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up  by 
Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the 
place  of  the  Confederate  League.  The  delegates 
met  at  the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but 
Rhode  Island  was  represented.    George  Washing- 


32 


JAMES  MADISON. 


ton  Tvas  chosen  president  of  the  convention,  and  the 
present  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  then 
and  there  formed.  There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind 
and  no  pen  more  active  in  framing  this  immortal 
document  than  the  mind  and  the  pen  of  James 
Madison. 
The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  of  ejghty-one 
to  seventy-nine,  was  to  be  presented  to  the  several 
States  for  acceptance.  But  grave  solicitude  was 
felt.  Should  it  be  rejected,  we  should  be  left  but  a 
.'onglomeration  of  independent  States,  with  but 
Httle  power  at  home  and  little  respect  abroad.  Mr. 
Madison  was  elected  by  the  convention  to  draw  up 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
pounding the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  and 
urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  at  length  it  triumphed  over  all, 
and  vv'ent  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became 
the  avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While 
in  New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs. 
Todd,  a  young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fas- 
cination, whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person 
and  character  queenly,  and  probaby  no  lady  has 
thus  far  occupied  so  prominent  a  position  in  the 
very  peculiar  societj'  which  has  constituted  our 
republican  court  as  did  Mrs.  Madison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretar>-  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  Atthis  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of 
war.  British  orders  in  council  destroyed  our  com- 
merce, and  our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult. 
Mr.  Madison  was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in 
his  taste,  retiring  in  his  dispo.sition,  war  had  no 
charms  for  him.  But  the  meekest  spirit  can  be 
roused.  It  makes  one's  blood  boil,  even  now,  to 
think  of  an  American  ship  brought  to  upon  the 
ocean  by  the  guns  of  an  iinglish  cruis'jr.  A 
young  lieutenant  steps  on  boa*''^  an6  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  non- 
chalance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may 
please  to  designate  as  British  subjects,  orders  them 
down  the  ship's  side  into  his  boat,  and  places  them 
on  the  gundeck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by 
compulsion,  the  battles  of  England.     This  right 


of  search  and  impressment  no  efforts  of  our  Gov- 
erinnent  could  induce  the  British  cabinet  to  re- 
linquisli. 

On  the  iSth  of  June,  1812,  President  Madison 
gave  his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring 
war  against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the 
bitter  hostility  of  the  t'ederal  party  to  the  war,  the 
country  in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison, 
on  the  4th  of  March,  181 3,  was  re-elected  by  a 
large  majorit}',  and  entered  upon  his  second  term 
of  office.  This  is  not  the  place  to  describe  the 
various  adventures  of  this  war  on  the  land  and  on 
the  water.  Our  infant  navy  then  laid  the  found- 
ations of  its  renown  in  grappling  with  the  most 
formidable  power  which  ever  swept  the  seas.  The 
contest  commenced  in  earnest  by  the  appearance 
of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  Februar>%  18 13,  in 
Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole  coast 
of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  ofiered  his  services  as 
mediator.  America  accepted;  England  refused. 
A  British  force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  tlie 
banks  of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into 
Chesapeake  Bay,  and  marched  rapidh*,  bj-  waj-  of 
Bladensburg,  upon  Wa.shington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was 
thrown  into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the 
brief  conflict  at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the 
streets  of  the  metropolis.  The  whole  population 
fled  from  the  city.  The  President,  leaving  Mrs. 
Madi.son  in  the  White  House,  with  her  carriage 
drawn  up  at  the  door  to  await  his  speedy  return, 
hurried  to  meet  the  officers  in  a  council  of  war. 
He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed,  and  he  could  not 
go  back  without  danger  of  being  captured.  But 
few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential  Mansion, 
the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in  Wash- 
ington were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and 
on  Febmar\'  13,  18 15,  the  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed  at  Ghent.  On  the  4th  of  March,  18 17,  his 
second  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the 
Presidential  chair  to  his  friend,  James  Monroe. 
He  retired  to  his  beautiful  home  at  Montpelier,  and 
there  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  On  June 
28,  1836,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  he  fell 
asleep  in  death.   Mrs    Madison  died  July  12,  1849. 


r 


JAMHS  MOXROK 


JAMES  MONROE. 


(TAMEIS  MONROE,  the  fifth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
C)  County,  Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early  life 
was  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity.  His  an- 
cestors had  for  many  yeafs  resided  in  the  province 
in  which  he  was  born.  When  he  was  seventeen 
years  old,  and  in  process  of  completing  his  educa- 
tion at  William  and  Mary  College,  the  Colonial 
Congress,  assembled  at  Philadelphia  to  deliberate 
upon  the  unjust  and  manifold  oppressions  of  Great 
Britain,  declared  the  separation , of  the  Colonies, 
and  promulgated  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the 
signers  of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this 
time  he  left  school  and  enlisted  among  the  pa- 
triots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked 
hopeless  and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters 
increased  from  day  to  daj-.  The  invading  armies 
came  pouring  in,  and  the  Tories  not  only  favored 
the  cause  of  the  mother  countrj',  but  disheartened 
the  new  recruits,  who  were  sufficiently  terrified 
at  the  prospect  of  contending  with  an  enemy 
whom  they  had  been  taught  to  deem  invincible. 
To  such  brave  spirits  as  James  Monroe,  who  went 
right  onward  undismayed  through  difficulty  and 
danger,  the  United  States  owe  their  political 
emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the  ranks 
and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  in  her 
strife  for  liberty.  Firml}^  yet  sadly,  he  shared  in 
the  melancholy  retreat  from  Harlem  Heights 
and  White  Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited 
army  as  it  fled  before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey. 
In  four  months  after  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, the  patriots  had  been  beaten  in  seven 
battles.  At  the  battle  of  Trenton  he  led  the  van- 
guard, and  in  the  act  of  charging  upon  the  enemy 
he  received  a  wound  in  the  left  shoulder. 


As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was 
promoted  to  be  captain  of  infantry,  and,  having  re- 
covered from  his  wounds,  he  rejoined  the  army. 
He,  however,  receded  from  the  line  of  promotion 
by  becoming  an  officer  on  the  staff  of  L,ord  Ster- 
ling. During  the  campaigns  of  1777  and  1778, 
in  the  actions  of  Brandywine,  Germantown  and 
Monmouth,  he  continued  aide-de-camp;  but  be- 
coming desirous  to  regain  his  position  in  the 
army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a  regiment  for 
the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed,  owing  to 
the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon  this 
failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued  with  consid- 
erable ardor  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did 
not,  however,  entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for 
the  green  bag,  but  on  the  invasion  of  the  enemy 
served  as  a  volunteer  during  the  two  years  of  his 
legal  pursuits. 

In  1782  he  was  elected  from  King  George 
County  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia, 
and  by  that  body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the 
Executive  Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with 
the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  at  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  having  at  this  early  period 
displayed  some  of  that  ability  and  aptitude  foi 
legislation  which  were  afterward  employed  with 
unremitting  energy  for  the  public  good,  he  was 
in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  felt  the  imperfections  of 
the  old  Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new 
Constitution,  thinking,  with  many  others  of  the 
Republican  party,  that  it  gave  too  much  power  to 
the  Central  Government,  and  not  enough  to  the 
individual  States.  Still  he  retained  the  esteem 
of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm  supporters,  and 
who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition,  secured  its 
adoption.  In  1789  he  became  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  which   office   he  held  for 


36 


JAMES  MONROE. 


four  years.  Every  month  the  Une  of  distinction 
between  the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the 
nation,  the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was 
growing  more  distinct.  The  dififerences  which 
now  separated  them  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  in  sympathy  with  France,  and 
also  in  favor  of  such  a  strict  construction  of  the 
Constitution  as  to  give  the  Central  Government  as 
hitle  power,  and  the  State  Govermntnts  as  much 
power,  as  the  Constitution  would  warrant;  while 
the  Federalists  sympathized  with  England,  and 
were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  pos- 
sibly authorize. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the 
principles  of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe 
was  drawn  into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and 
far  away.  Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of 
neutrality  between  these  contending  powers. 
France  had  helped  us  in  the  struggles  for  our 
liberties.  All  the  despotisms  of  Europe  were  now 
combined  to  prevent  the  French  from  escaping 
from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse  than  that 
which  we  had  endured.  Col.  Monroe,  more  mag- 
nanimous than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  gener- 
ous and  noble  nature,  and  Washington,  who  could 
appreciate  such  a  character,  showed  his  calm,  se- 
rene, almost  divine,  greatness,  by  appointing  that 
very  James  Monroe  who  was  denouncing  the  pol- 
icy of  the  Government,  as  the  minister  of  that 
Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Conven- 
tion in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  dem- 
onstration. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country',  Mr. 
Monroe  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
held  the  oflSce  for  three  years.  He  was  again 
sent  to  France  to  co-operate  with  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston in  obtaining  the  vast  territory  then  known 
as  the  province  of  Louisiana,  which  France  had 
but  shortly  before  obtained  from  Spain.  Their 
united  efforts  were  successful.  For  the  compara- 
tively small  sum  of  fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  the 


entire  territory  of  Orleans  and  district  of  Loui- 
siana were  added  to  the  United  States.  This  was 
probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate  which 
was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to 
obtain  from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against 
those  odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But 
England  was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to 
England  on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive 
no  redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was 
again  chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon 
resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of 
vState  under  Madison.  While  in  this  office  war 
with  England  was  declared,  the  Secretary  of  War 
resigned,  and  during  these  trying  times  the 
duties  of  the  War  Department  were  al.so  put  upon 
him.  He  was  truly  the  armor-bearer  of  President 
Madison,  and  the  most  efficient  business  man  in 
his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  of  peace  he  re- 
signed the  Department  of  War,  but  continued  in 
the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  imtil  the  expira- 
tion of  Mr.  Madison's  administration.  At  the 
election  held  the  previous  autunni,  Mr.  Monroe 
himself  had  been  chosen  President  with  but  little 
opposition,  and  upon  March  4,  1817,  he  was  in- 
augurated. F^our  years  later  he  was  elected  for 
a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presi- 
dency were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United 
States,  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and  the  famous 
"  Monroe  doctrine."  This  doctrine  was  enun- 
ciated by  him  in  1823,  and  was  as  follows:  "  That 
we  should  consider  any  attempt  on  the  part  of 
European  powers  to  extend  their  system  to  any 
portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous  to  our 
peace  and  safety,"  and  that  "  we  could  not  view 
any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing  or 
controlling  American  governments  or  provinces 
in  any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by 
European  powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition 
toward  the  United  States." 

At  the  end  of  his  .second  term,  Mr.  Monroe  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  un- 
til 1830,  when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with 
his  son-in-law.  In  that  city  he  died,  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1831. 


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JOHN   yriXCV   ADAMS 


JOHN  OUINCY  ADAMS. 


QOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the  sixth  President 

I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  the  rural 
\Z/  home  of  his  honored  father,  John  Adams,  in 
Quincy,  Mass.,  on  the  nth  of  July,  1767.  His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted  worth,  watched  over 
his  childhood  during  the  almost  constant  ab- 
sence of  his  father.  When  but  eight  years  of 
age,  he  stood  with  his  mother  on  an  eminence, 
listening  to  the  booming  of  the  great  battle  on 
Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  out  upon  the  smoke 
and  flames  billowing  up  from  the  conflagration  of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he  took  a  tearful 
adieu  of  his  mother,  to  sail  with  his  father  for  Eu- 
rope, through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers. 
The  bright,  animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a-half 
in  Paris,  where  his  father  was  associated  with 
Franklin  and  Lee  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary. 
His  intelligence  attracted  the  notice  of  these  dis- 
tinguished men,  and  he  received  from  them  flat- 
tering marks  of  attention. 

John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad. 
Again  John  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At 
Paris  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  great  dil- 
igence for  six  months,  and  then  accompanied  his 
father  to  Holland,  where  he  entered  first  a  school 
in  Amsterdam,  then  the  University  at  Ley  den. 
About  a  year  from  this  time,  in  1781,  when  the 
manly  boy  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was 
selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  Minister  to  the  Rus- 
sian court,  as  his  private  secretary.  [ 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  ennobl-  1 
ing  culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  ! 
returned  to  Holland,  through  Sweden,  Denmark,  \ 
Hamburg  and   Bremen.     This  long  journey  he 
took   alone  in  the  winter,  when   in  his  sixteenth 
year.     Again  he  resumed  his  .studies,  under  a  pri- 
vate tutor,  at  The  Hague.     Then,  in  the  spring  of 
1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Paris,  travel- 
ing leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintances  with  the 
most  distinguished  men  on  the  continent,  examin- 


ing architectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintings, 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he 
again  became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious 
men  of  all  lands  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
loftiest  temporal  themes  which  can  engross  the 
human  mind.  After  a  short  visit  to  England  he 
returned  to  Paris,  and  consecrated  all  his  energies 
to  study  until  May,  1785,  when  he  returned  to 
America  to  finish  his  education. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  .studied  law  for  three  years.  In  Jvne, 
1794,  being  then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
he  was  appointed  by  Washington  Resident  Min- 
ister at  the  Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in 
July,  he  reached  London  in  October,  where  he 
was  immediately  admitted  to  the  deliberations  of 
Messrs.  Jay  &  Pinckney,  assisting  them  in  nego- 
tiating a  commercial  treaty  with  Great  Britain. 
After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  in  London,  he 
proceeded  to  The  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  The  Hague  to  go  to  Por- 
tugal as  Minister  Plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to 
Portugal,  upon  arriving  in  London,  he  met  with 
despatches  directing  him  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but 
requesting  him  to  remain  in  London  until  he 
should  receive  his  instructions.  While  waiting 
he  was  married  to  an  American  lad}',  to  whom  he 
had  been  previously  engaged — Miss  Louisa  Cath- 
erine Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Jo.shua  Johnson, 
American  Consul  in  London,  and  a  lady  en- 
dowed with  that  beauty  and  those  accomplish- 
ments which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  the 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined.  He 
reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797, 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  hav- 
ing fulfilled  all  the  purposes  of  his  mission,  he  so 
licited  his  recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen 
to  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts  from  Boston,  and 
then  was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for 
six  years,  from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  rep- 
utation,  his    ability  and    his  experience    placed 


40 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


him  immediately  among  the  most  prominent  and 
influential  members  of  that  body. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jeiferson  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated 
John  Quincy  Adams  Minister  to  St.  Petersbura;h. 
Resigning  his  professorship  in  Harvard  Col- 
lege, he  embarked  at  Boston  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Rus.sia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense 
Student.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  lan- 
guage and  history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade; 
to  the  European  s>-stem  of  weights,  measures  and 
coins;  to  the  climate  and  a.stronomical  observa- 
tions; while  he  kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance 
with  the  Greek  and  I^atin  classics.  In  all  the 
universities  of  Europe,  a  more  accomplished 
scholar  could  scarcely  be  found.  All  through 
life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important  part  of  his 
studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five  chapters 
every  daj'. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  181 7,  Mr.  Monroe  took 
the  Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  appointed 
Mr.  Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of 
his  mimerous  friends  in  public  and  private  life  in 
Europe,  he  .sailed  in  June,  18 19,  for  the  United 
States.  On  the  i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed 
the  threshold  of  his  home  in  Ouincy.  During  the 
eight  years  of  Mr.  Monroe's  administration,  Mr. 
Adams  continued  Secretary  of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's 
second  term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be 
presented  for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr. 
Adams  brought  forward  his  name.  It  was  an 
exciting  campaign,  and  party  spirit  was  never 
more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and  sixty  electoral 
votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  received  ninety- 
nine;  John  Quincy  Adams  eifhty-four;  William 
H.  Crawford  forty-one;  and  Henry  Clay  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  bj'  the  people, 
the  question  went  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. Mr.  Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to 
Mr.  Adams,  and  he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates 
now  combined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  as- 
sault upon  Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more 
disgraceful  in  the  past  history  of  our  countrv-  than 
the  abuse  which  was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted 
stream  upon  this  high-minded,  upright  and  pa- 


triotic man.  There  never  was  an  administration 
more  pure  in  principles,  more  conscientiously  de- 
voted to  the  best  interests  of  the  country,  than 
that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  perhaps, 
was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupulously 
and  outrageously  assailed. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  An- 
drew Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected 
Vice-President.  The  slavery  question  now  be- 
gan to  assume  portentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams 
returned  to  Quincy  and  to  his  .studies,  which  he 
pursued  with  unabated  zeal.  But  he  was  not 
long  permitted  to  remain  in  retirement.  In  No- 
vember, 1830,  he  was  elected  Representative  in 
Congress.  For  seventeen  years,  or  until  his  death, 
he  occupied  the  post  as  Representative,  towering 
above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to  do  brave  battle 
for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of  "the  Old 
Man  Eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in  the 
House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never 
was  a  member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He 
was  usually  the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning, 
and  the  last  to  leave  his  seat  in  the  evening. 
Not  a  measure  could  be  brought  forward  and  es- 
cape his  scrutiny.  The  battle  which  Mr.  Adams 
fought,  almost  singly,  against  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  the  Government  was  sublime  in  its 
moral  daring  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
he  was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand 
jury,  with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assas- 
sination; but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and 
his  final  triumph  was  complete. 

On  the  2ist  of  Fel)ruary,  1848,  he  rose  on  the 
floor  of  Congress  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to 
address  the  .speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again 
.stricken  by  paralysis,  and  was  caught  in  the  arms 
of  those  armnul  him.  F'or  a  time  he  was  sense- 
less, as  he  was  con\-eyed  to  the  sofa  in  the  ro- 
tunda. With  reviving  consciousness,  he  opened 
his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and  said  "This 
is  the  end  of  earth;"  then  after  a  moment's  pau.se 
he  added,  "  I  am  content."  These  were  the  last 
words  of  the  grand  ' '  Old  Man  Eloquent. ' ' 


<•;-■«?" 


AXDRl'W  JACKSON 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


GlNDREW  JACKSON,  the  seventh  President 
Ll  of  the  United  States,  was  bom  in  Waxhaw 
/  I  settlement,  N.  C,  March  15,  1767,  a  few 
days  after  his  father's  death.  His  parents  were 
poor  emigrants  from  Ireland,  and  took  up  their 
abode  in  Waxhaw  settlement,  where  they  lived 
in  deepest  poverty. 

Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was  universally  called, 
grew  up  a  verj'  rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  ungainl}-,  and  there 
was  but  very  little  in  his  character  made  visible 
which  was  attractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the 
volunteers  of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion. 
In  1 78 1,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured 
and  imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British 
officer  ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered 
boots.  "lam  a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  serv- 
ant," was  the  reply  of  the  dauntless  boy. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  such 
as  working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school, 
and  clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when 
he  entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He, 
however,  gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amuse- 
ments of  the  times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788, 
he  was  appointed  solicitor  for  the  Western  District 
of  North  Carolina,  of  which  Tennessee  was  then 
a  part.  This  involved  many  long  journeys  amid 
dangers  of  every-  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never 
knew  fear,  and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  re- 
peat a  skirmish  with    "Sharp  Knife." 

In  1 79 1,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman 
who  supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former 
husband.  Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties, 
two  years  later,  to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the 
divorce  had  just  been  definitely  settled  by  the 
first  husband.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed a  second  time,  but  the  occurrence  was 
often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr.  Jackson 
into  disfavor. 


In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee 
then  containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, the  people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville 
to  frame  a  constitution.  Five  were  sent  from 
each  of  the  eleven  counties.  Andrew  Jackson 
was  one  of  the  delegates.  The  new  State  was 
entitled  to  but  one  member  in  the  National  House 
of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jackson  was  chosen 
that  member.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  to 
Philadelphia,  where  Congress  then  held  its  ses- 
sions, a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred  miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  ad- 
mired Bonaparte,  loved  France,  and  hated  Eng- 
land. As  Mr.  Jackson  took  his  seat.  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, whose  second  term  of  office  was  then 
expiring,  delivered  his  last  speech  to  Congress. 
A  committee  drew  up  a  complimentary  address  in 
reply.  Andrew  Jackson  did  not  approve  of  the 
address,  and  was  one  of  the  twelve  who  voted 
against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to  say  that  Gen. 
Washington's  administration  had  been  "wise, 
firm  and  patriotic. ' ' 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned 
home.  Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  his  State,  which  position  he 
held  for  six  years. 

When  the  War  of  181 2  with  Great  Britain  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there 
was  an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jack- 
son, who  would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one 
were  conferred  upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen. 
Jackson  offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted, 
and  the  troops  were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make 
an  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen.  Wil- 
kinson was  in  command,  he  was  ordered  io  de- 


44 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


scend  the  river  with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid 
Wilkinson.  The  expedition  reached  Natchez, 
and  after  a  delay  of  several  weeks  there  without 
accomplishing  anything,  the  men  were  ordered 
back  to  their  homes.  But  the  energy  Gen.  Jack- 
son had  displayed,  and  his  entire  devotion  to  the 
comfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  for  him  golden  opin- 
ions, and  he  became  the  most  popular  man  in  the 
State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his  tough- 
ness gave  him  the  nickname  of   "Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip 
Col.  Thomas  Benton  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  part  as  second  in  a  duel 
in  which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  en- 
gaged, he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds. 
While  he  was  lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering, 
news  came  that  the  Indians,  who  had  combined 
under  Tecumseh  from  Florida  to  the  Lakes  to  ex- 
terminate the  white  settlers,  were  committing  the 
most  awful  ravages.  Decisive  action  became  nec- 
essary. Gen.  Jackson,  with  his  fractured  bone 
just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in  a  sling,  and 
unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assistance, 
gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Ala. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong 
fort  on  one  of  the  bends  of  the  Tallapoosa  River, 
near  the  center  of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  be- 
low Ft.  Strother.  With  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  Gen.  Jackson  traversed  the  pathless  wilder- 
ness in  a  march  of  eleven  days.  He  reached  their 
fort,  called  Tohopeka  or  Horse-shoe,  on  the  27th 
of  March,  18 14.  The  bend  of  the  river  enclosed 
nearly  one  hundred  acres  of  tangled  forest  and 
wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow  neck  the  Indians 
had  constructed  a  formidable  breastwork  of  logs 
and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors,  with 
an  ample  supply  of  arms,  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly 
desperate.  Not  an  Indian  would  accept  quarter. 
When  bleeding  and  dj'ing,  they  would  fight  those 
who  endeavored  to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten 
in  the  morning  until  dark  the  battle  raged.  The 
carnage  was  awful  and  re\'olting.  Some  threw 
themselves  into  the  river;  but  the  unerring  bul- 
lets struck  their  heads  as  thev  swam.  Nearly 
every    one    of  the   nine   hundred   warriors   was 


killed.  A  few,  probably,  in  the  night  swam 
the   river   and   escaped.      This   ended   the   war. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  War  enabled  us  to 
concentrate  all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who 
were  the  allies  of  the  Indians.  No  man  of  less 
resolute  will  than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  con- 
ducted this  Indian  campaign  to  so  successful  an 
issue.  Immediately  he  was  appointed  Major- 
General. 

I^ate  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  went  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  went  from  Pensacola. 
landed  a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the 
little  fort,  and  from  both  ship  and  shore  com- 
menced a  furious  assault.  The  battle  was  long 
and  doubtful.  At  length  one  of  the  ships  was 
blown  up  and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his 
little  army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
and  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This 
won  for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name. 
Here  his  troops,  which  numbered  about  four 
thousand  men,  won  a  signal  victory  over  the 
British  army  of  about  nine  thousand.  His  loss 
was  but  thirteen,  while  the  loss  of  the  British  was 
twenty-six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Presidency, 
but  in  1824  he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams. 
He  was,  however,  successful  in  the  election  of 
1828,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term  in 
1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he  assumed  the  reins 
of  government,  he  met  with  the  most  terrible 
affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of  his  wife,  whom 
he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has  perhaps 
never  been  surjjassed.  From  the  shock  of  her 
death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  mem- 
orable in  the  annals  of  our  countrs* — applauded 
by  one  party,  condemned  by  the  other.  No  man 
had  more  bitter  enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  two  terms  of  office  he  retired 
to  the  Hermitage,  where  he  died  June  8,  1S45.  The 
last  years  of  Mr.  Jackson's  life  were  those  of  a  de- 
voted Christian  man. 


MARTIN  VAN   HlKl'-N 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


yyi  ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the   eighth  Presi- 

y  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Kin- 
CS  derhook,  N.  Y. ,  December  5,  1782.  He 
died  at  the  same  place,  July  24,  1862.  His  body 
rests  in  the  cemetery  at  Kinderhook.  Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite  shaft,  fifteen  feet  high,  bearing  a 
simple  inscription  about  half-way  up  on  one  face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordere'd  or  unbounded 
by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van 
Buren  of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles, 
engaged  in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life 
was  stormy  in  political  and  intellectual  conflicts, 
and  he  gained  many  signal  victories,  his  days 
passed  uneventful  in  those  incidents  which  give 
zest  to  biography.  His  ancestors,  as  his  name  indi- 
cates, were  of  Dutch  origin,  and  were  among  the 
earliest  emigrants  from  Holland  to  the  banks  of 
the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  residing 
in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother,  also 
of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing 
unusual  activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic 
studies  in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the 
study  of  law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, .seven  years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  re- 
quired of  him  before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  Inspired  with  a  lofty  ambition,  and  con- 
scious of  his  powers,  he  pursued  his  studies  with 
indefatigable  industry.  After  spending  six  years 
in  an  ofiice  in  his  native  village,  he  went  to  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  pro.secuted  his  studies  for  the 
seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty -one  years 


of  age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  na- 
tive village.  The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal 
and  Republican  parties  was  then  at  its  height. 
Mr.  Van  Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politi- 
cian. He  had,  perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while 
listening  to  the  many  discussions  which  had  been 
carried  on  in  his  father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial 
sympathy  with  Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  elo- 
quently espoused  the  cause  of  State  Rights,  though 
at  that  time  the  Federal  party  held  the  supremacy 
both  in  his  town  and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  reputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice  to  remove  to  Hudson, 
the  county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent 
seven  years,  constantly  gaining  strength  by  con- 
tending in  the  courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men 
who  have  adonied  the  Bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  a  victim  of  con- 
sumption, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to 
weep  over  her  lo,ss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  was  an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous 
lawyer.  The  record  of  those  years  is  barren  in 
items  of  public  interest.  In  1812,  when  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  gave  his  .strenuous  support  to  Mr.  Madison's 
administration.  In  18 15,  he  was  appointed  At- 
torney-General, and  the  next  year  moved  to  Al- 
bany, the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party,  he  had 
the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "universal  suffrage' '  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  righ; 


48 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


of  governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with 
his  democratic  principles,  he  contended  tliat,  while 
the  path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should 
be  open  to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one 
should  be  invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative 
unless  he  were  in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by 
intelligence,  virtue,  and  some  property  interests  in 
the  welfare  of  the  State. 

In  182 1  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  and  in  the  same  year  he  took  a 
seat  in  the  convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of 
his  native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention 
secured  the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No 
one  could  doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to 
promote  the  interests  of  all  classes  in  the  com- 
munity. In  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  he 
rose  at  once  to  a  conspicuous  position  as  an  active 
and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected 
to  the  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning 
a  determined  opposer  of  the  administration,  adopt- 
ing the  "State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what 
was  deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1S28,  he  was  chosen  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned 
his  seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the 
United  States  contributed  so  much  towards  eject- 
ing John  Q.  Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair, 
and  placing  in  it  Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin 
Vari  Buren.  Whether  entitled  to  the  reputation 
or  not,  he  certainly  was  regarded  throughout  the 
United  States  as  one  of  the  most  skillful,  sagacious 
and  cunning  of  politicians.  It  was  supposed  that 
no  one  knew  .so  well  as  he  how  to  touch  the  secret 
springs  of  action,  how  to  pull  all  the  wires  to 
j)ut  his  machinery  in  motion,  and  how  to  organize 
a  political  army  which  would  secretly  and  stealth- 
ily accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By  these 
powers  it  is  said  that  he  outwitted  Mr.  Adams,  Mr. 
Clay,  and  Mr.  Webster,  and  .secured  results  which 
:ew  then  thought  could  l)e  accomplished. 

When  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President 
he  appointed  Mr.  Van  ]5uren  Secretary  of  State. 
This  position  he  resigned  in  1S31,  and  was  im- 
mediatelv  appointed  Mini.stcr  to  luigland,  where 
he  went  the  same  autumn.     The  Senate,  however, 


when  it  met,  refused  to  ratify  the  nomination,  and 
he  returned  home,  apparently  untroubled.  Later 
he  was  nominated  Vice-President  in  the  place  of 
Calhoun,  at  the  re-election  of  President  Jackson, 
and  with  smiles  for  all  and  frowns  for  none,  he 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that  Senate  which  had 
refused  to  confirm  his  nomination  as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal 
of  President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated 
favorite;  and  this,  probably,  more  than  any  other 
cause  secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the 
Chief  Executive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  received  the  Democratic  nomination 
to  succeed  Gen.  Jackson  as  President  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority, 
to  the  delight  of  the  retiring  President.  '  'Leaving 
New  York  out  of  the  canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton, 
"the  election  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  to  the  Presidency 
was  as  nuich  the  act  of  Gen.  Jackson  as  though 
the  Constitution  had  conferred  upon  him  the  power 
to  appoint  a  successor. ' ' 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting 
events.  The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which 
threatened  to  involve  this  country  in  war  with 
England,  the  agitation  of  the  .slavery  question, 
and  finally  the  great  commercial  panic  which 
spread  over  the  country,  all  were  trials  of  his  wis- 
dom. The  financial  di.stress  was  attributed  to 
the  management  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re-election,  and  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1 84 1,  he  retired  from  the  presidency. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "FreCvSoil"  Democrats  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death.  He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of 
frugal  habits,  and,  living  within  his  income,  had 
now  fortunately  a  competence  for  his  declining 
years.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald,  he 
still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death, 
on  the  24th  of  July,  1S62,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  he  resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of 
leisure,  of  culture  and  wealth,  enjoying  in  a 
healthy  old  age  ])robably  far  more  happiness  than 
hi  had  before  experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes 
of  his  active  life. 


WII.IJAM    III'NRV   HARRISON 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON,  the  ninth 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  February  9,  1773.  His 
father,  Benjamin  Harrison,  was  in  comparatively 
opulent  circumstances,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  his  day.  He  was  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  George  Washington,  was  early 
elected  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
and  was  conspicuous  among  the  patriots  of  Vir- 
ginia in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  the  British 
crown.  In  the  celebrated  Congress  of  1775,  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  and  John  Hancock  were  both 
candidates  for  the  office  of  Speaker. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  subsequently  chosen  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  and  was  twice  re-elected.  His 
son  William  Henry,  of  course,  enjoyed  in  child- 
hood all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and  intel- 
lectual and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  educa- 
tion, he  entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where 
he  graduated  with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of 
his  father.  He  then  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to 
study  medicine  under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush 
and  the  guardianship  of  Robert  Morris,  both  of 
whom  were,  with  his  father,  signers  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and 
notwithstanding  the  remonstrances  of  his  friends, 
he  abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the 
army,  having  obtained  a  commission  as  Ensign 
from  President  W^ashington.  He  was  then  but 
nineteen  years  old.  From  that  time  he  passed 
gradually  upward  in  rank  until  he  became  aide 
to  Gen.  Wayne,  after  whose  death  he  resigned 
his  commission.  He  was  then  appointed  Secre- 
tary of  the  Northwestern  Territory.  This  Terri- 
tory was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in  Con- 


gress, and  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that  position. 
In  the  spring  of  iSoo  the  Northwestern  Terri- 
tory was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions. 
The  eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now- 
embraced  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "The 
Territor>'  northwest  of  the  Ohio."  The  western 
portion,  which  included  what  is  now  called  Indi- 
ana, Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  was  called  "the  Indi- 
ana Tern  torj'."  William  Henr>' Harrison,  then 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  was  appointed  by  John 
Adams  Governor  of  the  Indiana  Territory',  and 
immediately  after  also  Governor  of  Upper  Loui- 
siana. He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as  exten- 
sive a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe. 
He  was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
was  invested  with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over 
the  then  rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The 
ability  and  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged 
these  responsible  duties  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  four  times  appointed  to  this 
office — first  by  John  Adams,  twice  by  Thomas 
Jefferson,  and  afterwards  by  President  Madison. 

When  he  began  his  administration  there  were 
but  three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  bound- 
less region,  now  crowded  with  cities  and  resound- 
ing with  all  the  tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic. 
One  of  these  settlements  was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly 
opposite  Loui.sville;  one  at  Vincennes,  on  the 
Wabash;  and  the  third  was  a  French  settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrison 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians. 
About  the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men, 
twin  brothers  of  the  Shawnee  tribe,  rose  among 
them.  One  of  the.se  was  called  Tecumseh,  or 
"the  Crouching  Panther;"  the  other  Olliwa- 
checa,  or  ' '  the  Prophet. ' '  Tecumseh  was  not 
only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man  of  great  sagac- 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


ily.  far-n-achiiig  lorcsighl  and  indoniitable  perse- 
veraiict  in  any  cntfrprise  in  which  he  might  en- 
gage. Hi.s  brother,  the  Prophet,  was  an  orator, 
who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untntored  In- 
dians as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree-tops  beneath 
wlrich  they  dwelt.  With  an  enthusia.sm  unsur- 
pa.sse<l  by  Peter  the  Hermit  rousing  luirope  to  the 
cni-sades,  he  went  from  tribe  to  tribe,  a.ssuming 
that  he  was  specially  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harris).)!!  made  man>-  attempts  to  con- 
ciliate the  India!!s,  but  at  la.st  war  came,  and  at 
Tippecanoe  the  Indians  were  routed  with  great 
slaughter.  Octolx-r  28,  18 12,  his  army  began  its 
inarch.  When  !iear  the  Prophet's  town,  three 
Indians  of  rank  !nade  their  appearance  and  in- 
quired why  Gov.  Harri.son  was  approaching  them 
in  so  hostile  a!!  attitude.  After  a  short  confer- 
ence, arrangements  were  made  for  a  meeting  the 
next  day  to  agree  upon  teri!is  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harris<J!i  was  too  well  acquainted 
with  the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such 
protestations.  Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his 
night's  encamjji!ie!!t,  he  took  every  precaution 
against  surprise.  His  troops  were  posted  in  a 
hollow  stpiare  and  slept  upon  their  arms.  The 
wakeful  Gover!!or,  betwee!i  three  and  four  o'clock 
in  the  moniiiig,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting 
in  co!iver.satio!!  with  his  aides  by  the  embers 
of  a  waning  fire.  It  was  a  chill,  cloudy  moniing, 
with  a  drizzling  rain.  In  the  darkness,  the  In- 
diai!s  had  crept  as  !iear  as  po.ssible,  and  ju.st  then, 
with  a  .savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all  the  despera- 
tio!!  which  superstition  a!id  jjassion  mo.st  highly 
iiiflametl  could  give,  upo!i  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  an!iy.  The  savages  had  been  amply  pro- 
viilol  with  guns  and  ammunition  by  theKngli.sh, 
and  their  war-whoop  was  acco!upanied  by  a 
sliower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  e.xtinguished,  as 
the  light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim,  and 
Gen.  Harri.son's  troops  stood  as  immovable  as 
■  -  around  llicm  until  day  dawned,  when 
'■  a  simullaneous  charge  with  the  bayo- 
net and  swept  everything  before  them,  completely 
rout)       "     :  ,u. 

<■  ^"11  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 

to  the  utmost.     The  British,  descending  from  the 


Canadas,  were  of  themselves  a  ven,-  formidable 
force,  but  with  their  .savage  allies  rushing  like 
wolves  from  the  forest,  burning,  plundering,  scalp- 
ing torturing,  the  wide  frontier  was  plunged  into 
a  state  of  consternation  which  even  the  most  vivid 
imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive.  Gen.  Hull 
had  made  an  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at 
Detroit.  Under  these  despairing  circumstances, 
Gov.  Harrison  was  appointed  bj'  President  Madi- 
son Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Nortlnvestern 
Army,  with  orders  to  retake  Detroit  and  to  protect 
the  frontiers.  It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man 
in  a  situation  demanding  more  energy,  sagacity 
and  courage,  but  he  was  found  equal  to  the 
po.sition,  and  nobl\-  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet 
all  the  responsibilities. 

In  18 16,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member 
of  the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  rep- 
resent the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved 
an  active  member,  and  whenever  he  spoke  it  was 
with  a  force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence 
which  arrested  the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  18 1  g,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio,  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  Presidential  Elec- 
tors of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry 
Clay.  The  same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  Senate.  In  1S36  his  friends  brought 
him  forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency 
again.st  Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the 
close  of  Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nom- 
inated by  his  party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unani- 
mously nominated  by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler 
for  the  Vice-Presidency.  The  contest  was  very 
animated.  Gen.  Jackson  gave  all  his  influence  to 
prevent  Harrison's  election,  but  his  triumph  was 
signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  foraied,  with  Daniel  W^eb- 
ster  at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  with  which  ain-  President  had 
ever  been  surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects 
of  an  admini.stration  more  flattering,  or  the  hopes 
of  the  country  more  .sanguine.  In  the  midst  of 
these  bright  and  joyous  pro.spects.  Gen.  Harrison 
was  seized  by  a  pleurisy-fever,  and  after  a  few 
days  of  violent  sickness  died,  on  the  4tli  of  April, 
just  one  month  after  his  inauguration  as  President 
of  the  United  States. 


JOHN   TVIJ.R 


JOHN  TYLER. 


(John  TYLER,  the  tenth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  and  was  born  in  Charles 
Q)  City  Count}-,  Va.,  March  29,  1790.  He  was 
the  favored  child  of  affluence  and  high  social  po- 
sition. At  the  early  age  of  twelve,  John  entered 
William  and  Mary  College,  and  graduated  with 
much  honor  when  but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted  himself  with  great  assi- 
duity to  the  study  of  law,  partly  with  his  father 
and  partly  with  Edmund  Randolph,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  His  success  was  rapid  and  as- 
tonishing. It  is  said  that  three  months  had  not 
elapsed  ere  there  was  scarcely  a  case  on  the 
docket  of  the  court  in  which  he  was  not  retained. 
When  but  twenty -one  years  of  age,  he  was  almost 
unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature. He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures 
of  Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive 
3'ears  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving 
nearly  the  unanimous  vote  of  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was 
elected  a  Member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  ear- 
ne.stly  andabl}'  with  the  Democratic  party,  oppos- 
ing a  national  bank,  internal  improvements  by 
the  General  Government,  and  a  protective  tariff; 
advocating  a  .strict  construction  of  the  Constitu- 
tion and  the  most  careful  vigilance  over  State 
rights.  His  labors  in  Congress  were  so  arduous 
that  before  the  close  of  his  second  term  he  found 
it  necessary'  to  resign  and  retire  to  his  estate  in 
Charles  City  County  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in 
the  vState  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was 
powerful  in  promoting  public  works  of  great 
utility.  With  a  reputation  thus  constantly  in- 
creasing, he  was  chosen  by  a  verj-  large  majority 
of  votes  Governor  of  his  native  State.  His  ad- 
ministration was  a  signally  successflil  one,  and  his 
popularity  secured  his  re-election. 


John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic 
party  was  di.spleased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  way- 
ward course,  and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as 
his  opponent,  considering  him  the  only  man  in 
Virginia  of  .sufficient  popularity  to  .succeed 
against  the  renowned  orator  of  Roanoke.  Mr. 
Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  tak- 
ing his  seat  in  the  Senate  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  opposition.  He  opposed  the  tariff,  and  spoke 
against  and  voted  against  the  bank  as  unconsti- 
tutional; he  strenuously  opposed  all  restrictions 
upon  slavery,  resisting  all  projects  of  internal  im- 
provements Dy  the  General  Government,  and 
avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr.  Calhoun's  view 
of  nullification;  he  declared  that  Gen.  Jackson, 
by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had  abandoned 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  Such 
was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congres.s — a  record  in 
perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  There  was  a  split  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a 
true  Jeffersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  show- 
ered compliments  upon  him.  He  had  now  at- 
tained the  age  of  forty-six,  and  tiis  career  had  been 
ven."  brilliant.  In  consequence  of  his  devotion  to 
public  business,  his  private  affairs  had  fallen  into 
some  disorder,  and  it  was  not  without  satisfac- 
tion that  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  and  de- 
voted himself  to  the  cultivation  of  his  plantation. 
Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg,  for 
the  better  education  of  his  children,  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  southern  Whigs  he  was  sent  to  the 
national  convention  at  Harrisburg  in  1 839  to  nom- 
inate a  President.  The  majority  of  votes  were 
given  to  Gen  Harrison,  a  genuine  Whig,  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  the  South,  which  wished 


56 


JOHN  TYLER. 


for  Henry  Clay.  To  conciliate  the  southern 
Whig.s  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the  convention 
then  noniinatfd  John  Tyler  for  Vice-President. 
It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  Whig  party  in  the  North;  but  the  Vice- 
President  has  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to 
preside  over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it 
happened  that  a  Whig  President  and,  in  realitj', 
a  Democratic  \'ice-President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice- 
Pre.sident  of  the  United  States.  In  one  short 
month  from  that  time,  President  Harrison  died, 
and  Mr:  Tyler  thus  found  himself,  to  his  own 
surprise  and  that  of  the  whole  nation,  an  occu- 
pant of  the  Presidential  chair.  Hastening  from 
Williamsburg  to  Wa.shington,  on  the  6th  of 
April  he  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  re- 
sponsible office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of 
exceeding  delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long 
life  he  had  been  opposed  to  the  main  principles  of 
the  party  which  had  brought  him  into  power. 
He  had  ever  been  a  consistent,  honest  man,  with 
an  unblemished  record.  Gen.  Harrison  had  se- 
lected a  Whig  cabinet.  Should  he  retain  them, 
and  thus  surround  him.self  with  counselors  whose 
views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own  ?  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him,  and  select  a  cabinet  in 
harmony  with  himself  and  which  would  oppose 
all  those  views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essen- 
tial to  the  public  welfare  ?  This  was  his  fearful 
dilemma.  He  invited  the  cabinet  which  Presi- 
dent Harrison  had  selected  to  retain  their  .seats, 
and  recommended  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
that  God  would  guide  and  bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for 
the  incorporation  of  a  fi.scal  bank  of  ,:he  United 
States.  The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  re- 
turned it  with  his  veto.  He  suggested,  however, 
that  he  would  approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon 
such  a  plan  as  he  proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  ac- 
cordingly prepared,  and  privately  submitted  to 
him.  He  gave  it  his  approval.  It  was  passed 
without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back  with  his 
veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture.  It  is 
said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 


ure by  a  pubHshed  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  se- 
verely touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opjjosition  now  exultingly  received  the 
President  into  their  arms.  The  party  which 
elected  him  denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the 
members  of  his  cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster, 
resigned.  The  Whigs  of  Congress,  both  the 
Senate  and  the  House,  held  a  meeting  and  i.ssued 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance  between  the 
Whigs  and  President  Tyler  was  at  an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs 
and  Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong 
party  men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary 
to  resign,  forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig 
friends.  Thus  the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  un- 
fortunate administration  passed  sadly  away.  No 
one  was  satisfied.  The  land  was  filled  with  mur- 
murs and  \ituperation.  Whigs  and  Democrats 
alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more,  however,  he 
brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his  okl 
friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his 
term  he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support 
of  Mr.  Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his 
successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  President  Tyler  re- 
tired from  the  harassments  of  oiSce,  to  the  regret 
of  neither  party,  and  probably  to  his  own  unspeak- 
able relief  The  remainder  of  his  days  were 
passed  mainly  in  the  retirement  of  his  beautiful 
home — Sherwood  Forest,  Charles  City  County, 
Va.  His  first  wife.  Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died 
in  Washington  in  1842;  and  in  June,  1844, 
he  was  again  married,  at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia 
Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of  many  personal  and 
intellectual  accomplishments. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the 
State  Rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  John  C. 
Calhoun  had  inaugurated.  President  Tyler  re- 
nounced his  allegiance  to  the  United  vStates,  and 
joined  the  Confederates.  He  was  cho.sen  a  mem- 
ber of  their  Congress,  and  while  engaged  in 
active  measures  to  destroy,  by  force  of  arms,  the 
Government  over  which  he  had  once  presided,  he 
was  taken  sick  and  .soon  died. 


JAMHS  K.    I'OI.K 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


(Tames  K.  polk,  the  eleventh  President  of 
I  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Mecklenburgh 
Q)  County,  N.  C,  November  2,  1795.  His 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Jane  (Knoxj  Polk,  the 
former  a  son  of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the  first  pioneers,  in 
1735.  In  1806,  with  his  wife  and  children,  and 
soon  after  followed  by  most  of  the  members  of  the  j 
Polk  family,  Samuel  Polk  emigrated  .some  two  or 
three  hundred  miles  farther  we.st,  to  the  rich  val- 
ley of  the  Duck  River.  Here,  in  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness,  in  a  region  which  was  subsequently 
called  Maury  County,  they  erected  their  log  huts 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the  hard  toil  of 
a  new  farm  in  the  wilderness,  James  K.  Polk 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  childliood  and  j'outh. 
His  father,  adding  the  pursuit  of  a  surveyor  to 
that  of  a  farmer,  gradually  increased  in  wealth, 
until  he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
region.  His  mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of 
strong  common  sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading,  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  ob- 
tain a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training 
had  made  him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught 
him  punctuality  and  industry,  and  had  inspired 
him  with  lofty  principles  of  morality.  His  health 
was  frail,  and  his  father,  fearing  that  he  might  not 
be  able  to  endure  a  sedentary  life,  got  a  situation 
for  him  behind  the  counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for 
commercial  pursuits.  i 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He  ! 
had  no  ta.ste  for  these  duties,  and  his  aaily  tasKS  ' 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  v^eks,  when, 
at  his  earnest  solicitation,  his  faiHer  removed 
him  and  made  arrangements  for  him  to  pros- 
ecute his  studies.  Soon  after  he  sent  him  to  Mur- 
freesboro  Academy.  With  ardor  which  could 
scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed  forward  in  his 


studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a-half  years,  in 
the  autumn  of  18 15,  entered  the  sophomore  class 
in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplarj-  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exerci.se,  never  allow- 
ing him.self  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a 
religious  ser\-ice. 

Mr.  Polk  graduated  in  18 18,  with  the  highest 
honors,  being  deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class, 
both  in  mathematics  and  the  cla.ssics.  He  was 
then  twenty-three  years  of  age.  His  health  was 
at  this  time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with 
which  he  had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a 
short  season  of  relaxation,  he  went  to  Nashville, 
and  entered  the  office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study 
law.  Here  Mr.  Polk  renewed  his  acquaintance 
with  Andrew  Jackson,  who  resided  on  his  planta- 
tion, the  "  Hermitage,"  but  a  few  miles  from 
Nashville.  They  had  probably  been  slightly  ac- 
quainted before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican 
and  James  K.  adhered  to  the  same  political  faith. 
He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was  con- 
stantly called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such 
that  he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the 
stump.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  morals, 
genial  and  courteous  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that 
sympathetic  nature  in  the  joys  and  griefs  of  oth- 
ers which  gave  him  hosts  of  friends.  In  1823, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee, 
and  gave  his  strong  influence  toward  the  election 
of  his  friend,  Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  MissSarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  County,  Tenn.  His 
bride  was  altogether  worthy  of  him — a  lady  of 
beauty  and  culture.  In  the  fall  of  1825  Mr.  Polk 
was  chosen  a  member  of  Congress,  and  the  satis- 
faction he  gave  his  constituents  may  be  inferred 


6o 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


from  the  fact,  that  for  fourteen  successive  years, 
or  until  1839,  he  was  continued  in  that  office.  He 
then  vohnitarily  withdrew,  onlj-  that  he  might 
accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair  of  Tennessee.  In 
Congress  he  was  a  laborious  member,  a  frequent 
and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was  always  in  his 
seat,  always  courteous,  and  whenever  he  spoke 
it  was  always  to  the  point,  without  any  ambitious 
rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House.  Strong  passions  were 
roused  and  stormj'  .scenes  were  witnessed,  but  he 
performed,  his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general 
satisfaction,  and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to 
him  was  passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on 
the- 4th  of  March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk, 
as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State. 
He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 14,  1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville. 
In  1 841  his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was 
again  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party,  but 
was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  in- 
augurated President  of  the  United  States.  The 
verdict  of  the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation 
of  Texas  exerted  its  influence  upon  Congress, 
and  the  last  act  of  the  administration  of  President 
Tyler  was  to  affix  his  .signature  to  a  joint  resolu- 
tion of  Congress,  passed  on  the  3d  of  March,  ap- 
proving of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  Union. 
As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas  as  one  of  her 
provinces,  the  Mexican  Minister,  Almonte,  im- 
mediately demanded  his  passports  and  left  the 
country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation  to  be 
an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message,  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be 
received  into  the  Union  on  the  .same  footing  with 
the  other  vStates.  In  the  mean  time.  Gen.  Taylor 
was  .sent  with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the 
coinitry.  He  was  first  .sent  to  Nueces,  which  the 
Mexicans  said  was  the  western  Ijoundary  of  Tex- 
as. Then  he  was  sent  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande,  where  he  erected 
batteries  which  comnuuided  the  Mexican  city  of 
Matamoras,   which  was  situated  on  the  western 


banks.  The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place, 
and  war  was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President 
Polk.  The  war  was  pushed  forward  by  his  ad- 
ministration with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taj'lor, 
who.se  army  was  first  called  one  of  "  observation," 
then  of  "occupation,"  then  of  "invasion,"  was 
sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The  feeble  Mexicans 
in  every  encounter  were  hopelessly  slaughtered. 
The  day  of  judgment  alone  can  reveal  the  misery- 
which  this  war  caused.  It  was  by  the  ingenuity 
of  Mr.  Polk's  administration  that  the  war  was 
brought  on. 

' '  To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils. ' '  Mexico 
was  prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our 
hands.  We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the 
condition  that  Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in 
addition  to  Te.Kas,  all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of 
Upper  and  Lower  Califoniia.  This  new  demand 
embraced,  exclusive  of  Texas,  eight  hundred 
thousand  square  miles.  This  was  an  extent  of 
territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the  size  of  New 
York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen  ma- 
jestic States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There 
were  some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right; 
there  were  others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In 
the  pro.secution  of  this  war  we  expended  twenty 
thousand  lives  and  more  than  $100,000,000.  Of 
this  money  $15,000,000  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired 
from  office,  having  ser\'ed  one  term..  The  next 
day  was  Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was 
inaugurated  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to 
the  Capitol  in  the  same  carriage  with  Gen.  Tay- 
lor, and  the  same  evening,  with  Mrs.  Polk,  he 
commenced  his  return  to  Tennessee.  He  was-, 
then  Init  fifty-four  years  of  age.  He  had  always 
been  .strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits,  and  his 
health  was  good.  With  an  ample  fortune,  a 
choice  librar}',  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic 
ties  of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though 
long  years  of  tranquillity  and  happiness  were  be- 
fore him.  But  the  cholera — that  fearfiil  scourge 
— was  then  sweeping  up  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  he  contracted  the  disease,  dying  on  the 
15th  of  June,  1S49,  in  the  fifty-fourth  year  of  his 
age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


/ACHAKV   TAVI.OR 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


^ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twelfth  President  of 
A  the  United  States,  was  born  on  the  24th  of 
/^  November,  1784,  in  Orange  County,  Va. 
His  father,  Col.  Taylor,  was  a  Yirginian  of 
note,  and  a  distinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary  was  an  infant, 
his  father,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  emi- 
grated to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in  the  path- 
less wilderness,  a  few  miles  from  Louisville.  In 
this  frontier  home,  away  from  civilization  and  all 
its  refinements,  young  Zachary  could  enjoy  but 
few  social  and  educational  advantages.  When 
six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common  school, 
and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of 
character.  He  was  strong,  fearless  and  self-reli- 
ant, and  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the 
army  to  fight  the  Indians,  who  were  ravaging  the 
frontiers.  There  is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the 
uneventful  years  of  his  childhood  on  his  father's 
large  but  lonely  plantation. 

In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for 
him  a  commission  as  Lieutenant  in  the  United 
vStates  ami)-,  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were 
stationed  at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson. 
Soon  after  this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith, 
a  young  lady  from  one  of  the  first  families  of 
Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with 
England,  in  1812,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then 
been  promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command 
of  Ft.  Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles 
above  Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the 
wilderness  by  Gen.  Harrison,  on  his  march  to 
Tippecanoe.  It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  at- 
tack by  the  Indians,  led  by  Tecumseh.  Its  garri- 
son consisted  of  a  broken  company  of  infantry, 
numbering  fifty  men,  many  of  whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  181 2,  the  Indians, 
stealthily,  and  in  large  numbers,  moved  upon  the 


fort.  Their  approach  was  first  indicated  by  ..he 
murder  of  two  soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade. 
Capt.  Taylor  made  every  possible  preparation  to 
meet  the  anticipated  assault.  On  the  4th  of  Sep- 
tember, a  band  of  forty  painted  and  plumed  sav- 
ages came  to  the  fort,  waving  a  white  flag,  and 
informed  Capt.  Taylor  that  in  the  morning  their 
chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk  with  him.  It 
was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely  to  ascer- 
tain the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages, 
kept  them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared; 
the  garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour 
before  midnight  the  war-whoop  burst  from  a 
thousand  lips  in  the  forest  around,  followed  by 
the  discharge  of  musketry  and  the  rush  of  the 
foe.  Every  man,  sick  and  well,  sprang  to  his 
post.  Every  man  knew  that  defeat  was  not 
merely  death,  but,  in  the  case  of  capture,  death  by 
the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  torture.  No 
pen  can  describe,  no  imagination  can  conceive,  the 
scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  succeeded  in 
setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses.  Until  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  this  awful  conflict  con- 
tinued, when  the  savages,  baffled  at  every  point 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired. 
Capt.  Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defense,  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  Maj.  Taylor  was 
placed  in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little 
more  of  active  service.  He  was  sent  far  away 
into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness  to  Ft.  Craw- 
ford, on  Fox  Ri\'er,  which  empties  into  Green 
Bay.  Here  there  was  little  to  be  done  but  to 
wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one  best  could. 
There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  intellectual 
stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful  years 
rolled  on.  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
Colonel.     In   the   Black  Hawk  War,  which  re- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


suited  in  the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain, 
Col.  Taylor  took  a  subordinate,  but  a  brave  and 
efficient,  part. 

For  t\vent\--four  >ears  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged 
in  the  defense  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  re- 
mote, and  in  employments  so  obscure,  that  his 
name  was  unknown  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own 
immediate  acquaintance.  In  the  year  1836,  he 
was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel  the  Seminole  Indi- 
ans to  vacate  that  region,  and  retire  bej-ond  the 
Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty  had  prom- 
ised they  should  do.  The  ser\'ices  rendered  here 
secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government,  and  as  a  reward  he  was  ele- 
vated to  the  high  rank  of  Brigadier- General  by 
brevet,  and  soon  after,  in  May,  1838,  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  chief  command  of  the  United 
States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  Peninsula,  Gen.  Tay- 
lor obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of 
command,  and  was  stationed  over  the  Department 
of  the  Southwest.  This  field  embraced  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Georgia.  E.stablishing 
his  headquarters  at  Ft.  Je.ssup,  in  Louisiana,  he 
removed  his  family  to  a  plantation  which  he  pur- 
chased near  Baton  Rouge.  Here  he  remained 
for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were,  from  the  world, 
but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty  imposed 
upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the 
land  between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the 
latter  river  being  the  boundarj-  of  Texas,  which 
was  then  claimed  by  the  United  States.  Soon 
the  war  with  Mexico  was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo 
Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won 
brilliant  victories  over  the  Mexicans.  The  rank 
of  Major-General  by  brevet  was  then  conferred 
upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name  was  received 
with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in  the  na- 
tion. Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista,  in  which  he  won  signal  victories 
over  forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

The  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena 
Vista  .spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the 
country.  The  name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on 
every  one's  lips.     The   Whig  party  decided  to 


take  advantage  of  this  wonderful  popularity  in 
bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  unlettered,  hon- 
est .soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 
Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  announce- 
ment, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it,  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  qualified  for  such 
an  office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  poli- 
tics, that  for  fort)'  years  he  had  not  cast  a  vote. 
It  was  not  without  chagrin  that  several  distin- 
guished .statesmen,  who  had  been  long  years  in 
the  public  senuce,  found  their  claims  set  aside  in 
behalf  of  one  whose  name  had  never  been  heard 
of,  .save  in  connection  with  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de 
la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista.  It  is  said 
that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste,  remarked,  "  It 
is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a 
fine  writer.  His  friends  took  posses.sion  of  him, 
and  prepared  such  few  communications  as  it  was 
needful  should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The 
popularity  of  the  successful  warrior  swept  the 
land.  He  was  triumphantly  elected  over  two 
opposing  candidates, — Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-Presi- 
dent Martin  Van  Buren.  Though  he  selected  an 
excellent  cabinet,  the  good  old  man  found  himself 
in  a  very  uncongenial  position,  and  was  at  times 
sorely  perplexed  and  harassed.  His  mental  suf- 
ferings were  very  severe,  and  probably  tended  to 
hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party  was 
pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energ>-;  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba;  California 
was  pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while 
slavery  .stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen. 
Taylor  found  the  political  conflicts  in  Washington 
to  be  far  more  trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles 
with  Mexicans  or  Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles.  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but 
little  over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief 
sickness  of  but  little  over  five  days,  died,  on  the 
gtli  of  July,  1850.  His  last  words  were,  "I  am 
not  afraid  to  die.  I  am  read)-.  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  do  my  duty."  He  died  universally  re- 
.spected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  unpretending 
man,  he  had  been  steadil)'  growing  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 


MILLARD  1-ILLMORK 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


y^ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thirteenth  President 
y  of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Summer 
(^  Hill,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  yth  of 
Januan,-,  1800.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and,  owing 
to  misfortune,  in  humble  circumstances.  Of  his 
mother,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard,  of 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it  has  been  said  that  .she  pos- 
sessed an  intellect  of  a  high  order,  united  with 
much  personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  disposi- 
tion, graceful  manners  and  exquisite  sensibilities. 
She  died  in  1831,  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  promise,  though  she 
was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high  dignity 
which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender 
advantages  for  education  in  his  early  years.  The 
common  schools,  which  he  occasionallj-  attended, 
were  very  imperfect  institutions,  and  books  were 
scarce  and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then 
in  his  character  to  indicate  the  brilliant  career 
upon  which  he  was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a 
plain  farmer's  boy — intelligent,  good-looking, 
kind-hearted.  The  sacred  iufiuences  of  home 
had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible,  and  had  laid 
the  foundations  of  an  upright  character.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him  some 
hundred  miles  from  home  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  village,  where 
some  enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  col- 
lection of  a  village  library.  This  proved  an  in- 
estimable bles.sing  to  young  Fillmore.  His  even- 
ings were  spent  in  reading.  Soon  every  leisure 
moment  was  occupied  with  books.  His  thirst  for 
knowledge  became  insatiate,  and  the  selections 
which  he  made  were  continually  more  elevating 
and  instructive.  He  read  history,  biography, 
orator}',  and  thus  gradually  there  was  enkindled 


in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more  than  a 
mere  worker  with  his  hands. 

The  \oung  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  ample  pecuniary  means  and  of  benev- 
olence,— ^Judge  Walter  Wood, — who  was  struck 
with  the  prepossessing  appearance  of  young  Fill- 
more. He  made  his  acquaintance,  and  was  so 
much  impressed  with  his  ability  and  attainments 
that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his  trade  and  de- 
vote himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The  young 
man  replied  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
no  friends  to  help  him,  and  that  his  previous  edu- 
cation had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood 
had  so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly 
offered  to  take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to 
lend  him  such  money  as  he  needed.  Most  grate- 
fully the  generous  offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion 
about  a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is 
supposed  to  be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  gradu- 
ated at  some  college.  But  many  a  boy  who  loi- 
ters through  university  halls  and  then  enters  a 
law  office  is  by  no  means  as  well  prepared  to 
prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was  Millard  Fill- 
more when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing-mill  at 
the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  ever>-  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to 
intense  mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
He  then  went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded, 
quiet  region,  his  practice,  of  course,  was  limited, 
and  there  was  no  opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in 
fortune  or  in  fame.  Here,  in  1826,  he  married  a 
lady  of  great  moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of 


08 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


adorning  anj-  station  she  might  be  called  to  fill, — 
Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industrj', 
his  legal  ac(iuircnients,  and  his  skill  as  an  advo- 
cate, gradually  attracted  attention,  and  he  was 
invited  to  enter  into  partnership,  under  highly  ad- 
vantageous circumstances,  with  an  elder  member 
of  the  Bar  in  Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to 
Buffalo,  in  1S29,  he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of 
Assembly  of  the  vState  of  New  York,  as  a  Repre- 
sentative from  Erie  County.  Though  he  had 
never  taken  a  very  active  part  in  politics,  his  vote 
and  sympathies  were  with  the  Whig  party.  The 
State  was  then  Democratic,  and  he  found  himself 
in  a  helpless  minority  in  the  Legislature;  still  the 
testimony  comes  from  all  parties  that  his  courtesy, 
ability  and  integrity  won,  to  a  verj-  unusual  de- 
gree, the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a 
seat  in  the  United  States  Congress.  He  entered 
that  troubled  arena  in  the  most  tumultuous  hours 
of  our  national  historj',  when  the  great  conflict 
respecting  the  national  bank  and  the  removal  of 
the  depo.sits  was  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed,  and  he  returned 
to  his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increas- 
ing reputation  and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two 
years  he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress; 
was  re-elected,  and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His 
past  experience  as  a  Representative  gave  him 
.strength  and  confidence.  The  first  term  of  service 
in  Congress  to  any  man  can  be  but  little  more 
than  an  introduction.  He  was  now  prepared  for 
active  duty.  All  his  energies  were  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  public  good.  E\'er>'  measure  re- 
ceived his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute, 
and  his  popularity  filled  the  State.  In  the  year 
1847,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  3'ears,  he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  the 
State.  His  labors  at  the  Bar,  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given 
him  very  considerable  fame.  The  Whigs  were 
casting  about  to  find  suitable  candidates  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President  at  the  approaching  elec- 
tion. Far  away  on  the  waters  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
there  was  a  rough  old  soldier,  who  had  fought 


one  or  two  successful  battles  with  the  Mexicans, 
which  had  caused  his  name  to  be  proclaimed  in 
trampet-tones  all  over  the  land  as  a  candidate  for 
the  presidency.  But  it  was  necessan,'  to  associate 
with  him  on  the  same  ticket  some  man  of  repu- 
tation as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
names  of  Zachan,-  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore 
became  the  ralhing-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their 
candidates  for  President  and  \'ice-President.  The 
Whig  ticket  was  signally  triumphant.  On  the 
4th  of  March,  1849,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
President,  and  Millard  Fillmore  Vice-President, 
of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor, 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the 
Constitution,  Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  be- 
came President.  He  appointed  a  vers-  able  cabi- 
net, of  which  the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was 
Secretary  of  State;  nevertheless,  he  had  serious 
difficulties  to  contend  with,  .since  the  opposition 
had  a  majority  in  both  Hou.ses.  He  did  all  in  his 
power  to  conciliate  the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  the  South  felt  the  inadequacy  of  all 
measures  of  tran.sient  conciliation.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  increasing 
over  that  of  the  .slave  States,  that  it  was  inevitable 
that  the  power  of  the  Government  should  soon 
pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The  fa- 
mous compromise  measures  were  adopted  under 
Mr.  Fillmore's  administration,  and  the  Japan  ex- 
pedition was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
1853,  he,  having  .served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Know-Nothing"  party,  but 
was  beaten  by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr. 
Fillmore  lived  in  retirement.  During  the  terri- 
ble conflict  of  civil  war,  he  was  mo.stly  .silent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  that  his  sympathies  were 
rather  with  those  who  were  endeavoring  to  over- 
throw our  institutions.  President  Fillmore  kept 
aloof  from  the  conflict,  witliout  any  cordial  words 
of  cheer  to  one  party  or  the  other.  He  was  thus 
forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age, 
and  died  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  March  8,  1S74. 


FRANKLIN    l'n':RCE 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


["RANKLIN  pierce,  the  fourteenth  Presi- 
JM  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hills- 
I  ^  borough,  N.  H.,  November  23,  1804.  His 
father  was  a  Revolutionary-  soldier,  who  with  his 
own  strong  arm  hewed  out  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  was  a  man  of  inflexible  integrity,  of 
strong,  though  uncultivated,  mind,  and  was  an  un- 
compromising Democrat.  The  mother  of  Frank- 
lin Pierce  was  all  that  a  son  could  desire — an  in- 
telligent, prudent,  affectionate,  Chri.stian  woman. 

Franklin,  who  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children, 
was  a  remarkably  bright  and  handsome  boy, 
generous,  warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won 
alike  the  love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on 
the  play-ground  loved  him.  His  teachers  loved 
him.  The  neighbors  looked  upon  him  with  pride 
and  affection.  He  was  by  instinct  a  gentleman, 
always  speaking  kind  words,  and  doing  kind 
deeds,  with  a  peculiar,  unstudied  tact  which 
taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar,  and  in 
body  and  mind  a  finely  developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820, 
he  entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  in 
the  college.  The  purity  of  his  moral  character, 
the  unvarying  courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank 
as  a  scholar,  and  genial  nature,  rendered  him  a 
universal  favorite.  There  was  something  pe- 
culiarly winning  in  his  address,  and  it  was  evi- 
dently not  in  the  slightest  degree  studied — it  was 
the  simple  outgu.shing  of  his  own  magnanimous 
and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin 
Pierce  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 


lawyers  of  the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private 
worth.  The  eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young 
lawyer,  his  father'.s  prominence  as  a  public  man, 
and  the  brilliant  political  career  into  which  Judge 
Woodbury  was  entering,  all  tended  to  entice  Mr. 
Pierce  into  the  fa.scinating  yet  perilous  path  of 
political  life.  With  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature  he 
espoused  the  cause  of  Gen.  Jackson  for  the  Presi- 
dency. He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in 
Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected  to  represent 
the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here  he 
served  for  four  years.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  Speaker  of  the  House  by  a  very  large 
vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  Congress.  In  1837,  being 
then  but  thirty-three  years  old,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Senate,  taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren 
commenced  his  administration.  He  was  the 
youngest  member  in  the  Senate.  In  the  year 
1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane  Means  Appleton,  a 
lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accomplishments,  and  one 
admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every  station  with  which 
her  hu.sband  was  honored.  Of  the  three  sons  who 
were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with  their  par- 
ents in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing 
fame  and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up 
his  residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New 
Hampshire.  President  Polk,  upon  his  accession 
to  office,  appointed  Mr.  Pierce  Attorney-General 
of  the  United  States;  but  the  offer  was  declined 
in  consequence  of  numerous  professional  engage- 
ments at  home,  and  the  precarious  state  of  Mrs. 
Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the  same  time, 
declined  the  nomination  for  Governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.     The  war  with  Mexico  called 


72 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


Mr.  Pierce  into  the  armj-.  Receiving  the  appoint- 
ment of  Brigadier-General,  he  embarked  with  a 
portion  of  his  troops  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the 
27th  of  May,  1847.  He  took  an  important  part 
in  this  war,  proving  himself  a  brave  and  true  sol- 
dier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  na- 
tive State,  he  was  received  entlui.siastically  by  the 
advocates  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  coldly  by  his 
opponents.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, very  freqnentl\'  taking  an  active  part  in 
political  questions,  giving  his  cordial  support  to 
the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic  party. 
The  compromise  measures  met  cordially  with  his 
approval,  and  he  .streiniously  advocated  the  en- 
forcement of  the  infamous  Fugitive  Slave  Law, 
which  so  shocked  the  religious  sensibilities  of  the 
North.  He  thus  became  distinguished  as  a 
' '  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles. ' '  The 
strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  con- 
vention met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency.  For  four  days  they  contin- 
ued in  .session,  and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one 
had  obtained  a  two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus 
far  had  been  thrown  for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the 
Virginia  delegation  brought  forward  his  name. 
There  were  fourteen  more  ballotings,  during  which 
Gen.  Pierce  constantly  gained  strength,  until,  at 
the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he  received  two  hundred 
and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all  other  candidates 
eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was  the  Whig  can- 
didate. Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with  great  una- 
nimity. Only  four  States — Vermont,  Massachu- 
setts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee — ca.st  their  elec- 
toral votes  again.st  him.  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States  on  the  4th  of  March,  1853. 

His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most 
stormy  our  country  had  ever  experienced.  The 
controversy  between  slavery  and  freedom  was 
then  approaching  its  culminating  point.  It  be- 
came evident  that  there  was  to  be  an  irrepressible 
conflict  between  them,  and  that  this  nation 
could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half  free." 


President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  admin- 
istration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate  the 
South;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on 
every  Southern  breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Presi- 
dent Pierce  approached  the  clo.se  of  his  four- 
years  term  of  office.  The  North  had  become 
thoroughly  alienated  from  him.  The  anti-.slavery 
sentiment,  goaded  by  great  outrages,  had  been 
rapidly  increasing;  all  the  intellectual  ability  and 
.social  worth  of  President  Pierce  were  forgotten  in 
deep  reprehension  of  his  administrative  acts.  The 
slaveholders  of  the  South  also,  unmindful  of  the 
fidelity  with  which  he  had  advocated  tho.se  meas- 
ures of  Government  which  they  approved,  and 
perhaps  feeling  that  he  had  rendered  himself 
so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be  able  to  accepta- 
bly serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped  him,  and 
nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Concord.  His  three  chil- 
dren were  all  dead,  his  last  surviving  child  hav- 
ing been  killed  before  his  eyes  in  a  railroad  acci- 
dent; and  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and 
accomplished  of  ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in 
consumption.  The  hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon 
came,  and  he  was  left  alone  in  the  world  without 
wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth  which 
divided  our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two 
only,  Mr.  Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  prin- 
ciples which  he  had  always  cherished,  and  gave 
his  sympathies  to  that  pro-slaverj-  party  with 
which  he  had  ever  been  allied.  He  declined  to 
do  anything,  either  by  voice  or  pen,  to  strengthen 
the  hand  of  the  National  Government.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Concord  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  October,  1869.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of  men,  an  hon- 
ored communicant  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Generous  to  a 
fault,  he  contributed  liberally  toward  the  allevia- 
tion of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his 
towns-people  were  often  gladdened  by  his  material 
bounty. 


JAMES   lire  II A  NAN 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


(Tames  BUCHANAN,  the  fifteenth  President 
I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  a  small 
(2/  frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the  eastern  ridge 
of  the  Alleghanies,  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place  where  the 
humble  cabin  home  stood  was  called  Ston}-  Bat- 
ter. His  father  was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ire- 
land, who  had  emigrated  in  1783,  with  little  prop- 
erty save  his  own  strong  arms.  Five  years  after- 
ward he  married  Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter 
of  a  respectable  farmer,  and,  with  his  young  bride, 
plunged  into  the  wilderness,  staked  his  claim, 
reared  his  log  hut,  opened  a  clearing  with  his 
axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  perform  his  obscure 
part  in  the  drama  of  life.  When  James  was  eight 
years  of  age,  his  father  removed  to  the  village  of 
Mercersburg,  where  his  son  was  placed  at  school, 
and  commenced  a  course  of  study  in  English, 
Eatin  and  Greek.  His  progress  was  rapid,  and 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  entered  Dickinson  Col- 
lege, at  Carlisle.  Here  he  developed  remarkable 
talent,  and  took  his  stand  among  the  first  scholars 
in  the  institution. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  high- 
est honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen 
years  of  age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health, 
fond  of  athletic  sports,  an  unerring  shot,  and  en- 
livened with  an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits. 
He  immediately  commenced  the  .study  of  law  in 
the  city  of  Lancaster,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  181 2,  when  he  was  but  twenty -one  years 
of  age. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Eovver 
House.     During  the  vacations  of  Congress,   he 


occasionally  tried  some  important  case.  In  1831 
he  retired  altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profes- 
sion, having  acquired  an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jack-son,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presi- 
dency, appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  Minister  to  Rus- 
sia. The  duties  of  his  mission  he  performed 
with  ability,  and  gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties. 
Upon  his  return,  in  1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat 
in  the  United  States  Senate.  He  there  met  as 
his  associates  Webster,  Clay,  Wright  and  Cal- 
houn. He  advocated  the  measures  proposed  bj- 
President  Jackson,  of  making  reprisals  against 
France  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our  claims 
against  that  country,  and  defended  the  course  of 
the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the 
supporters  of  his  administration.  Upon  this 
question  he  was  brought  into  direct  collision  with 
Henry  Clay.  He  also,  with  \oice  and  vote,  ad- 
vocated expunging  from  the  journal  of  the  Senate 
the  vote  of  censure  against  Gen.  Jackson  for  re- 
moving the  deposits.  Earnestly  he  opposed  the 
abolition  of  slaverj'  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the  circulation  of 
anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United  .States 
mails.  As  to  petitions  on  the  .subject  of  .slavery, 
he  advocated  that  they  should  be  re.spectfully  re- 
ceived, and  that  the  reply  should  l)e  returned 
that  Congress  had  no  power  to  legi.slate  upon  the 
subject.  "  Congress,"  said  he,  "might  as  well 
undertake  to  interfere  with  slaver\-  under  a  for- 
eign government  as  in  any  of  the  vStates  where  it 
now  exi.sts. ' ' 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency, 
Mr.  Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  a? 
such   took  his  share  of  the  respousibilitj-  in  the 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


conduct  of  the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed 
that  cro.ssing  the  Nueces  by  the  American 
troops  into  the  disputed  territory  was  not  wrong, 
but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cro.ss  the  Rio  Grande 
into  Texas  was  a  declaration  of  war.  No  candid 
man  can  read  with  pleasure  the  account  of  the 
cour.se  our  Govennnent  pursued  in  that  movement. 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly 
with  the  part}'  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and 
extension  of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies 
of  his  mind  to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso. 
He  gave  his  cordial  approval  to  the  compromise 
measures  of  1850,  which  included  the  Fugitive 
vSlave  L,aw.  Mr.  Pierce,  upon  his  election  to  the 
Presidency,  honored  Mr.  Buchanan  with  the  mis- 
sion to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  Con- 
vention nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most 
severe  in  which  our  country  has  ever  engaged. 
All  the  friends  of  slavery  were  on  one  side;  all 
the  advocates  of  its  restriction  and  final  abolition 
on  the  other.  Mr.  Fremont,  the  candidate  of  the 
enemies  of  slavery,  received  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four,  and  was  elected. 
The  popular  vote  stood  1,340,618  for  Fremont, 
1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On  March  4,  1857, 
the  latter  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only 
four  years  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  three-score 
years  and  ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with 
whom  he  had  been  allied  in  political  principles 
and  action  for  j'ears,  were  .seeking  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Government,  that  they  might  rear 
upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a  nation 
who.se  corner-stone  .should  be  human  .slavery.  In 
this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hoiDele.ssly 
bewildered.  He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed 
principles,  consistently  oppose  the  vState  Rights 
party  in  their  a.ssumptions.  As  President  of  the 
United  .States,  bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to 
administer  the  laws,  lie  cdnld  not,  williont  per- 
jury of  tlie  grossest  kind,  unite  with  those  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  the  Republic.  He  there- 
fore did  nnthing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administra- 


tion nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  .stand- 
ard-bearer in  the  next  Presidential  canvass. 
The  pro-slavery  party  declared  that  if  he  were 
elected  and  the  control  of  the  Government  were 
thus  taken  from  their  hands,  thej'  would  .secede 
from  the  Union,  taking  with  them  as  they  retired 
the  National  Capitol  at  Washington  and  the 
lion's  share  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

As  the  storm  increa.sed  in  violence,  the  slave- 
holders claiming  the  right  to  .secede,  and  Mr. 
Buchanan  avowing  that  Congress  had  no  power 
to  prevent  it,  one  of  the  mo.st  pitiable  exhibitions 
of  governmental  imbecility  was  exhibited  that  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  He  declared  that  Congress 
had  no  power  to  enforce  its  laws  in  any  State 
which  had  withdrawn,  or  which  was  attempting 
to  withdraw,  from  the  Union.  This  was  not  the 
doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with  his  hand 
upon  his  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed:  "The  Union 
must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860, 
nearly  three  months  before  the  inauguration  of 
President  Uincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in 
listless  despair.  The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in 
Charleston;  Ft.  vSuuiter  was  besieged;  our  forts, 
navy-yards  and  arsenals  were  .seized;  our  depots 
of  military  stores  were  plundered,  and  our  cus- 
tom-houses and  post-offices  were  appropriated  by 
the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels  and  the  nnbecility  of 
our  Executive  were  alike  marvelous.  The  na- 
tion looked  on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  .slow 
weeks  to  glide  away  and  close  the  administration, 
so  terrible  in  its  weakness.  At  length  the  long- 
looked-for  hour  of  deliverance  came,  when  Abra- 
ham I.,incoln  was  to  receive  the  .scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  can  not  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his 
fame,  that  in  th:it  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled 
its  billows  of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole 
land,  no  WH)ril  came  from  his  lips  to  indicate  his 
wish  that  our  country's  banner  .should  triumph 
over  the  flag  of  the  Rebellion.  He  died  at  his 
Wheatland  retreat,  June  i,    1868. 


AliRAIIAM    LINCOLN 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


(pi  BRAHAM  LINCOIvN,  the  sixteenth  Presi- 
ll  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hardin 
/  I  County,  K)-.,  February  12,  1809.  Alwut 
theyeariySo,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincohi  left  Virginia  with  his  family  and  moved 
into  the  then  wilds  of  Kentucky.  Onlj'  two  j-ears 
after  this  emigration,  and  while  .still  a  joung  man, 
he  was  working  one  day  in  a  field,  when  an  Indian 
stealthily  approached  and  killed  him.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five  little  chil- 
dren, three  boys  and  two  girls.  Thomas,  the 
youngest  of  the  boys,  and  the  father  of  President 
Abraham  Lincoln,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death. 

When  twenty-eight  j-ears  old,  Thomas  Lincoln 
built  a  log  cabin,  and  married  Nanc\'  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky 
emigrants,  who  had  also  come  from  Virginia. 
Their  second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was 
a  noble  woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created 
to  adorn  a  palace,  but  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and 
die  in  a  hovel.  "  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be," 
exclaimed  the  grateful  son,  "  I  owe  to  my  angel- 
mother."  When  he  was  eight  years  ot  age,  his 
father  sold  his  cabin  and  small  farm  and  moved 
to  Indiana,  where  two  years  later  his  mother  died. 
As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly 
family  was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There 
were  joys  and  griefs,  weddings  and  funerals. 
Abraham's  sister  Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly 
attached,  was  married  when  a  child  of  but  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  soon  died.  The  family 
was  gradually  .scattered,  and  Thomas  Lincoln 
sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830,  and  emi- 
grated to  Macon  Count}^  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty -one  years 
of  age.  With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father 
in  rearing  another  log  cabin,  and  worked  quite 
diligently  at  this  until  he  saw  the  family  com- 
fortably .settled,  and  their  small  lot  of  enclosed 
prairie  planted  with  corn,  when  he  announced  to 


his  father  his  intention  to  leave  home,  and  to  go 
out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  fortune.  Little 
did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  brilliant  that 
fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  of  educa- 
tion and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utnuxst  of  his  jjower.  Religion  he 
re\-ered.  His  morals  were  pure,  and  he  w'as  un- 
contaminated  by  a  single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired 
laborer  among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to 
Springfield,  where  he  was  employed  in  building 
a  large  flat-boat.  In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine, 
floated  them  down  the  .Sangamon  to  Illinois,  and 
thence  by  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans.  What- 
ever Abraham  Lincoln  undertook,  he  performed 
so  faithfully  as  to  give  great  satisfaction  to  his 
employers.  In  this  adventure  the  latter  w'ere 
so  well  pleased,  that  u])i>n  his  return  they  placed 
a  .store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  he  enlisted  and  was  chosen  Captain  of  a 
company.  He  returned  to  Sangamon  County, 
and,  although  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but  was  defeated. 
He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew  Jackson  the 
appointment  of  Po.stmastcr  of  New  Salem.  His 
only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there,  read\-  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  sune\ing,  and 
.soon  made  this  his  busine.ss.  In  1834  he  again 
became  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature  and  was 
elected.  Mr.  Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advi.sed  liim 
to  .study  law.  He  walked  from  New  Salem  to 
Springfield,  l)orrowed  of  Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of 
books,  carried  them  back,  and  began  his  legal 
studies.  When  the  Legislature  as.sembled,  he 
trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back  one 
hundred  miles  to  V^ndalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here 
it  was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839 
he  removed  to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice 
of  law.     His  .success  with  the  jurj-  was  so  great 


So 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


that  he  was  soon  engaged  in    ahnost  every  noted 
case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas  on  tlie  slavery  ques- 
tion. In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
in  Illinois,  in  ICS56,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at 
once  became  one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party. 
Mr.  Lincoln's  .speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator 
Douglas  in  the  contest  in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the 
Senate,  fonn  a  most  notable  part  of  his  history. 
The  issue  was  on  the  slavery  question,  and  he 
took  the  broad  ground  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, that  all  men  are  created  equal.  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  contest,  but  won  a 
far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chi- 
cago on  the  1 6th  of  June,  i860.  The  delegates 
and  strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to 
twenty-five  thousand.  An  immense  building 
called  "The  Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommo- 
date the  convention.  There  were  eleven  candi- 
dates for  whom  votes  were  thrown.  William  H. 
Seward,  a  man  whose  fame  as  a  statesman  had 
long  filled  the  land,  was  the  mo.st  prominent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  he  would  be  the  nomi- 
nee. Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received  the 
nomination  on  the  third  ballot. 

Election  day  came,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received 
one  hundred  and  eighty  electoral  votes  out  of  two 
hundred  and  three  cast,  and  was,  therefore,  con- 
stitutionally elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  upon  this 
good  and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  .slave- 
holders, was  greater  than  upon  any  other  man  , 
ever  elected  to  this  high  position.  In  February, 
1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started  for  Washington,  stop- 
ping in  all  the  large  cities  on  his  way,  making 
speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  fraught  with 
much  danger.  Many  of  the  vSouthern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassi- 
nation were  afterward  brought  to  light.  A  gang 
in  Baltimore  had  arranged  upon  liis  arrival  to 
"get  up  a  row,"  and  in  the  confusion  to  make 
sure  of  his  death  with  revolvers  and  hand-gren- 
ades. A  detective  luiravelled  tlie  plot.  A  secret 
and  special  train  was  provided  to  take  him  from 
Harri.sburg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an  unexpected 


hour  of  the  night.  The  tram  started  at  half-past 
ten,  and  to  prevent  any  po.ssible  communication 
on  the  part  of  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  .soon  as  the  train 
had  .started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr. 
Lincoln  reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was 
inaugurated,  although  great  anxiety  was  felt  by 
all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to 
other  prominent  opponents  before  tlie  convention 
he  gave  important  positions;  but  during  no  other 
administration  had  the  duties  devol\-ing  upon  tlie 
President  been  .so  manifold,  and  the  responsibilities 
.so  great,  as  tho.se  which  fell  to  his  lot.  Knowing 
this,  and  feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability 
to  meet,  and  in  his  own  strength  to  cope  with, 
the  difficulties,  he  learned  early  to  seek  Divine 
wisdom  and  guidance  in  determining  his  plans, 
and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his  trials,  both  personal 
and  national.  Contrary  to  his  own  estimate  of 
himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  most  cour- 
ageous of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the  rebel 
capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving,  with 
no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  iS6r,  however,  plans  had 
been  made  for  his  assassination,  and  he  at  last 
fell  a  victim  to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1S65,  he, 
with  Gen.  Grant,  was  urgently  invited  to  attend 
Ford's  Theatre.  It  was  announced  that  they 
would  be  present.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  left  the 
city.  President  Lincoln,  feeling,  with  his  char- 
acteristic kindliness  of  heart,  that  it  would  be  a 
disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them,  very  re- 
luctantly con.sented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play,  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth  entered  the  box  where  the  President  and 
family  were  seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his 
brain.  He  died  the  next  morning  at  seven 
o'clock. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  was 
a  nation  plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death 
of  its  ruler  Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and 
wept  in  speechless  anguish.  His  was  a  life  which 
will  fitly  become  a  model.  His  name  as  the 
Savior  of  his  country  will  live  with  that  of  Wash- 
ington's, its  Father. 


ANDUl'.W  JUIIXSON 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


Gl  NDREW  JOHNSON,  seventeenth  President 
O  of  the  United  States.  The  early  life  of  An- 
/  I  drew  Johnson  contains  but  the  record  of  pov- 
erty,  destitution  and  friendlessness.  He  was  born 
December  29,  1808,  in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  par- 
ents, belonging  to  the  class  of  "poor  whites" 
of  the  South,  were  in  such  circumstances  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slightest  advantages  of 
education  upon  their  child.  When  Andrew  was 
five  years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally  lost  his 
life,  while  heroicallj'  endeavoring  to  save  a  friend 
from  drowning.  Until  ten  j-ears  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by 
the  labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living 
with  her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one 
day,  and  being  unable  either  to  reader  write, was 
apprenticed  to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gen- 
tleman was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's 
shop  occasionall}-,  and  reading  to  the  boys  at 
work  there.  He  often  read  from  the  speeches  of 
distinguished  British  statesmen.  Andrew,  who 
was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinarj' 
ability,  became  much  interested  in  these  speeches; 
his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he  was  inspired  with 
a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordinglj-  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- 
workmen  learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon 
the  gentleman  to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches. 
The  owner,  plea.sedwith  his  zeal,  not  only  gave 
him  the  book,  but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  com- 
bine the  letters  into  words.  Under  such  difficul- 
ties he  pressed  onward  laboriouslj-,  spending  usu- 
ally ten  or  twelve  hours  at  work  in  the  shop,  and 
then  robbing  himself  of  re.st  and  recreation  to  de- 
vote such  time  as  he  could  to  reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1826,  and  located  at 


Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who 
possessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions 
he  learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became 
prominent  in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a 
favorite  with  the  students  of  Greenville  College. 
In  1828,  he  organized  a  working  man's  party, 
which  elected  him  Alderman,  and  in  1830  elected 
him  Mayor,  which  position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in 
political  affairs,  identifying  himself  with  the  work- 
ing-class, to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  ^^ 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represent- 
atives of  Tennessee.  He  was  then  just  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age.  He  became  a  very  active 
member  of  the  Legislature,  gave  his  support  to 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  1840  "stumped  the 
State,"  advocating  Martin  Van  Buren's  claims  to 
the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  those  of  Gen. 
Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843, 
he  was  elected  a  Member  of  Congress,  and  by  suc- 
cessive elections  held  that  important  post  for  ten 
years.  In  1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tenn- 
essee, and  was  re-elected  in  1855.  I"  all  these 
responsible  positions,  he  discharged  his  duties 
with  distinguished  ability,  and  proved  himself  the 
warm  friend  of  the  working  classes.  In  1857,  Mr. 
John.son  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  ad\-ocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating,  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would 
probably  pro\-e  "to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which 
the  sable  sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage 
to  freedom,  and  become  merged  in  a  population 
congenial  to  themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  sup- 
ported the  compromise  measures,  the  two  essen- 


84 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


tial  features  of  which  were,  that  the  white  people 
of  tlie  Territories  should  be  permitted  to  decide 
for  themselves  whether  they  would  enslave  the 
colored  people  or  not,  and  that  the  free  States  of 
the  North  should  return  to  the  South  persons  who 
attempted  to  escape  frotu  slaverj\ 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly 
origin:  on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in 
avowing  that  he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own 
exertions.  "Sir,"  said  he  on  the  floor  of  the 
Senate,  "I  do  not  forget  that  I  am  a  mechanic; 
neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam  was  a  tailor  and 
sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Savior  was  the  son 
of  a  carpenter. ' ' 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  i860, 
he  was  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for 
the  Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpo.se  of 
the  Southern  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took 
a  decided  stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held 
that  ".slavery  must  be  held  subordinate  to  the 
Union  at  whatever  cost."  He  returned  to  Tenn- 
essee, and  repeatedly  imperiled  his  own  life  to 
protect  the  Unionists  of  that  State.  Tennessee 
having  seceded  from  the  Union,  President  Lincoln, 
on  March  4,  1862,  appointed  him  Military  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State,  and  he  estabUshed  the  most 
stringent  military  rule.  His  numerous  proclama- 
tions attracted  wide  attention.  In  1864,  he  was 
elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  15,  1865, 
became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later  he 
.said,  "The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime 
and  must  be  puni,shed;  that  the  Goveriunent  will 
not  always  bear  with  its  enemies;  that  it  is  strong 
not  only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The 
people  must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the 
blackest  of  crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished. ' ' 
Yet  his  whole  administration,  the  hi.story  of  which 
is  so  well  known,  was  in  utter  inconsistency  with, 
and  in  the  most  violent  opposition  to,  the  princi- 
ples laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress,  and  he 
characterized  Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and 
lawlessly  defied  it  in  everything  ]50.ssible  to  the  ut- 
most.    In  the  beginning  of  1868,   on  account  of 


"High  crimes  and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal 
of  which  was  the  remo\al  of  Secretary  Stanton  in 
violation  of  the  Tenure  of  OfSce  Act,  articles  of 
impeachment  were  preferred  against  him,  and  the 
trial  began  March  23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was 
at  length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It 
was  certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  ar- 
ticle so  would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices 
pronounced  the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds 
vote  was  necessary  to  his  condemnation,  he  was 
pronounced  acquitted,  notwithstanding  the  great 
majority  again.st  him.  The  change  of  one  vote 
from  the  not  guilty  side  would  have  sustained  the 
impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term, 
was  but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though 
impotently,  his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own 
party  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  renominate 
him  for  the  Presidencj-.  The  Nation  rallied  with 
enthusiasm,  unparalleled  since  the  days  of  Wash- 
ington, around  the  name  of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew 
Johnson  was  forgotten.  The  bullet  of  the  assa.ssin 
introduced  him  to  the  President's  chair.  Not- 
withstanding this,  never  was  there  presented  to  a 
man  a  better  opportunity  to  immortalize  his  name, 
and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a  nation.  He  failed 
utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home  in  Greenville, 
Teini.,  taking  no  very  activ-epart  in  politics  until 
1875.  On  January  26,  after  an  exciting  struggle, 
he  was  chosen  b)'  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee 
United  States  Senator  in  the  Forty -fourth  Congess, 
and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special  ses- 
sion convened  by  President  Grant,  en  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-Presi- 
dent made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near 
Carter  Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his 
journey,  he  was  apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous 
health,  but  on  reaching  the  residence  of  his  child 
the  following  da}',  he  was  .stricken  with  paralysis, 
which  rendered  him  unconscious.  He  rallied  oc- 
casionally, but  finally  passed  away  at  2  a.  m., 
July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  funeral  was 
held  at  Greenville,  on  the  3d  of  August,  with 
every  demonstration  of  respect. 


ULVSSKS  S.   CKAXT 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


HLYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the  eighteenth  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  born  on  the 
29th  of  April,  1822,  of  Christian  parents,  in 
a  humble  home  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after,  his  father  moved  to 
Georgetown,  Brown  County,  Ohio.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses  received  a  common- 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  in 
the  year  1S39,  he  entered  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a  solid, 
sensible  young  man,  of  fair  ability,  and  of  sturdy, 
honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank  as  a 
scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  Lieutenant  of 
Infantry  to  one  of  the  di.stant  military  posts  in  the 
Missouri  Territory.  Two  years  he  passed  in  these 
drearj^  solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieiit.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His 
first  battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no 
chance  here  for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or 
heroism,  nor  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second 
battle.  At  the  battle  of  Monterey,  his  third  en- 
gagement, it  is  said  that  he  performed  a  signal 
service  of  daring  and  skillful  horsemanship. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant 
returned  with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and 
was  again  sent  to  one  of  the  militan,-  posts  on  the 
frontier.  The  discover*'  of  gold  in  California 
causing  an  immense  tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to 
the  Pacific  shores,  Capt.  Grant  was  sent  with  a 
battalion  to  Ft.  Dallas,  in  Oregon,  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  interests  of  the  immigrants.  But  life 
was  wearisome  in  those  wilds,  and  he  re3igned 
his  commission  and  returned  to  the  States.  Hav- 
ing married,  he  entered  upon  the  cultivation  of  a 
small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  having  little 


skill  as  a  farmer,  and  finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering 
into  the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother 
at  Galena,  111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  As 
the  tidings  of  the  rebels  firing  on  Ft.  Sumter 
reached  the  ears  of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting- 
room,  he  said  :  ' '  Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me 
for  the  army;  though  I  have  .served  him  through 
one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that  I  have  yet  repaid  the 
debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge  my  obliga- 
tions. I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  m>-  sword  and 
see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of 
volunteers,  and  led  them  as  their  Captain  to 
Springfield,  the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their 
services  were  offered  to-  Gov.  Yates.  The  Gov- 
ernor, impressed  by  the  zeal  and  straightforward 
executive  abilit)'  of  Capt.  Grant,  gave  him  a  desk 
in  his  office  to  assist  in  the  volunteer  organiza- 
tion that  was  being  formed  in  the  State  in  behalf 
of  the  Government.  On  the  15th  of  June,  1861, 
Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of 
the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers. 
His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who  had 
served  for  fifteen  years  in  the  regular  army,  were 
such  that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  and  was  placed  in  command  at 
Cairo.  The  rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Padu- 
cah,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  River. 
Scarceh-  had  its  folds  appeared  in  the  breeze  ere 
Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The  rebels  fled,  their 
banner  fell,  and  the  vStars  and  Stripes  were  un- 
furled in  its  .stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determina- 
tion and  immediate!}'  began  active  duty.  This 
was  the  beginning,  and  until  the  surrender  of 
L,ee  at  Richmond  he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy 


88 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


with  great  vigor  and  effectiveness.  At  Belmont, 
a  few  days  later,  he  surprised  and  routed  the 
rebels,  then  at  Ft.  Henry  won  another  victory. 
Then  came  the  brilliant  fight  at  Ft.  Donelson. 
The  nation  was  electrified  by  the  victory,  and  the 
brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was  immediately 
made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military  district 
of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well 
how  to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  imme- 
diately pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then 
came  the  terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Corinth,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen. 
Pemberton  made  an  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  city  with  over  thirty  thousand  men  and  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  cannon.  The  fall  of 
Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most  severe  blow  which 
the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered,  and  opened 
up  the  Mi.s.sissippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown 
from  his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from 
which  he  was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then 
rushed  to  the  aid  of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas 
at  Chattanooga,  and  by  a  wonderful  series  of 
strategic  and  technical  measures  put  the  Union 
army  in  fighting  condition.  Then  followed  the 
bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Moun- 
tain and  Missionarv'  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him 
unbounded  praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of 
February,  i<S64,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of 
lieutenant-general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred 
on  Gen.  Grant.  He  repaired  to  Washington  to 
receive  his  credentials  and  enter  upon  the  duties 
of  his  new  office. 

Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge 
of  the  arm)'  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed 
National  troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond, 
the  nominal  capital  of  the  rebellion,  and  endeavor 
there  to  destroy  the  rebel  armies  which  would  be 
promptly  assembled  from  all  quarters  for  its  de- 
fense. The  whole  continent  seemed  to  tremble 
under  the  tramp  of  these  majestic  armies,  rushing 
to  the  decisive  battle-field.  Steamers  were  crowd- 
ed with  troops.     Railway   trains  were  burdened 


with  closely-packed  thousands.  His  plans  were 
comprehensive,  and  involved  a  series  of  cam- 
paigns, which  were  executed  with  remarkable 
energy  and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the 
surrender  of  Lee,  April  9,  1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved. 
The  almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  nation  de- 
clared Gen.  Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  in- 
strument in  its  salvation.  The  eminent  ser\-ices 
he  had  thus  rendered  the  country  brought  him 
conspicuously  forward  as  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago, 
May  21,  1 868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated 
for  the  Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election 
received  a  majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  out  of  two  hundred  and 
ninety-four   electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican 
party,  which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  01 
June,  1872,  placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for 
a  second  term  by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selec- 
tion was  emphatically  indorsed  by  the  people  five 
months  later,  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  elect- 
oral votes  being  cast  for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term,  Gen. 
Grant  started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the 
world.  He  visited  almost  everj-  countrj'  of  the 
civilized  world,  and  was  everywhere  received 
with  such  ovations  and  demonstrations  of  respect 
and  honor,  private  as  well  as  public  and  official, 
as  were  never  before  bestowed  upon  any  citizen 
of  the  United  States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before 
the  Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for 
a  renomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New 
York  and  embarked  in  the  brokerage  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Grant  &  Ward.  The 
latter  proved  a  villain,  wrecked  Grant's  fortune, 
and  for  larceny  was  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 
The  General  was  attacked  with  cancer  in  the 
throat,  but  .suffered  in  his  .stoic-like  manner,  never 
complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as  General  of 
the  Army,  and  retired  by  Congress.  The  cancer 
soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23,  1885, 
the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  ot 
the  illustrious  General. 


kr'i'ii]':Ki'()Ri)  li.  iiAVi'S 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES,  the  nineteenth  ' 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  Ohio,  October  4,  1822,  almost 
three  months  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Ruther- 
ford Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  sides  was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said,  as  far  back  as 
1280,  when  Hayes  and  Rutherford  were  two 
Scottish  chieftains,  fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert  Bruce.  Both 
families  belonged  to  the  nobility,  owned  extensive 
estates,  and  had  a  large  following.  Misfortune 
overtaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scotland 
in  1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  .son 
George  was  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter, 
married  Sarah  I,ee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of 
his  marriage  until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn. 
Ezekiel,  son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was 
a  manufacturer  of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn. 
Rutherford  Hayes,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather 
of  President  Hayes,  was  born  in  New  Haven,  in 
Augu.st,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer,  blacksmith  and 
tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to  Vermont  at  an 
unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro,  where  he 
established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son,  Rutherford 
Hayes,  the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was  born. 
He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors 
emigrated  thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having 
been  among  the  wealthiest  and  best  families  of 
Norwich.  Her  ancestr\'  on  the  male  .side  is 
traced  back  to  1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the 
principal  founders  of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grand- 
fathers were  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industri- 
ous, frugal,  yet  open-hearted  man.     He  was  of  a 


mechanical  turn  of  mind,  and  could  mend  a  plow, 
knit  a  stocking,  or  do  almost  anything  else  that 
he  chose  to  undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
church,  active  in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises 
of  the  town,  and  conducted  his  business  on  Chris- 
tian principles.  After  the  close  of  the  War  of 
1812,  for  reasons  inexplicable  to  his  neighbors,  he 
resolved  to  emigrate  to  Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day, 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  or  rail- 
ways, was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  in- 
spection was  first  made,  occupying  four  months. 
Mr.  Hayes  decided  to  mo\-e  to  Delaware,  where 
the  family  arrived  in  181 7.  He  died  July  22, 
1822,  a  victim  of  malarial  fever,  less  than  three 
months  before  the  birth  of  the  son  of  whom  we 
write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  bereavement, 
found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in  her 
brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from 
Vermont,  and  in  an  orphan  girl,  whom  she  had 
adopted  some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Rutherford  was  seven  ^-ears  old  before  he  went 
to  school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neg- 
lected. He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his 
mother  and  sister  as  he  would  have  done  at 
school.  His  sports  were  almost  wholly  within 
doors,  his  playmates  being  his  sister  and  her  asso- 
ciates. These  circumstances  tended,  no  doubt,  to 
foster  that  gentleness  of  disposition  and  that  del- 
icate consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others  which 
were  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle,  Sardis  Birchard,  took  the  deepest 
interest  in  his  education;  and  as  the  boy's  health 
had  improved,  and  he  was  making  good  progress 
in  his  studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college. 
His  preparation  commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home; 


92 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


but  he  was  aftenvards  sent  for  one  jear  to  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  \Vesk-\an  I'liiversity  in  Middletown, 
Conn.  He  entered  Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at 
the  age  ofsi.vteen,  and  was  graduated  at  the  head 
of  liis  class  in  1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow, 
Esq.,  in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities 
for  study  in  Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  de- 
termined to  enter  the  Law  School  at  Cambridge, 
Mass. ,  where  he  remained  two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduating  at  the  Law  School,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and 
shortly  afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  at- 
torney-at-la\v  with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fre- 
mont. Here  he  remained  three  years,  acquiring 
but  a  limited  practice,  and  apparently  unambitious 
of  distinction  in  his  profession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cinciiuiati,  where  his  am- 
bition found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years, 
however,  his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events 
occurring  at  this  period  had  a  powerful  influence 
upon  his  subsequent  life.  One  of  these  was  his 
marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter 
of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of  Chillicothe;  the  other  was 
his  introduction  to  the  Cincinnati  T^iterary  Club, 
a  body  embracing  among  its  members  such  men 
as  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Gen.  John 
Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many  others 
hardly  less  distinguished  in  afterlife.  The  mar- 
riage was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of 
our  Presidents  was  more  universally  admired, 
reverenced  and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and 
no  one  did  more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon 
American  womanhood.  The  LiteraryClub  brought 
Mr.  Hayes  into  con.stant  a.ssociation  with  young 
men  of  high  character  and  noble  aims,  and  lured 
him  to  displa\-  the  qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his 
bashfulncss  and  modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge 
of  the  Court  of  Connnon  Pleas,  but  he  declined  to 
accept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  of- 
fice of  City  Solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City 
Council  elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1861,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was 
at  the  zenith  of  his  professional  life.     His  rank  at 


the  Bar  was  among  the  fir.st.  But  the  news  of 
the  attack  on  Ft.  vSumter  found  him  eager  to 
take  up  arms  for  the  defense  of  his  countrj-. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious. 
In  October,  i86i,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel, and  in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of 
the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Regiment,  but  he  refused 
to  leave  his  old  comrades  and  go  among  strangers. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  was  made  Colonel  of 
his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle  of  vSouth  Moun- 
tain he  received  a  wound,  and  while  faint  and 
bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude  that 
won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment, 
after  his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General, 
and  placed  in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha 
division,  and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  .services 
in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Cedar  Creek,  he  was  promoted  Brigadier-General. 
He  was  al.so  breveted  Major-General,  "for  gallant 
and  distinguished  services  during  the  campaigns 
of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In  the  course  of  his 
arduous  ser\'ices,  four  horses  were  shot  from  un- 
der him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times. 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress 
from  the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long 
been  Democratic.  He  was  not  present  during  the 
campaign,  and  after  the  election  was  importuned 
to  resign  his  commission  in  the  army;  but  he  fi- 
nally declared,  "  I  shall  never  come  to  Washing- 
ton until  I  can  come  by  way  of  Richmond."  He 
was  re-elected  in  1866. 

In  1867,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  Go\ernor  of 
Ohio,  over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular 
Democrat,  and  in  1869  was  re-elected  over  George 
H.  Pendleton.  He  was  elected  Governor  for  the 
third  term  in  1875. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and 
after  a  hard,  long  contest  was  chosen  President, 
and  was  inaugurated  Monday,  March  5,  1877. 
He  served  his  full  term,  not,  however,  with  satis- 
faction to  his  party,  but  his  administration  was  an 
average  one.  The  remaining  years  of  his  life 
were  passed  quietly  in  his  Ohio  home,  where  he 
pa.s.sed  away  January  17,  1893. 


JAMIvS   A,   GARFII'I.I) 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


(Tames  a.  GARFIELD,  twentieth  President 
I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  November  19, 
Q)  1S31,  in  the  woods  of  Orange,  Cuyahoga 
County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Abram  and 
Eliza  ( Ballon j  Garfield,  both  of  New  England 
ance.stry,  and  from  families  well  known  in  the 
early  history  of  that  section  of  our  countrj',  but 
who  had  moved  to  the  Western  Reser^-e,  in  Ohio, 
early  in  its  .settlement. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was  born  was 
not  unlike  the  houses  of  poor  Ohio  farmers  of 
that  day.  It  was  about  20  x  30  feet,  built  of  logs,  ' 
with  the  spaces  between  the  logs  filled  with  clay. 
His  father  was  a  hard-working  farmer,  and  he 
soon  had  his  fields  cleared,  an  orchard  planted, 
and  a  log  barn  built.  The  household  comprised 
the  father  and  mother  and  their  four  children, 
Mehetaliel,  Thomas,  Marj-  and  James.  In  May, 
1823,  the  father  died  from  a  cold  contracted  in 
helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire.  At  this  time 
James  was  about  eighteen  mouths  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps, 
can  tell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  Iris 
brother's  toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty 
years  succeeding  his  father's  death.  He  now 
lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sisters  live  in  Solon, 
Ohio,   near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Gar- 
field enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the 
most  of  them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for 
others,  did  carpenter  work,  chopped  wood,  or  did 
anything  that  would  bring  in  a  few  dolkirs  to  aid 
his  widowed  mother  in  her  struggles  to  keep  the 
little  family  together.  Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield 
ever  ashamed  of  his  origin,  and  he  never  forgot 
the  friends  of  his  struggling  childhood,  youth  and 
manhood;  neither  did  they  ever  forget  him. 
When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor,  the  humblest 
friend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly  greeted  as 
ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the  sym- 
pathy of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness  of 


want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple, 
plain,  modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  yomig  Garfield  until 
he  was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  cap- 
tain of  a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious 
to  go  aboard  a  vessel,  but  this  his  mother  strongly 
opposed.  She  finally  consented  to  his  going  to 
Cleveland,  with  the  understanding,  however,  that 
he  should  try  to  obtain  some  other  kind  of  em- 
ployment. He  walked  all  the  way  to  Cleveland. 
This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city.  After  making 
many  applications  for  work,  and  trj-ing  to  get 
aboard  a  lake  vessel  and  not  meeting  with  suc- 
cess, he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Penns3-lvania  Canal. 
He  remained  at  this  work  but  a  short  time,  when 
he  went  home,  and  attended  the  seminary  at 
Chester  for  about  three  years.  He  then  entered 
Hiram  and  the  Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few 
terms  of  school  in  the  mean  time,  and  doing  other 
work.  This  school  was  started  by  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  in  1.850,  of  which  body  he  was  then  a 
member.  He  became  janitor  and  bell-ringer  in 
order  to  help  pay  his  way.  He  then  became  both 
teacher  and  pupil.  Soon  "  exhausting  Hiram," 
and  needing  a  higher  education,  in  the  fall  of  1854 
he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram  Col- 
lege as  its  President.  As  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian,  or  Disciples,  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous 
member,  often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places 
where  he  happened  to  be. 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage,  Novem- 
ber II,  1858,  with  Miss  Lucretia  Rudolph,  who 
proved  herself  worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom 
all  the  world  loved.  To  them  were  born  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  boys 
and  one  girl. 


96 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  in 
1856,  in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and 
three  years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county 
mass-meetings,  and  became  the  favorite  speaker 
where\'er  he  was.  During  this  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  Ohio  Senate.  He  also  began  to 
study  law  at  Cleveland,  and  in  1861  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar.  The  great  Rebellion  broke  out  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year,  and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once 
resolved  to  fight  as  he  had  talked,  and  enlisted  to 
defend  the  Old  Flag.  He  received  his  commission 
as  Lieutenant- Colonel  of  the  Forty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Ohio  Infoiitry  August  14,  1861.  He 
was  immediately  put  into  active  service,  and  be- 
fore he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action,  was 
placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantr>' 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalrj-,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  able 
rebel  oflacer,  Humphrey  Marshall,  of  Kentucky. 
This  work  was  bravely  and  speedily  accomplished, 
although  against  great  odds,  and  President  Lin- 
coln commissioned  him  Brigadier-General,  Janu- 
ary 10,  1862;  and  "  as  he  had  been  the  youngest 
man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years  before,  so  now 
he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the  army."  He 
was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh,  in  its 
operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of 
the  general  court  martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen. 
Fitz-John  Porter.  He  was  next  ordered  to  re- 
port to  Gen.  Rosecrans,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
"  Chief  of  Staff. "  The  military  history  of  Gen. 
Garfield  closed  with  his  brilliant  services  at  Chick- 
amanga,  where  he  won  the  rank  of  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part,  Gen.  Garfield 
was  elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862,  from 
the  Nineteenth  Di.strict  of  Ohio.  This  .section  of 
Ohio  had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  sixty 
years  mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and 
Joshua  R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  strug- 
gle that  he  resigned  his  place  in  tlie  army.  At 
tile  time  he  entered  Congress  he  was  the  youngest 
member  in  that  body.  There  he  remained  by 
successive  re-elections  until  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, in  1880.  Of  his  labors  in  Congress,  Senator 
Hoar  says:  ".Since  the  year  1S64  you  cannot 
think   of  a  question   whicli   has  been  debated  in 


Congress,  or  discussed  before  a  tribunal  of  the 
American  people,  in  regard  to  which  you  will  not 
find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argument  on 
one  side  stated,  in  almost  ever\-  instance  better 
than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  .speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings 
by  Mr.  Garfield." 

Upon  January  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elect- 
ed to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  on  the  8th  of 
June,  of  the  same  year,  was  nominated  as  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  President  at  the  great 
Chicago  Convention.  He  was  elected  in  the  fol- 
lowing November,  and  on  March  4,  1881,  was 
inaugurated.  Probably  no  administration  ever 
opened  its  existence  under  brighter  auspices  than 
that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every  day  it  grew 
in  favor  with  the  people.  By  the  ist  of  July 
he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  prehmi- 
nary  work  of  his  administration,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Will- 
iams College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the 
depot,  in  company  with  Secretary'  Blaine,  a  man 
stepped  behind  him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired 
directly  at  his  back.  The  President  tottered  and 
fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the  assassin  fired  a  second 
shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the  left  coat  sleeve  of  his 
victim,  but  inflicting  no  further  injnni-.  It  has 
been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was  ' '  the  shot 
that  was  heard  aroimd  the  world."  Never  before 
in  the  history  of  the  nation  had  anything  occur- 
red which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  people 
for  the  moment  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was 
smitten  on  the  briglitest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his 
life,  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For 
eighty  days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July 
and  August,  he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  how- 
ever, remained  master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and 
by  his  magnificent  bearing  taught  the  country 
and  the  world  one  of  the  noblest  of  human  les- 
sons— how  to  live  grandly  in  the  very  clutch  of 
death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpassingly  great 
in  death.  He  passed  .serenely  away  September 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  on  the  very  bank  of 
the  ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  be- 
fore. The  world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  rarely 
ever  had  done  on  the  death  of  any  other  great 
and  noble  man. 


CHESTER  A.   ARTiirR 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


E HESTER  A.  ARTHUR,  twenty-first  Presi- 
deut  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Vt.,  on  the  5th  day  of  October, 
1830.  and  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  five  daughters.  His  fether  was  the  Rev.  Dr. 
William  Arthur,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  who  emi- 
grated to  this  country  from  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 
Newton ville,  near  Albany,  after  a  long  and  suc- 
cessful ministr)\ 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  where  he  excelled  in  all  his  studies. 
Alter  his  graduation  he  taught  school  in  Ver- 
mont for  two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time  came  to  New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  entered  the  office  of  ex-Judge  E.  D.  Culver 
as  a  student.  After  being  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and 
room-mate,  Henr>'  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  practicing  in  the  West,  and  for  three 
months  they  roamed  about  in  the  Western  States 
in  search  of  an  eligible  site,  but  in  the  end, re- 
turned to  New  York,  where  they  hung  out  their 
shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  successful  career  al- 
most from  the  start.  Gen.  Arthur  soon  after  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  Lieut.  Herndon,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at  sea.  Con- 
gress voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in  recog- 
nition of  the  bravery  he  displaced  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr. 
Arthur's  nomination  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  leav- 
ing two  children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celeb- 
rity in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon 
suit,  brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves 
who  had  been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  New  York  City.     It  was  in 


1S52  that  Jonathan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to 
New  York  with  his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them 
to  Texas,  when  they  were  discovered  and  freed. 
The  Judge  decided  that  they  could  not  be  held  by 
the  owner  under  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl 
of  rage  went  up  from  the  South,  and  the  Virginia 
Legislature  authorized  the  Attorney -General  of 
that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal.  William  M. 
Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed  to 
represent  the  people,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  Charles  O' Conor  here  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  slaveholders,  but  he,  too,  was 
beaten  by  Messrs.  Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long 
step  was  taken  toward  the  emancipation  of  the 
black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  Gen. 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jen- 
nings, a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off 
a  Fourth  Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had 
paid  her  fare.  Gen.  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf, 
and  secured  a  verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next 
day  the  company  issued  an  order  to  admit  colored 
persons  to  ride  on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car 
companies  quickh-  followed  their  example.  Be- 
fore that  the  Sixth  Avenue  Company  ran  a  few 
special  cars  for  colored  persons,  and  the  other  lines 
refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

Gen.  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge- Advocate  of 
the  Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  Gov.  Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  him 
Engineer-in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was 
made  Inspector- General,  and  soon  afterward  be- 
came Quartermaster-General.  In  each  of  these 
offices  he  rendered  great  service  to  the  Govern- 


^OSG^O 


lOO 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


ment  duriiii;;  the  war.  At  the  end  of  Gov.  Mor- 
gan's temi  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  Mr.  Ransom,  and  then 
Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney  of  New  York, 
was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  practice  of  this 
well-known  firm  was  verj-  large  and  lucrative, 
as  each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  was  an  able 
lawyer,  and  po.ssessed  a  splendid  local  reputa- 
tion, if  not,  indeed,  one  of  national  extent. 

Mr.  Arthur  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State 
and  city  politics.  He  w^as  appointed  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  New  York  by  President  Grant,  No- 
vember 21,  1872,  to  succeed  Thomas  Murphy, 
and  he  held  the  office  until  July  20,  1878,  when 
he  was  3ucceeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the 
famous  National  Republican  Convention  held  at 
Chicago  in  June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the 
greatest  political  convention  that  ever  assembled 
on  the  continent.  It  was  comi30.sed  of  the  lead- 
ing politicians  of  the  Republican  party,  all  able 
men,  and  each  stood  firm  and  fought  vigorously 
and  with  signal  tenacity  for  his  respective  can- 
didate that  was  before  the  convention  for  the 
nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  received  the 
nomination  for  President,  and  Gen.  Arthur  for 
Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  .stand- 
ard-bearer of  the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular 
man,  and  his  party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his 
election. 

Finalh-  the  election  came,  and  the  country's 
choice  was  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  in-  \ 
augurated  March  4,  1S81,  as  President  and  Vice-  | 
President.  A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere 
the  newly-chosen  President  was  the  victim  of  the 
a.ssassin's  bullet.  Then  came  terrible  weeks  of 
suffering — those  moments  of  anxious  .suspense, 
when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  nations  were 
throbbing  in  luiison,  longing  for  the  recovery  of 
tlu"  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remarkable 
patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  an<l  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible 
suffering  man  has  ever  been  called  upon  to  en- 
dure, was  seemingly  more  than  human.     It  was 


certainly  godlike.  During  all  this  period  of 
deepest  anxiety  Mr.  Arthur's  every  move  was 
watched,  and,  be  it  said  to  his  credit,  that  his  every 
action  displayed  only  an  earnest  desire  that  the 
suffering  Garfield  might  recover  to  serve  the  re- 
mainder of  the  term  he  had  so  au.spiciou.slj-  be- 
gun. Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested  in 
deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  la.st  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President 
Garfield  from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as 
never  before  in  its  histon,-  over  the  death  of  any 
other  man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the 
duty  of  the  \'ice-President  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath 
in  New  York,  September  20,  1881.  The  position 
was  an  embarrassing  one  to  him,  made  doubly  so 
from  the  fact  that  all  eyes  were  on  him,  anxious 
to  know  what  he  would  do,  what  policy  he  would 
pursue,  and  whom  he  would  select  as  advisers. 
The  duties  of  the  office  had  been  greatly  neglected 
during  the  President's  long  illness,  and  many  im- 
portant measures  were  to  be  innnediately  decided 
by  him ;  and  to  still  further  embarass  him  he  did 
not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  • 
on  this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances. 
President  Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Govern- 
ment in  his  own  hands,  and,  as  embarras.sing  as 
was  the  condition  of  affairs,  he  happily  .surprised 
the  nation,  acting  so  wi.sely  that  but  few  criticized 
his  administration.  He  ser\-ed  the  nation  well 
and  faithfully  until  the  close  of  his  administra- 
tion, March  4,  1885,  and  was  a  popular  candidate 
before  his  party  for  a  .second  term.  His  name 
was  ably  presented  before  the  convention  at  Chi- 
cago, and  was  received  with  great  favor,  and 
doubtless  but  for  the  personal  poindarity  of  one 
of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have  been 
.selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party  for 
another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life,  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American 
people,  whom  he  had  .served  in  a  manner  satisfac- 
tory to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself  One 
year  later  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest. 


STEPHKN  GRO\  ]•; k  CLEVELAND 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


(pTEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND,  the 
/\  twenty-second  President  of  the  United  States, 
\~/  was  born  in  1837,  i'l  the  obscure  town  of 
Cald\\ell,  Essex  County,  N.  J.,  and  in  a  little 
two-and-a-half-story  white  house,  which  is  still 
standing  to  characteristicalh-  mark  the  hiunble 
birthplace  of  one  of  America's  great  men,  in 
striking  contrast  with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in  origin  and 
born  in  the  cradle  of  wealth.  When  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his  father, 
who  was  a  Presbyterian  minister  with  a  large 
familj'  and  a  small  salarj-,  moved,  by  way  of  the 
Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to  Fayette\ille,  N. 
Y. ,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a  larger 
field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles 
from  Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour 
was  born. 

At  the  last-mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  good,  old-fashioned 
way,  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after 
the  manner  of  all  village  boys — in  doing  the 
things  he  ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  dis- 
tinguishing trait  of  all  geniuses  and  independent 
thinkers.  When  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  he  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
village  school,  and  expressed  a  most  emphatic  de- 
sire to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this  his  fa- 
ther decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him 
to  become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  pos- 
sible means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville 
seemed  to  be  a  position  in  a  country-  store,  where 
his  father  and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had 


considerable  influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid 
$50  for  his  sen-ices  the  first  j-ear,  and  if  he  proved 
trustworthy  he  was  to  receive  $100  the  second 
year.  Here  the  lad  commenced  his  career  as 
salesman,  and  in  two  years  he  had  earned  so  good 
a  reputation  for  trustworthiness  that  his  employ- 
ers desired  to  retain  him  for  an  indefinite  length 
of  time. 

But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in 
Fayetteville,  he  went  with  the  family  in  their  re- 
moval to  Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunit}- 
of  attending  a  High  School.  Here  he  industri- 
ously pursued  his  studies  until  the  family  re- 
moved with  him  to  a  point  on  Black  River  known 
as  the  "Holland  Patent,"  a  village  of  five  or  six 
hundred  people,  fifteen  miles  north  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 
At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching  but 
three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept, 
at  a  small  salary,  the  position  of  under-teacher 
in  an  asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully 
for  two  years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good 
reputation  in  this  capacity,  he  concluded  that 
teaching  was  not  his  calling  in  life,  and,  revers- 
ing the  traditional  order,  he  left  the  city  to  seek 
his  fortune,  instead  of  going  to  the  city.  He  first 
thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  there  was  some 
charm  in  that  name  for  him ;  but  before  proceed- 
ing to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to  ask  advice 
of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted  stock- 
breeder of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not  speak 
enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  bo}'?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  stud}- 
law,"  was  the  reply  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
the  old  gentleman;  "do  you,  indeed?    Whatever 


I04 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


put  that  into  your  head  ?  How  much  money 
have  you  got?"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
haven't  got  any." 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him 
a  place  temj)orarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at 
$50  a  year,  while  he  could  look  around.  One 
day  soon  afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  of- 
fice of  Rogers,  Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and 
told  them  what  he  wanted.  A  number  of  young 
men  were  already  engaged  in  the  office,  but  Gro- 
ver's  persistency  won,  and  he  was  finally  per- 
mitted to  come  as  an  office  boy  and  have  the  use 
of  the  law  librar>-,  receiving  as  wages  the  sum  of 
^3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  tliis  he  had  to  pay  for  hi.s 
board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorabl>-  .severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair,  and  as  for  his  overcoat  he 
had  none;  yet  he  was,  nevertheless,  prompt  and 
regular.  On  the  first  day  of  his  service  there,  his 
senior  emplojer  threw  down  a  cop\-  of  Black- 
stone  before  him,  with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust 
fly,  saying  "That's  where  they  all  begin."  A 
titter  ran  around  the  little  circle  of  clerks  and 
students,  as  they  thought  that  was  enough  to 
.scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans;  but  in  due 
time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleve- 
land exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather 
than  for  chasing  principles  through  all  their 
metaphysical  possibilities.  "Let  us  quit  talking 
and  go  and  do  it,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland 
was  elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such 
capacity  it  fell  to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punish- 
ment upon  two  criminals.  In  1881  he  was 
elected  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Buffalo,  on  the 
Democratic  ticket,  with  especial  reference  to  bring- 
ing alumt  certain  reforms  in  the  administration 
of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that  city.  In  this  of- 
fice, as  well  a.s  in  that  of  .Sheriff,  his  performance 
of  duty  has  generally  been  considered  fair,  with 
jKjssibly  a  few  exceiHions,  which  were  ferreted 
out  and  magnified  during  his  Presidential  cam- 
paign. As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a   veto  iiRss.i'.'c    we  (|M()Ic  from  one  vetoing  an 


iniquitous  street-cleaning  contract:  "This  is  a 
time  for  plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your 
action  shall  be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the 
culmination  of  a  most  bare-faced,  impudent  and 
shameless  scheme  to  betray  the  interests  of  the 
people  and  to  worse  than  .squander  the  people's 
money."  The  New  York  Sun  afterward  verj' 
highly  commended  Mr.  Cleveland's  administra- 
tion as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  thereupon  recom- 
mended him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire  State. 
To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882,  and 
his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  .satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made, 
if  any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  na- 
tion after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the 
United  States.  For  this  high  office  he  was 
nominated  Jul\-  11,  18S4,  by  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  at  Chicago,  when  other  com- 
petitors were  Thomas  F.  Bayard,  Roswell  P. 
Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  Allen  G.  Thumian,  etc.;  and  he  was 
elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Re- 
publican .statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President 
Cleveland  resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New- 
York  in  January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for 
his  duties  as  the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United 
States,  in  which  capacity  his  term  commenced  at 
noon  on  the  4th  of  March,  1885. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy 
between  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continu- 
ance of  silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  op- 
posed, Mr.  Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter, 
even  before  his  inauguration. 

On  Juno  2.  1886,  President  Cleveland  married 
Frances,  daughter  of  his  deceased  friend  and  part- 
ner, Oscar  Folsom,  of  the  Buffalo  Bar.  In  the 
campaign  of  1888,  President  Cleveland  was  re- 
nominated by  his  party,  but  the  Republican  candi- 
date, Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison,  was  victorious. 
In  the  nomination  of  1892  the.se  two  candidates 
for  the  highest  position  in  the  gift  of  the  people 
were  again  pitted  again.st  each  other,  and  in  the 
ensuing  election  President  Cleveland  was  victori- 
ous by  an  overwhelming  majority.  Since  the 
close  of  his  second  term,  he  has  resided  in  Prince- 
ton, N.  J. 


BENJAMIN    HARRISON 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON,  the  twenty-third 
President,  is  the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
historical  families  of  this  countr)-.  The  first 
known  head  of  the  family  was  Maj.-Gen.  Harrison, 
one  of  Oliver  Cromwell's  trusted  followers  and 
fighters.  In  the  zenith  of  Cromwell's  power  it  be- 
came the  duty  of  this  Harrison  to  participate  in 
the  trial  of  Charles  I.,  and  afterward  to  sign  the 
death  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subsequently 
paid  for  this,  with  his  life,  being  hung  October  13, 
1660.  His  descendants  came  to  America,  and 
the  next  of  the  family  that  appears  in  history  is 
Benjamin  Harrison,  of  Virginia,  great-grandfa- 
ther of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  after  whom 
he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Continental  Congress  during  the  years 
1774,  1775  and  1776,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 

Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  son  of  the 
distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a 
successful  career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of 
1812,  and  with  a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory-,  was  elected  President  of 
the  United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut 
short  by  death  within  one  month  after  his  in- 
auguration. 

President  Harrison  was  born  at  North  Bend, 


Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1833.  His 
life  up  to  the  time  of  his  graduation  from  Miami 
University,  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  tuieventful 
one  of  a  country  lad  of  a  family  of  small  means. 
His  father  was  able  to  give  him  a  good  education, 
and  nothing  more.  He  became  engaged  while  at 
college  to  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of 
a  female  school  at  Oxford.  After  graduating,  he 
determined  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  law.  He 
went  to  Cincinnati  and  there  read  law  for  two 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  young  Har- 
rison received  the  only  inheritance  of  his  life — his 
aunt,  dying,  left  him  a  lot  valued  at  $800.  He 
regarded  this  legacy  as  a  fortune,  and  decided  to 
get  married  at  once,  take  this  money  and  go  to 
some  Eastern  town  and  begin  the  practice  of  law. 
He  sold  his  lot,  and,  with  the  money  in  his  pocket, 
he  started  out  with  his  young  wife  to  fight  for  a 
place  in  the  world.  He  decided  to  go  to  Indian- 
apolis, which  was  even  at  that  time  a  town  of 
promise.  He  met  with  slight  encouragement  at 
first,  making  scarcely  anything  the  first  year. 
He  worked  diligently,  applying  himself  closely  to 
his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive  practice  and 
took  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  profession. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  the 
po,sition  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speaker.     He  can- 


io8 


BENJAMIN   HARRISON. 


vassed  the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by 
a  handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the 
Seventeenth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its 
Colonel.  His  retjiment  was  composed  of  the  raw- 
est material,  but  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his 
time  at  first  in  mastering  military  tactics  and  drill- 
ing his  men,  and  when  he  came  to  move  toward 
the  East  with  Sherman,  his  regiment  was  one  of 
the  Ix-st  drilled  and  organized  in  the  army.  At 
Resuca  he  especially  distinguished  himself,  and 
for  his  braver>'  at  Peach  tree  Creek  he  was  made 
a  Brigadier-General,  Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of 
him  in  the  most  complimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the 
field,  the  Supreme  Court  declared  the  office  of 
Supreme  Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another 
person  was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the 
time  of  leaving  Indiana  with  his  regiment  until 
the  fall  of  1.S64  he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence, 
but  having  been  nominated  that  year  for  the  .same 
office,  he  got  a  thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and 
during  that  time  made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the 
State,  and  was  elected  for  another  term.  He  then 
started  to  rejoin  Sherman,  but  on  the  waj-  was 
stricken  down  with  .scarlet  fever,  and  after  a  most 
trying  attack  made  his  way  to  the  front  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  closing  incidents  of  the  war. 

In  1868  Gen.  Harrison  declined  a  re-election 
as  Reporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1876  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although 
defeated,  the  brilliant  campaign  he  made  won  for 
him  a  national  reputation,  and  he  was  much  .sought 
after,  especially  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches. 
In  1880,  as  usual,  he  took  an  active  pari  in  the 
campaign,  and  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate.  Here  he  served  for  six  years,  and  was 
known  as  one  of  the  ablest  men,  best  lawyers  and 
strongest  debaters  in  that  body.  With  the  ex- 
piration of  his  senatorial  term  he  returned  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  becoming  the  licad  of 
one  of  the  .strongest  firms  in  the  .State. 

The  ixjlitical  cam|):iign  of  1S8.S  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
Tile  convention  which  assembled  in  Cliicago  in 
Jinie  and  named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  stand- 
ard-liearer  of  llic  Republican  party  was  great  in 
every  particular,  and  on  this  account,  and  the  at- 


titude it  assumed  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the 
day,  chief  among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a 
deep  interest  in  the  campaign  throughout  the 
nation.  Shortly  after  the  nomination,  delegations 
began  to  visit  Mr.  Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his 
home.  This  movement  became  popular,  and  from 
all  sections  of  the  country  societies,  clubs  and 
delegations  journeyed  thither  to  pay  their  re- 
spects to  the  distinguished  statesman. 

Mr.  Harri.son  spoke  daily  all  through  the  sum- 
mer and  autunm  to  these  visiting  delegations, 
and  so  varied,  masterly,  and  eloquent  were  his 
speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the  fore- 
most rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 
Elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  he  ser\-ed  his 
country  faithfully  and  well,  and  in  1892  was  nom- 
inated for  re-election;  but  the  people  demanded  a 
change  and  he  was  defeated  by  his  predecessor 
in  office,  Grover  Cleveland. 

On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and 
his  power  as  a  debater,  Geu.  Harrison  was  called 
upon  at  an  early  age  to  take  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  to 
agitate  the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising 
anti-slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some 
of  the  most  eminent  Democratic  speakers  of  his 
State.  No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade 
desired  to  1)e  pitted  'with  him  again.  With  all 
his  eloquence  as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  ora- 
torical effect,  but  his  words  always  went  like  bul- 
lets to  the  mark.  He  is  purely  American  in  his 
ideas,  and  is  a  splendid  type  of  the  American 
statesman.  Gifted  with  quick  perception,  a  logi- 
cal ininil  and  a  ready  tongue,  he  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  impromptu  speakers  in  the 
nation.  Many  of  these  .speeches  sparkled  with  the 
rarest  eloquence  and  contained  arguments  of  great 
weight,  and  many  of  his  tense  statements  have 
already  become  aphorisms.  Original  in  thought, 
precise  in  logic,  tense  in  statement,  yet  withal 
faultless  in  elociuence,  he  is  recognized  as  the 
sound  statesman  and  brilliant  orator  of  the  day. 
By  his  fir.st  wife,  Caroline  (vScott)  Harrison,  he 
had  a  .son  and  daughter.  In  1896  he  married 
Mrs.  Mary  (Scott)  Dimmick,  and  they,  with  their 
daughter,  reside  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  where  he 
has  made  his  home  since  earl\-  manhood. 


—-\ 


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Wn.l.IAM   McKIXUHV 


WILLIAM  McKINLEY. 


pGjlLLIAM    McKINLEY,   who  was   inaugu- 

\  A  /  rated  President  of  the  United  Statesin  1897, 
V  V  was  born  in  Niles,  Ohio,  January  29,  1843. 
The  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  originated 
in  the  west  of  Scotland,  and  from  there  removed 
to  the  north  of  Ireland.  According  to  the  fam- 
ily tradition,  James  and  William  McKinley  emi- 
grated to  this  country  from  Ireland  and  founded 
the  two  branches  of  the  family  in  the  United 
States,  one  settling  in  the  north,  the  other  in  the 
south.  At  the  time  of  their  arrival,  James  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  He  settled  in  York  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  married  and  spent  his  remaining 
years. 

David,  son  of  James,  and  the  great-grandfather 
of  William  McKinley,  was  born  May  16,  1755, 
and  three  times  enlisted  in  the  .service  of  the 
colonies  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  serving 
seven  months  after  his  first  enlistment  in  June, 
1776,  spending  six  months  at  the  front  in  1777, 
and  again  in  the  following  year  serving  eight 
months.  December  19,  1780,  he  married  Sarah 
Gray,  who  was  born  May  10,  1760,  and  died 
October  6,  18 14.  For  fifteen  years  he  lived  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  thence  removed 
to  Mercer  County.  One  year  after  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  he  married  Eleanor  McLean 
and  about  the  same  time  settled  in  Colum- 
biana County,  Ohio,  but  afterward  made  his  home 
in  Crawford  County,  where  he  died  August  8, 
1840. 

James,  grandfather  of  William  McKinley,  was 
born  September  19,  1783,  married  Mary  (or 
"Polly"  )  Rose,  and  with  his  family  moved  to  New 
Lisbon,  Ohio,  in  1809.  Their  eldest  son,  Will- 
iam, Sr. ,  was  born  in  Mercer  County,  Pa., 
November  15,  1807,  and  in  1827  married 
Nancy  Allison,  a  woman  of  noble  and  strong 
character  and  consistent  Christian  life.  For  some 
years  he  was  engaged  as  manager  of  iron  fur- 
naces  at   different   places.     From    Niles   he    re- 


moved to  Poland,  because  of  the  educational  ad- 
vantages offered  by  Poland  Academy.  In  1869 
he  established  his  home  in  Canton,  and  here  he 
died  November  24,  1892.  His  widow  lives  at 
the  family  residence  in  Canton,  and  with  her  are 
her  daughter,  Miss  Helen,  and  two  orphan 
grandchildren. 

Of  the  family  of  nine  children,  William,  Jr.,  who 
was  seventh  in  order  of  birth,  was  born  during 
the  residence  of  his  parents  at  Niles,  Ohio,  Jan- 
uary 29,  1843.  His  boyhood  years  were  spent 
in  that  place  and  Poland,  where  he  studied  in  the 
academy.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered 
Allegheny  College,  but  illness  caused  his  return 
to  Poland,  and  on  his  recovery  he  did  not  return 
to  college,  Init  taught  a  country  school.  At  the 
opening  of  the  Civil  War,  though  only  eighteen 
years  of  age,  he  immediately  wanted  to  enlist. 
As  soon  as  he  could  overcome  the  objections  of 
his  mother,  he  enlisted,  in  May  of  1861,  as  a 
private  in  Company  E,  Twenty-third  Ohio  In- 
fantry-. The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Col. 
W.  S.  Rosecrans,  who  afterward,  as  general,  led 
his  forces  on  many  a  bloody  battle  field,  and  the 
first  major  was  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  afterward 
President  of  the  United  States.  As  a  gallant 
soldier  Mr.  McKinley  soon  won  promotion,  serving 
for  a  time  as  commissary  sergeant,  later  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  .second  lieutenant  for  gal- 
lantry at  Antietam,  and  then  won  his  way  up- 
ward until,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  major  by  brevet.  July  26,  1865,  after 
more  than  four  years  of  hard  service,  he  was 
mustered  out  with  his  regiment. 

With  Judge  Charles  E.  Glidden,  of  Mahoning 
County,  Mr.  McKinley  began  the  study  of  law, 
which  he  afterward  carried  on  in  the  Albany 
(N.  Y.)  Law  School,  and  in  1867  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Beginning  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Canton,  he  soon  became  prominently 
known  among  the  able  attorneys  of  the  city.    His 


ii: 


WILLIAM  Mckinley. 


first  connection  with  political  affairs  was  in  1869, 
when  he  waselectedprosecutingattorney  of  Stark 
County,  antl  this  office  he  held  for  two  years. 
In  1876  he  was  nominated  for  Congressional 
honors  and  was  elected  to  the  Forty-fifth  Con- 
gress, afterward  by  successive  re-elections  serv- 
ing for  fourteen  years.  In  March  of  1890  he  in- 
inxluced  the  celebrated  McKinley  tariff  bill, 
which  was  pas.sed  and  became  a  law.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  1891,  he  was  elected  governor  of 
Ohio,  and  two  years  afterward  was  re-elected  to 
that  high  office,  which  he  filled  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  command  the  respect  not  only  of  his  own 
party — the  Republican — but  his  political  op- 
ponents as  well.  The  conneclion  of  his  name 
with  the  tariff  bill  and  his  prominence  in  the  Re- 
publican party,  together  with  his  force  and  elo- 
quence as  a  speaker,  brought  him  into  national 
fame.  In  the  campaign  of  1892,  for  a  period  of 
more  than  three  months,  he  traveled  over  a 
territory  extending  from  New  York  to  Nebraska, 
making  speeches  in  the  interest  of  the  Republi- 
can platfonu.  Those  who  heard  him  speak, 
whether  friends  or  opponents  of  his  political 
opinions,  cannot  but  have  admired  his  logical 
reasoning,  breadth  of  intellect,  eloquence  of  speech 
and  modesty  of  demeanor.  During  the  campaign 
of  1S94  he  made  three  hundred  and  seventy-one 
speeches  and  visited  over  three  hundred  towns, 
within  a  period  of  two  months,  addressing  perhaps 
two  million  people. 

The  tariff  issue  and  all  the  intricate  que.stions 
of  public  revenue  that  are  interwoven  with  it, 
constitute  the  most  complicated  problems  with 
which  a  statesman  has  to  deal.  To  master  them 
in  every  detail  requires  an  intellect  of  the  high- 
est order.  That  Major  McKinley  thoroughly  un- 
(ler.staiuls  these  questions  is  admitted  by  all  who 
have  investigated  his  official  utterances  on  the 
subject,  beginning  with  the  speech  on  the  Wood 
tariff  l)ill,  delivered  in  the  house  of  representatives 
April  15,  1878,  and  closing  with  liis  speech  in 
favor  of  the  tariff  bill  of  1890,  which  as  chairman 
ofthew.iys  and  means  conuniltee  he  reported  to 
the  house  and  which  was  subsequently  passed  and 
is  known  throughout  the  world  as  the  McKinley 
tariff  bill  of  189^0.  He  opposed  the  Wood  Inll  be- 
cau.se  of  a  conviction  that  the  proposed  measure 


would,  if  enacted,  prove  a  public  calamity.  For 
the  same  reason,  in  1882,  he  advocated  a  friendly 
revision  of  the  tariff  by  a  tariff  commission,  to  be 
authorized  by  congress  and  appointed  by  the 
president.  In  1884  he  opposed  the  Morrison 
horizontal  bill,  which  he  denounced  as  ambiguous 
for  ?.  great  public  statute,  and  in  1888  he  led  the 
forces  in  the  fight  against  the  Mills  tariff  bill. 

As  governor  of  Ohio,  his  policy  was  conserva- 
tive. He  aimed  to  give  to  the  public  institutions 
the  benefit  of  the  service  of  the  best  man  of  the 
state,  and  at  all  times  upheld  the  legitimate  rights 
of  the  workingmen.  Recognizing  the  fact  that 
the  problem  of  taxation  needed  regulation,  in 
his  messages  of  1892,  1893  and  1894,  he  urged 
the  legislature  that  a  remedy  be  applied.  In 
1892  he  recommended  legislation  for  the  safety 
and  comfort  of  steam  railroad  employes,  and  the 
following  j-ear  urged  the  furnishing  of  automatic 
couplers  and  air-brakes  for  all  railroad  cars  used 
in  the  state. 

When,  in  1896,  the  Republican  party,  in  con- 
vention assembled  at  St.  Louis,  selected  a  man  to 
represent  their  principles  in  the  highest  office 
within  the  gift  of  the  American  people,  it  was  not 
a  surprise  to  the  public  that  the  choice  fell  upon 
Major  McKinley.  The  campaign  that  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  exciting  in  the  history  of 
the  country  since  the  period  of  reconstruction. 
Especial  interest  centered  in  the  fact  that  the 
point  at  i-ssue  seemed,  not,  as  in  former  days, 
free  trade  or  protection,  but  whetlier  or  not  the 
government  should  declare  for  the  free  coinage  of 
silver.  This  question  divided  the  voters  of  the 
countrj-upon  somewhat  different  lines  than  theold- 
time  principles  of  the  Republican  and  Democratic 
parties  and  thus  made  the  campaign  a  memorable 
one.  The  supporters  of  the  gold  standard  main- 
tained that  silver  monometallism  would  precipi- 
tate a  panic  and  permanently  injure  the  business 
interests  of  the  country,  and  the  people,  by  a 
large  majority,  supported  these  principles. 

January  25,  1871,  Major  McKinley  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Ida  Saxton,  who  was  born 
in  June,  1847,  the  daughter  of  James  A.  Saxton. 
Their  two  children  died  in  1874,  within  a  short 
time  of  each  other,  one  at  the  age  of  three  years 
and  the  other  in  infancy. 


LACKAWANNA  COUNTY 


PENNSYLVANIA 


INTRODUCTORY 


HE  time  has  arrived  when  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  people  of  this  county  to  perpetuate  the 
names  of  their  pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record  of  their  early  settlement,  and  relate  the  story  of 
their  progress.  The  civilization  of  our  day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age,  and  the  duty  that 
men  of  the  present  time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to  themselves  and  to  their  posterity,  demand  that  a 
record  of  their  lives  and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  biographical  history  is  found  a  power  to  instruct 
man  by  precedent,  to  enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a  safe 
vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the  people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly  the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  prime 
entered  the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their  heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves. 
The  number  remaining  who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days  of  settlement  is  becoming  small 
indeed,  so  that  an  actual  necessity  exists  for  the  collection  and  preservation  of  events  without  delay, 
before  all  the  early  settlers  are  cut.dovvn  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind  from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten 
soon  enough,  in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest  efforts  of  their  friends  to  preserve  the 
memory  of  their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion  and  to  perpetuate  their  memory 
have  been  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt  were 
built  to  perpetuate  the  names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhumations  made  by  the 
archaeologists  of  Egypt  from  buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  their  achievements.  The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  was  for  the  same  purpose. 
Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the  Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and 
monuments,  and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their  great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the 
ages.  It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  piling  up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but 
this  idea — to  leave  something  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All  these  works,  though  many  of  them 
costly  in  the  extreme,  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  character  of  those  whose  memory  they 
were  intended  to  perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of  the  people  that  then  lived.  The 
great  pyramids  and  some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity;  the  mau.soleums, 
monuments  and  statues  are  crumbling  into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelligent,  undecaying,  immutable  method  of 
perpetuating  a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  unlimited  in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its 
action;  and  this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  indebted  for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable 
system  of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though  he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world 
calls  greatness,  has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history^  through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all;  nothing  of  the  physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which 
his  children  or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  cemetery  will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass 
away;  but  his  life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished,  which  otherwise  would  be 
forgotten,  is  perpetuated  by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we  engrave  their  portraits;  for  the  same  reason 
we  collect  the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we  think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only 
truth  of  them,  to  wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know  them  are  gone;  to  do  this  we 
are  ashamed  only  to  publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  lives  are  unworthy  of  public 
record. 


.:.-_j 


JAMES  BLAIR. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


JAMES  BLAIR,  president  of  the  Scranton 
Savings  Bank,  is  well  known  as  one  of  the 
foremost  business  men  of  this  city,  one 
who  has  for  years  thoroughly  identified  himself 
with  the  best  interests  of  the  east,  his  far-reacli- 
ing  enterprise,  aptitude  for  affairs  and  broad 
public  spirit  being  potent  in  extending  its  rail- 
road interests  and  enlarging  its  commerce.  The 
bank,  which  he  organized  in  1867,  and  of  which 
he  has  since  been  president  and  the  principal 
stockholder,  has  over  $1,100,000  on  deposit,  with 
large  capital  and  surplus.  Notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  he  has  had  more  than  seventy  years  of 
active  business  life,  he  is  still  as  keen  in  decision, 
as  energetic  in  action,  as  in  the  days  gone  by, 
and  his  large  interests  receive  careful  attention 
on  his  part. 

The  Blair  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
John  Blair,  grandfather  of  James,  and  of  Scotch 
birth,  who,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  settled  in  Warren 
County,  N.  J.  He  married  an  American  lady  of 
English  parentage,  and  among  their  children 
was  James,  Sr.,  born  in  New  Jersey,  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  in  politics  first  a  Federalist  and 
then  a  Whig.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was 
forty-eight  years  of  age.  He  married  Rachael 
Insley,  who  was  born  in  Northampton  County, 
Pa.,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  Their  family  consisted  of  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Samuel  and 
William,  deceased;  John  I.,  the  founder  of 
Blairstown,  N.  J.,  and  of  the  academy  at  that 
place;  Robert,  deceased;  James,  of  this  sketch; 
Jacob  M.,  who  is  living  retired  in  Knoxville, 
Tenn. ;  Mary,  Catherine,  David  B.  and  Elizabeth, 
deceased. 


Born  in  Sussex  (now  Warren;  County,  N.  J., 
May  15,  1807,  the  subject  of  this  article  attended 
the  district  schools  about  one  year  altogether, 
and  the  broad  information  he  now  possesses  has 
been  acquired  principally  by  self-culture.  In 
1826  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Marksboro,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  where  he 
built  up  a  large  trade,  remaining  for  forty  years. 
In  company  with  his  brother,  John  I.,  in  1831  he 
organized  the  Belvidere  Bank  (subsequently 
changed  to  a  national  bank),  in  which  he  was 
elected  director  for  the  sixty-sixth  time  in  suc- 
cession in  1897,  being  the  oldest  bank  director 
in  the  United  States.  His  brother,  John  I.,  the 
first  president  and  still  at  the  head  of  the  institu- 
tion, came  in  as  a  director  in  1832.  November  i, 
1848,  the  two  brothers  organized  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company,  in  connection  with 
twenty-one  others,  and  of  these  original  incor- 
porators they  are  the  sole  survivors. 

With  the  inception  of  the  present  system  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Mr.  Blair  was  identified  as  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector. The  road  then  ran  between  Scranton  and 
Binghamton,  but  later  was  built  as  far  as  the 
Delaware  Water  Gap.  For  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  company  as  a  director,  and  still 
retains  an  important  interest  in  its  properties. 
The  extent  of  his  interests  in  Pennsylvania  led 
him,  in  1865,  to  transfer  his  home  to  this  city, 
and  here  he  has  since  resided.  The  first  street 
railway  in  this  place,  nine  miles  in  length,  he 
assisted  in  building,  and  was  president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  People's  Street  Railway 
Company,  which  completed  the  road  in  1868; 
also  served  as  a  director  until  recently. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 


120 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  Scranton  Savings  Bank,  in  1867,  Mr.  Blair 
was  elected  president,  and  has  since  been  an- 
nually re-elected.  Besides  the  responsibilities 
connected  with  this  position,  he  has  been  largely 
interested  in  railroads  and  has  invested,  both  in 
the  east  and  west,  but  has  been  so  cautious  and 
sagacious  that  he  has  seldom  found  his  specula- 
tions losing  ventures.  Among  the  roads  which 
he  assisted  in  building  and  in  which  he  has  served 
as  a  director  are  tlie  Iowa,  Cedar  Rapids  &  Mis- 
souri, Iowa  Falls  &  Sioux  City,  Sioux  City  & 
Pacific,  Fremont,  Elkhorn  &  Missouri  Valley, 
all  now  leased  to  the  Northwestern  system.  For 
some  years  he  was  vice-president,  and  is  still  a 
large  stockholder  in  the  Dickson  Alanufacturing 
Company.  For  twenty-five  years  or  more  he  has 
been  one  of  the  heaviest  stockholders  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Scranton.  He  has  been  long 
interested  in  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany and  is  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the 
Moses  Taylor  Hospital. 

From  this  review,  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Blair 
justly  ranks  among  the  foremost  men  of  Scran- 
ton and  this  section  of  the  country.  Though  ad- 
vanced in  years,  age  has  not  dimmed  the  lustre 
of  his  mental  vision  or  impaired  his  intellectual 
faculties.  Time  has  dealt  leniently  with  him, 
permitting  him  to  enjoy  the  twilight  of  exis- 
tence in  comfort,  happiness  and  a  reasonable  de- 
gree of  health,  surrounded  and  ministered  to  by 
his  children  and  a  host  of  old-time  friends.  When 
a  young  man  he  voted  the  Whig  ticket,  and  since 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  has 
been  one  of  its  stanch  adherents.  During  the 
war  he  assisted  in  raising  funds  and  troops  for 
the  Union  service.  His  first  ballot  was  cast  for 
John  Ouincy  Adams  in  1828,  at  his  second  nomi- 
nation, lie  was  the  first  postmaster  at  Marks- 
boro,  N.  J.,  and  filled  that  position  for  several 
years.  Since  boyhood  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  has  served  as 
a  meml^er  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  First 
Church. 

In  New  Jersey,  December  17,  1834,  Mr.  Blair 
married  !\Iiss  Elizabeth  Locke,  who  was  born  in 
Blairstown,  the  daughter  of  a  farmer,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Captain  Locke,  who  was  killed  in 


the  battle  of  Elizabeth,  while  bravely  fighting  for 
American  independence.  Six  children  were  born 
of  this  union,  of  whom  jMilton  Locke,  formerly 
a  business  man  of  Scranton,  died  here  in  1865; 
Austin  B.  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  Scranton 
Savings  Bank  and  a  member  of  its  board  of  trus- 
tees ;  Lauretta  is  the  wife  of  Col.  H.  A.  Coursen ; 
James  Seldon  died  in  1S86  in  this  city,  where  he 
had  been  a  merchant;  Anna  is  the  wife  of  James 
A.  Linen,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Scranton;  and  Charles  Edward  resides  in  this  city. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Blair  died  in  1858.  In  1864  ]\Ir. 
Blair  married  Mrs.  Margaret  (Clark)  McKinney, 
who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  died  in  Scran- 
ton in  1872.  His  third  marriage  was  to  Mrs. 
Alice  (Green)  Rogers,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of 
Springfield,  Ohio;  she  died  in  1886. 

Mr.  Blair  is  a  man  of  wide  experience,  a  keen 
observer  of  men  and  affairs,  with  a  mind  broad- 
ened by  travel  and  contact  with  the  world,  and 
possessing  business  acumen  in  a  rare  degree. 
He  has  not  only  watched  with  pleasure  the  de- 
velopment of  this  city,  his  chosen  home,  with 
which  his  personal  interests  are  so  closely  bound, 
but  he  has  also  witnessed  with  pride  the  won- 
derful growth  of  these  United  States  in  the  course 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  has  assisted  there- 
in by  his  active  connection  with  the  develop- 
ment of  railroads.  His  long  and  useful  life  en- 
titles him  to  the  regard  of  all  who  cherish  an  af- 
fection for  the  honest  and  the  true,  and  will  cause 
his  name  to  be  remembered  long  after  he  shall 
have  gone  hence. 


ROLLIN  MANVILLE.  The  death  of  a 
good  man  is  always  a  deep  sorrow.  A 
man  who  has  been  a  leader  in  his  com- 
nnuiily,  who  possesses  all  the  qualities  of  noble 
manhood  and  who  has  labored  through  the 
years  of  his  active  life  for  the  welfare  of  his  fel- 
lowmen  and  the  prosperity  of  his  town,  may  well 
be  accounted  a  citizen  whose  death  is  a  public 
loss.  The  life  of  Rollin  Manville,  who  passed 
away  June  24,  1891,  forcibly  illustrates  the  truth 
of  this  principle.  He  was  a  man  whose  every  im- 
pulse was  honest,    whose    conscience    was    his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


121 


guide,  who  met  all  the  responsibilities  of  life  with 
courage,  whose  mind  was  clear  and  comprehen- 
sive, and  who  had  a  wealth  of  culture  that  gave 
him  intimate  conmiunion  with  the  best  thought 
of  the  world.  His  ability  was  recognized  by  the 
Delaware  &:  Hudson  Company,  whom  he  repre- 
sented for  many  years  as  superintendent  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Division. 

Born  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  November  6,  1824, 
the  son  of  Amos  Manville,  the  subject  of  this 
article  in  early  life  chose  the  occupation  of  a  civil 
engineer,  and  in  July  of  1847  entered  the  rail- 
road service  as  rodman  on  the  construction  of 
the  Saratoga  &  Washington  Railroad.  Two  years 
later  he  was  appointed  division  engineer  of  the 
New  York  &l  Harlem  Railroad.  His  first  work 
in  Pennsylvania  began  in  1853,  when  he  was  em- 
|)loyed  to  survey  and  make  plans  for  a  railroad 
from  Wilkesbarre  to  the  Delaware  River  at 
Water  Gap.  The  survey  was  made  during  the 
summer,  but  after  the  plans  were  prepared  the 
project  was  abandoned.  In  September  of  the 
same  year  he  returned  to  New  York  and  was 
appointed  construction  engineer  of  the  Flushing 
&  Hunter's  Point  Railroad,  which  was  com- 
]ileted  in  June,  1855.  In  January  of  the  follow- 
ing year  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company  as  assistant  superin- 
tendent, taking  the  entire  charge  of  the  Gravity 
Railroad  from  Waymart  to  Honesdale,  including 
the  coal  pockets  and  canal  docks  and  the  whole 
plant  pertaining  to  the  shipment  of  coal  by  boat. 

During  1856,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Man- 
ville, the  system  of  transferring  coal  from  cars 
to  boats  Vv-as  subjected  to  many  changes  and  the 
cost  of  shipment  was  materially  lessened  under 
his  new  method,  while  the  landing  of  canal  boats 
was  also  made  comparatively  easy.  The  im- 
provements under  his  direction  at  Honesdale 
were  in  line  with  the  changes  contemplated  in 
the  entire  Gravity  system,  and  when  the  work  of 
constructing  the  present  system  was  commenced 
in  April,  1857,  he  was  placed  in  charge  as  con- 
struction engineer.  Nowhere  in  the  world  has 
the  skillful  engineer  accomplished  so  economic- 
ally such  a  feat  in  railroad  building  as  the  system 
of  inclines  constructed  by  Mr.  Manville,  by  which 
millions  of  tons   of  anthracite   coal    have   been 


transported  from  the  Lackawanna  Valley  over 
the  Moosic  range  into  the  valleys  formed  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Delaware  Valley.  Under  his 
administration  the  valley  road  was  constructed 
and  the  Union  Coal  Company's  lines  purchased. 

With  all  the  time  and  labor  devoted  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  company,  which  he  so  faithfully 
and  ably  served,  Mr.  Manville  found  time  to  look 
after  the  interests  of  the  army  of  men,  whose 
service  in  the  various  departments  of  the  railroad 
he  considered  quite  as  essential  to  the  success  of 
the  corporation  as  the  responsible  places  held  by 
the  managers.  In  all  his  relations  with  the  men, 
he  was  uniformly  courteous  and  his  decisions 
were  fair.  Having  grown  up  with  the  great  cor- 
poration, he  was  not  only  familiar  with  the  du- 
ties of  the  humblest  employe,  but  he  retained  for 
the  working  men  the  kind  feeling  engendered  by 
the  belief  that  men,  in  whatever  station  of  life,  are 
of  one  family  and  entitled  to  all  the  privileges 
that  free  and  equal  birth  secure.  Few  men  en- 
joyed the  confidence  of  so  many  wage  earners 
as  did  he.  With  all  the  responsibilities  resting 
upon  him,  he  was  never  known  to  pass  one  of  his 
men  without  a  kind  greeting.  His  great  heart 
was  readily  touched  by  the  appeal  of  the  needy 
and  his  hand  was  never  withheld  when  the  claim 
of  the  helpless  was  presented  to  him.  It  was 
largely  due  to  his  liberal  views  and  that  of  the 
corporation  he  represented,  that  the  working 
men  of  Carbcndale  own  such  comfortable  homes, 
for  ever}'  man  is  sure  of  a  life  position  if  he  at- 
tends to  the  duties  of  his  place. 

A  stanch  advocate  of  home  protection,  Mr. 
Manville  looked  carefully  to  the  improvements 
of  his  home  town  and  took  great  interest  in  the 
building  up  of  Carbondale.  Every  worthy  en- 
terprise received  his  support.  He  was  the  lead- 
ing factor  in  the  organization  of  the  free  hospital 
for  the  care  of  injured  miners  and  railroad  men, 
and  did  much  to  put  it  on  a  solid  foundation, 
serving  as  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  from 
the  time  of  organization  until  his  death.  He  was 
also  president  of  the  Carbondale  Gas  Company, 
the  Crystal  Lake  Water  Company,  and  interested 
in  many  other  local  enterprises.  His  home  was 
in  Carbondale  from  1864,  when  he  was  promoted 
to   the  position   of   superintendent   of  the   road, 


122 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


until  his  death.  In  rohgious  belief  he  was  a 
member  of  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  and  a  lead- 
ing worker  in  its  behalf,  being  warden  and  ves- 
tryman for  more  than  twenty-five  years.  His 
wife,  two  sons,  C.  Rollin  and  Willis  A.,  and  a 
daughter,  Florence  (Mrs.  David  Zielev,  Jr.),  sur- 
vive him. 

C.  Rollin  Manville  was  born  in  Honesdale, 
Pa.,  January  13,  1858,  graduated  as  a  civil  engi- 
neer from  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  of 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  June  16,  1880,  and  in  the  same 
year  entered  the  service  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Railroad  as  assistant  engineer  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Division,  filling  that  position  until 
March,  1883.  From  that  time  until  November, 
1885,  he  served  as  engineer  of  the  same  road, 
and  afterward,  until  July,  1891,  was  assistant 
superintendent.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  superintendent, 
which  responsible  position  his  experience  and 
ability  qualify  him  to  fill.  His  brother,  W.  A., 
is  also  connected  with  the  road  as  its  representa- 
tive at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa. 


JOHN  NEALON.  Ireland  has  from  among 
her  citizens  given  to  the  world  many  of  its 
best  men.  Whether  we  study  her  history 
or  watch  the  careers  of  her  children  at  home  and 
abroad, — their  heroism  when  with  the  "Iron 
Duke"  at  Waterloo,  their  bravery  amid  the  hard- 
ships of  the  early  settlement  of  the  United  States 
or  their  patriotic  devotion  to  our  country,  we 
will  give  her  credit  for  the  manly  character  of  her 
sons. 

Among  the  representatives  of  that  nationality 
in  Carbondale  is  John  Nealon,  postmaster  of  the 
city  and  the  oldest  living  male  born  here.  His 
father,  Patrick  Nealon,  who  was  a  native  of 
County  Mayo,  in  the  west  of  Ireland,  came  to 
yVmerica  in  1829  and  settled  in  Carbondale.  Just 
])rior  to  his  emigration  he  married  liridget  Bar- 
rett, a  native  of  the  same  place  as  himself.  Com- 
ing here  without  means,  he  was  employed  in  the 
coal  mines  and  saved  a  sulTicient  amount  to  en- 
able him,  a  few  years  later,  to  take  his  wife  and 
son  on  a  trip  to  his  native  land.  Some  ten  years 
later  he  again  visited  the  old  country.    On  these 


two  trips  a  son  and  daughter  were  born,  namely: 
Martin,  who  was  killed  in  the  mines  at  Carbon- 
dale when  about  fifteen  years  of  age;  and  Cath- 
erine, widow  of  the  late  Barnard  McTighe,  and 
a  resident  of  this  city.  In  1856,  1857  and  1858 
the  father  was  proprietor  of  an  old-styled  tavern 
Here,  but  afterward  lived  retired  on  his  farm,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  good  property,  accumulated 
largely  through  the  business  ability  of  his  wife. 
He  died  in  July,  i860,  and  in  the  same  month, 
twenty  years  later,  his  widow  passed  away. 

Though  he  had  but  little  schooling,  our  sub- 
ject was  naturally  bright,  with  a  business  turn 
of  mind,  and  so  became  well  informed.  In  boy- 
hood for  a  short  time  he  drove  a  mule  on  the 
tow  path,  and  at  fourteen  became  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  Patrick  Kanney.  When  his  brother  was 
killed  he  was  working  in  the  mines,  but  after  that 
catastrophe  he  never  returned  there.  For  eight- 
een months  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  the  dry- 
goods  store  of  Anthony  Grady,  after  which,  hav- 
ing persuaded  his  father  to  loan  him  all  his  ready 
money,  $425,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness, and  was  so  successful  that  at  the  end  of  five 
years  he  had  cleared  $6,000.  In  1858  he  oper- 
ated a  brewery  in  connection  with  his  store  and 
made  as  much  as  $10,000  in  a  year,  but  during 
the  depression  and  strikes  in  the  mines  in  the 
'70's,  he  lost  about  $40,000  by  giving  credit  to 
the  unemployed.  In  1877  he  retired  from  the 
business. 

In  municipal  affairs  Mr.  Nealon  has  filled 
some  important  offices.  In  1854  he  was  elected 
city  treasurer  and  held  the  position  for  two  terms. 
For  four  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  city 
council.  In  1875  he  was  chosen  mayor,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  two  terms.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Democratic  national  convention  in 
1876  and  voted  for  Samuel  J.  Tilden  from  first  tc 
last.  For  two  terms  he  held  the  office  of  city 
comptroller.  September  i,  1894,  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Carbondale.  Since  he  took 
possession  of  the  office,  the  salary  lias  been  in- 
creased $100  each  year,  and  is  now  $2,300. 
Three  clerks  are  furnished,  as  well  as  a  force  of 
mail  carriers.  The  office  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant in  this  part  of  the  state.  Politically  he 
has  been  a  lifelong  Democrat.     He  is  a  tlior- 


'%:-^.^7nr-/'9?24^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


12: 


ough  American  and  believes  if  his  government 
stamped  a  piece  of  leather  and  said  it  was  a  dol- 
lar, it  ought  to  pass  for  that  in  any  part  of  the 
world. 

April  27,  1856,  Mr.  Nealon  married  Mary  Mof- 
fitt,  a  native  of  Carbondale,  and  daughter  of  Pat- 
rick and  Bridget  (Rafter)  Moffitt.  They  have 
been  the  parents  of  nine  children.  Frank,  the 
eldest,  was  a  graduate  of  Seaton  College, 
Orange,  N.  J.,  and  died  when  twenty-five  years 
of  age;  Rev.  William  A.,  graduate  of  Alleghany 
College,  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  1883 
and  has  been  an  assistant  in  the  church  at  Car- 
bondale since  1893;  John  M.  and  James  F.  assist 
their  father  in  the  office,  and  the  only  daughter, 
Alida,  is  money  order  clerk.  The  other  four 
children  died  when  small.  The  surviving  sons 
and  daughter  reside  with  their  parents  in  the 
pleasant  family  residence  in  South  Church  Street. 


BENJAMIN  HENRY  THROOP,  M.  D„ 
has  been  identified  with  the  history  of 
Scranton  from  a  very  early  period  of  its 
settlement,  and  not  only  has  he  been  honored  as 
a  physician  and  surgeon  who  has  met  with  more 
than  usual  success  in  his  chosen  profession,  but 
also  for  his  excellent  record  as  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  his  honorable  service  in  the  army  and 
his  brilliancy  as  an  author.  The  results  of  his  ex- 
periences as  a  citizen  of  Scranton  he  has  embod- 
ied in  an  octavo  of  over  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pages,  entitled  "A  Half  Century  in  Scranton," 
a  work  which  proves  his  literary  ability  and  forms 
a  valuable  addition  to  the  historical  collections 
of  the  city.  He  has  also  shown  himself  to  be  a 
business  man  of  superior  ability,  and  although  he 
has  been  very  liberal  and  charitable  to  the  poor, 
and  has  given  largely  of  his  means  and  time  to 
alleviate  human  suffering  and  promote  the  hap- 
piness of  mankind,  he  has  acquired  a  competency 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  wealthy  citizens  of 
this  part  of  the  state. 

In  tracing  the  genealogy  of  the  Throop  family, 
we  find  a  legend  that  has  been  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation,  to  the  effect  that 
Adrian  Scrope,  one  of  the  judges  who  condemn- 
ed Charles    I.,   fled    from    England    and    landed 


in  America.  In  order  to  conceal  his  identity  and 
thus  escape  the  punishment  of  Charles  II.,  he 
changed  his  name  to  Throop.  In  successive 
generations  there  were  three  Congregational 
clergymen  who  bore  the  name  of  Benjamin 
Throop,  and  held  pastorates  in  Rhode  Island 
and  Connecticut.  The  Doctor's  grandfather, 
Benjamin,  was  major  in  the  Fourth  Connecticut 
Infantry  during  the  Revolution,  and,  on  recom- 
mendation of  General  Washington,  was  breveted 
colonel  for  meritorious  conduct;  his  commis- 
sion, signed  by  John  Jay  in  1779  at  Philadelphia, 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Throop.  Colonel 
Throop  died  in  1820,  and  during  his  latter  years 
was  in  receipt  of  a  pension.  The  Doctor's  father, 
who  was  fifteen  at  the  time  Colonel  Throop  en- 
tered the  army,  went  with  him  into  the  service 
as  a  fifer,  and  afterward  was  a  pensioner  of  the 
government. 

The  youngest  of  six  sons,  the  subject  of  this 
article  was  born  November  9,  181 1,  in  Oxford, 
Chenango  Cotinty,  N.  Y.,  to  which  place  his  par- 
ents removed  in  1800.  Orphaned  at  the  age  of 
twelve  by  the  death  of  his  father,  Dan  Throop, 
he  was  reared  by  his  mother,  who  trained  him 
carefully  for  a  life  of  usefulness  and  took  the 
most  affectionate  interest  in  his  welfare,  until  she 
passed  away  in  1842,  aged  seventy-three.  In 
youth  he  was  a  student  in  Oxford  Academy, 
among  his  classmates  being  Horatio  Seymour 
and  Ward  Hunt.  On  the  completion  of  his  lit- 
erary course,  he  began  to  read  medicine  with 
Dr.  Perez  Packer,  and  later  attended  Fairfield 
Medical  College,  then  the  only  medical  institu- 
tion in  New  York.  From  this  he  graduated  in 
1832  at  twenty-one  years. 

In  February  of  the  same  year  the  young  Doc- 
tor settled  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  then  an  insignifi- 
cant hamlet,  with  no  trace  of  its  future  prosper- 
ity save  its  favorable  position  at  the  head  waters 
of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  he  was  young,  inexpe- 
rienced and  poor,  his  genial  manners,  upright 
life  and  professional  knowledge  soon  enabled 
him  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  people.  How- 
ever, he  was  not  satisfied  with  the  location,  and 
in  1835  went  to  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  thence  less 
than  a  year  later  removed  to  New  York  City.   In 


126 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  fall  of  1840  he  went  to  Honesdale  on  a  visit, 
and  soon  afterward  was  called  to  the  Lacka- 
wanna \'alley  in  consultation.  While  here  he 
noticed  this  locality  offered  a  promising  field  for 
professional  work  and  determined  to  make  it  his 
future  home.  Accordingly,  he  established  him- 
self in  Providence  October  8,  1840. 

The  people  now  residing  in  Scranton  can  form 
no  adequate  conception  of  the  condition  and  ap- 
pearance of  Providence  over  fifty  years  ago,  nor 
of  the  prospects  in  what  is  now  a  large  and  flour- 
ishing city.  Slocums  Hollow,  as  it  was  then 
known,  had  recently  been  purchased  by  G.  W. 
and  Selden  Scranton  and  Sanford  Grant,  with 
vvhom  the  Doctor  soon  became  acquainted,  and 
by  whom,  in  1847,  he  was  induced  to  come  to 
this  place.  With  the  consent  of  the  owners  of 
the  land,  he  took  possession  of  property  in  the 
woods,  and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  erecting 
the  first  house  in  Scranton  proper,  outside  of  the 
buildings  owned  by  the  Iron  Company.  Soon 
he  became  known  as  a  skillful,  capable  physi- 
cian, and  commanded  a  large  practice,  covering 
an  extensive  territory.  Early  investors  had 
hoped  to  make  fortunes  out  of  the  iron  ore  here, 
but  the  enterprise  failed,  destroying  their  ex- 
pectations. From  the  first,  however,  Dr.  Throop 
had  been  convinced  that  the  mining  of  coal  would 
become  the  great  industry  of  this  locality,  and 
acting  on  this  belief,  in  1855  he  began  to  invest 
in  coal  lands.  His  property  rapidly  increased  in 
value  on  account  of  the  completion  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  direct 
to  New  York,  and  the  extension  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  and  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company 
into  that  section. 

Through  his  personal  efforts  Dr.  Throop  ob- 
tained from  the  legislature  a  charter  for  a  gas  and 
water  company  and  for  the  Lackawanna  Hos- 
[)ital.  His  real  estate  operations  were  extensive 
and  inchuk'd  a  large  lumbering  business  near 
Scranton,  and  additions  to  the  city  in  Hyde  Park, 
Providence  and  Dunmore.  In  addition,  he  laid 
out  the  town  of  Elakely  and  the  village  of  Price- 
burg,  and  founded  the  town  of  Throop.  In  all 
his  additions  he  followed  the  same  method;  farms 
were  bought  and  divided  into  lots,  prices  were 
made    reasonable   and    purchasers    were    found 


among  substantial  workingmen  who  took  their 
families  to  the  place.  Under  his  supervision  the 
Newton  turnpike  was  completed.  He  introduced 
the  first  general  supply  of  milk  here,  the  first 
livery  stable,  first  drug  store,  first  railway  pack- 
age express  and  assisted  in  securing  a  postofifice 
here.  During  the  administration  of  President 
Pierce  he  served  as  postmaster,  1853-57.  Doubt- 
less no  resident  of  Lackawanna  County  was 
more  active  in  securing  its  separation  from  Lu- 
zerne than  was  Dr.  Throop,  and  his  labors  in 
that  direction  extended  over  a  long  period  of 
years.  He  spent  a  portion  of  several  winters  at 
Harrisburg,  and  while  at  times  the  case  looked 
hopeless,  he  never  abandoned  it,  and  at  last,  in 
1877,  was  rewarded  for  his  efforts  by  the  erection 
of  the  new  county. 

A  sketch  of  Dr.  Throop  would  do  injustice  to 
him  as  a  patriot  were  no  mention  made  of  his 
labors  during  the  Civil  War.  When  President 
Lincoln  called  for  volunteers  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rebellion,  he  was  the  first  surgeon  in  old  Lu- 
zerne to  respond  to  the  call  and,  without  solici- 
tation on  bis  part,  was  commissioned  surgeon  of 
the  Eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  by  his  friend, 
Governor  Curtin.  So  thorough  was  he  in  the 
enforcement  of  laws  that  the  regiment  did  not 
lose  a  man  by  disease  while  absent  from  home. 
He  was  the  first  surgeon  to  establish  field  hos- 
pitals, opening  one  at  Chambersburg  before  he 
had  been  a  week  in  the  service.  The  location 
was  especially  desirable,  as  ten  thousand  men 
from  Pennsylvania  and  other  states  were  en- 
camped there.  As  may  be  supposed,  so  many 
men,  removed  from  the  comforts  of  domestic  life 
and  sent  into  the  field  at  an  early  season  in  the 
year,  naturally  furnished  a  great  number  of  sick, 
and  Dr.  Throop,  being  the  senior  surgeon,  was 
expected  to  provide  quarters  for  them.  He  took 
possession  of  an  abandoned  hotel  and  of  the  city 
hall,  placing  in  them  cots,  which  he  furnished 
himself,  while  bed  clothing  was  sent  from  Scran- 
ton. Th<!  Doctor  had  left  home  April  18,  ex- 
pecting to  spend  a  day  and  a  niglit  at  Harris- 
burg, but  it  was  four  months  before  he  was  able 
to  return  home,  and  during  all  that  time  he  was 
engaged  in  active  duty  on  the  field.  After  his 
return  home  he  was  once  more  sent  back  to  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRi\PHICAL  RECORD. 


127 


front  to  care  for  tlie  wounded  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
which  suffered  greatly  at  the  battle  of  Antietain. 
and  this  time  he  served  for  six  weeks,  establish- 
ing a  field  hospital  in  a  forest,  to  which  the 
wounded  were  taken.  On  the  conclusion  of  his 
work  there,  he  accompanied  the  army  to  Har- 
per's Ferry,  where  he  remained  until  an  attack 
of  fever  compelled  him  to  return  home. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Throop  retired  from  active 
practice,  and  gave  his  attention  to  his  large  and 
important  business  interests.  In  1842  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Harriet  F.  McKinney,  a  sister  of  the 
wife  of  Sanford  Grant.  To  Dr.  Throop  and  wife 
were  born  five  children,  only  one  now  living, 
JNIrs.  PI.  B.  Phelps,  who  makes  her  home  with 
her  father  and  mother  in  Scranton.  ■  His  connec- 
tion with  religious  enterprises  has  continued 
throughout  his  entire  life,  and  it  was  largely  by 
his  labors  and  assistance  that  the  beautiful 
church  edifice  was  erected  in  which  St.  Luke's 
Episcopal  congregation  worship.  He  aided  in 
the  establishment  of  the  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows in  Scranton  and  gave  financial  assistance 
in  the  erection  of  their  hall,  which  for  years  was 
also  used  for  entertainments  and  lectures.  The 
important  moneyed  interests  which  he  held  led 
to  his  selection  as  president  of  the  Scranton  City 
Bank,  which  position  he  occupied  for  some  time. 

Though  long  retired  from  practice.  Dr.  Throop 
has  never  lost  his  interest  in  the  medical  profes- 
sion. The  young  man  just  entering  upon  prac- 
tice finds  in  him  a  helpful  friend,  whose  counsel 
may  be  freely  sought.  Plis  interest  in  the  cause 
may  be  shown  by  his  recent  presentation  of  a 
medical  library  of  about  two  hundred  volumes 
to  the  Lackawanna  Medical  Society.  In  1872 
Governor  Hartranft  appointed  him  a  trustee  of 
the  Danville  Insane  Hospital,  and  succeeding 
governors  have  continued  him  in  the  position. 
The  LackaAvanna  Hospital  was  at  first  main- 
tained at  his  own  expense,  but  he  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  having  it  endowed  by  the  state.  For 
years  he  held  the  position  of  chief  surgeon  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  and  the 
Delaware  it  Hudson  Canal  Company's  Rail- 
roads. In  1882,  with  a  number  of  prominent 
citizens  of  Scranton,  he  united  to  form  the  Scran- 


ton Illuminating,   Heating  &  Power  Company, 
of  which  he  served  as  president  for  a  time. 

Politically  Dr.  Throop  is  identified  with  the 
Republican  party.  In  reference  to  his  views  con- 
cerning the  practice  of  medicine,  he  is  orthodox, 
liberal  and  yet  independent.  He  is  a  great 
reader,  a  deep  thinker,  broad  in  views,  religious, 
philosophical  and  social.  As  a  man  of  influence 
he  has  attained  an  enviable  position,  while  his 
course  throughout  his  long  life  has  been  such  as 
to  win  for  him  the  esteem  of  acquaintances.  In 
addition  to  his  published  work,  he  has  written  for 
medical  journals  and  newspapers,  and  wields  a 
ready  and  pointed  pen.  Few-  of  the  men  w"no 
were  his  friends  and  co-laborers  fifty  years  ago 
survive  to  the  present.  The  majority  have  been 
called  from  earth,  some  of  them  long  since.  To 
him  has  been  given  the  privilege,  not  only  of 
assisting  in  the  early  settlement  of  Scranton,  but 
also  of  witnessing  its  present  prosperity  and  of 
enjoying,  as  one  of  its  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  inhabitants,  the  comforts  secured  by  his 
zealous  efforts  in  days  gone  by.  Now,  with  heart 
mellowed  and  softened  by  age,  he  is  surrounded 
by  the  ministering  affection  of  relatives  and 
friends,  looked  up  to  with  admiration  by  the 
younger  generation,  and  regarded  with  esteem 
by  those  who  labored  side  by  side  with  him  for 
the  advancement  of  this  community.  In  the  best 
sense  of  the  word,  his  may  be  called  a  successful 
life,  and  his  success  may  be  attributed  to  energy 
and  perseverance,  and  other  qualities  that  have 
given  him  the 

"Strength  to  dare,  the  nerve  to  meet 
Whatever  threatens  with  defeat 
An  all-indoniitable  will." 


ISRAEL  CRANE.  Through  the  long  period 
in  which  he  was  identified  with  the  interests 
of  Carbondale,  Israel  Crane  was  known  as 
a  progressive  and  judicious  business  man,  and  in 
his  death  the  city  sustained  a  severe  loss.  It  is 
said  of  him  by  those  who  were  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  him  that  he  was  conscientious  in 
deed,  exemplary  in  life,  outspoken  in  public  af- 
fairs, pleasant  and  cheerful,  with  a  kind  word  for 
all  with  whom  he  had  daily  intercourse.    Honesty 


128 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  industry  characterized  his  hfe,  and  these 
qualities  with  his  kindly  consideration  of  otlicrs 
won  him  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Born  at  Montclair,  N.  J.,  January  i6,  1839,  our 
subject  was  a  son  of  Ira  Crane,  who  was  a  shoe 
dealer  in  that  place.  His  educational  advan- 
tages were  very  limited,  and  at  fifteen  he  became 
a  clerk  in  a  store  in  Montclair,  later  forming  a 
partnership  with  his  brother-in-law.  In  1864  he 
came  to  Carbondale  and  secured  a  clerkshij) 
under  W.  J.  Crane,  a  distant  relative,  by  whom 
he  was  taken  into  partnership  after  a  year  and  a 
half.  In  the  spring  of  1869  they  decided  to 
change  their  location  and  accordingly  moved 
the  business  to  the  more  promising  town  of 
Scranton.  This  came  very  nearly  being  a  disas- 
trous change.  The  depression  following  the 
Civil  War  and  the  panic  of  1873  almost  brought 
financial  ruin.  The  partnership  was  dissolved 
and  in  1874  Mr.  Crane  decided  to  return  to  Car- 
bondale. Here  he  met  with  marked  success  and 
built  up  a  large  dr\^-goods  business,  now  run 
under  the  name  of  the  Israel  Crane  Company, 
managed  by  his  son,  D.  L.,  for  the  estate. 

Tlioroughly  identified  with  the  growth  of  Car- 
bondale, Mr.  Crane  took  an  active  part  in  every 
good  cause.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  in  which  he  was  an  officer,  and  for 
years  served  as  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  always  manifesting  a  desire  to  help  for- 
ward movements  of  a  religious  nature.  A  tem- 
perance worker,  he  was  identified  with  the  Pro- 
hibition party.  He  was  connected  witli  the  Elec- 
tric Light  Company  and  other  local  enterprises. 
When  in  the  prime  of  his  usefulness  and  business 
prosperity,  he  passed  from  earth  September  5, 
1891.  Starting  in  life  with  no  other  capital  than 
his  energy  and  determination,  and  meeting  in 
his  early  business  career  with  many  obstacles,  in 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  built  up  one  of  the 
most  important  business  houses  in  Carbondale 
and  left  a  large  estate  at  his  death. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Crane  was  one  that  bore  in 
its  everyday  life  a  happiness  and  completeness 
more  to  be  desired  than  the  amassing  of  riches 
or  the  accumulation  of  power.  In  December, 
1867,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Lathrop,   a   lady   possessing  a  sympathetic   dis- 


position, one  who  was  trained  to  follow  closely 
the  Great  Exemplar  of  the  true  life.  Of  their 
four  children  one  died  when  seven  years  of  age. 
Dwight  Lathrop,  a  rising  young  business  man,  is 
the  manager  of  the  Israel  Crane  Company,  and* 
resides  with  his  mother,  and  brother  and  sister, 
Albert  and  Marion,  in  the  family  residence  in 
Lincoln  Avenue. 


SAMUEL  E.  RAYNOR.  In  the  coloniza- 
tion of  the  states  that  lie  along  the  Atlantic 
seaboard,  at  least  two  different  classes  of 
people  arc  distinctively  noticeable;  in  the  north, 
the  Puritan  element,  sagacious,  manly,  pious  and 
industrious,  and  in  the  south,  the  cavalier  ele- 
ment of  England,  open-handed  and  light-hearted. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  late  Samuel  E. 
Raynor  of  Carbondale,  v\as  a  descendant  of  the 
former  class,  and  though  many  generations  re- 
moved from  his  ancestors  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try with  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  he  inherited  the 
traits  of  character  that  were  dominant  in  the  lives 
of  those  early  settlers. 

At  a  period  early  in  the  history  of  this  coun- 
try, members  of  the  Raynor  family,  with  other 
prominent  Puritans  from  Connecticut,  made 
their  way  across  tlie  sound  in  a  small  boat  and 
settled  in  Southold,  on  the  east  end  of  Long 
Island.  Many  of  the  name  may  still  be  found  in 
different  parts  of  the  island.  Nathan  Raynor, 
our  subject's  father,  was  born  at  Westhampton, 
L.  I.,  August  13,  1789,  and  married  Sarah  B. 
Cooper,  who  was  born  at  Bridgehampton,  L.  I., 
July  24,  1789,  and  who  like  her  husband  was  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  re- 
spected families  on  the  island.  She  came  with 
her  husband  to  Carbondale  in  1831  and  here  he 
died  a  few  years  later.  For  many  years  she  made 
her  home  with  her  son  and  his  wife,  and  died 
about  1876.  Her  ancestors  were  people  of  deep 
piety,  devoted  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  religious  devotion  has  been  a  family 
characteristic  down  to  the  present  generation. 

Of  the  children  of  Nathan  and  Sarah  Raynor, 
we  note  the  following:  Eliza  C,  who  married 
Anthony  Marvin,  a  merchant  in  Delhi,  N.  Y., 
later  connected  with  the  United  States  sub-treas- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


129 


iiry  at  New  York,  at  her  death  left  two  children ; 
Mrs.  Mary  Smith  was  the  wife  of  a  farmer  at 
Dundee,  111.;  Rev.  James  Raynor  is  a  Pres- 
byterian minister  at  Montrose,  Pa.;  and  Samuel 
E.,  our  subject,  was  born  in  Montrose,  July  16, 
1827.  The  last-named  was  four  years  of  age  at 
the  time  the  family  came  to  Carbondale  and  soon 
afterward  his  father  died,  leaving  the  widow  with 
four  small  children  and  but  little  of  this  world's 
goods.  For  this  reason  he  had  but  a  limited  edu- 
cation. At  twelve  years  of  age  we  find  him  a 
clerk  in  the  store  of  Lewis  G.  Ensign,  his  future 
father-in-law.  It  is  related  by  a  warm  friend  of 
his,  in  boyhood  and  throughout  life,  that  he  never 
saw  him  any  happier  than  when  he  had  earned 
enough  money  to  buy  a  barrel  of  flour  for  his 
mother.  Of  a  life  made  up  of  good  deeds,  this 
first  act  seemed  to  give  him  the  greatest  satisfac- 
tion of  all.  All  through  his  life  to  the  death  of 
his  mother,  he  was  devoted  to  her  and  saw  that 
she  wanted  for  nothing. 

We  can  do  no  better  at  this  time  than  to  quote 
from  the  obituary  written  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
February  i,  1894,  by  his  lifelong  friend,  C.  E. 
Lathrop,  of  the  "Carbondale  Leader,"  who  had 
the  highest  regard  for  his  noble  traits  of  charac- 
ter and  business  ability:  "Mr.  Raynor  was  one 
of  the  few  living  persons  who  watched  the 
growth  of  Carbondale  from  its  rude  and  unprom- 
ising beginning.  He  came  to  this  place  when 
four  years  of  age  from  Montrose  with  his  parents 
and  had  lived  here  continuously  ever  since.  Dur- 
ing this  long  period  he  was  a  supporter  of  and 
leader  in  every  movement  for  spiritual  advance- 
ment and  moral  reform.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest 
living  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
having  joined  that  communion  in  1836.  In  1854 
he  was  ordained  a  deacon  and  in  1865  was  in- 
stalled as  elder.  For  many  years  he  was  super- 
intendent of  the  Sabbath-school,  his  time  in  that 
ofiiice  being  longer  than  any  other  in  the  history 
of  the  church. 

"Outside  of  the  church  Mr.  Raynor  was  con- 
stantly active  in  good  works.  For  years  he  was 
a  power  in  the  Order  of  Good  Templars  and  the 
Sons  of  Temperance,  and  his  Band  of  Hope,  a 
training  school  for  the  children  in  principles  of 
total  abstinence,  became  famous  for  the  power 


it  exerted.  Scores  of  the  substantial  people  of 
this  city  look  back  with  pleasure  and  gratitude 
to  the  time  they  were  members  of  this  youthful 
band.  In  point  of  continuous  residence,  Mr. 
Raynor  was  one  of  the  very  oldest  citizens  of  the 
place.  He  came  from  a  prominent  family  on 
Long  Island  and  many  of  his  relatives  stood 
high  in  business  circles  in  New  York  City.  His 
mother  was  a  sister  of  Hon.  Almon  H.  Read, 
at  one  time  a  member  of  congress. 

"Mr.  Raynor  being  almost  the  only  support  of 
a  widowed  mother,  of  necessity  contracted 
habits  of  industry  and  economy,  and  in  early  life 
found  profitable  employment  with  L.  G.  Ensign, 
later  his  father-in-law.  Afterward  he  was  with 
Sweet  &  Ensign  and  subsequently  became  a  part- 
ner of  Dr.  Sweet,  conducting  a  successful  busi- 
ness for  several  years,  and  later  was  alone  in 
business.  This  he  relinquished  to  become  teller 
in  the  Miners  &  Mechanics  Bank,  in  which  he 
was  largely  interested.  He  retired  some  years 
ago  on  account  of  failing  health. 

"It  is,  however,  in  the  line  of  moral  and  re- 
ligious work  that  Mr.  Raynor  left  an  impress 
upon  the  life  of  our  city  that  will  not  soon  be 
effaced.  He  was  a  disciple  of  Christ  at  a  very 
early  age.  He  was  a  model  boy  and  some  now- 
living  here  remember  him  as  most  active  in  all 
the  departments  of  church  work  and  in  the  tem- 
perance cause.  From  an  early  period  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  town,  especially  among  the  children 
(which,  by  the  way,  was  his  favorite  work)  he 
was  most  successful,  and  many  of  our  young 
people  are  profiting  today  in  their  lifework  by 
the  lessons  he  inculcated  with  such  earnestness 
and  zeal.  Of  late  years  his  part  in  church  and 
temperance  work  has  been  less  active,  but  he  by 
no  means  lost  his  interest  in  such  matters  up  to 
the  very  last.  His  faith  was  an  abiding  one,  root- 
ed and  grounded  in  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism, 
which  has  animated  so  many  of  the  world's  noble 
men  and  has  given  to  this  nation  some  of  its 
most  eminent  men.  As  the  older  members  of 
society  and  the  church  pass  away,  others  wnill 
rise  up  to  carry  on  the  good  work,  but  there  will 
be  few  in  this  community  who  will  do  as  good 
a  work  as  the  deceased  has  done  during  the  half 
century  of  his  active  life.    His  holy  example  will 


13° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGR.^PHICAL  RECORD. 


be  a  stimulus  for  his  co-laborers  and  long  after 
his  personality  is  forgotten  the  church  records 
will  attest  to  his  faithful  work. 

"'Life's  labor  done,  as  sinks  the  clay, 
Light  from  its  load  the  spirit  flies. 
While  iicavcn  and  earth  combine  to  say,^ 
How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies.'" 

About  1850  .Mr.  Ray  nor  married  Elizabeth 
Stoncr,  who  at  her  death  left  a  daughter,  but  the 
latter  died  at  thirteen  years.  January  27,  1864, 
he  married  Miss  Harriet  Ensign,  daughter  of 
Lewis  G.  Ensign,  who  was  for  many  years  a  lead- 
ing jeweler  of  Carbondale.  A  native  of  Litch- 
field, Conn.,  and  of  good  old  Puritan  stock,  Mr. 
Ensign  inherited  substantial  traits  of  character, 
which  brought  him  business  success.  When  his 
daughter  Harriet  was  nine  years  of  age,  he  took 
his  family  to  Wyoming,  Pa.,  and  there  died  Jan- 
uary 29,  18S7,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His 
wife,  Rebecca  (Fortner)  Ensign,  was  born  in 
Milton,  X.  Y.,  June  5,  1803,  and  died  in  Wyom- 
ing, Pa.,  January  13,  1855.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  Mr. 
Ensign  also  belonged,  and  in  that  faith  they 
reared  Harriet,  the  only  one  of  their  children 
who  readied  maturity.  Mrs.  Raynor  and  her 
daughter  Gertrude,  an  accomplished  young  lady, 
are  living  in  their  comfortable  residence  in  Lin- 
coln .'\venuc,  surrounded  by  every  comfort;  the 
other  daughter,  Frances,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  T. 
Meaker  of  Carbondale. 


ANDREW  WYLLIE.  The  life  of  this  gen- 
tleman, who  for  years  has  been  superin- 
tendent of  the  iron  department  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  blacksmith  shops  at  Car- 
bondale, affords  an  illustration  of  the  axiom  that 
"grit  and  grace"'  have  as  their  companion 
"greenbacks."  With  few  exceptions,  the  men 
who  have  the  grit  to  cope  with  the  difficulties 
of  life  and  the  grace  to  bear  hardships,  will  at- 
tain, if  not  wealth,  at  least  the  possession  of  a 
bank  account  sufficiently  large  to  secure  them 
against  want  and  poverty  in  their  old  age. 
.  ,\  native  of  the  county  of  Fife,  Scotland,  Mr. 
Wvllie  was  born  in  the  historic  town  of  Kirkcaldy, 


eleven  miles  from  Edinburgh,  October  18,  1826. 
This  shire  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  parents, 
George  and  Marj'  (Stanhouse)  Wyllie,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  died  in  early  manhood.  The  latter, 
a  lady  of  high  literary  attainments,  was  for  forty 
years  a  teacher  in  Philips  Institute  in  her  native 
heath.  Of  her  three  children  Elizabeth  married 
James  Louttit,  an  extensive  manufacturer  and 
dealer  in  cloth,  now  living  retired  in  Kirkcaldy; 
George  died  many  years  ago;  and  Andrew,  our 
subject,  was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  In  youth 
he  went  to  sea  one  voyage  and  on  his  return 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  his  native  place, 
afterward  worked  at  his  trade  in  Manchester, 
England,  for  five  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1848  Mr.  Wyllie  came  to  .\merica 
and  w-as  employed  in  Brooklyn  at  the  time  Tay- 
lor was  inaugurated  president  of  the  L^nited 
States.  Later  he  worked  for  Hoe,  the  printing 
press  manufacturer  in  New  York.  In  185 1  he 
came  to  Carbondale,  where  he  had  been  for  a 
short  time  previously,  working  in  the  shops  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  until  the  death  of  his 
brother-in-law.  On  his  return  here  he  resumed 
work  with  the  company  and  since  1856  has  been 
at  the  head  of  the  iron  department.  A  sturdy, 
conservative  Scotchman,  he  guards  well  the  in- 
terests of  the  company  with  which  he  has  been 
connected  for  forty  years  or  more. 

April  26,  1854,  IMiss  Isabella  Diack,  a  native 
of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Wyllie  and  they  have  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Mary,  wife  of  Oscar  E.  Histed, 
an  engineer  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  road; 
Alexander,  a  machinist  in  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son locomotive  works;  George,  who  is  employed 
in  his  father's  department;  Isabella,  who  mar- 
ried Frank  Arnold,  of  Carbondale;  Elizabeth,  at 
home;  and  Thomas,  a  bookkeeper  in  the  Pittston 
stove  w'orks.  Like  the  majority  of  Scotch  peo- 
ple, Mr.  Wyllie  attends  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  is  a  believer  in  its  doctrines. 


JOHN  S.  JADWIN.     The  entire  life  of  Mr. 
Jadwin,  with  tlie  exception  of  the  periods 
when   business   connections   or  the   search 
for  health  took  him  elsewhere,  was  passed  in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


131 


city  of  Carbondale,  where  his  life  began  Decem- 
ber 3,  1853,  3nd  ended  May  17,  1894.  Numbered 
among  the  energetic  and  progressive  business 
men  of  the  place,  he  accumulated  a  handsome 
property  and  left  his  family  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances. His  success,  however,  was  secured 
only  through  the  outlay  of  physical  strength  that 
broke  down  a  naturally  strong  constitution. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Henry  B.  Jad- 
win,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Carbondale,  who 
came  here  before  1830,  and  assisted  in  laying  the 
foundation  upon  which  the  present  prosperous 
anthracite  city  is  built.  He  filled  many  local 
offices,  and  his  ability  and  force  of  character  made 
him  a  prominent  figure  through  this  part  of  the 
state.  His  family  consisted  of  eight  sons,  four 
of  whom  are  living,  namely:  ex-Congressman 
C.  C.  Jadwin,  of  Honesdale;  O.  H.,  a  wholesale 
druggist  in  New  York;  ex-Mayor  Henry  B.  Jad- 
win, of  Carbondale;  and  Charles  P.,  of  Scranton, 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  young- 
est of  the  sons,  grew  to  manhood  in  Carbondale 
and  early  engaged  in  the  drug  business.  For 
three  years  he  was  in  business  with  his  brother, 
C.  C,  in  Plonesdale,  after  which  he  took  a  posi- 
tion with  his  brother,  O.  H.,  in  New  York  City. 
In  1875  '^c  opened  a  store  in  Carbondale  and 
from  that  time  to  his  death  met  with  unvarying 
success.  The  large  business  w^hich  he  built  up  is 
now  conducted  by  his  wife,  who  runs  it  through 
a  manager. 

For  twenty  years  Mr.  Jadwin  was  a  member 
of  Olive  Leaf  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  he  was 
one  of  the  past  grands.  The  fatal  illness  which 
resulted  in  his  death  was  contracted  in  January, 
1893,  when  he  was  taken  ill  with  pneumonia. 
The  attack  permanently  injured  his  lungs,  and 
hoping  that  a  change  of  climate  might  prove 
beneficial,  Tune  i,  1893,  he  departed  for  Colo- 
rado, returning  in  the  autumn  somewhat  im- 
proved. The  benefit,  however,  was  only  tem- 
porary. On  Thanksgiving  Day  he  went  home  ill 
and  was  never  again  seen  at  his  place  of  busi- 
ness. 

September  11,  1877,  Mr.  Jadwin  married  Miss 
Mattie  Buzzell,  of  Morris,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  the 
late  John  Drew  Buzzell,  a  native  of  Maine,  and 


for  some  years  a  local  politician  of  note  in  Morris. 
At  his  death  Mr.  Jadwin  left  five  daughters, 
Susan,  Augusta,  Florence,  Gladys  and  Amber, 
who  are  bright,  vivacious  and  accomplished,  and 
one  son,  John  Seymour,  the  youngest  of  the 
family. 


PATRICK  A.  POWDERLY,  who  repre- 
sents one  of  the  most  prominent  pioneer 
families  of  Carbondale,  was  born  in  this 
city  October  28,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Terrence 
Powderly,  a  native  of  County  Meath,  Ireland, 
born  in  1800.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Hugh 
Powderly,  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ireland,  where 
he  died  at  forty  years  of  age.  Of  his  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  three  sons  and  one  daughter 
came  to  America,  namely:  Terrence;  John,  who 
went  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming  there 
until  his  death;  Hugh,  a  man  of  roving  disposi- 
tion, whose  destiny  is  unknown;  and  Marcella. 
who  married  John  Powderly  (not  a  relative),  a 
gardener  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  she  died, 
leaving  seven  children,  now  residents  of  Dayton, 
Ohio.'" 

Reared  on  a  farm  in  Ireland,  Terrence  Pow- 
derly emigrated  to  America  in  young  manhood, 
sailing  from  Dublin  March  20,  1827.  He  set- 
tled near  Carbondale,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  two  years.  June  18,  1829,  when  coal  was 
discovered  here,  he  moved  into  the  city,  which 
then  had  but  two  houses  and  those  of  logs.  For 
several  years  he  was  employed  as  a  miner  and 
in  1845  opened  what  has  since  been  known  as 
the  Powderly  mine,  and  Powderly  road  leading 
to  this  mine  was  named  in  his  honor.  From  1858 
to  1876  he  was  connected  with  the  car  shops  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  but 
in  the  latter  year  gave  up  active  business,  and 
from  that  time  lived  in  quiet  retirement.  He 
passed  away  May  27,  1882.  In  185 1,  when  the 
city  was  incorporated,  he  was  one  of  the  first 
board  of  councilmen,  and  in  every  way  possible 
promoted  the  welfare  of  the  place. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  known  in  maiden- 
hood as  Margery  Walsh,  was  born  in  County 
Meath,  Ireland,  July  4,  181 1,  and  in  1826  became 
the  wife  of  Terrence  Powderly.    August  15,  1876, 


'32 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding,  when  they 
were  the  recipients  of  many  congratulations  and 
good  wishes.  Three  days  later,  August  i8,  she 
passed  quietly  from  earth.  Of  her  twelve  chil- 
dren the  eldest,  Elizabeth,  was  born  on  the  St. 
Lawrence  River,  July  26,  1827,  when  her  parents 
were  journeying  via  Canada  to  the  United  States; 
she  married  William  W.  W'alkcr,  who  was  con- 
nected with  the  mines  until  his  death,  November 
-5.  1895,  and  she  died  March  18  of  the  following 
year.  Their  son,  T.  V.  Walker,  is  agent  for  the 
National  Express  Company  in  Carbondalc. 

Hugh,  the  first-born  son  of  Terrence  and  Mar- 
gery Powderly,  was  born  in  August,  1829,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Thomas,  whose 
birth  occurred  September  16,  1831,  died  in  in- 
fancy. Hugh.  W.,  who  was  born  February  8, 
1837,  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
John,  bom  June  21,  1838,  is  employed  in  the 
freight  department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  at  Scranton.  Joseph,  born 
May  5,  1841,  was  for  several  years  in  tlie  mer- 
cantile l)usiness  in  Carbondalc,  at  one  time  served 
as  postmaster  and  is  now  weighmaster  for  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad.  Christopher, 
who  was  born  April  9,  1843,  was  killed  August 
20,  1864,  by  a  train  on  the  Gravity  Railroad. 
Mary,  born  December  i,  1844,  died  in  1846. 
Mary  (2d),  born  Februarj'  8,  1847,  <:l'*^d  in  in- 
fancy. Hon.  Terrence  V.,  born  January  27,  1849, 
is  the  most  noted  member  of  the  family,  having 
been  mayor  of  Scranton,  a  leading  politician  and 
for  many  years  grand  master  workman  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  in  which  way  he  has  gained 
a  national  reputation;  he  is  now  a  practicing 
attorney  of  Scranton.  The  youngest  child,  Mar- 
gery, was  born  March  15,  1853,  and  lives  in  Car- 
bondalc. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  our  subject  became  a 
helper  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Company,  receiving  fifty  cents  a  day.  Later  he 
worked  in  various  capacities  for  the  company, 
and  since  August  i,  1858,  has  been  foreman  of 
the  switch  back  of  the  car  department.  He  is  a 
man  of  natural  ability  and  broad  views.  His 
memory  is  remarkable  and  he  is  sometimes  called 
the  "living  encyclopedia"  of  Carbondalc,  on  ac- 
count of  his  familiarity  with  the  history  of  the 


city.  September  14,  1857,  he  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  Gilligan.  Her 
parents  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Ireland, 
and  came  to  America  at  the  same  time  our  sub- 
ject's father  emigrated  hither.  Her  father  took 
a  position  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Com- 
pany in  1829  and  remained  in  their  employ  as 
long  as  he  was  able  to  work.  He  died  in  October, 
1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Mrs.  Gilligan 
was  the  cook  for  the  first  men  that  worked  in 
the  mines  of  Carbondalc.  She  attained  an  ad- 
vanced age,  dying  in   1880. 

Of  the  five  children  of  John  and  Margaret  Gil- 
ligan, the  only  son  died  in  youth.  Margaret  was 
born  in  Carbondalc  December  12,  1829,  and  was 
the  second  child  born  in  the  place;  she  is  still  liv- 
ing, unmarried,  and  is  now  the  oldest  native-born 
resident  of  the  town.  Bridget,  who  was  born  in 
November,  1835,  married  Patrick  McLaughlin 
and  died  in  1862,  leaving  one  child.  Judith  is 
the  wife  of  Thomas  O'Connell,  a  merchant  of 
Carbondalc.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powderly  are  the 
parents  of  tlirce  living  children  and  lost  three  in 
infancy.  Marcella  is  the  wife  of  James  A.  Far- 
rell,  who  is  connected  with  the  bridge  department 
of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Mary  E.,  Joseph  and  Made- 
line. Mrs.  Farrell  was  for  eight  years  a  teacher 
in  the  schools  of  Carbondalc  and  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful instructor.  Philip  Flugh,  our  subject's 
older  son,  was  born  in  July,  1861,  and  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad. 
T.  v.,  Jr.,  agent  for  a  company  at  Scranton,  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Finigan,  and  has  two  sons,  Ray- 
mond and  Rollin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powderly  oc- 
cupy a  pleasant  residence  in  Eighth  Avenue. 


THOMAS  BOUNDY.  The  "Jermyn 
Press,"  of  which  Mr.  Boundy  is  editor 
and  proprietor,  was  established  in  1890 
by  IT.  P.  Woodward  and  from  the  first  has  had 
a  steady  growth  in  circulatitjn  and  influence. 
From  six  it  has  been  increased  to  eight  columns, 
thus  aflfording  an  increased  amount  of  reading- 
matter  to  its  patrons.  In  political  afifairs  it  has 
maintained  an  independent  and  conservative 
spirit,  avoiding  the  radical  views  of  partisan  ev 


HON.   WII.I.IAM    C()NM;I.I<,    M.  C. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


135 


tremists,  but  at  tlie  same  time  giving  a  cordial 
support  to  measures  that  will  promote  the  public 
welfare. 

Mr.  Boundy  is  an  Englishman  by  birth  and 
parentage,  and  was  born  in  Cornwall,  October 
28,  1849.  There  his  boyhood  years  were  spent, 
mainly  in  toil,  his  opportunities  for  study  being 
limited  to  attendance  at  school  prior  to  the  age 
of  twelve.  Early  in  life  he  was  obliged  to  become 
self-supporting  and  was  making  his  own  way  in 
the  world  when  most  boys  of  his  years  were  in 
school.  In  1870  he  went  to  Wales  and  two  years 
later,  under  the  direction  of  John  Brogden  & 
Son,  railroad  contractors,  went  to  New  Zealand, 
where  he  was  employed  in  various  occupations 
and  later  taught  school.  Failing  health  caused 
him  to  return  to  England  in  1883,  and  four  years 
later  he  came  to  America,  settling  in  Jermyn, 
where  for  a  year  he  worked  in  powder  mills. 
Afterward  he  was  manager  of  a  co-operative 
store  for  four  years,  and  then,  in  1893,  he  bought 
the  "Jermyn  Press."  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  had  no  previous  knowledge  of  or  expe- 
rience in  the  newspaper  business,  he  has  been 
quite  successful  and,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
children,  has  built  up  a  readable  paper. 

In  1873  Mr.  Boundy  married  Miss  Mary  J. 
Seymour,  of  Cornwall,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  children,  namely:  William,  who  is  em- 
ployed as  weighmaster  at  the  Erie  mine;  Sarah, 
Charles  and  Nellie,  at  home.  While  he  has  con- 
ducted his  paper  as  an  independent  sheet,  per- 
sonally he  favors  sound  money  and  protection, 
and  therefore  supports  Republican  measures  and 
men.  In  boyhood  he  united  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  for  about  seventeen  years 
was  a  local  preacher. 

Not  only  in  this  county,  but  in  many  other 
parts  of  the  United  States  Mr.  Boundy  has  be- 
come known  as  a  writer  of  prose  and  verse.  Be- 
fore coming  to  America  one  of  his  poems,  "An 
Essay  on  Ambition,''  was  published  by  the  Eng- 
lish press  and  attracted  considerable  attention. 
The  greatest  work  of  his  life  is  probably  the  poem 
entitled  "Liberty's  Martyr,"  which,  as  the  title 
indicates,  refers  to  that  most  illustrious  of  Amer- 
icans, Abraham  Lincoln.  The  excellence  of  this 
production   entitles  him  to  a  place  among  the 


greater  poets  of  the  age.  Many  of  his  short 
sketches  were  published  by  the  "Carbondale 
Leader,"  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  Ottiwell 
Wood,  among  them  "Fifty  Chips,"  in  1894. 
Among  his  published  stories,  one  of  the  best  is 
"Albert  Dimond's  Ambition,''  a  tale  of  the  mines. 
He  now  has  ready  for  publication  a  story  called 
"A  Disciple  of  Cain."  Many  of  his  writings  are 
humorous,  and  these  are  among  the  most  read- 
able of  all.  While  traveling  for  a  year  with  the 
musician.  Professor  Crowell,  he  gave  public 
readings,  all  of  which  were  original  productions. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  his  education  was 
limited  and  his  early  life  one  of  hard  toil,  he  has 
gained  a  literary  style  that  culture  does  not  al- 
ways impart  nor  training  produce.  His  wide 
travels  have  given  him  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
information,  from  which  he  draws  in  writing  his 
stories.  Among  the  literary  men  of  the  county 
he  has  attained,  and  deservedly,  a  high  place. 


HON.  WILLIAM  CONNELL,  M.  C. 
The  services  which  in  the  past  Mr.  Con- 
ncll  has  rendered  his  fellow-citizens  of 
Scranton  and  which  he  is  now  rendering  the 
people  of  this  district  as  their  representative  in 
congress,  entitle  him  to  rank  among  the  emi- 
nent men  of  the  state.  His  popularity  is  proved 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  to  his  present  re- 
sponsible position  by  a  majority  of  nearly  eight 
thousand,  Vi-hich  was  four  times  as  large  a  ma- 
jority as  has  ever  been  given  in  the  county. 
Elected  in  November,  1896,  he  entered  upon  the 
active  discharge  of  his  duties  with  the  best  wishes 
of  a  host  of  friends,  and  represents  the  district 
in  a  manner  reflecting  the  highest  credit  upon 
himself. 

There  are,  in  the  character  of  Mr.  Connell, 
three  qualities  that  have  been  especially  con- 
ducive to  his  success:  energy,  a  trait  of  the  ma- 
jority of  Americans;  independence  and  determi- 
nation, the  heritage  from  a  long  line  of  Scotch 
ancestors;  and  a  kind  and  sympathetic  nature, 
bequeathed  to  him  by  his  Irish  forefathers.  Na- 
ture bestowed  upon  him  a  vigorous  mind.  He  is 
quick  to  see  an  emergency  and  equally  quick  to 
devise  means  of  meeting  it.     Thus  it  has  been 


•36 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  in  the  course  of  his  long  and  exceedingly 
active  business  life,  obstacles  have  not  daunted 
him,  but  have  only  sen'cd  to  develop  his  invin- 
cible determination  of  character. 

The  industries  with  which  Mr.  Connell  is  con- 
nected include  some  of  the  most  prominent  or- 
ganizations in  the  city  of  Scranton.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Third  National  Bank,  one  of  the  most 
solid  financial  institutions  of  the  state,  and  is  a 
large  stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank ; 
also  president  of  the  Connell  Coal  Company,  the 
Lackawanna  Knitting  Mills  Company,  Scranton 
Button  Manufacturing  Company,  Limited,  Wes- 
ton Mill  Company,  Hunt  &  Connell  Company 
and  Meadow  Brook  Land  Company.  lie  was  also 
at  one  time  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna  Irr)n 
&  Steel  Company,  Dickson  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, Clark  &  Snover  Company,  Lehigh  Salt 
Mining  Company,  Scranton  Packing  Company, 
Scranton  Forging  Company,  Lackawaima  Lum- 
ber Company,  Consumers'  Ice  Company  and 
■'Scranton  Tribune." 

Born  at  Cape  Breton,  Nova  Scotia,  September 
lo,  1827,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Susan  (Melville)  Connell,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Scotland  and  Nova  Scotia,  the  lat- 
ter being  of  Irish-American  descent.  In  1844  the 
parents  moved  to  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and  late 
in  life  came  to  Scranton,  where  their  death  oc- 
curred. The  early  opportunities  of  WilHam 
were  extremely  meagre,  but  he  utilized  them  to 
the  utmost  and  by  self-culture  gained  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  brandies  sufficient  to  form 
a  reliable  foundation  for  business  ventures  in 
later  years.  He  knows  full  well  the  meaning  of 
poverty,  for  the  family  had  little  beyond  the  ac- 
tual necessities  of  existence,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  win  his  own  way  in  the  world  from  an  early 
age.  This,  instead  of  having  a  detrimental  ef- 
fect, was  doubtless  of  advantage  to  him,  for  it 
taught  him  habits  of  industry,  perseverance  and 
prudence  that  later  were  of  inestimable  value  to 
him.  Beginning  as  a  driver  in  a  coal  mine,  he 
worked  his  way  through  the  various  grades  of 
employment  and  became  a  practical  miner. 

It  has  been  said  that  "there  is  a  tide  in  the  af- 
fairs of  men  that,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to 
fortune."    In  the  life  of  William  Connell  this  op- 


portunity came  in  1856,  wlien  he  was  called  to 
Scranton  and  placed  in  charge  of  mines,  operated 
by  a  company  of  capitalists  known  as  the  Sus- 
quehanna &  Wyo'ming  Valley  Railroad  &  Coal 
Company.  When  the  charter  of  the  company 
expired  in  1870,  he  purchased  the  property  with 
his  savings.  Having  been  long  with  the  com- 
pany they  reposed  confidence  in  his  integrity  and 
business  capacity  and  trusted  him  for  the  bal- 
ance, which  in  a  few  years  he  paid.  In  the  years 
that  have  since  passed  the  business  has  steadily 
increased  in  importance.  As  founder  of  the  firm 
of  William  Connell  &  Co.,  he  still  retains  the 
principal  interest  in  the  concern.  With  others, 
in  1872,  he  founded  the  Third  National  Bank  of 
Scranton,  in  which  he  first  served  as  director 
and  was  chosen  president  in  1879.  I"  1887  he 
was  an  active  factor  in  the  organization  of  the 
Scranton  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Company,  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  of  $250,000,  and  of  it 
he  became  a  director. 

January  2,  1852,  Mr.  Connell  married  Miss 
Annie  Lawrence,  of  Llewellyn,  Schuylkill  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  all  but  two  are  living.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  gen- 
eral conference  of  the  denomination  that  met  in 
Philadclpiiia  in  1884.  Educational  matters,  es- 
pecially when  appertaining  to  the  church  of  his 
choice,  receive  his  attention  and  support,  and  he 
has  served  efficiently  as  trustee  in  Syracuse  and 
Wesleyan  Universities  and  Drew  Theological 
Seminary. 

When,  in  1896,  the  Republicans  sought  to 
nominate  for  congress  one  who  would  worthily 
represent  their  principles  and  the  interests  of  the 
people,  their  choice  fell  upon  Mr.  Connell.  The 
speech  of  nomination,  delivered  by  Roland 
Thomas,  was  a  merited  tribute  to  the  ability  and 
citizenship  of  the  nominee,  containing  among 
other  words,  the  following:  "It  is  my  privilege 
and  pleasure  to  present  to  this  convention  as  a 
candidate  for  congress  the  name  of  a  man  who 
is  known  from  one  end  of  this  county  to  the 
other  and  far  beyond  its  confines  as  the  friend 
of  the  laboring  classes.  Having  begun  life  at  the 
lowest  rung  of  the  ladder,  he  has,  by  his  industry. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


137 


ability  and  sterling  integrity,  attained  the  posi- 
tion which  he  now  occupies,  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  great  state  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  wealth  he  has  amassed  he  has  not  hoarded 
up  or  allowed  to  lie  idle,  but  has  gone  into  build- 
ing up  of  the  varied  industries  of  our  valley, 
thus  giving  employment  to  the  laboring  man  and 
(lis  children."  The  campaign  that  followed  is  too 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  today  to  need 
especial  mention;  suffice  it  to  say  that  Mr.  Con- 
nell  won  the  election  by  the  largest  Republican 
majority  ever  given  in  the  county. 

It  will  be  seen,  from  the  foregoing,  that  Mr. 
Connell  is  in  some  respects  a  remarkable  man, — 
a  striking  example  of  what  may  be  accomplished 
by  industry,  economy,  perseverance  and  good 
judgment.  Without  the  aid  of  factitious  helps, 
by  his  own  unassisted  energies,  he  has  secured 
a  reasonable  share  of  fame  and  fortune.  The 
early  part  of  his  biography  does  not  differ  ma- 
terially from  that  of  thousands  of  young  men 
who  started  with  him  upon  life's  journey.  But 
the  sequel  of  his  history  is  different  from  that  of 
many.  While  they,  with  perhaps  equal  oppor- 
tunities, sank  to  rise  no  more,  he,  by  the  force  of 
his  determination,  has  utilized  even  his  obstacles 
to  subserve  his  best  interests,  and  has  advanced 
step  by  step  until  he  has  attained  to  his  present 
honorable  position,  and  can  hand  down  to  pos- 
terity that  noblest  of  legacies, — a  successful  life. 


AUGUSTUS  F.  GEBHARDT.  The  active 
business  life  of  Mr.  Gebhardt  has  been 
passed  principally  in  Jermyn,  of  which 
village  he  has  been  a  resident  since  1880.  Thor- 
oughly identified  with  the  growing  interests  of 
the  community,  he  has  contributed  his  quota  to 
the  development  of  its  commercial  interests  and 
has  taken  a  warm  concern  in  its  welfare.  Since 
1891  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Moosic 
powder  mills  at  Jermyn,  and  in  addition  to  this 
responsible  position  he  assists  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  water  works  plant  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Electric  Light  Company. 

As  the  name   indicates,  the   Gebhardt  family 
originated    in    Germany.      Our   subject's    father. 


Frederick,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  emigrated  to  the  United  States. 
Previously  he  had  learned  the  cooper's  trade, 
at  which  he  worked  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  New- 
burgh  and  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  His  death  oc- 
curred when  he  was  forty-nine  years  of  age. 
While  living  in  Newburgh  he  married  Catharine 
John,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  now  occupying  a 
house  near  that  of  our  subject.  For  one  of  her 
years,  three  score  and  'ten,  she  is  well  preserved, 
retaining  the  use  of  her  physical  and  mental  fac- 
ulties. Of  her  children,  Louisa  M.,  the  only 
daughter,  married  Charles  F.  Olcott,  and  both 
are  deceased.  The  youngest  child,  George  C, 
is  employed  in  the  office  of  the  powder  mills. 

Augustus  F.,  who  is  second  in  order  of  birth 
in  the  family,  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1855,  and  at  the  age  of  two  years  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Newburgh,  N.  Y.  Thence 
the  family  removed  to  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  when 
he  was  six,  and  there,  during  the  five  ensuing 
years,  he  attended  the  common  schools.  His 
advantages,  however,  were  hmited,  and  his  edu- 
cation has  been  acquired  principally  by  personal 
endeavor,  observation  and  contact  with  business 
men.  When  seven  years  of  age  he  began  to  as- 
sist his  father  in  the  cooper  shop  and  started  out 
in  the  world  for  himself  at  the  age  of  only  four- 
teen. Working  industriously  and  economically 
saving  his  earnings,  he  was  prospered  from  the 
first,  though  he  met  with  his  share  of  adversity 
and  reverses  in  trying  to  place  his  affairs  upon 
a  substantial  basis. 

When  seventeen  years  of  age  Mr.  Gebhardt 
went  to  Moosic,  Pa.,  and,  in  addition  to  follow- 
ing the  cooper's  trade,  he  also  worked  at  house 
painting  in  that  place  and  Scranton.  His  first 
work  with  the  powder  company  was  as  an  out- 
side laborer,  after  which  he  resumed  the  coopers 
trade.  On  coming  to  Jermyn  he  was  employed 
as  an  assistant  in  the  mills  until  1892,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  the  superintendent.  He 
married  Miss  Hannah  C.  Patten,  of  Olyphant, 
Pa.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children, 
namely:  Walter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
months;  George  A.,  Florence  H.  and  Walter 
Patten,  who  are  at  home.  While  he  has  never 
identified  himself  prominently  wilh  political  af- 


138 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


fairs  nor  desired  to  occupy  local  offices,  yet  he 
is  informed  concerning:  the  issues  of  the  age  and 
advocates  the  principles  for  which  the  Republican 
party  stands.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Presby- 
terian and  belongs  to  the  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation in  Avoca,  formerly  Pleasant  Valley. 


ISAAC  S.  GRAVES,  M.  D.  The  villages  and 
cities  of  Lackawanna  County  are  the  homes 
of  a  number  of  physicians,  graduates  of  es- 
tablished schools,  men  of  broad  general  and 
scientific  information,  who,  in  the  management 
of  a  general  practice,  have  built  up  excellent  rep- 
utations and  gained  a  fair  proportion  of  this 
world's  goods.  Such  a  one  is  Dr.  Graves,  of 
Jermyn,  who  during  the  period  of  his  residence 
in  this  place  has  become  family  physician  to 
many  of  the  best  people  here.  He  justly  de- 
serves whatever  success  is  now  or  in  the  future 
may  be  his,  as  he  worked  tirelessly  to  gain  an 
education  and  by  his  unaided  exertions  acquired 
a  broad  fund  of  professional  knowledge. 

The  Doctor's  parents,  Albert  and  Margaret 
(Miller)  Graves,  were  born  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship, this  county,  and  there  the  latter  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-one.  The  former,  who  through- 
out his  active  life  has  followed  the  occupation  of 
an  agriculturist,  still  makes  his  home  in  Tomp- 
kinsville,  Scott  Township,  but  is  living  some- 
what retired  from  the  busy  round  of  duties  that 
formerly  engaged  his  attention.  His  children, 
six  in  niunber,  are  named  as  follows:  Clarence, 
who  follows  his  father's  occupation  of  fanning; 
Hobart  and  Elmira,  deceased;  Isaac  S.;  Mary, 
wife  of  Charles  Harmed,  of  Peckvillc,  Pa.;  and 
Alice,  who  is  with  her  father. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Scott  Township  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article  was  born  December  i,  1859, 
and  there  the  years  of  his  boyhood  were  unevent- 
fully passed  in  mingled  play  and  work.  Being 
of  a  studious  disposition,  he  became  well  in- 
foiTned  and  was  able  to  secure  a  teacher's  cer- 
tificate from  the  county  superintendent  of 
schools,  after  which  he  taught  for  two  years. 
The  money  thus  earned  he  saved,  until  he  had 
a  sufficient  amount  to  pay  his  way  through  the 
state  normal  school  at  Mansfield.     He  entered 


that  institution  and  continued  there  until  his 
graduation  at  the  completion  of  tlie  regular 
course.  Resuming  his  work  as  a  teacher,  he  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  that  profession  for  three 
years,  as  before,  diligently  economizing  his 
means  in  order  that  he  might  furtlier  improve 
himself. 

From  an  early  age,  even  w  bile  following  the 
plow  on  his  father's  farm  and  while  instruct- 
ing boys  and  girls  in  the  intricacies  of  the  three 
R's,  it  had  been  our  subject's  ambition  to  be- 
come a  physician,  and  finally,  through  his  per- 
severance and  economy,  the  way  was  opened. 
He  ente"c<l  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  the  City  of  New  York,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1888,  having  taken  tlie  regular 
course  of  lectures.  On  the  completion  of  his 
studies  he  opened  an  ofifice  in  the  borough  of 
Peckvillc,  where  he  carried  on  a  general  prac- 
tice for  tlnx-e  years.  He  then  came  to  Jermyn 
in  1 89 1,  purchased  the  residence  of  Dr.  Church 
and  esta1)lished  his  permanent  home  here.  While 
living  in  Peckvillc,  he  married  Miss  Edith  Page, 
of  that  place.  Politically  he  believes  in  the  meas- 
ures and  principles  for  which  the  Republican 
jiarty  stands,  and  fraternally  he  is  associated  with 
the  ln<li'])enclcnt  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


H 


UGH  W.  POWDERLY,  of  Carbondale, 
was  born  in  this  city  February  8,  1837. 
A  record  of  his  parents  and  a  history  of 
the  family,  which  was  one  of  the  first  to  settle 
here,  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother, 
P.  A.  Powderly.  The  name  is  one  that  is  espe- 
cially prominent  in  labor  circles  throughout  the 
United  States,  his  brother,  Hon.  T.  V.  Powderly, 
ex-mayor  of  Scranton,  having  gained  a  national 
reputation  through  his  long  leadership  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  the  subject  of  this  ar- 
ticle left  school  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  with  whom 
he  has  since  remained,  being  engaged  m  differ- 
ent capacities  until  1864,  but  since  then  he  has 
held  the  position  of  inspector  of  ropes.  During 
this  time  he  was  for  some  years  connected  with 
a  mercantile  house  in  Carbondale, but  the  venture 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


139 


proved  disastrous  and  he  lost  the  accumulation 
of  many  years  of  hard  work  and  economy.  Un- 
daunted by  the  misfortune,  he  at  once  went  to 
work  to  regain  his  lost  possessions  and  has  since 
been  prospered. 

While  on  a  business  trip  to  Dushore,  Sullivan 
County,  Pa.,  where  his  father  had  real  estate  in- 
terests, Mr.  Powderly  met  Miss  Nora  Ellen  Mur- 
phy, and  they  were  made  husband  and  wife  in 
i860.  Eleven  months  later  she  died,  leaving  a 
child  that  soon  passed  from  earth.  In  1865  Mr. 
Powderly  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Pat- 
rick Henry,  a  widow,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living, 
all  energetic  and  capable,  and  like  their  parents, 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  They  are  named 
as  follows:  P.  P.,  who  spent  six  years  in  the 
west,  but  is  now  in  Carbondale;  Annie,  a  saleslady 
in  Scranton;  Christopher,  wlio  is  in  the  employ 
of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  at  Carbondale:  Liz- 
zie, a  dressmaker  in  this  city;  Mary  Gertrude, 
who  is  at  home;  Hugh  J.,  an  employe  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson;  and  Eugene.  In  his  polit- 
ical views  Mr.  Powderly  is  independent,  support- 
ing in  every  instance  the  men  whom  he  believes 
best  qualified  for  the  office  in  question.  At  one 
time  he  was  a  member  of  the  citv  council. 


M 


AJ.  W.  S.  MILLAR.  The  family  repre- 
sented by  this  well  known  citizen  of 
Scranton  traces  its  origin  to  England, 
with  the  history-  of  which  its  members  were  long 
associated.  The  Major's  grandfather,  James 
Millar,  was  born  there,  but  after  his  marriage 
removed  to  Ireland,  becoming  a  tea  merchant 
in  County  Antrim.  His  son,  James,  Jr.,  was  born 
in  the  north  of  Ireland,  whence  in  boyhood  he 
accompanied  a  brother  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tling in  Pliiladelphia,  where  he  received  his  edu- 
cation. Later  he  became  superintendent  of  a 
large  wholesale  business,  in  which  position  he 
remained  until  his  death  at  forty-six  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  who  was  also  of  English  descent,  was 
born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sybilla  C.  Jackson  and  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-two;  her  father,  James  Jackson,  was  also 


a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  which  he  was  identified. 

The  family  of  James  Millar,  Jr.,  consisted  of 
eight  children  that  attained  years  of  maturity, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  William  S.  and 
Joseph  H.,  superintendent  of  a  union  news  com- 
pany at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1852  and  was 
reared  in  Cherry  Street,  receiving  a  fair  education 
in  the  schools  of  the  city.  While  still  a  mere  boy 
he  began  in  the  news  business  with  his  brother, 
and  for  several  years  ran  on  the  trains  from 
Philadelphia  to  Atlantic  City.  Later  his  route 
was  between  Philadelphia  and  Bethlehem  and 
then  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
from  New  York  to  Scranton.  On  leaving  the 
road  he  secured  a  position  as  mailing  clerk  in  the 
Scranton  postofifice,  where  he  remained  for  fif- 
teen years,  the  number  of  employes  having  mean- 
while increased  from  four  to  about  seventy-five. 
In  1888  he  resigned  this  position  and  engaged 
in  the  life  insurance  business  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Mutual  of  Philadelphia. 

In  February,  1895,  Major  Millar  was  elected  to 
represent  the  eighth  ward  in  the  position  of  alder- 
man. This  ward,  which  is  the  "hub"  of  the  city, 
is  closely  divided  politically,  but  he  gained  the 
election  by  a  majority  of  eighty-seven,  upon  the 
Republican  ticket.  In  May  of  the  same  year  he 
took  the  oath  of  office,  being  commissioned  by 
Governor  Hastings  for  a  term  of  five  years.  He 
established  his  office  in  the  Gas  Company  Build- 
ing at  No.  115  Wyoming  Avenue,  where  he  has 
a  court  room  and  private  office,  and  to  assist 
in  detail  work  he  has  a  secretary  and  stenog- 
rapher. 

Scranton  has  very  few  Republicans  who  are 
more  active  in  political  affairs  or  whose  judg- 
ment is  more  relied  upon  in  party  matters  than 
Major  Millar.  He  has  filled  the  position  of  chair- 
man of  the  county  Republican  central  commit- 
tee and  at  this  writing  is  secretary  of  the  Central 
Republican  Club,  with  wliich  he  has  been  asso- 
ciated since  its  organization  in  1887.  At  different 
times  he  has  served  as  delegate  to  county  and 
state  conventions,  where  he  has  been  active  in 
working  for  the  success  of  important  measures. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Union  Lodge, 


MO 


I'DRTKAIT  AND  IJlUGRArillLAL  RECORD. 


V.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  past  master,  and  is  a 
member  of  Lackawanna  Cliapter  and  the  com- 
mandcry  at  Scraiiton.  August  14,  1877,  he  be- 
came a  charter  member  of  Company  B,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Isational  Guard, 
in  whicli  he  worked  his  way  from  a  private  to  the 
rank  of  second  lieutenant,  and  in  1887  he  was 
appointed  adjutant.  In  1895  he  was  placed  on 
the  staff  of  General  Gobin  with  the  rank  of 
major  and  was  made  inspector  of  the  third 
brigade.  In  religious  belief  he  is  connected 
with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  His  time 
and  influence  are  always  given  in  behalf  of  those 
measures  which  will  be  helpful  to  the  people  of 
the  city.  When  new  plans  aj-e  formulated  for  the 
benefit  of  the  place  and  the  upbuilding  of  its  in- 
dustries, his  co-operation  may  be  relied  upon, 
for  he  is  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  everything 
tending  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  city. 


CURTIS  E.  HELMES.  During  the  period 
of  his  residence  in-  Jcrniyn  Mr.  Helmes 
has  become  well  known  as  one  of  the  re- 
liable business  men  of  the  place  and  has  made  a 
large  number  of  friends  among  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. In  addition  to  discharging  the  duties  of 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  he  has  a  large 
business  as  insurance  agent  and  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  manager  of  the  Jermyn  Ice  Company. 
This  coiicern  was  established  November  20,  1895, 
and  has  already  been  placed  upon  a  solid  finan- 
cial basis,  nine  hundred  tons  of  ice  having  been 
sold  during  the  present  year  (1896). 

Tlie  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  six  children,  namely:  Emily  A.,  de- 
ceased: Minerva,  wife  of  Luther  Carpenter  of 
Peckville;  Fidelia,  Mrs.  James  W.  Potter,  of  Al- 
legany, N.  Y. ;  Jennie,  who  married  Lewis  Car- 
penter of  Dickson  City;  Curtis  E.;  and  Nellie, 
deceased.  The  father,  Council  D.,  who  for  some 
years  was  proprietor  of  a  general  store  in  Jermyn, 
was  killed  on  the  Ontario  &  Western  Railroad 
here;  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Esther  A.  Cordner,  still  lives  in  tliis  place. 

In  Greenfield  Township,  this  county,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  April  5,  1862.  At 
the  age  of  four  years  he  was  taken  by  his  parents 


to  Ellenton,  Lycoming  County,  this  state,  where 
lie  grew  to  manhood,  meantime  attending  the 
conmion  schools  and  spending  two  years  each  in 
the  Canton  high  school  and  state  normal  school 
at  Mansfield.  Lhitil  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
resided  on  a  farm,  after  which  he  taught  school 
for  a  number  of  terms,  and  then  assisted  his  father 
in  a  store  at  Ellenton.  After  a  time  he  became 
his  father's  partner  in  the  lumber  business, 
though  not  in  the  store.  The  latter  was  the  post- 
master and  had  the  postofifice  in  his  store  for 
four  years.  On  leaving  Ellenton  the  family  came 
to  Jermyn,  where  a  general  store  was  opened 
under  the  firm  title  of  C.  D.  Helmes  &  Son.  One 
year  later,  on  the  29th  of  September,  1893,  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm  was  killed  by  accident, 
and  afterward  the  business  was  carried  on  by  the 
junior  member  until  he  sold  out  in  March,  1895. 

In  July,  1895,  Mr.  Helmes  became  interested 
in  the  fire  insurance  business,  in  which  line  he 
has  since  been  quite  successful.  He  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace  and  entered  upon  the  duties 
of  tiie  office  in  May,  1896.  As  an  official  he  is 
careful,  souml  in  judgment  and  faithful  to  the 
interests  of  the  people.  He  was  happily  married 
to  Emma  Helmes,  his  third  cousin,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  three  sons.  Council  D.,  Carlyle  H. 
and  Alfred. 

The  political  affiliations  of  Mr.  Helmes  are 
represented  by  the  Democratic  party,  of  which 
he  has  been  a  lifelong  adherent.  The  campaign 
of  1896  found  him  stanch  in  his  advocacy  of  free 
silver,  and  the  free  coinage  of  that  metal  he  be- 
lieved would  solve  the  financial  difficulties  beset- 
ting the  people.  Upon  this  national  issue,  as 
upon  the  various  problems  before  the  nation  to- 
day, he  is  thoroughly  informed,  and  can  give  an 
intelligent  reason  for  the  opinions  he  holds.  In 
former  years  he  was  actively  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  but  does  not 
retain  his  membership  in  that  fraternity. 


JAMES  BARRETT.  The  si.xty-three  years 
of  Mr.  Barrett's  life  have  not  been  years  of 
idleness  or  ease,  but  years  of  hard  work, 
unwearied  effort  and  persevering  toil.  Born  in 
Carbondale  September  25,  1833,  he  is  still  a  resi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


14  r 


dent  of  this  place,  the  growth  of  which  lie  has 
witnessed  from  a  straggling  village  to  an  im- 
portant, thriving  city.  As  the  life  of  every  in- 
dustrious, honorable  man  is  of  aid  to  a  city,  so 
of  him  it  rnay  be  said  that  by  his  upright  char- 
acter and  energy  he  has  promoted  the  interests 
of  his  home  town. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Janies  Barrett,  Sr., 
emigrated  from  Ireland  to  America  in  1832  and 
at  once  settled  in  Carbondale,  where  he  was  a 
pioneer  miner.  He  engaged  in  work  in  the  mines 
until  old  age  prevented  the  continuance  of  active 
labors.  At  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  he  de- 
parted this  Hfe.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Honora  Barrett,  died  at  eighty-five.  Of 
their  ten  children,  five  are  living,  our  subject  be- 
ing the  third  in  order  of  birth.  His  education 
was  very  limited  and  was  obtained  principally  in 
the  night  schools,  for  it  was  necessary  for  him 
to  work  during  the  days.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
he  secured  employment  in  the  mines,  where  he 
remained  until  twenty-four.  The  work  there  was 
very  hard,  but  he  left  it  not  on  that  account  so 
much  as  with  the  hope  he  could  better  his  finan- 
cial condition  elsewhere. 

In  1858  Air.  Barrett  opened  a  store  in  which  he 
had  a  small  stock  of  goods.  Proving  to  be  well 
adapted  to  the  business,  he  worked  up  a  good 
trade,  increasing  his  stock  as  necessary,  and  now 
has  a  fair  share  of  the  public  patronage.  In  1864 
he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  Union  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  fire  department  of  the  navy  and  con- 
tinued for  three  years,  his  brother  conducting 
the  business  during  his  absence.  With  that  ex- 
ception he  has  devoted  himself  closely  to  busi- 
ness matters,  working  early  and  late  in  order  to 
gain  success.  He  has  never  identified  himself 
with  political  affairs,  but  is  a  Democrat  and  al- 
ways votes  that  ticket. 


PATRICK  H.  McANDREW,  M.  D.,who  is 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  in  Scranton,  was  born  in  Haw- 
ley,  Wayne  County,  this  state.  His  father,  John  R. 
McAndrew,  was  born  in  the  west  of  Ireland  and 
is  the  only  survivor  of  three  brothers  who  came 
to  America,  they  being  the  sons  of  Richard,  a 


miller  in  the  west  of  Ireland,  who  remained  there 
until  his  death.  John  R.,  who  graduated  in  civil 
engineering  prior  to  coming  to  the  United  Slates 
in  1851,  followed  his  profession  a  year  in  New 
York,  but  his  eyesight  became  defective  to  a 
certain  extent,  rendering  it  necessary  for  him  to 
seek  another  occupation.  In  1852  lie  went  to 
Hawley  and  has  since  been  coal  agent  at  tliat 
place  for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  in 
local  and  national  politics  he  votes  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  upon  which  he  has  frequently  been 
elected  a  member  of  the  council  and  the  school 
board.  He  is  an  active  meml)er  of  the  Catholic 
Church  and  a  liberal  contributor  to  its  work. 

By  his  marriage  in  Ireland  to  Eliza  Kane,  who 
was  born  in  County  Mayo,  John  R.  Mc Andrew 
had  eight  children,  five  daughters  and  three  sons, 
all  but  one  of  whom  are  living.  Richard  is  pastor 
of  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Wilkesbarre,  and  James, 
a  graduate  of  West  Point,  is  first  lieutenant  of  the 
Third  United  States  Infantry,  stationed  at  Fort 
Snelling.  The  Doctor,  who  is  the  youngest  of 
the  sons,  was  reared  in  Hawley,  beginning  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  there,  continuing 
in  Manhattan  College,  New  York,  where  he  com- 
pleted the  scientific  course.  In  1887  he  became 
bookkeeper  for  Kelley  &  Healey,  wholesale  dry- 
goods  merchants  of  Scranton,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  three  years.  Then,  having  deter- 
mined to  become  a  physician,  he  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1890,  graduating  in  1S93,  with  the  de- 
gree of  M.  D,  Afterward  for  eighteen  months  he 
was  house  surgeon  for  Lackawanna  Hospital, 
In  January,  1895,  he  went  abroad,  and  spent 
about  four  month's  in  London,  Dublin,  Paris  and 
Rome,  visiting  hospitals,  attendiag  lectures  and 
perfecting  himself  in  his  profession. 

On  his  return  to  the  United  States,  Dr.  Mc- 
Andrew  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Scranton,  where  he  opened  an  office.  May  i, 
1895,  in  the  Williams  Building,  corner  of  Wash- 
ington Avenue  and  Linden  Street.  Here  he  has 
since  remained,  having  by  his  accuracy  and 
painstaking  skill  in  treatment,  gained  a  reputa- 
tion as  an  excellent  physician.  In  addition  to  his 
general  practice,  he  is  medical  examiner  of 
Branch  35   of  the   Catholic   Mutual   Benevolent 


14^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Association.  He  holds  membership  in  the  An- 
cient Order  of  Hibernians  and  in  religious  be- 
lief is  a  Catholic,  belonging  to  St.  Peter's  Cathe- 
dral. Like  his  father,  he  favors  Democratic  prin- 
ciples and  supports  the  candidates  of  that  party. 


JOHN  L.  WEXTZ,  M.  D.,  of  Scranton,  is  a 
member  of  a  family  that  has  given  to  the 
state  a  number  of  successful  and  skilled 
piiysicians.  The  first  of  the  name  to  seek  a  home 
in  America  was  his  great-grandfather,  a  native 
of  Germany,  who  coming  to  the  United  States 
settled  in  Pennsylvania.  The  paternal  grand- 
father was  a  practicing  physician  near  Philadel- 
phia, and  one  of  his  sons,  J.  S.,  now  of  ]Vlauch 
Chunk,  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  a  surgeon  in  the  anny  during  the 
Civil  War.  Another  son,  George  S.^  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  near  Philadelphia, 
graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  and  in  1858  settled 
at  Hazleton,  being  one  of  tJie  first  physicians  and 
surgeons  in  that  place.  He  soon  acquired  among 
the  residents  of  Luzerne  County  an  enviable 
reputation  in  his  chosen  profession  and  he  now 
has  probably  the  largest  private  practice  in  tlie 
state,  having  seven  assistants  in  his  work.  He  is 
also  extensively  interested  in  coal  mining. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Mauch 
Chunk  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Annie 
Leisenring.  Her  brotlier.  Judge  Leisenring,  a 
large  coal  operator,  built  the  Lehigh  canal  and 
was  engineer  of  the  Jersey  Central;  her  father. 
John  Leisenring,  was  engaged  in  the  jewelry 
business  at  Mauch  Chunk  until  his  death.  Of 
her  four  children,  all  but  one  arc  living  and  the 
three  survivors  studied  medicine  in  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  and  are  physicians.  Of  these, 
John  L.,  the  eldest,  was  born  in  Hazleton,  Lu- 
zerne County,  where  he  spent  the  first  twelve 
years  of  his  life.  He  then  prepared  for  college  at 
Stockbridge,  Mass.,  and  in  1875  entered  Amherst 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1879,  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  Three  years  later  the  degree 
of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon  him.  During  his 
senior  year  he  was  vice-president  of  the  class. 

In   1879,  a  few  months  after  the  close  of  his 


literary  education,  our  subject  entered  the  medi- 
cal department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  acquired  a  thorough  tlieorelical  knowl- 
edge of  the  science  of  medicine,  graduating  in 
1882  witli  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  began 
professional  practice  at  Jeddo,  Luzerne  County, 
five  miles  from  Hazleton,  being  associated  with 
his  father  in  practice.  In  February,  1892,  he 
came  to  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  carried  on 
a  general  practice  in  medicine  and  surgery,  his 
office  being  located  in  the  Mears  Building,  corner 
of  Washington  and  Spruce.  He  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  treatment  of  eye,  nose  and  throat 
diseases,  of  which  he  made  a  study  while  in  col- 
lege and  in  which  he  is  particularly  skillful. 

In  Hazleton  Dr.  Wentz  married  Miss  Ada  M. 
Stecker,  of  that  place,  and  they  have  two  sons, 
Harold  and  John.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  at  Scranton,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No. 
185,  and  Melita  Commandery  No.  68,  K.  T.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks  and  the  Scranton  Club.  In  everything 
pertaining  to  his  profession  he  manifests  a  deep 
interest,  it  being  his  aim  to  keep  abreast  with  the 
latest  discoveries  in  the  medical  world,  and  he 
is  numbered  among  the  active  members  of  the 
County  Medical  Society.  Politically  he  upholds 
Republican  principles  and  supports  the  candi- 
dates and  measures  brought  forward  b\-  that 
party. 


JAMES  T.  McANDREW,  chief  of  police  of 
Carbondale  and  one  of  the  native-born  citi- 
zens of  tile  place,  is  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Hannah  McAndrew,  natives  of  County  Mayo, 
Ireland.  I  lis  father,  who  came  to  this  city  in  the 
earlier  days  of  its  history  and  witnessed  its  grad- 
ual growth,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  miner 
until  his  death  at  the  age  of  forty-eight.  While 
he  possessed  a  good  constitution,  he  was  obliged 
to  work  very  hard  and  in  that  way  lost  his  health 
and  died  at  an  age  when  he  should  have  been  in 
the  prime  of  usefulness.  His  widow  is  still  liv- 
ing and  makes  her  home  in  Carbondale.  They 
were  tlie  parents  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
and   it  is  a   peculiar  coincidence  that   the   sons 


HON.  AI^FREI)  HAND, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGl^PHICAL  RECORD. 


H5 


were  all  bom  October  27  and  the  daughters 
September  23.  They  were  named  as  follows: 
James  and  Thomas  (twins),  the  latter  deceased; 
Mary  and  Ellen  (twins),  the  latter  deceased;  Pat- 
rick and  a  son  unnamed  that  died  in  infancy. 

In  Carbondale,  where  he  was  born  October  z"/, 
1856,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and 
educated.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  began 
to  work  in  the  mines,  where  he  was  engaged  at 
different  times  in  laying  track,  driving  mules  and 
digging  coal.  He  remained  employed  in  the 
mines  until  1889,  when  he  was  appointed  on  the 
night  patrol.  It  was  not  long  before  he  developed 
into  a  valuable  officer,  and  after  two  years  of 
service  in  that  capacity  he  was  appointed  to  the 
important  position  of  chief  of  police  and  this 
place  he  has  since  held. 

The  religious  connections  of  Mr.  McAndrew 
are  with  the  Catholic  Church  of  Carbondale  and 
he  is  actively  identified  with  the  Catholic  Mutual 
Benefit  Association.  He  has  always  been  a 
stanch  advocate  of  Democratic  principles  and  has 
stood  by  his  party,  in  defeat  as  well  as  in  suc- 
cess. In  1884  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Bridget  Nealon,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five 
children,  Mary,  Ellen,  Hannah,  Joseph  and 
Retta,  all  of  whom  reside  with  their  parents. 


HON.  ALFRED  HAND.  Life  is  a  succes- 
sion of  contests  and  the  victory  is  won 
by  those  who,  by  nature  and  training,  are 
best  fitted  to  overcome  such  obstacles  as  lie  in 
their  path.  To  attain  success  at  the  bar  and 
upon  the  bench  requires  not  only  ability,  but 
ripe  judgment  and  decision  of  purpose,  qualities 
that  are  admirably  combined  in  the  character  of 
Judge  Hand.  Public  opinion,  which  seldom  errs 
in  its  estimate  of  the  ability  of  men,  has  given 
him  a  place  among  the  eminent  jurists  of  the 
state.  This  same  monarch,  "public  opinion," 
which  unfortunately  often  errs  in  its  estimate 
of  the  motives  governing  the  actions  of  men,  has 
been  his  friend,  encouraging  him  in  every  effort 
and  generously  bestowing  upon  his  successes  a 
meed  of  praise. 

The  Hand  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  this 
country.     The  whaling  list  of  1644  in  Southamp- 


ton gives  the  name  of  John  Hand,  who  emi- 
grated to  America  from  Stanstede,  England, 
and  in  i6..^8  was  one  of  the  company  from  .South- 
ampton that  founded  a  new  settlement  at  East- 
hampton,  L.  I.  He  died  in  1663,  and  his  son, 
Stephen,  in  1693.  The  next  in  line  of  descent, 
Stephen,  Jr.,  born  in  1661,  and  died  in  1740,  had 
a  son  and  a  grandson,  John,  Jr.,  born  in  1701, 
died  in  1755.  The  last-named  left  a  son,  bearing 
the  same  name,  who  was  born  in  September, 
1754,  and  he  also  had  a  son,  John,  who  was  born 
in  Athens,  Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  married  IMary 
Jones,  March  6,  1778,  and  died  May  30,  1809. 

Ezra,  son  of  Jolm  and  Mary  Hand,  was  born 
in  Rensselaerville,  Albany  County,  N.  Y.,  Aug- 
ust 9,  1799,  and  June  2,  1829,  married  Catharine 
Chapman,  who  was  born  at  Durham,  Greene 
County,  N.  Y.,  February  11,  1808.  She  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Robert  Chapman,  who  in 
1635  emigrated  from  Hull,  England,  to  Boston, 
Mass.,  from  which  place  he  sailed,  November  3, 
for  Saybrook,  Conn.,  as  one  of  a  company  of 
twenty-one  men  who  were  sent  by  Sir  Richard 
Saltonstall  to  take  possession  of  a  large  tract 
of  land  and  make  settlements  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Connecticut  River,  under  the  patent  of  Lords 
Say  and  Seal.  Ezra  Hand  spent  his  life  prin- 
cipally in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  and  died  there  in  1875. 
His  widow  is  still  living  at  Honesdale,  and  is  now 
eighty-nine  years  of  age. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Hones- 
dale, Pa.,  March  26,  1835,  the-  son  of  Ezra  and 
Catharine  Hand.  His  educational  advantages 
were  exceptionally  good.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  entered  Yale  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1857.  He  then  began  to  read  law  with 
William  and  William  H.  Jessup  at  Montrose, 
Pa.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Susquehanna 
County 'in  November,  1859,  and  to  the  bar  of 
Luzerne  County  May  8,  i860.  Since  then  he 
has  practiced  in  the  courts  of  Susquehanna,  Lu- 
zerne and  Lackawanna  Counties,  and  the  su- 
preme court  of  the  state.  For  a  short  time  he 
was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Jessup  &  Hand,  but 
removed  from  Montrose  to  Scranton  in  i860,  and 
six  years  later  formed  a  partnership  with  Isaac 
I.  Post,  a  fellow  student.  In  March,  1879,  Gov- 
ernor Hoyt  appointed  him  judge  of  the  eleventh 


146 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


judicial  district  of  Pennsylvania,  comprising 
Lackawanna  and  Luzerne  Counties.  In  the  erec- 
tion of  the  new  county  of  Lackawanna  he  took 
the  deepest  interest,  and  when  it  was  separated 
from  Luzerne,  he  was  transferred  to  it  as  judge. 
In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  same  position  for 
ten  years.  While  presiding  judge  of.  the  court 
of  common  pleas  he  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Beaver,  July  31,  1888,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term 
of  Judge'  Trunkey,  deceased,  on  the  supreme 
bench,  and  until  January  i,  1889,  served  in  this 
capacity  with  distinguished  success.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  the  term  he  returned  to  his  profes- 
sional practice. 

With  many  of  the  important  monetary  insti- 
tutions and  business  enterprises  of  Scranton 
Judge  Hand  has  been  closely  identified.  His  co- 
operation has  always  been  given  in  matters  af- 
fecting the  public  welfare.  From  1872  until 
1879  he  was  president  of  the  Third  National 
Bank  of  Scranton  and  was  active  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  First  National  Bank.  Benevolent 
institutions  receive  his  financial  support  and  the 
prestige  of  his  name.  For  years  he  has  been 
president  and  a  director  of  Lackawanna  Hos- 
pital and  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Oral 
School  for  Deaf  Mutes,  the  first  school  of  its 
kind  established  in  the  state.  He  has  been  a  di- 
rector of  the  People's  Street  Railway  of  Luzerne 
County,  JefTcrson  Railroad  Company,  Dickson 
.Manufacturing  Company,  Oxford  (N.  J.)  Iron  & 
Nail  Company,  Davis  Oil  Company  of  New 
York,  Lackawanna  Valley  Coal  Company,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  coal  firm  of  William  Council  & 
Co.  He  was  a  trustee  of  Lafayette  College,  and 
has  served  as  president  and  director  of  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  of  Scranton.  Since  1866  he  has  been 
an  elder  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Scranton,  and  in  foui"  sessions  of  the  general  as- 
sembly of  the  denomination  represented  the 
presbytery  of  Lackawanna,  serving  on  important 
committees.  As  president  of  the  Lackawanna 
<  ounty  Bible  Society,  he  has  rendered  effective 
service  in  that  important  phase  of  religious  work. 

September  11,  1861,  Judge  Hand  married 
Fhcbe  A.,  daughter  of  Hon.  William  Jessup,  of 
Montrose,  Pa.  .She  died  April  25,  1872.  Flis 
present  wife  was  Helen  E.,  daughter  of  Freder- 


ick .Sanderson,  of  Beloit,  Wis.,  and  a  native  f)f 
Williamstown,  ]\Iass.  Fie  is  the  father  of  eight 
living  children:  Horace  E.,  who  graduated 
from  Yale  in  1884,  and  is  a  member  of  the  law 
firm  of  Jessup  &  Hand,  of  Scranton;  William  J., 
a  graduate  of  Yale,  class  of  1887;  Alfred,  who 
graduated  from  Yale  in  1888,  and  the  University 
iif  Pennsylvania  in  1892,  now  practicing  medicine 
in  Philadclpiiia;  Harriet  J.,  Charlotte,  Miles  T., 
Helen  S.,  and  Ruth  B. 

While  a  pronounced  advocate  of  Republican 
principles.  Judge  Hand  has  never  sought  ot^icial 
preferment,  and  the  positions  held  by  him  have 
been  of  a  judicial,  not  of  a  political  nature.  His 
able  services  as  justice  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  state  entitles  him  to  high  rank  among  the 
])ronihient  jurists  of  Pennsylvania.  The  wisdom 
of  the  governor's  selection  in  the  appointment  of 
Judge  Haufl  was  vindicated  by  his  able  service 
and  he  proved  himself  to  be  the  peer  of  any 
member  of  that  august  tribunal.  Among  his 
noticeable  characteristics  are  his  investigating 
mind,  legal  erudition,  tireless  application,  fixed 
determination  to  discover  potential  facts  and  to 
penetrate  the  inmost  recesses  of  subjects  con- 
nected with  the  case  in  hand. 


FRANK  M.  VANDLING.  That  persistent 
industry  and  good  judgment  almost  in- 
variably bring  success  is  a  fact,  the  truth 
of  which  has  never  been  disputed,  and  upon  the 
possessor  of  these  traits  of  character  fortune 
usually  bestows  her  blessings.  Doubtless  to  these 
qualities,  more  than  to  anything  else,  is  due  the 
prosjjerity  which  has  been  attained  by  Mr.  Vand- 
ling,  of  Scranton.  Since  June  i,  1893,  he  has 
held  the  office  of  postmaster,  which  responsible 
position  he  is  filling  efficiently  and  successfully. 
He  was  first  commissioned  until  the  appointment 
could  be  confirmed  by  the  senate,  which  was 
done  in  the  silver  session  of  the  fall  of  1893,  and 
he  was  then  given  a  new  commission,  dated  Sep- 
tember 18,  1893,  for  four  years.  At  the  time  he 
took  the  position  the  new  federal  building  was 
almost  completed,  and  he  superintended  the  re- 
mainder of  the  work  and  the  furnishing  of  the 
rooms.    His  force  of  carriers  has  been  increased 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


147 


from  twenty-six  to  thirty-four,  and  the  number 
of  clerks  from  twelve  to  sixteen,  the  business, 
meantime,  shov.ing  an  increase  oi  thirty  thou- 
sand, from  $77,000  to  $107,000. 

Mr.  V'andling  was  born  in  Harrisburg,  Pa., 
October  29,  1865,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Jack)  Vandling,  natives  of  Northumberland 
County  and  tlie  city  of  Harrisburg  respectively. 
The  former,  when  a  young  man,  settled  in  Harris- 
burg, and  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  a  car- 
penter and  builder  until  his  death,  in  1889.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  1884.  They  were  the  parents 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  tlie 
subject  of  this  record  was  the  third  son.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  John  Vandling,  was  a  r.a- 
tive  of  Northumberland  County,  where  he  was  a 
carpenter  and  builder.     He  died  in  Harrisburg. 

After  having  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Harrisburg  for  some  years,  our  subject  learned 
telegraphy  in  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
office  at  Hairisburg  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
in  1882,  was  appointed  operator  for  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company  at  Providence.  Al- 
most immediately,  however,  he  was  made  weigh- 
master  and  coal  inspector  of  the  same  company 
at  Moosic.  A  year  later  he  became  general  coal 
inspector  for  the  company  on  the  Wilkesbarre 
Division,  continuing  in  that  position,  with  head- 
quarters in  Scranton,  from  August,  1883,  until  he 
was  made  postmaster  ten  years  later.  The  posi- . 
tion  was  one  of  responsibility,  from  eight  to  nine 
thousand  tons  of  coal  being  shipped  from  the 
division  every  day.  May  18,  1893,  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  by  President  Cleveland,  this 
being  the  president's  first  important  appointment 
in  the  state. 

At  Scranton  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
\'andling  to  Miss  Helen  J.  von  Storch,  daughter 
of  Theodore  von  Storch,  a  large  real  estate  oper- 
ator here.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Theodore  and  Margaret.  Fraternally  Mr.  Vand- 
ling is  connected  with  Hiram  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
in  which  he  has  passed  the  chairs,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Melita  Commandery,  K.  T.,  and  the  Con- 
sistory in  Scranton.  He  is  also  identified  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Scranton  Rowing  Association,  a  char- 
ter member  of  the  Scranton  Club,  and  chairman 


of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Scranton  Bicycle 
Club.  Politically  a  Democrat,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  common  council  for  two  terms,  having 
been  elected  during  his  residence  in  Provi- 
dence and  when  just  twenty-one.  His  elec- 
tion was  especially  remarkable,  as  the  ward  was 
strongly  Republican.  I'rtjm  1886  until  1893  he 
was  a  member  of  the  county  committee,  and  was 
its  chairman,  secretary  and  treasurer  at  different 
times.  Frequently  he  has  served  as  delegate  to 
local  conventions  and  has  acted  in  that  capacity 
at  every  state  convention  sincf  he  entered  politics. 
In  1892  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  na- 
tional convention  at  Chicago  that  nominated 
Cleveland.  He  is  also  an  active  member  of  the 
city  central  committee.  In  189 1  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Democratic  state  central  committee  that 
elected  Harrity  national  committeeman  to  suc- 
ceed William  L.  Scott.  In  1890  he  was  president 
of  the  Central  Democratic  Club. 


CAPT.  FRED  J.  AMSDEN,  of  Scranton, 
was  born  in  Rome,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1841, 
and  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  two  broth- 
ers, who  in  1700  emigrated  to  this  country,  set- 
tling in  Alassachusetts.  The  remote  ancestrj'  had 
resided  in  Wales,  though  for  several  generations 
afterward  the  forefathers  lived  in  Scotland.  The 
Captain's  father,  Joel  Amsden,  was  born  in  Rut- 
land, Vt.,  and  graduated  from  the  Norwich  Mili- 
tary University,  becoming  a  civil  engineer.  He 
was  resident  engineer  of  the  Black  River  canal, 
a  branch  of  Erie  canal  in  New  York,  and  while 
there  was  brigade  inspector  of  militia,  with  the 
rank  of  major,  on  the  staff  of  the  brigadier-gen- 
eral. Removing  to  Charlestown,  Mass.,  he  had 
charge  of  tlie  engineering  of  Turbine  water- 
works there,  and  was  then  civil  engineer  at  the 
Glendon  Iron  Works  near  Easton.  In  1850  he 
was  induced  by  Col.  George  W.  Scranton  to 
come  to  Scranton  and  the  following  year  brought 
his  family  here,  where  he  laid  out  Scranton 
proper,  mapping  the  streets  as  they  are  now. 
Later  he  became  the  resident  engineer  of  the 
north  and  south  sections  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad,  between  the  Nichol- 
son tunnel    and    Pocono   Motmtam.     After  the 


148 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


death  of  Major  McNiel  he  became  chief  engineer 
of  the  road,  in  which  capacity  lie  served  until  rc- 
heved  by  James  Archbald,  the  general  agent. 

Later  engaging  in  the  private  practice  of  civil 
engineering  and  architecture,  Joel  Amsden 
erected  a  large  number  of  buildings  in  Scranton, 
many  of  which  still  stand.  In  1853  he  erected  a 
house  on  the  corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Wash- 
ington Avenues,  and  there  he  had  his  office  until 
he  died,  in  December,  1868.  Since  then  the  resi- 
dence has  been  utilized  for  business  purposes, 
and  is  one  of  the  oWest  buildings  in  Lackawanna 
Avenue  today.  For  years  he  was  borough  en- 
gineer and  became  the  first  city  engineer,  holding 
the  position  until  his  death.  As  an  architect  he 
designed  many  buildings  in  different  parts  of 
this  state  and  Xew  York.  In  religious  belief  he 
was  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
Politically  he  was  a  Jacksonian  Democrat  and 
was  one  of  the  original  Republicans  of  the  com- 
munity. In  1853  he  established  the  first  book 
store  here  and  while  carrying  on  that  business 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  to  succeed  John  W. 
Moore,  but  served  only  a  few  months. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Anna  Theresa  Power  and  was  born  in 
County  \\'aterford,  Ireland,  being  a  daughter  of 
Nicholas  and  Catherine  Power.  She  was  edu- 
cated in  New  York  State,  was  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  died  in 
Scranton  in  June,  1882.  Of  her  three  sons  and 
tw'O  daughters,  Fred  J.  is  the  sole  survivor. 
Charles  J.  died  in  early  manhood;  Mrs.  McFar- 
lane,  of  Canada,  died  in  Los  Angeles.  Frank  P., 
who  was  captain  of  Battery  G,  First  Pennsylvania 
Light  Artillery,  entered  the  service  as  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Battery  H.,  but  was  transferred  to  and 
became  captain  of  Company  G,  and  resigned  on 
account  of  disability,  returning  to  Scranton  after 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  in  May,  1863;  he 
continued  as  an  architect  and  civil  engineer  until 
his  death  in  March,  1895. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Boston,  Mass.,  Fasten,  Pa.,  and  finally, 
in  April,  1851,  to  Slocums  Hollow  (now  Scran- 
ton), where  he  received  his  early  education  in 
the  private  schools.  Later  he  was  a  student  in 
Prof.  R.  E.  Rice's  Academy  at  Stamford,  Conn. 


He  fitted  himself  for  his  profession  of  civil  en- 
gineering and  architecture  in  the  office  of  his 
father.  August  26,  1862,  he  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-sixth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  be  first  lieutenant  April  i,  1863,  and 
mustered  out  May  29  of  the  same  year,  having 
passed  through  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg 
and  Chancellorsville.  He  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  of  the  signal  corps,  U.  S.  A., 
Octol)er  3.  1863,  to  rank  from  March  3,  1863, 
breveted  first  lieutenant  United  States  Volun- 
teers, March  13,  1865,  "for  gallantly  maintaining 
his  position  under  great  exposure,  on  James 
River  signal  tower,  while  his  station  was  for  some 
time  deliberately  cannonaded  by  the  rebel  bat- 
teries." March  13,  1865,  he  was  breveted  cap- 
tain of  United  States  Volunteers,  "for  gallant  and 
meritorious  services  during  tlie  war."  He  saw 
service  along  the  Atlantic  coast  in  the  department 
of  the  south  and  in  the  tenth,  eighteenth,  twenty- 
fourth  and  twenty-fifth  army  corps,  in  Virginia, 
at  I'ort  \\'altlial,  Swift  Creek,  Drewry's  Bluff, 
Bernnida  Hundred,  Cold  Harbor,  Weir  Bottom 
Church,  siege  of  Petersburg,  Mine  Explosion, 
Chapin's  Farm,  Fair  Oaks,  Ft.  Gregg  and  fall  of 
Petersburg,  Farmville,  Rice's  Station  and  Ap- 
pomattox C.  H.,  being  chief  signal  officer,  twenty- 
fourth  army  corps.  He  was  present  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee  and  finally  in  the  Powder  River 
expedition  against  the  Sioux,  Cheyenne  and  Ar- 
rajiahoe  Indians  in  Montana  in  the  fall  of  1865. 
On  the  8th  of  December  of  that  year  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kan. 

In  April,  1866,  Captain  Amsden  took  charge 
of  the  drafting  office  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  machine  and  car 
shops,  but  resigned  in  April,  1868,  to  accept  a 
position  in  the  office  of  his  father,  whose  death 
occurred  in  December  of  the  same  year.  Since 
that  time  he  has  carried  on  the  business  of  civil 
engineering  (being  city  surveyor  1 869-1 876)  and 
architecture,  devoting  himself,  however,  since 
1876  entirely  to  architecture.  Many  of  the  best 
and  finest  buildings  in  the  Lackawanna  and  Wyo- 
ming valleys  bear  testimony  to  his  skill  in  his 
profession. 

Fraternally  Captain  Amsden  is  past  master  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


149 


Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  is  P.  D.  D. 
G.  M.  of  Pennsylvania,  past  high  priest  of  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  past  eminent 
commander  of  Coeur  de  Leon  Commandery  No. 
17,  K.  T.,  past  commander  of  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grif- 
fin Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  past  junior  vice-com- 
mander of  the  department  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
has  been  honored  by  the  department  commander 
at  various  times  by  staft"  appointments,  and  by 
the  commander-in-chief  as  an  aide-de-camp  on 
the  national  staff.  He  has  drawn  the  plan?  for 
most  of  the  Catholic  churches  in  this  diocese,  and 
the  first  Catholic  church  of  any  size,  the  St. 
Peter's  Cathedral,  was  designed  by  his  father.  In 
1894,  in  Scranton,  he  man-ied  Miss  L.  May 
Davies,  who  was  born  in  Carbondale  and  is  a 
meniber  of  an  old  family  of  the  county. 


HERBERT  F.  HEILNER,  M.  D.  Health 
is  the  most  highly  prized  gift  bestowed 
upon  us  by  nature  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
the  most  vital  importance  that  we  should  know 
how  to  preserve  it  or  to  regain  it  when  lost.  In 
the  latter  case  medical  science  must  frequently 
be  resorted  to  and  the  services  of  a  physician  em- 
ployed. Tlie  medical  profession  is  therefore  one 
of  the  greatest  importance,  and  he  who  engages 
in  it  conscientiously,  earnestly  and  energetically, 
is  entitled  to  the  respect  of  every  citizen.  Of  Dr. 
I-Ieilner  it  may  be  said  that  he  is  a  conscientious 
physician,  careful  in  diagnosis,  accurate  in  treat- 
ment. He  is  a  disciple  of  the  homeopathic  school, 
and  is  one  of  its  prominent  representatives  in 
Scranton. 

The  birth  of  H.  F.  Heilner  occurred  in  Middle- 
port,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  in  1864.  He  is  of 
German  descent,  his  grandfather,  Benjamin  Heil- 
ner, a  native  of  Germany,  having  come  to  Amer- 
ica in  early  manhood  and  settled  in  Tamaqua, 
Pa.,  where  he  became  a  coal  operator,  but  after 
a  time  he  withdrew  from  that  business.  He  was 
chosen  to  sen--e  as  associate  judge  of  Schuylkill 
County  and  on  the  conclusion  of  those  duties,  he 
retired  to  private  life,  remaining  in  Tamaqua 
until  his  death. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  I.  N.  Heilner,  was 
born  in  Taniaqua,  Pa.,  and  engaged  in  merchan- 


dising in  Middleport.  For  ten  months  during  the 
war  he  served  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  rank- 
ing as  quartermaster  sergeant.  After  the  war  he 
removed  to  Shamokin,  Pa.,  where  he  has  since 
carried  on  a  mercantile  business.  Politically  he 
afTfiliates  with  the  Democrats.  His  wife,  Elmira 
x\melia  Guiterman,  was  born  in  Schuylkill 
County,  where  she  was  reared  and  married.  Her 
father,  Henry,  was  born  in  Germany  and  on  com- 
ing to  Pennsylvania  became  a  coal  operator  in 
Ft.  Carborn,  of  which  place  he  was  an  early  set- 
tler. 

Of  seven  living  children  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  third.  He  received  his  education  in 
Shamokin,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in 
1883.  Fle  then  began  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der Dr.  H.  M.  Harpel,  of  Shamokin,  and  in  1884 
entered  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Phila- 
delphia, frc  ni  which  he  graduated  in  1887  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  His  course  ivas  thorough, 
embracing  every  regular  study,  in  addition  to 
which  he  received  extra  diplomas.  Immediately 
after  receiving  his  degree  he  went  south-  and 
practiced  in  Macon  and  Atlanta,  Ga.,  until  1889, 
being  a  member  of  the  Atlanta  Medical  Club. 
In  February,  1889,  he  returned  north  and  opened 
an  office  in  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  engaged 
in  general  practice.  For  a  time  he  was  president 
of  the  Northeastern  Homeopathic  Medical  So- 
ciety of  Pennsylvania,  before  which  he  read  a 
number  of  papers  and  by  whose  members  he  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  rising  lights  of  the  pro- 
fession. Since  1887  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  and  he 
is  also  connected  with  the  Inter-State  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  Society.  In  religion  he  is  actively 
connected  with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  fraternally  is  associated  with  Peter  William- 
son Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A.  M. 


WILLIAM  J.  WELSH.  As  a  leading 
citizen  of  Scranton,  one  who  has  for 
years  thoroughly  identified  himself 
with  its  best  interests,  his  far-reaching  enterprise, 
aptitude  for  affairs  and  broad  public  spirit  being 
potent  in  advancing  its  welfare  in  various  direc- 
tions, the  name  of  W.  J.  Welsh  is  inseparably 


ISO 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


linked  with  its  growth  and  progress.  Especially 
has  he  been  active  in  advancing  the  educational 
interests  of  the  city,  and  through  his  energy  and 
sound  judgment  the  welfare  of  the  public  schools 
has  been  materially  promoted.  In  December, 
i8f)3,  he  was  nominated,  and  in  February,  1894, 
elected,  after  a  spirited  contest,  a  member  of  the 
board  of  school  control  from  the  ninth  ward,  in 
which  capacity  he  has  since  served.  In  1895-96 
he  was  ciiairman  of  the  building  committee  for 
the  new  high  school,  and  he  is  also  serving  on 
the  high  school  and  insurance  committees,  being 
active  in  every  department  connected  with  the 
work. 

The  Welsh  family  originated  in  England,  the 
first  representatives  settling  in  New  Jersey.  John 
Welsh,  who  was  a  son  of  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  this  country,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
served  with  valor  in  the  Revolution,  removed  to 
Minersville,  .Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
became  one  of  the  first  employes  of  the  Reading 
Railroad  Company;  he  died  at  eighty-four  years. 
His  son,  Morgan  L.,  our  subject's  father,  was 
bom  in  New  Jersey,  but  grew  to  manhood  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  mine 
foreman  until  his  death.  He  married  Lucetta 
Fertig,  daughter  of  John  Fertig,  who  was  a 
farmer  of  Schuylkill  Haven,  Schuylkill  County, 
Pa.  Both  died  in  Scranton.  Of  their  tliree  chil- 
dren, Mrs.  J.  Orf  lives  in  this  city.  George  W. 
was  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Pennsylvania 
Infantry  under  Colonel  Shepherd  during  the  late 
war,  being  second  lieutenant  of  his  company.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  he  was 
honorably  discharged  in  Savannah,  where  lie 
died  of  the  black  fever  while  waiting  a  few  da)s 
for  a  comrade's  discharge. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Miners- 
ville, Pa.,  November  5,  1850.  He  remained  there 
until  fifteen  years  of  age,  coming  to  Scranton 
July  12,  1866.  Here,  until  1878,  he  was  employed 
in  the  marlcet  business  with  D.  W.  Sheld  &  Co. 
I'Vom  that  lime  until  j<S82  he  was  city  agent  for 
the  Norihwistern  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
])any  of  Milwaukee,  and  upon  the  resignation  of 
Cajit.  J.  W.  Howell,  now  of  San  Francisco,  as 
general  agent,  he  succeeded  to  the  position, 
which  he  has  since  held.     The  headquarters  are 


in  Scranton,  with  branch  offices  at  Wilkesbarre 
and  Easton,  and  he  has  seven  agents  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Lackawanna,  Luzerne,  Wyoming  and 
Northampton.  The  Northwestern  has  been  rep- 
resented in  Scranton  for  thirty  years  and  until 
recently  was  the  only  life  insurance  company  that 
had  an  agency  here,  but  though  others  are  now 
representerr,  it  still  has  the  lead  in  amount  of 
business  done.  A  number  of  years  ago  Mr. 
Welsh  paid  the  second  life  policy  issued  by  the 
company  in  this  city.  The  office  of  the  agency  is 
in  the  Mears  Building. 

In  .Scranton  Mr.  Welsh  married  Miss  Annie  E. 
Werner,  who  was  born  here,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  William  J.,  Jr.,  member 
of  the  class  of  1897,  Scranton  high  school;  and 
Jessie  L.  Mrs.  Welsh  is  a  daughter  of  John  Wer- 
ner, a  native  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to 
America,  settled  in  Scranton,  and  was  a  con- 
tractor here  until  he  retired  from  active  business. 
I'Yaternally  Mr.  Welsh  is  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  being  a  past  officer  in  the 
lodge  at  Scranton.  Fle  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Masonic  order,  belongs  to  Union  Lodge 
No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  attained  to  the 
thirty-second  degree  in  Masonry.  In  politics  he 
has  always  upheld  Republican  principles,  be- 
lieving that  the  doctrines  enunciated  by  that  party 
will  best  subserve  the  interests  of  the  people.  His 
religious  belief  inclines  him  toward  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  but  he  usually  attends  the 
English  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a 
memljcr. 


DR.  GEORGE  E.  HILL.  In  every  depart- 
ment of  human  activity  Scranton  may 
boast  of  successful  and  eminent  citizens, 
whose  superior  talents  have  promoted  the  world's 
progress,  whose  abilities  have  won  wide  recog- 
nition and  whose  culture  has  brought  them  the 
admiration  of  many  to  whom  they  are  personally 
unknown.  Such  a  one  is  Dr.  Hill,  "the  Albany 
dentist,"  as  he  is  frequently  called.  He  especially 
merits  mention  on  account  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  the  first  to  establish  and  conduct  dental  offi- 
ces in  departments.  His  Scranton  office  is  di- 
vided into  (lifTerent  departments,  operating,  fill- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


151 


ing,  crown  and  bridge  work  and  tlic  manufacture 
of  plates,  with  a  specialist  at  tlie  head  of  each.  At 
one  time  he  had  twenty-two  offices  in  different 
cities  in  the  United  States,  all  conducted  on  the 
department  plan  by  skilled  men  whom  he  em- 
ployed. At  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  he  has  an  office  at 
No.  136  West  Fourth  Street,  and  he  also  has  one 
of  the  finest  offices  in  Philadelphia,  while  a  few 
years  ago  he  had  the  largest  office  in  Chicago. 
The  secret  of  his  success  is  his  method  of  work 
by  departments,  which  has  proved  a  popular  and 
successful  plan,  and  is  being  rapidly  adopted  by 
the  members  of  the  profession  in  all  large  cities. 

Born  in  Coxsackie,  Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of  Dr.  L.  W.  Hill,  a 
native  of  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  for  forty- 
four  years  a  successful  dentist.  The  grandfather, 
Isaac  Hill,  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  with  his 
wife,  Betsey,  became  an  early  settler  of  Delaware 
County,  his  father,  Isaac  Plill,  Sr.,  also  locating 
on  a  farm  in  that  county.  The  latter  was  the  son 
of  an  Englishman,  who  emigrated  to  America 
and  made  settlement  in  Connecticut.  One  of  the 
members  of  the  family  was  a  colonel  in  the  Revo- 
lution and  commanded  his  regiment  in  the  en- 
gagement at  -Saratoga,  as  well  as  in  other  battles 
of  the  war.  Isaac  Hill,  Jr.,  though  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  hunting 
and  trapping,  in  which  way  he  not  only  pro- 
vided the  family  with  meats,  but  added  substan- 
tially to  his  income.  Two  of  his  sons  became  well 
known  physicians  and  two  others  were  successful 
dentists. 

For  a  time  Dr.  L.  W.  Hill  practiced  his  pro- 
fession in  Coxsackie  and  then  was  similarly  en- 
gaged at  Flushing,  L.  I.  His  last  days  were 
spent  in  retirement  at  Coxsackie,  where  he  died 
about  1878.  He  married  Sally  A.  Finch,  a  na- 
tive of  Coxsackie,  N.  Y.,  whose  father,  Newman 
Finch,  was  well  known  among  the  people  of  his 
day,  and  whose  maternal  ancestors,  the  Waldrons, 
were  of  German  origin.  She  died  in  Coxsackie 
about  the  time  of  her  husband's  demise,  leaving 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Drs. 
Newman  H.  and  W.  L.  are  dentists  respectively 
of  Kingston  and  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  and  a 
daughter  is  the  wife  of  J-  W.  Joslyn,  D.  D.  S.,  of 
Philadelphia. 


The  youngest  son  of  the  family  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  He  attended  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Coxsackie,  and  afterward  entered  the 
medical  college  at  Albany,  where  he  remained  for 
three  terms.  From  boyhood  he  assisted  his  father 
in  the  business,  his  natural  adaptation  for  which 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  pulled  a 
tooth  when  only  nine  years  of  age.  He  studied 
under  hjs  father  and  quickly  gained  a  complete 
knowledge  of  the  profession,  the  practice  of 
which  he  began  for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  After  some  time  in  Albany  he  went  to  Bing- 
hamton, where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and 
then,  in  December,  1882,  he  came  to  Scranton, 
his  present  home. 

For  years  Dr.  Hill  has  spent  his  winters  in 
Indianola,  Fla.,  where  he  has  an  orange  grove 
and  residence,  with  fine  hunting  grounds  in  the 
immediate  vicinity.  Adjoining  Scranton,  on  a 
nine-acre  tract,  he  has  built  a  "hunter's  home," 
where  he  entertains  his  friends  in  hunter's  style. 
He  has  traveled  extensively  throughout  the  en- 
tire country  and  has  hunted  bufifalo  in  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park,  as  well  as  enjoyed  that  sport  in 
other  parts  of  the  great  west.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks;  Knights  of  Pythias,  uniformed  rank; 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  and  has 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trade  of  Scran- 
ton, and  politically  is  an  advocate  of  Demo- 
cratic principles.  In  religion  he  is  identified  with 
the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His 
marriage  united  him  with  Miss  CeHa  A.  Hoose, 
of  Coxsackie,  N.  Y.,  an  accomplished  lady,  whose 
paintings  adorn  their  parlors  and  prove  her  abil- 
ity as  an  artist.  They  have  one  son,  C.  L.,  who 
is  associated  with  his  father  under  the  firm  name 
of  Hill  &  Son  and  who  is  also  prominent  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  having  attained  the  thirty- 
second  degree. 


AARON  B.  KIERSTEAD.  Scranton  is  the 
home  of  many  gentlemen  of  fine  natural 
abilities,  thorough  education  and  business 
energy,  who  in  various  fields  of  industry  are  ac- 
quiring enviable  reputations  and  gaining  well- 


1^2 


PORTR.\IT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


deserved  success.  Among  this  number  we  pre- 
sent the  name  and  life  sketch  of  A.  B.  Kier- 
stead,  one  of  the  influential  business  men  of  the 
place.  In  1888  he  started  in  business  for  him- 
self as  a  contractor  and  builder  and  during  the 
busy  season  gives  employment  to  between  one 
hundred  and  fifty  and  one  hundred  and  eighty 
men.  Among  the  buildings  for  which  he  has 
had  the  contract  for  the  mason  and  iron  work 
are  the  residence  of  Douglass  Jay  in  Spruce 
street,  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company's  office 
Xo.  6,  Carney  &  Brown  building,  Carbondale 
silk  mill,  the  Leader  Building  in  Carbondale, 
Peter  Krantz  brewery  addition  and  the  chapel 
at  Hillside  Home. 

The  Kierstead  family  is  of  Holland-Dutch 
origin.  The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Aaron  Kierstead,  was  a  farmer  at  Fairfield,  N.  J., 
and  our  subject  has  in  his  possession  his  com- 
mission as  a  captain  in  the  Revolution.  He  was 
a  descendant  of  one  of  tiirec  brothers  who  emi- 
grated from  Holland,  one  settling  in  New  York, 
another  in  New  Jersey,  while  the  third,  who 
went  south,  was  never  after  heard  from.  Hans 
Kierstead  married  Sarah,  the  eldest  child  of 
Anneke  Jans.  Our  subject's  grandfather,  Aaron, 
was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  J.,  and  was  an  only  son; 
he  spent  his  life  in  his  native  place,  following  ag- 
ricultural pursuits. 

Our  suljject's  father,  J.  O.  Kierstead,  also  an 
only  son  and  a  native  of  Fairfield,  N.  J.,  was  an 
ajjprentice  to  the  mason's  trade  in  Newark  for 
four  years  and  two  months,  the  indenture,  which 
is  now  in  our  subject's  possession,  being  drawn 
up  when  the  apprentice  was  sixteen  years  and 
ten  months  old.  In  return  for  his  services  he  was 
given  his  board,  clothes  and  $30  each  year.  Be- 
fore his  apprenticeship  terminated  he  became 
foreman  on  jobs.  In  1850  he  came  to  Scranton 
to  work  on  the  Wyoming  House  and  later  with 
Jacob  Bryant  finished  the  job.  On  settling  here 
he  bought  property  and  built  a  home  in  Spruce 
Street,  then  in  the  woods.  Continuing  his  part- 
nership with  Mr.  Bryant,  they  became  the  largest 
contractors  of  their  day,  having  the  contracts  for 
the  Hon.  J.  A.  Scranton  dwelling,  the  Perrott 
Block,  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  foun- 
dry and  the  most   important  public   structures 


and  private  residences.  lie  was  superintendent 
of  the  government  building  in  Scranton  in  1894, 
when  his  death  occurred.  His  wife,  Sarah,  was 
born  in  Chinchilla,  this  county,  and  was  of  Eng- 
lish descent;  she  was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Leach,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  farmer, 
coal  dealer  and  lumberman,  who  died  at  eighty- 
seven  years  of  age.  She  is  still  living  and  makes 
her  home  with  her  only  son,  our  subject.  Her 
daughters  are  Sarah,  Mrs.  C.  I.  Hudson;  Nellie, 
wife  of  Philip  Hiss,  president  of  the  P.  Hanson 
Hiss  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Baltimore;  and 
Grace,  of  Scranton. 

For  many  years  J.  O.  Kierstead  rendered  the 
Republican  party  active  service.  While  a  mem- 
ber of  the  assembly,  in  1874  and  1875,  he  helped 
secure  the  passage  of  the  bill  separating  Lacka- 
wanna County  from  Luzerne.  Socially  he  was 
a  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow,  and  in  religious  belief 
a  member  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church. 
His  honorable  and  useful  life  endeared  him  to 
the  citizens  of  Scranton  and  his  death  was  uni- 
^■ersally  mourned  as  a  public  loss. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  academy 
at  Newton,  N.  J.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
employed  as  a  clerk  in  Scranton  until  1877,  when 
he  went  west  as  traveling  salesman  for  Schuster, 
Tootle  &  Co.,  wholesale  clothiers,  this  position 
being  given  him  as  a  result  of  his  promptness  in 
filling  an  engagement.  For  three  years  he  trav- 
eled in  Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  and  as  there 
were  no  railroads  then,  traveling  was  slow  and 
tedious.  He  usually  started  from  Trinidad  and 
ended  his  route  at  El  Paso,  traveling  sixteen  hun- 
dred miles  in  three  months.  He  went  to  Las 
Vegas  on  the  first  train  entering  that  place,  and 
also  visited  Albuquerque  and  Ft.  Wingate, 
where  he  was  offered  a  partnership,  but  the 
"boom"  being  on  in  Pueblo,  he  declined  to  go 
to  the  former  place.  His  father  started  the  first 
hat  store  in  Pueblo,  his  son  Aaron  assuming 
charge  of  same,  and  he  sold  the  first  stifi:  hat 
in  the  town.  After  two  and  one-half  years  there, 
he  WTUt  to  Wyoming  Territory,  his  father  hav- 
ing bought  the  Brown  ranch,  twenty  miles  west 
of  Laramie.  After  operating  it  a  year  the  father 
sold  out  and  Aaron  B.  went  to  the  Pacific  Coast 
In   1884  he  returned  to  Scranton,  intending  to 


■K  LIBI 


■*sroR 


\ 


RDlilvKT  T.    I'.I.ACK. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


155 


engage  in  business  with  his  father,  but  first 
learned  the  brick  mason's  trade.  In  1888  he  en- 
gaged in  business  for  himself,  and  is  now  located 
at  No.  421  Lackawanna  Avenue. 

In  Baldwinsville,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Kierstead  married 
Miss  Emma  E.  Barnes,  daughter  of  Friend 
Barnes,  a  fanner  and  member  of  an  old  family 
of  Onondaga  County.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  Friend,  Edra  and  Irene.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  work  here,  Mr.  Kierstead  has  had 
important  contracts  in  other  places,  including 
New  York  City.  He  was  one  of  ihe  original 
members  of  the  Builders  Exchange  of  Scranton. 
Prior  to  going  west,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Scranton  City  Guard,  comprising  Company  C 
of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment.  Fraternally  he  be- 
longs to  Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  in  politics  is  a  stanch   Republican. 


ROBERT  T.  BLACK.  During  the  period 
of  his  residence  in  Scranton,  Mr.  Black 
has  been  identified  with  many  of  the  lead- 
ing enterprises  for  the  advancement  of  city  and 
country,  and  has  given  his  support  to  all  plans 
for  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  people. 
He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Second 
National  Bank  of  Wilkesbarre  and  served  as  one 
of  its  directors  for  more  than  twenty  years.  In 
the  Vulcan  Iron  Works  he  holds  an  interest,  and 
at  different  times  served  as  vice-president  and 
president  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley  Bank;  he 
was  filling  the  latter  position  at  the  time  of  its 
reorganization  as  the  Lackawanna  Trust  &  Safe 
Deposit  Company,  and  is  still  a  director  in  the 
concern.  While  he  has  been  liberal  and  gener- 
ous, prompt  in  contributing  to  charity,  he  has 
retained  a  sufficient  amount  of  property  to  pro- 
vide his  declining  years  with  every  comfort.  His 
home  contains  many  luxuries,  not  the  least  of 
which  is  his  carefully  selected  library,  and  many 
of  his  own  and  his  wife's  happiest  hours  are 
spent  in  the  perusal  of  the  best  literature  of  this 
and  other  ages. 

The  Black  family  originated  in  Scotland, 
whence  Gen.  Tames  Black  went  to  Ireland  in  the 
time  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and  became  the  pro- 
prietor of  two  townships   there.     Our  subject's 

3 


father,  Joseph,  was  a  son  of  Peter  Black,  a  native 
of  County  Donegal,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
The  former  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
linen,  w  hich  he  sold  to  the  wholesale  trade.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Jean  M.  Spencer,  was  a 
daughter  of  John  Spencer  and  a  descendant  of 
Scotch  forefathers.  Late  in  life  she  came  to 
America,  and  died  -in  Springfield,  Ohio,  at  an 
advanced  age. 

The  family  of  Joseph  and  Jean  M.  Black  con- 
sisted of  ten  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely: 
John,  a  wholesale  merchant,  who  died  in  Phila- 
delphia; Peter,  a  merchant  of  Zanesville,  Ohio, 
where  he  died;  Robert  T. ;  Joseph,  a  merchant 
and  banker,  who  died  in  Detroit;  Alexander, 
who  died  while  on  a  prospecting  tour  in  South 
America;  Andrew,  William  and  Samuel,  all  mer- 
chants, who  died  in  Springfield,  Ohio;  Moses,  a 
merchant  and  manufacturer  of  Mansfield,  Ohio; 
Mrs.  Anna  Jean  Grant,  of  Zanesville,  Ohio; 
Thomas,  who  was  a  captain  in  the  Twenty-third 
Ohio  Infantry  during  the  Civil  War  and  was 
wounded  in  service,  now  a  wholesale  merchant 
of  Zanesville;  Bella,  whose  home  is  in  Zanes- 
ville. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  October 
I,  1821,  at  Rath  Melton,  six  miles  from  London- 
derry, in  County  Donegal,  Ireland.  In  boyhood 
he  attended  the  school  in  which  Robert  Bonner 
was  also  a  pupil,  the  two  Hving  in  the  same 
square.  In  1842  he  took  passage  on  the  sailer 
"Lafayette,"  from  Londonderry,  and  after  a  voy- 
age of  six  weeks  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  from 
which  city  he  proceeded  to  Ohio.  After  clerking 
for  a  time  in  the  store  owned  by  his  brothers, 
John  and  Peter,  in  Zanesville,  he  took  charge 
of  a  store  in  McConnellsville,  Ohio,  and  a  few 
years  later  went  to  Springfield,  the  same  state, 
where  he  began  in  the  retail  mercantile  trade. 
During  the  eight  years  he  remained  there  he  met 
with  excellent  success,  that  encouraged  him  tg 
seek  a  larger  field  for  work.  Going  to  Philadel- 
phia, he  embarked  in  the  wholesale  dry-goods 
business,  purchasing  an  interest  in  the  firm  of 
Eschrick,  Penn  &  Co.,  that  had  been  in  existence 
since  181 1.  He  became  the  active  manager  of 
the    concern,  and  its  prosperity  was   largely  en- 


156 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


hanced  by  his  sound  judgment.  In  1861  he  sold 
his  interest  in  the  business  to  his  I)rotlicr,  and 
five  years  later  changed  his  residence  to  Wilkes- 
barre.  There,  for  a  year,  lie  was  interested  in 
the  N'ulcan  Iron  Works  and  later  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness. 

About  1867  Mr.  Black  came  to  Scranton,  where 
he  has  resided  continuously  since.  For  some 
time  he  was  connected  with  two  brothers-in-law 
in  coal  operations  at  Minooka  and  was  treasurer 
and  general  manager  of  the  Pennsylvania  &  Sus- 
quehanna Coal  Company.  At  first  there  was  but 
one  colliery,  but  he  liuilt  anollior  and  operated 
the  two  for  a  number  of  years, making  shi]>mcnts 
by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  and  the  Delaware. 
Lackawanna  &  Western.  About  1878  he  sold 
his  interest  in  the  company.  For  si.x  years  he 
represented  the  eighth  ward  upon  the  board  of 
school  control,  and  also  held  the  position  of 
member  of  the  poor  board,  but  resigned  it  after  a 
time.  While  he  is  an  ardent  Republican  in  ])olit- 
ical  views,  he  has  steadily  refused  nomination 
for  local  offices  and  has  never  consented  to  the 
use  of  his  name  in  connection  with  ])uljlic  ])osi- 
tions.  He  is  a  Presbyterian  and  holds  uKnihtr- 
ship  in  the  First  Church  of  Scranton. 

In  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Black  to  Miss  C.  A.  Perkins, 
who  is  an  accomplished  lady  of  refined  tastes  and 
culture,  and  conceded  to  be  the  finest  musical 
critic  in  Scranton.  She  was  the  youngest  of  a 
family  that  comprised  si.x  daughters  and  one  son, 
and  by  her  marriage  has  three  children :  Thomas 
A.;  Robert  T.,  Jr.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  Scranton;  and  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Judson,  of  New  York  City.  The  Perkins  family 
is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state,  and  .some  of  its 
members  were  present  at  the  massacre  in  the 
Wyoming  Valley.  The  first  of  the  name  to  settle 
here  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Black, 
who  came  from  Massachusetts,  and  was  num- 
bered among  the  pioneers  of  the  Wyoming  Val- 
ley; he  was  killed  in  the  massacre  there.  He  had 
a  son,  Aaron,  who  took  part  in  the  Revolution- 
ary War.  Another  son,  David,  was  the  fatlier  of 
John  Perkins,  a  large  land  owner  and  prominent 
citizen  of  Wyoming,  where  he  died.  The  latter 
married  Eunice,  daughter  of    jolni    and    .Sarah 


(Patterson)  Miller,  who  came  to  Pennsylvania 
from  New  England  and  settled  in  Wyoming. 
John  and  liunice  Perkins  were  highly  respected 
residents  of  Wyoming,  tlicir  many  noble  traits 
of  character  wiiming  them  the  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  they  came  in  contact.  Their  children,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Black  was  the  youngest,  were  care- 
fully reared  and  trained  for  honorable  positions 
in  societv  and  in  the  business  world. 


THOMAS  L.  ALEXANDER,  M.  D.  The 
Scranton  Medical  and  Surgical  Institute, 
of  \vhich  Dr.  Alexander  is  the  proprietor, 
was  established  in  1891  and  is  situated  on  the 
corner  of  Penn  Avenue  and  Spruce  Street.  The 
entire  first  floor  is  occupied  with  reception,  con- 
sultation, examining,  and  operating  rooms  and 
laboratory,  and  a  specialty  is  made  of  chronic 
diseases.  The  patients  come  not  alone  from 
-Scranton  and  the  adjoining  villages,  but  from 
other  counties  and  some  from  New  York  State. 

Of  southern  birth  and  parentage.  Dr.  Alexan- 
der was  born  in  Chester,  S.  C,  in  1866,  and  is  a 
son  of  Sample  and  Lucie  (Clawson)  Alexander, 
natives  respectively  of  I\Iecklenburg,  N.  C,  and 
South  Carolina.  His  maternal  grandfather,  Wil- 
liam Clawson,  was  an  attorney-at-law  in  South 
Carolina,  and  his  paternal  grandfather,  a  native 
of  Scotland,  emigrated  to  North  Carolina,  where 
he  became  a  prominent  planter.  Sample  Alex- 
ander spent  his  active  life  in  Chester,  S.  C,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  dry- 
goods  business  and  was  also  a  successful  cotton 
merchant.  He  continued  in  the  business  until 
his  death,  whicli  occurred  in  1877.  Twice  mar- 
ried, by  his  second  union  he  had  two  children. 
Rev.  William  Alexander,  pastor  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Concord,  N.  C,  and  Dr.  Thomas 
L.,  of  this  sketch. 

Reared  in  Chester,  our  subject  attended  the 
public  and  high  schools,  and  on  completing  his 
literary  education  began  the  study  of  medicine 
under  Dr.  Babcock  of  Chester.  In  1886  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York 
and  three  years  later  graduated  from  the  medical 
department  with  the  degree  of  ]\I.  D.  During  the 
time  he  v.as  in  college  he  took  a  special  course 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


157 


in  surgery,  physical  diagnosis  and  chemistry,  also 
in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear  and  throat.  After 
graduating  he  continued  his  special  studies  of 
the  eye,  ear  and  throat  for  one  year  as  a  post- 
graduate, having  access  to  all  the  hospitals.  In 
1890  he  began  to  practice  in  Chester,  but  after 
a  year  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  opened  a  med- 
ical and  surgical  institute. 

In  South  Carolina  Dr.  Alexander  married 
Miss  Mary  D.  Cannon,  who  was  bom  there,  and 
they  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Lucie.  Mrs. 
Alexander  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Cannon, 
a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Georgia  and  a 
practicing  physician  of  Ellenton,  S.  C.  While 
in  Chester  Dr.  Alexander  united  with  Chester 
Lodge  No.  18,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  religious  belief 
he  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Cluirch. 


JAMES  P.  LOFTUS,  superintendent  of 
mines  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  was  born  January  4,  1861,  in  the 
city  of  Carbondale,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
His  father,  Patrick  Loftus,  who  was  born  in 
County  INIayo,  Ireland,  in  1820,  came  to  America 
in  young  manhood  and  was  one  of  the  first  coal 
miners  in  the  Carbondale  fields  for  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company.  Shortly  afterward 
his  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters  joined  him. 
In  1847  lis  was  one  of  the  miners  who  experi- 
enced the  horrors  of  America's  first  great  mine 
disaster,  when  such  great  loss  of  life  took  place. 
After  having  been  confined  for  several  days  he 
was  finally  rescued.  He  lived  many  years  after- 
ward, dying  in  1890,  having  been  connected  with 
the  mines  throughout  his  entire  active  life.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ellen 
Sweeney,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  died  in  Car- 
bondale in  1892. 

The  brothers  of  Patrick  Loftus  were  named 
as  follows:  Michael,  a  merchant  in  Carbondale 
and  one  of  the  present  aldermen;  Thomas  W., 
a  school  teacher  residing  in  Olyphant  and  for- 
merly a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  legislature; 
Owen,  who  is  a  wealthy  ranch  owner  of  Califor- 
nia; Anthony,  a  farmer  in  Kansas;  Daniel,  a  resi- 
dent of  Carbondale  and  connected  with  the  mines 
here;  and  James,  who  is  employed  in  the  mines 


at  Olyphant.  The  family  were  from  the  sturdy 
people  of  Ireland  as  to  education  and  social 
standing.  In  the  family  of  Patrick  Loftus  there 
are  three  sons:  John  T.,  a  clerk  for  the  Hillside 
Coal  Mining  Company;  Anthony,  who  is  clerk- 
ing for  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western 
Railroad  in  Carbondale;  and  James  P.,  of  this 
sketch. 

Educated  in  the  schools  of  Carbondale,  our 
subject  stood  at  the  head  of  his  classes  and  was 
known  as  an  apt  pupil.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  be- 
came a  driver  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  and  remaining  with  that  firm  steadily 
advanced  from  one  position  to  another  until 
1883,  since  which  time  he  has  efficiently  and  faith- 
fully filled  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
mines.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was  a  can- 
didate for  the  office  of  city  auditor  and,  while 
he  received  a  majority  of  the  votes,  through  the 
incompetency  or  malicious  acts  of  the  election 
board  in  making  no  returns  in  a  certain  precinct 
he  was  counted  out.  This  part  of  the  city  has 
since  been  known  as  '"Louisiana."  While  by 
taking  the  matter  into  the  courts  he  could  have 
established  his  right  to  the  counting  of  those 
votes,  he  became  so  disgusted  with  the  whole 
proceeding  that  he  refused  to  do  anything  fur- 
ther, declaring  he  would  not  soon  again  have 
anything  to  do  with  local  politics.  This  resolve 
he  has  since  steadfastly  adhered  to,  though  he  has 
frequently  been  solicited  to  accept  city  offices. 
In  politics  he  is  independent,  but  in  the  campaign 
of  1896  stood  on  the  side  of  the  sound  money 
Democrats.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  views  and 
stands  high  in  the  community. 

In  1884  Mr.  Loftus  married  Miss  Maggie  R., 
sister  of  Rev.  James  A.  Mofifitt,  of  Scranton,  and 
daughter  of  the  late  Patrick  ]\Ioiifitt,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Carbondale,  having  come  here 
from  Ireland  in  1828.  They  and  their  two  chil- 
dren, Joseph  P.  and  Lydia,  occupy  a  comfortable 
residence  on  Seventh  Avenue. 


JOSEPH    H.   GUNSTER.      The    man    who 
gains  success  is  always  wortiiy  of  praise,  but 
especially   so   when   he   has   battled  against 
adversitv,  surmounted  hardships  and  conquered 


158 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


misfortune.  To  tlie  one  who  comes  to  this  coun- 
try without  means  or  friends,  the  road  to  pros- 
perity is  not  rose-crowned  but  thoniy,  and  only 
the  most  untiring  patience  will  bring  success.  Of 
Mr.  Gunster  it  may  be  said  that  he  owes  his 
present  standing  among  the  business  men  of 
Scranton  to  his  determination  and  energy,  com- 
bined with  sound  judgment  and  executive  ability. 

The  Gunster  family  originated  in  Germany. 
I'eter.  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  War- 
dern,  Prussia,  and  was  a  cabinetmaker  by  trade. 
With  his  wife  and  eight  sons  he  emigrated  to 
America,  landing  March  12,  1853,  and  at  once 
came  to  Lackawanna  County,  joining  our  sub- 
ject here.  He  worked  at  his  trade  witli  the  lat- 
ter, until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  si.\ty-fivc,  in 
1869,  the  result  of  having  been  accidentally  in- 
jured. In  early  life  he  served  in  the  German 
army.  His  wife,  Maria  Birtcl.  was  I)orn  in 
Prussia,  and  died  in  Lackawanna  County  in  1892, 
aged  eighty-one.  Their  nine  sons  were  named  as 
follows:  Joseph  H.;  Henry,  a  Inulder  at  Carlcr- 
ville,  Jackson  County,  111.:  Edward,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  wholesale  sugar  business  at  Wilkcs- 
barre;  Peter,  who  is  with  Jlill  &  Connell,  of 
Scranton;  Leopold,  who  enlisted  hi  the  Eleventh 
Connecticut  Infantry,  went  south  and  took  part 
in  the  charge  on  Petersburg,  since  which  he  has 
never  been  heard  of,  but  it  is  supposed  that  his 
body  rests  in  a  nameless  grave;  Nicholas,  who 
died  in  Scranton  in  early  manhood;  Frederick, 
an  attorney,  and  judge  of  the  Lackawanna  courts; 
Peter  Francis,  a  practicing  physician  of  Scran- 
ton; and  John,  a  1)oat  builder  in  Tamestown, 
N.  Y.        " 

A  native  of  Lockweiler,  Prussia,  born  August 
22,  1831,  our  subject  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  began 
to  cultivate  his  father's  farm.  To  escape  from 
military  oppression  he  resolved  to  seek  a  home 
in  America,  and  accordingly  took  passage  at 
Antwerp,  making  the  voyage  alone.  Wiiilc  on 
the  ocean  he  became  acquainted  with  William 
Becker,  of  Blakely,  Lackawanna  County,  and  in 
that  way  he  decided  to  come  here,  reaching  Flydc 
Park  in  May,  1851.  His  new  acquaintance  saw 
that  he  secured  work,  thus  placing  him  above 
want,  though  the  amount  he  received  was  very 


small.  He  was  apprenticed  to  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade  under  Gessner  &  Harrington  in 
Wyoming  Avenue  and  gave  his  closest  attention 
to  his  work,  his  education  being  limited  to  three 
months'  attendance  at  Wyoming  Seminary. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  Mr.  Gunster  .started  in  busi- 
ness for  himself,  building  a  store  in  Penn  Ave- 
nue, where  he  began  in  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  furniture,  making  the  various  articles 
from  the  rough  lunilier.  After  a  time  he  added 
the  muicrtaking  business,  and  his  trade  grew  so 
rapidly  that  at  times  he  gave  employment  to 
seventeen  men.  hi  t866  he  sold  out,  on  account 
of  his  eyes  being  disabled  by  inflammation,  and 
for  some  time  he  was  confined  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Hospital,  but  after  eight  years  he  finally 
recovered,  to  tiie  surprise  of  all  who  knew  the 
serious  nature  of  the  disease. 

As  soon  as  able,  Mr.  Gunster  again  became 
interested  in  business  affairs.  He  aided  in  the 
organization  of  the  Scranton  City  Bank,  of  which 
lie  was  the  first  cashier,  continuing  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  April  i,  1882,  when  he  resigned. 
During  the  same  month  he  went  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  and  traveled  through  the  west,  spending 
si.x  months  there.  In  January,  1883,  h^  ^^'^s  made 
deputy  county  treasurer  under  George  Kinback, 
and  served  until  January-,  1886.  At  that  time  he 
went  abroad,  visiting  his  old  German  home,  also 
traveling  through  Switzerland,  Italy,  France, 
Austria,  the  Netherlands  and  Denmark.  When 
returning,  after  six  months,  during  a  storm  at 
sea  he  was  knocked  down  by  the  force  of  the 
wind  and  his  shoulder  was  dislocated  by  the  fall. 
He  returned  to  Scranton  with  his  arm  in  a  sling 
and  was  unable  to  attend  to  business  for  six 
weeks  afterward.  In  1887-88  he  built  three 
stores,  Nos.  323-327  Penn  Avenue,  three  stories 
in  height,  and  in  1889  erected  a  brick  shop  in 
the  rear.  May  25,  1889,  he  was  appointed  by  the 
directors  and  court  as  assignee  of  the  Scranton 
City  Bank,  to  the  afifairs  of  which  he  has  given 
his  attention  since.  For  some  years  he  was  a 
director  in  the  Merchants  &  Mechanics  Bank, 
in  which  he  has  been  a  stockliolder  since  its  or- 
ganization. 

Tn  this  city  Mr.  Gunster  married  Miss  Lucina 
Luts,  who  was  born  in  Green  Ridge,  a  daugh- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


159 


ter  of  Rlicliael  Luts,  also  a  native  of  that  place 
and  a  lifelong  farmer  there.  Her  grandfather 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, having  come  there  from  the  Lehigh  Val- 
ley. The  five  sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunster  are 
Henry  J.,  a  graduate  of  the  Newton  (N.  J) 
Academy  and  member  of  the  firm  of  Gunster 
&  Forsyth,  dealers  in  hardware  at  Scranton; 
Charles  W.,  a  graduate  of  an  academy  in  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  now  cashier  of  the  Merchants  & 
Mechanics  Bank;  George  N.,  who  is  with  Guns- 
ter &  Forsyth;  Walter  E.,  a  graduate  of  Princeton 
College,  class  of  1894,  and  an  attorney  of  Scran- 
ton; and  Arthur,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege, class  of  1896. 

In  national  issues  Mr.  Gunster  is  a  Democrat 
and  during  the  memorable  campaign  of  1896  was 
a  supporter  of  the  gold  standard.  He  was  the 
first  president  of  the  common  council  of  the  city 
of  Scranton  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
school  control  here,  being  its  treasurer  for  one 
term.  Fraternally  he  is  past  master  of  Schiller 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  belongs  to  Lackawanna 
Chapter,  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.;  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery.  No.  17,  K.  T.,  is  past  noble  grand  of 
Alliance  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  past  officer  in  the 
encampment,  and  a  member  of  the  Liederkranz. 


CAPT.  JAAIES  MOIR  gained  the  title  by 
which  he  is  usually  called  through  his 
service  in  the  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  National  Guard.  In  1877  he  was 
one  of  the  original  members  of  Company  C,  then 
known  as  the  Scranton  City  Guard,  and  wa$  com- 
missioned from  time  to  time  until  he  became 
captain  in  1884,  in  which  capacity  he  served  two 
terms  of  five  years  each.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  resigned,  in  October,  1894,  and  was 
honorably  discharged.  In  1871  he  came  to 
Scranton.  his  present  place  of  residence,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  for  five  years,  and  then 
opened  a  merchant  tailoring  establishment  at 
Nos.  406-408  Lackawanna  Avenue,  two  doors 
above  his  present  location.  In  1877  he  removed 
to  Nos.  400  and  402,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained, having  a  large  and  elegant  stock  of 
goods  and  can-ying  on  a  good  business. 


The  Moir  family  is  of  Scotch  origin.  The 
Captain's  paternal  grandfather,  John  Moir,  was 
a  fisherman  and  hotel  keeper  on  the  Orkney 
Islands,  off  the  north  coast  of  Scotland,  and  his 
maternal  grandfather,  James  Robertson,  was  a 
farmer  of  Aberdeenshire.  His  parents,  John  and 
Elspath  (Robertson)  Moir,  were  natives  respect- 
ively of  Orkney  Islands  and  Aberdeenshire.  The 
former,  who  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Fur  Company,  spent  many  years  as  a  fur 
trapper  on  the  Saskatchewan  River  in  British 
America.  He  could  speak  fluently  the  different 
Indian  dialects  and  always  evinced  a  friendly  feel- 
ing toward  the  red  men.  He  returned  to  Scot- 
land, where  he  was  employed  as  a  tailor  until  his 
death. 

Of  seven  children  in  the  parental  family,  all 
attained  years  of  maturity,  but  only  two  are  liv- 
ing. The  Captain,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  early  obliged  to  earn  his  own  livelihood, 
and  went  from  Scotland  to  London,  where  he 
worked  at  the  tailor's  trade.  In  1867  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  Phila- 
delphia until  187 1,  since  which  time  he  has  re- 
sided in  Scranton.  Here  he  married  Miss 
Frances  Flint,  a  native  of  London,  England. 
They  are  the  parents  of  ten  children:  James  S., 
a  tailor;  John  W.,  who  is  a  police  officer  in  this 
city;  Helen,  Robert  B.,  Wallace  W.,  Franklin, 
Wilfrid,  Flora,  Elsie  and  Fannie.  Robert,  who 
was  appointed  a  military  cadet  by  the  member  of 
congress  from  Scranton,  remained  one  year  at 
West  Point,  but  on  account  of  having  been  poi- 
soned by  a  poison  ivy  he  was  confined  in  a  hos- 
pital for  three  months,  and  finally  was  honorably 
discharged.  Returning  home,  on  his  recovery 
he  was  appointed  on  the  city  engineer's  force 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  his  death  in 
February,    1896. 

Captain  Moir's  popularity  may  be  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  was  elected  six  times  in  succes- 
sion to  represent  the  ninth  ward  in  the  common 
council,  and  for  two  years  was  president  of  the 
council,  and  at  different  times  he  has  served  on 
important  committees  and  is  chairman  of  the  ju- 
diciary committee.  In  his  political  affiliations  he 
is  a  firm  Republican,  always  voting  the  party 
ticket.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Second  Presby- 


i6o 


PORTIIAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


terian  Churcli,  has  been  president  of  the  Scran- 
ton  Caledonian  Club,  is  identified  with  the  Peter 
Williamson  Lodge,  F".  &  A.  M.,  the  Scranton 
Consistory,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  is  treasurer  of  the  encampment  and 
identified  with  the  Patriarchs  Militant. 


Hoy.  JOHN  P.  QUINNAN.  As  an  influ- 
riitial  member  of  the  Democratic  party 
the  name  of  Mr.  Quinnan  is  well  and  fa- 
vorably Known  throughout  Lackawanna  County. 
A  man  of  progressive  spirit,  his  fellow-citizens 
in  Scranton  are  justly  proud  of  his  success.  Those 
of  opposite  political  views,  while  combating  his 
opinions,  recognize  his  talents  and  respect  the 
fidelity  with  which  he  supports  his  party  prin- 
ciples. In  January,  1896,  at  the  close  of  his  term 
in  the  assembly,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  an- 
other attorney  under  the  firm  name  of  Quinnan 
&  Donahoe,  and  now  carries  on  a  general  prac- 
tice in  the  Mears  Building. 

James  and  Catherine  (Moyles)  Quinnan,  par- 
ents of  our  subject,  were  natives  of  County  Sligo, 
Ireland,  where  they  were  reared.  About  1854 
the  father  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  an  iron  worker  with  the  Lackawanna 
Coal  Company  until  he  retired  from  active 
labors.  He  is  still  living  and  makes  his  home 
on  the  south  side.  After  coming  here  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Moyles,  by  whom  he  has  five  chil- 
dren. John  P.,  who  is  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  the  twelfth  ward  of  Scranton,  April 
18,  1859.  When  only  five  years  of  age  he  lost 
one  limb  in  a  railroad  accident.  On  this  account 
he  was  perhaps  given  better  educational  advan- 
tages than  might  otherwise  have  fallen  to  his  lot. 
He  graduated  from  the  high  school  in  1877 
with  the  first  honors  and  valedictory,  after  which 
he  was  employed  as  principal  of  school  No.  2, 
the  first  school  he  had  ever  attended.  He  was 
actively  connected  with  the  local  teachers'  organ- 
ization and  was  very  successful  in  the  work.  His 
leisure  hours  were  given  to  the  study  of  law 
under  Hon.  W.  H.  Stanton  and  in  the  office  of 
Stokes  &  Hoban,  and  while  there  he  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  1894. 

A    Democrat   in   politics,    Mr.    Quinnan    is   a 


member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  city 
committee,  has  been  a  member  of  the  county 
central  committee,  chairman  of  county  conven- 
tions and  delegate  to  state  conventions.  He  was 
formerly  a  member  of  the  board  of  health  and 
for  twelve  years  belonged  to  the  certificate  com- 
mittee of  Lackawanna  County,  having  been 
elected  to  this  ofifice  by  the  teachers.  In  1892 
he  was  elected  to  represent  the  second  district  of 
Lackawanna  County  in  the  assembly,  his  op- 
ponent being  F.  T.  Okell,  Republican.  He  took 
his  seat  in  1893  and  served  with  fidelity  to  the 
interests  of  his  constituents.  Among  the  com- 
mittees of  which  he  was  a  member  were  those  on 
vice  and  immorality,  judicial  apportionment,  re- 
trenchment and  reform.  He  assisted  in  the  pas- 
sage of  the  anti-Pinkerton  bill  and  also  supported 
the  firemen's  bill,  which  passed  both  houses,  but 
was  vetoed  by  the  governor.  Fraternally  he  is 
identified  with  the  Royal  Arcanum,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Scuth  Side  Council. 


FRANK  M.  MOYER.  Business  men  of 
Scranton,  as  of  all  enterprising  cities,  are 
a  potent  element  in  the  development  of  its 
industries  and  draw  to  it  such  citizens  as  will 
enhance  its  prosperity.  Among  the  contractors 
and  builders  of  the  city,  to  whose  energy  and 
skill  is  due  the  substantial  appearance  of  our 
public  buildings  and  private  homes,  mention 
properly  belongs  to  Frank  M.  Moyer,  who  re- 
sides at  No.  935  Capouse  Avenue  and  has  his 
shop  in  the  rear  of  No.  320  North  Washington 
Avenue.  Being  endowed  by  nature  with  excel- 
lent judgment  and  common  sense,  he  has  added 
to  these  qualities  an  enviable  reputation  for  in- 
tegrity and  honorable  dealing,  and  his  excep- 
tional business  ability  is  recognized  by  his  asso- 
ciates. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Stephen  Moyer,  is 
a  member  of  an  old  family  of  Northampton 
County  and  was  born  in  Elaston.  For  a  time  he 
was  employed  as  a  gunsmith  in  Tannersville,  but 
in  i860  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany. Upon  the  first  call  for  volunteers  at  the 
opening    of    the    Civil    War    he    promptly    re- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


i6i 


sponded,  and  in  February,  1861,  his  name  was 
enrolled  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Forty-seventh  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
He  served  faithfully  until  the  close  of  tiie  conflict, 
returning  to  his  home  March  15,  1865.  After- 
ward he  removed  to  Wyoming  County,  but 
eleven  years  later  returned  to  Scranton,  where 
he  is  still  living.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Neyhart,  was  born  in  Nazareth, 
Pa.,  of  an  old  family  in  that  locality.  They  were 
the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  six 
are  living. 

The  eldest  member  of  the  faniilv,  Frank  M., 
was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  in  1858,  and  from  the 
age  of  ten  has  been  practically  self-supporting. 
When  nineteen  he  learned  the  caqjenter's  trade 
in  Scranton,  and  in  1888  began  contracting  on 
his  own  account.  He  has  continued  in  this  occu- 
pation ever  since,  having  contracts  throughout 
the  entire  valley.  Among  those  in  other  places 
may  be  mentioned  the  Anthracite  Hotel  and  the 
Ontario  &  Western  depot  at  Carbondale.  His 
business  place  is  in  the  rear  of  No.  320  Washing- 
ton Avenue.  During  the  busy  season  he  em- 
ploys from  eighty-five  to  one  hundred  men,  all 
skilled  workmen,  by  which  means  he  is  enabled 
to  execute  his  contracts  promptly,  efficiently 
and  accurately.  He  has  been  twice  married  and 
has  two  children,  Elsie  and  Edgar.  His  present 
wife  was  in  maidenhood  Isabelle  Fassold  and 
was  born  in  Scranton.  Fraternally  Mr.  Moyer 
is  identified  with  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M., 
and  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. 
In  religion  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


JAMES  RUTHERFORD,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing dry-goods  merchants  of  Carbondale,  is 
of  Scotch  birth  and  lineage.  He  was  born 
September  28,  1848,  in  the  beautiful  old  city  of 
Kelso,  on  the  Tweed,  near  the  border  of  Eng- 
land. His  parents,  Thomas  and  Isabel  (Young) 
Rutherford,  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Scotland, 
where  the  former  was  an  extensive  woolen  man- 
ufacturer in  Kelso.    The  family  consisted  of  sev- 


eral children,  of  whom  Thomas  still  resides  in 
Kelso,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business;  William  is  the  gardener  to  Lord 
Holmes  at  Weybridge,  England. 

Educated  in  his  native  place,  as  a  young  man 
Mr.  Rutherford  became  a  traveling  salesman  for 
the  fimi  of  I.  J.  &  G.  Cooper  of  Manchester, 
England.  In  1869  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
Canada  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  the  dry- 
goods  business  in  London,  after  which  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  for  one  year  was  employed  in 
the  dry-goods  house  of  A.  E.  Thomas  &  Co. 
Going  back  to  Canada,  he  had  charge  of  the 
branch  store  of  a  London  (Ont.)  firm,  near  that 
city  in  the  village  of  Strathroy.  After  having 
been  the  proprietor  of  this  establishment  for 
about  three  years,  he  embarked  in  business  for 
himself  at  Watford,  Canada,  and  remained  some 
years  in  that  place.  His  next  venture  was  the 
purchase  of  the  Strathroy  store  from  his  former 
employers,  and  two  years  were  spent  in  the 
management  of  the  enterprise  there. 

On  selling  out,  Mr.  Rutherford  went  to  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  where  he  clerked  in  a  store  for  two 
years.  Then  coming  to  Pennsylvania,  he  was 
employed  by  the  dry-goods  firm  of  Clelland, 
Simpson  &  Taylor,  in  Scranton,  for  two  years. 
When  they  established  a  branch  at  Carbondale 
called  the  Globe  warehouse,  he  was  taken  into 
the  firm  as  a  partner  and  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  business  here.  His  energetic  method  of  doing 
business  has  put  new  life  into  the  dry-goods 
trade  in  Carbondale  and  from  the  first  he  has 
been  successful.  In  1890  he  bought  the  interest 
of  his  partners  in  the  Carbondale  store,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  sole  proprietor  and  has 
carried  on  a  large  and  profitable  trade.  He  has 
recently  completed  one  of  "the  finest  residences 
in  Carbondale  and  expects  to  here  make  his  per- 
manent home. 

September  15,1875,  Mr.  Rutherford  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Bailey,  a  na- 
tive of  London,  Ont.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely.: 
Albert,  who  is  a  student  at  Blair's  Hall,  in  Blairs- 
town,  N.  J.;  Thomas  Arthur,  Beatrice  May  and 
James  Bailey,  who  are  students  in  the  Carbon- 
dale schools.    In  religious  belief  Mr.  Rutherford 


l62 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


is  identified  with  the  First  Presbyterian  Cluircli, 
and  politically  is  independent,  supporting  the 
men  whom  he  deems  best  qualified  to  represent 
the  people.  While  he  started  in  life  unaided  ex- 
cept by  his  strong  constitution  and  willing  hands, 
he  has  met  with  success,  which  is  attributed  to 
his  energy  and  industry,  backed  by  a  good  share 
of  common  sense.  In  his  manners  he  is  plain 
and  straightfonvard,  in  deportment  affable  and 
pleasing,  and  as  a  citizen  he  has  the  respect  of 
his  acquaintances. 


GEORGE  G.  WINANS.  Not  only  in  the 
immediate  locality  where  he  resides,  but 
throughout  the  entire  city  of  Scranton, 
Mr.  Winans  is  known  as  an  energetic  and  capable 
business  man.  who  by  long  experience  is  espe- 
cially qualified  for  the  work  of  which  he  makes 
a  specialty.  Since  i860  he  has  made  his  home 
here,  coming  to  the  city  at  that  time  and  begin- 
ning in  business  as  a  sign  and  house  painter.  In 
that  capacity  he  gave  employment,  during  bus\- 
seasons,  to  about  twenty-five  hands.  Since  1886 
he  has,  however,  given  his  attention  exclusively 
to  sign  painting,  and  has  the  largest  business  of 
anyone  in  that  line  here. 

A  native  of  New  Jersey,  Mr.  Winans  was  born 
in  Belvidere,  Warren  County,  June  28,  1838.  His 
father,  Elihu  M.,  who  was  born  in  Elizabeth, 
N.  J.,  became  an  early  settler  of  Belvidere, 
where  he  was  engaged  as  a  tinsmith  and  dealer 
in  hardware  and  stoves.  Thence  he  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  worked  in  that  city  for  fourteen 
years.  In  i860  he  came  to  Scranton  and  estab- 
lished his  home  in  Hyde  Park,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  death.  He  married  Charlotte 
Randolph,  who  was  born  in  Belvidere,  N.  J., 
where  her  father,  Abraham  F.,  a  veteran  of  the 
War  of  1S12,  was  for  some  years  a  shoemaker. 
She  died  in  New  Jersey,  having  Ijcconie  the 
mother  of  four  children,  three  now  living. 

Educated  in  the  ]nil)lii-  and  high  schools  of 
Belvidere  and  Philailelphia,  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen Mr.  Winans  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
sign  painter  in  Philadelphia,  and  five  years  later, 
on  the  completion  of  his  apprenticeship,  he  began 
for  himself  in   that   citv.     In    i860  he  came  to 


Scranton  and  settled  where  he  now  resides  at 
No.  521  North  Main  Avenue,  Hyde  Park.  Since 
1896  the  firm  has  been  Winans  &  Son.  He  built 
the  Marble  Block,  three  stories  high  and  con- 
taining three  stores,  one  of  which  he  still  owns. 
At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Bonta 
Glass  Company  at  Moosic,  he  was  one  of  its 
promoters,  and  in  1893  was  sent  to  Europe  with  a 
working  model.  While  his  business  was  chiefly 
in  Vienna,  he  visited  London  and  Paris  and 
points  of  interest  on  the  continent,  spending 
nearly  two  months  abroad. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Winans  married  Mrs.  Anna 
(Hughes)  Howell,  w^ho  was  born  in  England, 
being  a  member  of  an  old  family  of  Wales.  Thev 
are  the  parents  of  two  children,  George  H.,  and 
Mrs.  Minnie  J.  Richart,  of  Scranton.  The  for- 
mer, who  was  born  here,  is  an  energetic  young 
business  man  and  is  in  partnership  with  his  father 
at  No.  317  Lackawanna  Avenue.  Though  not 
active  in  public  affairs,  Mr.  Winans  is  well  in- 
formed regarding  national  issues  and  uni- 
formly supports  the  Democratic  ticket.  Having 
made  a  careful  study  of  Christian  science,  he  has 
become  a  convert  to  that  belief  and  a  firm  sup- 
porter of  its  teachings.  In  Masonry  he  belongs 
to  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.. 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T.,  and 
the  Consistory. 


CHARLES  L.  THOUROT,  D.  D.  S.  Al- 
though still  in  the  dawn  of  his  profes- 
sional career.  Dr.  Thourot  has  already 
given  evidence  of  his  ability  that  qualifies  him 
for  a  high  place  in  the  dental  profession.  Ener- 
getic, ambitious  and  persevering,  there  seems  no 
reason  why  his  unquestioned  ability  should  not 
find  full  scojje  in  the  discharge  of  professional  du- 
ties. He  is  well  informed  in  every  department  of 
the  profession,  to  which  he  has  conscientiously 
given  careful  thought  and  earnest  study,  in  order 
that  lie  might  prepare  himself  for  successful  work. 
The  Doctor's  father,  C.  L.  Thourot,  was  born 
near  Paris,  France,  and  was  a  son  of  George 
Thourot,  a  machinist,  who  spent  two  years  in 
Scranton,  hut  then  returned  to  France.  The 
father,  who  was  also  a  machinist  by  trade,  came 


HON.   I,KMriU<  AMIiRMAN. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


165 


to  America  in  1863  and  settled  in  Scranton, 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  Dickson  Works, 
first  as  machinist,  then  as  draughtsman.  In 
1893  he  retired  from  active  labors  and  has  since 
resided  in  Dalton.  He  married  Miss  Zilpha  M. 
Heller,  who  was  born  in  Scranton,  of  an  old 
Pennsylvania-German  family,  being  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  a  sister  of  Captain  Heller.  They 
were  the  parents  of  four  children,  three  of  whom 
are  living,  one  son,  George  F.,  being  a  dental 
student  under  his  brother. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  next  to 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  born  and  rcare'l 
in  Scranton.  where  he  attended  the  public  and 
high  schools.  While  still  in  school,  he  devoted 
his  evenings  and  Saturdays  to  the  study  of 
dentistrv  under  Dr.  Wheaton,  continuing  for 
eighteeii  months.  In  1886  he  entered  the  Penn- 
sylvania Dental  College,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated two  years  later  with  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S. 
He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Arch 
Street,  Philadelphia,  and  in  1896  settled  in  Scran- 
ton, opening  an  office  at  No.  421  Lackawanna 
Avenue,  where  he  had  gained  his  first  knowledge 
of  the  profession.  He  has  every  convenience  for 
his  work  and  the  latest  improvements  for  crown 
and  bridge  work,  so  that  with  the  painstaking 
skill  he  gives  to  every  detail,  he  cannot  fail  of 
success.  He  makes  his  home  with  his  parents  in 
Dalton.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  While  in  Philadelphia  he  united  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  lie 
is  also  associated  witli^the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Eagle. 


HON.  LEMUEL  AMERMAN,  ex-M.  C, 
has  been  practicing  law  in  Scranton  since 
1876,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
bar.  His  practice  is  very  extensive  in  all  the 
courts,  though  his  preference  is  for  civil  law,  and 
he  has  been  engaged  in  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant cases  connected  with  coal  mining  and 
corporations.  He  was  born  near  Danville,  Mon- 
tour County,  Pa.,  October  29,  1846,  and  is  a  son 
of  Jesse  C.  and  Caroline  (Strohm)  Amerman. 
The  first  of  the  Amerman  family  to  settle  in 
America  was   his   great-great-great-grandfather, 


who  resided  near  Amsterdam,  Holland,  and 
came  over  to  New  York  with  the  Dutch  colon- 
ists. For  a  number  of  years  from  1695  Derick 
Amerman  owned  and  ran  the  ferries  between 
New  York  and  Hoboken. 

Albert  Amerman,  great-grandfather  of  Lem- 
uel, came  to  Pennsylvania  from  New  Jersey  and 
settled  in  Northumberland  County  in  1800,  pur- 
chasing a  tract  of  land  and  remaining  there  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1821.  Prior  to  the 
Revolution  he  was  a  farmer,  but  upon  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war  he  gave  up  his  horses,  cattle 
and  other  stock,  a  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  his 
country's  liberty.  Entering  the  service  of  the 
colonies,  he  participated  in  various  engagements 
and  lost  his  knee-cap  at  the  battle  of  Moimiouth. 
Henry,  son  of  Albert  Amerman,  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  and  when  a  small  boy  accompanied 
his  father  to  Pennsylvania.  He  married  Susan- 
na Cook,  a  native  of  Montgomery  County,  this 
state. 

Jesse  C.  Amerman,  son  of  Henry  and  father  of 
Lemuel,  is  a  resident  of  Cooper  Township,  Mon- 
tour County,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming 
and  merchandising.  In  1873-74  he  represented 
Montour  County  in  the  state  legislature.  De- 
cember 2,  1845,  he  married  Caroline,  daughter 
of  Abraham  Strohm,  and  a  descendant  of  an- 
cestors who  emigrated  from  Germany  and  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania  about  1765.  She  died  April 
19,  1869.  Born  and  reared  on  a  farm,  in  youth 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  followed  the  work  in- 
cident to  such  a  life,  and  thus  acquired  habits  of 
industry  and  thrift  and  much  practical  experi- 
ence. Possessing  by  birth  and  training  a  good 
constitution,  he  has  stored  up  such  health  as  has 
given  him  much  physical  endurance.  I"or  a 
while  he  worked  in  repairing  tlie  canal  owned  by 
the  Pennsylvania  Canal  Company,  and  drove 
team  and  clerked  in  a  store.  He  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  prepared  for 
college  at  Danville  Academy.  Two  years  were 
spent  in  teaching  school,  and  in  1866  he  entered 
Bucknell  University  at  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  from 
which  institution  he  graduated  with  honor  in  the 
class  of  1870.  For  three  years  he  was  professor 
of  ancient  languages  and  English  literature  in 
the  state  normal  school  at  Mansfield,  Pa. 


i66 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Tlic  law  studies  of  Mr.  Anierinan  were  begun 
in  the  office  of  the  late  Lewis  C.  Cassidy,  ex-at- 
torney general  of  I'liinsylvania.  and  Pierce  Ar- 
cher, Jr.,  of  Philadelphia,  where  his  fellow  stu- 
dents were  Hon.  Robert  E.  Pattison,  ex-governor 
of  Pennsylvania:  Hon.  James  Gay  Gordon, 
judge  of  common  pleas  of  Philadelphia,  and  Hon. 
William  F.  Harrity.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  December  24,  1875.  and  in  1876  .settled  in 
Scranton,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  From  1878  to  1881 
he  was  county  solicitor  of  Lackawanna  County, 
and  from  the  latter  date  to  1883  he  represented 
the  city  of  Scranton  in  tlic  house  of  representa- 
tives at  Harrisburg.  While  in  that  position  he 
drafted  and  secured  the  passage  of  important 
laws  regarding  anthracite  coal  mining.  In  1886 
Governor  Pattison  appointed  him  reporter  of  the 
decisions  of  the  supreme  court  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  he  prepared  five  reports  of  cases,  reforming 
the  practice  of  reporting  cases  by  promptly  is- 
suing the  reports  instead  of  waiting  for  a  year 
and  upwards  after  the  decrees  were  delivered. 
This  was  of  great  advantage  to  attorneys  and 
judges,  and  that  it  was  highly  appreciated  is  evi- 
denced by  the  following  commendations  which 
were  tendered  him:  "Your  promptness  in  get- 
ting the  opinions  published  is  very  commenda- 
ble," Chief  Justice  Mercur;  "Your  work  as  a 
reporter  is  well  done  and  the  dispatch  with  which 
you  have  published  the  reports  is  worthy  of  all 
commendation,"  Justice  Gordon;  "You  are  doing 
your  work  very  well.  Your  promptness  has  not 
been  e.xcelled  or  equaled,  and  is  entirely  novel," 
Justice  Pa.Kson;  from  Justice  Trunkey:  "Your 
promptness  must  be  pleasing  and  advantageous 
to  the  profession,  and  I  think  the  character  of 
your  work  satisfactory.  You  have  shown  that 
the  authorized  reports  of  cases  may  be  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  profession  within  less  than  three 
nxjnths  after  the  decision,"  and  the  following 
from  Justice  Green:  "I  appreciate  highly  the 
promptness  with  which  the  reports  are  printed 
under  your  supervision,  and  also  the  thorough- 
ness with  which  the  cases  are  prepared  and  ar- 
ranged. You  are  certainly  deserving  of  great 
credit  for  your  work  in  these  respects." 

In  1887  Mr.  Amerman  was  elected  controller 


of  the  city  of  .Scranton,  which  ofifice  he  held  two 
years,  and  worked  many  reforms  in  auditing  ac- 
counts and  in  the  distribution  of  city  funds.  The 
highest  political  honor  that  has  been  conferred 
upon  him  was  his  election  to  represent  Lacka- 
wanna County  in  the  Fifty-second  Congress, 
where  he  aided  in  securing  the  passage  of  the 
act  requiring  railroads  to  equip  their  cars  with 
automatic  couplers  and  air  brakes.  Now  in  the 
])rinie  of  his  intellectual  ability,  it  may  reason- 
al)ly  l)c  predicti'd  thai  future  years  will  bring  him 
otlier  honors,  as  high  as  or  higher  than  any  he 
has  yet  been  called  upon  to  accept. 

In  I'hiladclphia,  September  24,  1879,  Mr. 
Amerman  married  Susan,  daughter  of  Laurens 
W'allaze,  member  of  a  Mrginian  family.  Mrs. 
.•\merman  died  four  months  later.  The  second 
wife  of  ^Ir.  .-\merman  was  Mary  C,  daughter  of 
Charles  F".  \'an  Nort,  of  Scranton,  formerly  of 
.Abington  Township.  .She  died  February  7, 
1886,  leaving  two  children,  Ralph  and  Mary. 
The  present  wife  of  our  subject,  with  whom  he 
was  united  July  2,  1890,  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Ella  May  \'an  Nort,  and  was  a  si.ster  of  his 
late  wife.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat.  A  Bap- 
tist in  religious  views,  he  was  superintendent  of 
the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist  .Sunday-school  in 
.Scranton  for  seven  years.  Liberal  in  his  opin- 
ions, he  believes  in  freedom  of  conscience,  and 
recognizes  no  authority  to  formulate  or  interpret 
a  creed  for  him. 

The  life  of  Mr.  Amerman  furnishes  an  excel- 
lent example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in 
tliis  country  by  a  man  of  ability  and  determina- 
tion, though  unaided  by  any  favoring  circum- 
stances of  wealth  or  position.  Commencing  at 
the  lowest  rung  of  the  ladder,  he  has  climbed 
steadily  upward,  until  now  he  has  attained  a  po- 
sition of  influence  and  honor.  His  natural  abil- 
ity as  a  lawyer,  combined  with  his  exceptionally 
keen  foresight  as  a  Inisiness  man,  enabled  him  to 
acc|uire  a  competence  of  this  world's  goods.  With 
tin-  broad  views  of  a  philanthropist,  he  does  not 
allow  his  wealth  to  lie  idle,  but  uses  it  in  the  pro- 
motion of  public  enterprises,  among  others  being 
largely  interested  in  building  and  operating  water 
works  and  electric  railways.  The  esteem  and 
confidence  reposed  in  him  is  shown  by  the  fact 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


167 


that  he  was  entrusted  by  the  late  Judge  Handley 
as  one  of  the  trustees  of  his  immense  estate. 

The  foregoing  is  a  brief  epitome  of  the  hfe  of 
Mr.  Amennan.  Both  in  private  affairs  and  pub- 
lic duties,  his  record  is  above  reproach.  His 
voice,  so  powerful  and  persuasive  before  a  jurj-, 
when  urging  the  vindication  of  the  majesty  of 
violated  law,  has  also  been  heard  in  the  councils 
of  the  nation,  and  always  in  defense  of  what  he 
believes  to  be  justice.  To  such  men  as  he  is  the 
progress  of  Scranton  is  largely  due. 


JOHN  T.  HOWE,  alderman  of  the  seven- 
teenth ward  of  the  city  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Catawissa,  Columbia  County,  Pa., 
September  30,  1837,  and  is  of  remote  English 
extraction.  His  grandfather,  Ephraim  Howe, 
was  born  in  Connecticut,  where  in  early  life  he 
cultivated  a  farm  and  whence  he  removed  to 
Brooklyn  Centre,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa., 
purchasing  land  and  improving  a  farm  that  con- 
tinued to  be  his  home  until  death.  The  father 
of  our  subject,  Elijah,  was  born  in  Connecticut, 
and  when  a  young  man  moved  to  Columbia 
County,  Pa.,  but  later  went  to  Little  York,  Pa., 
where  he  died.  During  the  Civil  War  he  sensed 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-third  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry.  His  wife,  Lydia,  was  born  in 
Catawissa  and  died  there,  aged  seventy-two.  She 
was  a  member  of  a  Quaker  family  that  originated 
in  England,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Mears, 
a  cabinet-maker  of  Catawissa.  Her  three  chil- 
dren were  James  E.,  who  resides  at  Great  Bend, 
Susquehanna  Coimty;  William  M.,  who  was  a 
member  of  an  Ohio  regiment  during  the  Civil 
War  and  died  in  Ohio;  and  John  T.,  of  this 
sketch. 

After  having  completed  the  district  school 
studies,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  the  subject  of  this 
record  went  to  Danville,  Montour  County,  and 
learned  the  printing  business  in  the  office  of  the 
Danville  "Democrat,"  where  he  remained  from 
1852  until  the  war  broke  out.  April  21,  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Fourteenth  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  and  went  into  Virginia  under 
General  Patterson,  serving  for  three  months.  He 
was  mustered  out  August  7,  1861,  and  October 


3,  of  the  same  year,  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany H,  Ninety-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
With  the  others  of  his  company  he  stood  beneath 
a  heavy  fire,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  from  5 
a.  m.  until  6  p.  m.  Me  was  jjromoted  to  be  color 
sergeant,  April  2,  1S65,  in  recognition  of  bravery. 
In  the  various  expeditions  and  marches  of  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  he  took 
part,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  was  mustered  out,  June  25,  1865.  Many  times 
during  his  long  period  of  service  he  narrowly 
escaped  with  his  life,  and  his  many  thrilling  and 
perilous  experiences  would  be  most  interesting 
reading,  did  space  permit  them  to  be  written  up 
in  full.  His  record  as  a  soldier  is  one  which,  for 
bravery  in  the  midst  of  danger  and  unwavering 
fidelity  to  trusts  reposed  in  him,  cannot  be  ex- 
celled. 

In  1866  Mr.  Howe  came  to  Scranton  in  the 
employ  of  the  "Scranton  Republican''  as  a  com- 
positor. After  a  year  he  became  collector  and 
circulation  manager  for  the  paper,  retaining  that 
position  about  ten  years.  From  that  time  he 
served  as  advertising  solicitor  and  collecting 
agent  until  May  i,  1896,  when  he  resigned  to  ac- 
cept the  position  of  alderman.  In  February, 
1896,  he  was  nominated  for  this  position  and  was 
elected  without  opposition.  On  the  first  Mon- 
day in  May  he  took  office,  being  commissioned 
by  Governor  Hastings  for  five  years.  For  two 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  common  council 
and  in  1890,  upon  the  Republican  ticket,  was 
elected  jury  commissioner  of  Lackawanna 
County  for  three  years.  Politically  he  is  a  Re- 
publican and  always  advocates  the  measures  of 
his  party. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Howe  took  place  in 
Columbia  County  on  the  loth  day  of  March, 
i860,  and  united  him  with  Miss  Hattie  R.  Evans, 
who  was  born  in  Montour  County  and  died  in 
Scranton  in  1878.  The  present  wife  of  Mr.  Howe 
was  Miss  M.  E.,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Kenyon, 
a  Baptist  minister  of  Blakely,  Pa.;  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Mildred  K.  and  Joseph 
A.  S.  Fraternally  our  subject  is  past  grand  of 
Lackawanna  Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was 
district  deputy  grand  master  of  that  order  in  the 
second  district  of  Lackawanna   Count v  for  two 


i68 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years  and  at  one  time  was  prominently  men- 
tioned as  a  candidate  for  the  otTicc  of  grand  war- 
den. He  belongs  to  Scrantonia  Encampment, 
Xo.  8i ;  is  past  sachem  of  Xavajo  Tribe  \o.  105, 
I.  O.  R  M.,  and  ex-district  deputy  great  sachem: 
for  three  terms  was  commander  of  Col.  William 
X.  Monies  Post  Xo.  319,  G.  A.  R.,  and  aided  in 
organizing  the  first  post  in  the  city  of  Scranton ; 
also  holds  membership  with  Lieut.  Ezra  Griflfin 
Camp  Xo.  8,  Sons  of  \'eterans;  is  past  president 
of  Camp  Xo.  572,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  and  belongs  to 
Colonel  Oak  ford  Precinct  Xo.  25.  U.  V.  U., 
Department  of  Pennsylvania. 


PillLAXDER  S.  JOSLIX,  one  of  the 
pioneer  printers  of  Carbondale,  was  born 
in  Rome,  X.  Y.,  April  24,  1817,  and  is  a 
descendant  of  Irish  ancestry.  The  family 
date  their  history  in  this  country  back  more  than 
two  hundred  years,  when  three  brothers  crossed 
the  Atlantic  from  Ireland,  one  settling  in  Xew 
Hampshire,  another  in  Massachusetts,  and  the 
third  in  Connecticut.  They  were  Protestants  in 
religious  belief,  and  probably  came  from  tlie 
northern  part  of  Ireland,  but  aside  from  these 
meager  facts,  nothing  is  known  of  the  remote 
ancestors. 

Our  subject's  father,  Ephraim,  and  grand- 
father, Abijah  Joslin,  were  natives  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. The  former  removed  to  Oneida  County, 
X.  Y.,  about  1790,  and  there  resided  for  many 
years.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  on  a  farm, 
but  agriculture  was  not  congenial  to  liis  tastes, 
and  he  chose  the  occupation  of  a  mechanic,  com- 
mencing work  in  a  glass  factory,  but  later  be- 
came an  expert  wood-worker.  During  the  War 
of  1812  he  volunteered  in  the  service,  and  was 
engaged  as  a  musician  in  the  army.  Late  in 
life  he  moved  west  to  Wisconsin,  and  engaged 
in  farming  until  his  retirement  from  active  labors. 
lie  died  on  his  farm  about  1870,  aged  ciglity- 
fcjur  years. 

The  motliir  01  Dur  subject,  wliose  maiden  name 
was  Ruth  Simmons,  was  a  native  of  Providence, 
\i.  I.,  and  a  descendant  of  English  ancestry.  Her 
forefathers  went  to  Rhode  Island  about  the  time 
that  Roger  Williams  was  driven  out  of  Massa- 


chusetts. Her  father.  Ivory  Simmons,  took  part 
in  the  R?volutionary  War,  and  while  on  board 
a  man-of-war  was  wounded,  so  that  he  w-as 
obliged  to  use  crutches  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age,  passing  away 
near  Palmyra,  X^.  Y.,  at  ninety  years  of  age. 

In  1831  the  parents  of  our  subject  moved  to 
DundafT,  Pa.,  where  his  mother  died  in  1842. 
His  father,  who  was  superintendent  of  a  glass 
factory  there,  afterward  went  to  Wisconsin  and 
married  a  second  time.  Of  his  first  marriage 
there  were  born  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
who  grew  to  mature  years,  our  subject  being 
the  eldest.  Abijah,  who  learned  the  harness 
maker's  trade  in  early  life,  later  was  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  at  Wilkesbarre,  and  died  of 
cancer  in  California  when  seventy  years  of  age. 
Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Alpheus  Baker,  died  in  this 
county  in  1863.  Sophronia  married  Almon 
Dolph  and  settled  near  Rochester,  X'.  Y.,  where  he 
died;  afterward  she  became  the  wife  of  a  Mr. 
Cole,  wlio  was  engaged  in  the  nursery  business. 
Her  death  occurred  in  Penfield,  N.  Y.,  in  1894. 
Charlotte,  wife  of  William  Arnold,  at  one  time  a 
resident  of  Dundaff,  later  a  merchant  in  Carbon- 
dale,  died  in  1848,  leaving  no  children. 

Very  few  opportunities  of  gaining  an  educa- 
tion fell  to  the  lot  of  our  subject  in  boyhood.  For 
a  short  time  he  was  a  pupil  in  a  district  school 
in  Oneida  County,  two  miles  from  his  home, 
and  was  obliged  to  walk  back  and  forth  through 
the  cold  of  winter  and  rains  of  spring.  When 
only  nine  years  of  age  he  went  into  a  glass  fac- 
tory to  work.  In  1831  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Dundafif,  and  the  following  year  came 
to  Carbondale  to  learn  the  printer's  trade.  In 
1835  he  went  back  to  DundafT  and  remained 
there  about  nine  months,  thence  went  to  Berwick, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  the  spring 
of  1837.  lie  then  started  llie  publication  of  the 
"Berwick  Gazette."  Subsequently  he  removed 
to  Harrisburg,  and  there  was  employed  at  his 
trade  until  the  spring  of  1839.  Next,  going  to 
HoUidaysburg,  he  started  the  "Democratic  Stand- 
ard," which  he  continued  for  over  two  years. 
I'Vom  1842  to  1848  he  was  the  publisher  of  the 
"Carbondale  Gazette,"  but  after  the  election  of 
President  Polk,  he  sold  out  and  established  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


169 


"Carbondale  Democrat."  lie  was  a  delegate  to 
the  national  convention  that  nominated  Martin 
Van  Bnren  for  the  presidency,  but  refused  the 
support  of  his  paper  to  that  candidate,  and  dur- 
ing the  campaign  sold  out  to  his  partner,  and 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  newly  organized  Repub- 
lican party. 

In  1848  i\lr.  Joslin  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  when  the  city  of  Carbondale  was  or- 
ganized he  was  one  of  the  first  board  of  alder- 
men, serving  as  such  until  1854.  At  the  same  time 
he  was  deputy  clerk  of  the  mayor's  court.  After- 
ward he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  mer- 
chant's store  until  May,  1869,  when  President 
Grant  appointed  him  postmaster  of  Carbondale. 
This  office  he  filled  for  twelve  years  and  eight 
months  under  Grant,  Hayes  and  Garfield.  Upon 
retiring  from  the  position  in  1882,  he  engaged 
in  the  job  printing  business,  which  he  has  since 
followed..  Of  late  years  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Prohibition  party.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire life  he  has  never  used  liquor  or  tobacco,  but 
has  always  given  his  influence  in  behalf  of  tem- 
perance and  morality. 

In  1843  ]\Tr.  Joslin  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  1859  he  joined  the  Baptist  Church, 
of  which  he  has  been  clerk  since  1861,  and  a 
deacon  since  1863.  In  January,  1846,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs  and 
served  as  delegate  to  various  conventions.  On 
the  occasion  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  join- 
ing the  lodge,  he  was  presented  with  a  handsome 
cane  as  a  token  of  respect  and  appreciation.  He 
is  now  the  oldest  living  member  of  the  lodge.  In 
1837  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lucy  Ann 
Steiner,  of  Berwick,  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  a 
descendant  of  German  ancestry.  She  died  in 
Carbondale  in  1847,  leaving  three  children.  Ed- 
win F.,  a  painter  by  trade,  served  for  a  short  time 
in  the  Civil  War,  and  died  in  Wilkesbarre  in  the 
spring  of  1896.  George  D.,  who  entered  the  army 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  served  for  three 
vears  in  the  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Cavalr}',  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Confederates  and  confined 
in  Libby  Prison  and  on  Bell  Island ;  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  painting  business  in  Wilkesbarre, 
and  is  now  connected  with  the  postofficc  depart- 


ment there.    Charles,  the  second  son,  has  always 
lived  at  home  with  his  parents. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Joslin  united  him 
with  Mrs.  Caroline  Whitman,  a  sister  of  his  first 
wife,  and  a  widow  with  one  son,  Alljert  Wliitman. 
The  latter  served  through  the  entire  period  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  was  wounded  at  Seven  Oaks  and 
again  before  Petersburg;  he  died  at  Elmira,  N. 
Y.,  in  1889.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joslin  have  had  four 
children  born  of  their  union,  but  their  only  son 
died  at  fourteen  years  of  age.  Their  three  daugh- 
ters are  Lucy  A.,  a  teacher  in  the  Carbondale  high 
school;  Margaret,  wife  of  J.  L.  Hall,  manager 
of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  at 
Wilmington.  Del.;  and  Ida,  whose  husband,  I. 
W.  Allen,  is  general  agent  for  western  New  York 
of  the  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Company,  their 
residence  being  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


CHARLES  R.  PARKE,  M.  D.,  of  Scran- 
ton,  has  prepared  himself  for  the  practice 
of  the  medical  profession  by  thorough 
study  under  the  best  instructors  of  America  and 
Europe,  and  since  coming  to  Scranton  has  built 
up  an  excellent  practice  and  gained  a  reputation 
as  a  skillful,  successful  physician  and  surgeon. 
In  addition  to  his  general  practice,  he  is  surgeon 
for  the  Ontario  &  Western  Railroad  and  since 
1892  has  served  as  first  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  National 
Guard,  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  For  a 
time  he  was  also  physician  to  the  jail  and  to 
the  Scranton  poor  board. 

The  Parke  family  is  one  of  the  old  and  hon- 
orable families  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Doctor's 
father.  Rev.  N.  G.  Parke,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  was 
born  in  Delta,  York  County,  Pa.,  and  graduated 
from  Washington  and  Jefiferson  College  in  the 
class  with  James  G.  Blaine.  He  then  entered 
Princeton  Theological  .Seminary  and  after  two 
years'  course,  graduated  in  1844.  His  gradua- 
tion was  soon  followed  by  his  ordination  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  came 
to  the  Lackawanna  \'alley  as  a  missionary,  his 
circuit  extending  from  Wilkesbarre  to  Abington, 
with  Pittston  as  a  center.  The  brick  church 
which  he  built  was  the  first  house  of  worship  in 


170 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Pittston  and  is  still  standing.  Its  first  oflfslioot 
was  the  Scranton  Prt-shyterian  Clnticli.  of  wliicli 
lie  was  pastor  until  i8<)4.  when  he  resigned,  hav- 
ing completed  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  pastorate. 
His  home  is  now  in  Pittston,  and  he  continues 
to  preach  every  Sunday,  notwitiistanding  liis  ad- 
vanced years.  During  the  war  he  enlisted  for 
service,  but  was  rejected. 

The  marriage  of  Rev.  Parke  united  him 
with  Ann  Elizabeth  Gildersleeve,  who  was  born 
in  Wilkesbarre,  daughter  of  William  Camp  Gil- 
dersleeve, a  native  of  Georgia.  Her  father,  who 
died  in  1871,  was  a  merchant  in  Wilkesbarre,  and 
in  antebellum  days  was  quite  conspicuous  by  his 
connection  with  tlie  underground  railway;  his 
Abolition  sentiments  brought  him  the  dislike  and 
even  abuse  of  many  of  opposite  opinions,  but  he 
persevered  in  his  course  and  lived  to  sec  his 
judgment  triumphantly  vindicated  by  the  people 
of  the  country.  He  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Cyrus 
Gildersleeve,  who  was  born  on  Long  Island  and 
became  the  first  pastor  of  the  ^Vilkcsbarre  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

Our  subject's  paternal  grandfatlur.  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Parke,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Brandywine,  Ches- 
ter County,  Pa.,  and  for*  fifty  years  officiated  as 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Slate  Ridge. 
He  was  a  son  of  Col.  James  Parke,  who  gained 
his  title  by  service  in  the  Revolution  under  Wash- 
ington. The  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
the  first  of  the  name  in  America  liaving  come  to 
this  country  in  1724  from  Londonderry,  Ireland, 
and  settled  in  Southern  Pennsylvania.  The 
founder  of  the  family  here  was  Arthur  Parke, 
who  had  two  sons,  John  and  Joseph,  the  former 
being  the  father  of  Col.  James.  The.  descendants 
of  Joseph  spell  the  name  Park. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  iiK-mlKT 
consisted  of  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are 
living,  namely:  William  G.,  a  coal  operator  of 
Scranton;  Samuel  M.,  an  attorney  ol  Pittston; 
Ann,  Mrs.  T.  H.  Athcrton,  of  Wilkesbarre;  and 
Charles  R.  The  Doctor,  who  was  the  youngest 
in  p(jint  of  age,  was  born  in  Pittston,  Pa..  March 
24.  '863,  and  received  his  education  in  the  pid)- 
lic  and  high  schools  of  that  place,  Wilkesbarre 
Academy,  and  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover, 
Mass.    In  1882  he  entered  the  College  of  Physi- 


cians and  .Surgeons  in  Xew  York  City,  gradu- 
ating two  years  later  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
By  competitive  examination  he  was  appointed 
physician  to  the  Charity  Hospital,  where  he  re- 
mained for  eighteen  months.  Afterward  he  was 
physician  in  the  Chambers  Street  Hospital  for 
si.xtcen  months. 

\\'ishing  to  perfect  himself  in  the  profession, 
in  1S87  Dr.  Parke  went  to  Europe,  where  he 
spent  eighteen  months  in  the  hospitals  of  Berlin 
and  Vienna.  On  his  return  to  America  he  prac- 
ticed in  New  York  City  for  a  few  months,  then 
went  back  to  London,  England,  and  there  mar- 
ried Aliss  Alice  Cutts  Scammon,  who  was  born 
in  I'oston,  Mass.,  her  father,  John  O.,  having 
been  an  attorney  there.  In  the  spring  of  1889 
Dr.  Parke  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Scranton,  where  he  occupies  an  office  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Washington  Avenue  and  Linden  Street. 
He  is  connected  with  the  Lackawanna  County 
Medical  Society,  the  National  Society  of  Railway 
Surgeons  of  the  United  States,  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Military  Surgeons,  the  Hospital 
Graduates  Club  of  New  York  City,  Charity  Hos- 
pital Alumni  Association,  American  Medical 
Association  and  the  Physicians  Club  of  Scran- 
ton. 


HON.  WALSINGHAM  G.  WARD. 
.Scranton  numbers  among  its  citizens 
many  men  well  known  throughout  Lack- 
awaima  Count)',  men  of  energy  and  honor,  who, 
in  the  duties  both  of  private  and  public  life,  have 
ever  been  true  and  loyal.  Such  a  one  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who  is  the  oldest  attorney  of 
the  Luzerne  and  Lackawanna  County  bars.  It 
may  well  be  a  matter  of  pride  with  him  that  his 
fortiuie  has  been  of  his  own  making;  his  hands 
and  l)rain  liave  been  busily  employed  in  its  up- 
building, as  he  had  no  other  capital  when  he 
started  out  in  the  world  for  himself.  In  him 
Scranton  finds  a  good  citizen,  whose  public  spirit 
prompts  him  to  aid  in  every  movement  for  the 
welfare  of  the  conitiuinity. 

In  Dover,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review  was  born  October  7,  1819.  His 
fnllier.  Jolm,  who  was  a  son  of  Tchabod  Ward, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


171 


a  native  of  Massachusetts,  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  an  early  settler  of  Dutchess  Countv, 
was  born  there  and  continued  to  make  it  his  home 
until  183 1,  when  he  brought  his  family  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  settled  in  Tunkhannock,  Wyoming 
County.  After  residing  on  a  farm  there  for  a 
time,  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  cultivated  a  farm 
in  Providence  Township  (now  Scranton),  where 
he  died  in  1847.  His  wife,  Cynthia  Sickler,  was 
born  in  Buckman,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. :  her 
father,  Peter  Sickler,  a  native  of  the  same  place, 
was  the  son  of  a  German,  who  emigrated  to  this 
country  and  settled  on  the  Hudson. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  nine  children, 
five  of  whom  are  living,  one  son,  Z.  M.,  being  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Paterson,  N.  J.  W'alsing- 
ham  G.,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  received  an  academical 
education,  in  Mannington  Academy,  Susquehan- 
na County,  which  he  attended  for  three  terms. 
March  17,  1843,  he  came  to  Providence  Town- 
ship, and  read  law  under  J.  H.  Alexander  and 
Judge  Danay.  In  1850  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  Y\'ilkesbarre  and  at  once  began  to  prac- 
tice in  Scranton,  opening  an  office  in  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue,  where  he  has  since  remained, 
having  occupied  the  same  office  since  1875.  .He 
was  at  one  time  associated  with  Judge  Gunster, 
formerly  his  student,  also  with  Judge  Edwards, 
Vvho  studied  under  him,  and  is  now  in  part- 
nership with  G.  S.  Horn,  also  a  student  of  his 
in  earlier  days.  He  has  been  attorney  for  de- 
fendants in  about  eighty  homicide  cases,  and 
for  a  long  time  had  the  principal  criminal  prac- 
tice here  and  in  Luzerne  County,  but  of  late 
years  has  found  it  necessary  to  lighten  his  labors. 
He  has  also  been  very  successful  in  civil  cases. 
In  1870  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  mayor's 
courts  of  the  city  of  Scranton,  and  including 
Dunmore,  Providence  and  Hyde  Park,  and  the 
townships  of  Jefferson,  Roaring  Brook  and  Mad- 
ison and  the  two  Covington  townships.  He 
served  until  the  new  constitution  went  into 
efifect  in  1875,  when  he  resigned. 

In  New  York  state  in  1848  Mr.  Ward  mar- 
ried Miss  Maria  White,  who  died  leaving  no  chil- 
dren. He  was  a  second  time  married  in  North 
Adams,   Mass.,   in   1874,    his    wife    being    Miss 


Louisa  Hurlbert,  and  they  arc  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Douglas  H.,  now  a  law  student.  In  former 
days  Mr.  Ward  was  a  Whig  and  before  the  war 
he  was  a  campaign  orator  for  Henry  Clay.  From 
1855  until  the  Rebellion  he  was  a  Democrat,  but 
since  then  he  has  advocated  Republican  princi- 
ples. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian  and 
for  years  held  the  ofifice  of  elder  in  his  church. 


FREDERICK  L.  WORMSER  has  been  a 
resident  of  Scranton  since  1866  and  has 
been  engaged  in  Ijusiness  here  since  1869. 
During  this  long  period  he  has  become  known 
for  his  firmness  of  character  and  probity  of  con- 
duct, as  well  as  for  the  interest  maintained  in 
matters  relating  to  the  public  welfare.  Probably 
no  citizen  of  the  place  has  contributed  more  than 
he  to  the  growth  of  the  schools  of  the  city  and 
the  promotion  of  the  standard  of  education,  and 
he  is  entitled  to  the  praise  of  everyone  who  is  a 
friend  to  our  public  school  system. 

A  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born  in  1844, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest  of 
the  parental  family  and  was  orphaned  at  an  early 
age  by  his  father's  death.  He  was  educated  in 
the  high  school  of  Baden,  which  he  attended  sev- 
eral years,  and  in  1861,  with  a  sister  (the  only 
member  of  the  family  besides  himself  vvho  came 
to  this  country)  he  took  passage  on  a  sailing 
vessel  at  Hamburg  and  after  fifty-three  days 
landed  in  New  York  City.  There  he  remained 
for  a  time,  learning  the  butcher's  trade,  which  he 
followed  after  coming  to  Scranton  in  1866.  In 
1869  he  opened  a  meat  market,  and  this  he  has 
since  conducted,  being  one  of  the  oldest  business 
men  of  the  city.  Since  April,  1873,  his  market 
has  been  located  at  No.  227  Penn  Avenue,  where 
he  bought  and  improved  property. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Weil,  who  was 
born  in  Germany  and  accompanied  her  parents 
to  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Mr.  Wormser  has  six 
children:  Miriam,  a  graduate  of  the  Lockhaven 
State  Normal;  Rose,  Charles  F.,  Bernard  B., 
Edith,  and  Helen. 

In  1880  Mr.  Wormser  was  elected,  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  a  member  of  the  board  of  school 
control,  the  nomination  having  been  given  to  him 


172 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RFXORD. 


without  solicitation  on  his  part.  In  1884  he  was 
re-elected  without  opposition,  and  four  years 
later  was  unanimously  re-elected.  In  1892  and 
i8q6  he  was  again  chosen  to  succeed  himself,  and 
will  serve  until  HKX3.  For  three  years  he  was 
president  of  the  board,  and  eight  times  was  chair- 
man of  the  teachers  conmiittee,  besides  which  he 
has  been  chairman  of  every  important  commit- 
tee. Since  his  first  connection  with  the  board 
there  have  been  wonderful  changes  wrought  in 
the  buildings  and  standard  of  education  in  the 
schools.  The  present  high  school  building, 
which  would  be  an  ornament  to  any  communi- 
ty, stands  on  the  corner  of  Ash  and  Vine  Streets, 
and  contains  twenty-one  classrooms,  with  an  au- 
ditorium that  seats  one  thousand.  At  this  writ- 
ing he  is  chairman  of  the  new  high  school  com- 
mittee, a  member  of  other  committees,  and  chair- 
man over  the  high  and  training  schools. 

For  three  years,  from  1891  to  1894,  Mr.  Worni- 
ser  was  collector  of  poor  taxes,  to  which  posi- 
tion he  was  appointed  by  the  poor  board.  His 
principles  led  him,  upon  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  political  situation  in  this  country,  to 
ally  himself  with  the  Republican  party,  to  which 
he  has  since  adhered.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  county  executive  committee  and  the 
Central  Republican  Club.  In  the  Linden  Street 
Temple,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  he  is  vice- 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees.  Fraternally 
he  is  past  master  of  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  for  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Leiderkranz. 


M 


ARY  A.  SHEPHERD,  M.  D.  The  field 
of  science  is  ably  represented  by  Dr. 
Shepherd,  for  in  the  discharge  of  her 
professional  duties,  she  has  shown  herself  to  be 
thoroughly  versed  in  medical  lore,  and  that  she 
possesses  a  natural  aptitude  for  the  calling  can- 
not be  denied  by  anyone  who  has  once  employed 
her  services.  She  possesses  the  sympathetic  and 
so(jthing  maimer  so  essential  in  a  sick  room,  and 
has  the  faculty  of  gaining  the  confidence  of  her 
|jatients.  During  her  residence  in  Scranton  she 
has  built  up  a  reputation  as  a  physician  that  is 
an  honor  to  her  determination  and  ability  as  well 


as  to  her  sex.  She  has  ably  demonstrated  the 
fact  that  women  can  gain  success  in  whatever 
field  of  labor  they  may  choose  to  enter,  and  her 
example  is  worthy  of  emulation  by.  many  young 
ladies  who  are  eking  out  a  scanty  existence  in  the 
large  cities  of  the  United  States. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Shepherd  was  Stephen  H. 
Heath,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  in  early  manhood  and  became  a 
minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but 
later  entered  the  Baptist  ministry.  From  this 
state  he  went  to  Ohio,  but  afterward  returned 
here  and  died  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  de- 
scendant of  English  ancestry.  His  marriage 
united  him  with  Catherine  Everett,  daughter  of 
John  Everett,  of  an  old  Pennsylvanian  family; 
she  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  and  died 
in  Ohio.  She  had  two  children,  of  whom  the  son, 
Cardner  E.,  who  was  a  hardware  merchant,  died 
in  Wauseon,  Ohio. 

When  cjuite  young  our  subject  accompanied 
her  jiarcnts  from  her  native  place,  Sharon,  Pa., 
to  Ohio,  where  she  was  educated  in  Hiram  Col- 
lege, under  e.x-President  Garfield.  She  was  mar- 
ried in  I'^arniington,  that  state,  to  Rev.  Z.  W. 
Shepherd,  M.  D.  From  early  childhood  she  dis- 
played a  predilection  for  the  profession  she  now 
follows,  and  when  only  fourteen  was  so  success- 
ful as  a  nurse,  that  she  was  requested  by  local 
])hysicians  to  act  in  that  capacity  with  some  of 
their  most  serious  cases.  In  1882  she  entered 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago,  from 
which  she  graduated  in  1886,  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  From  1872  until  1876  she  had  resided  in 
Scranton,  and  was  so  pleased  with  the  city  that 
she  determined  to  locate  here  for  practice.  Ac- 
cordingly she  opened  an  office  at  No.  228  Adams 
,  Avenue,  and  has  since  given  her  attention  to  a 
general  pnictice,  though  making  a  specialty  of 
chronic  cases.  In  1891  she  took  a  post-graduate 
course  in  Hahnemann  Medical  College  at  Chi- 
cago, where  she  gave  her  attention  to  chronic 
diseases. 

Fraternally,  Dr.  Shcplierd  is  identified  with  the 
\V(jmen's  Relief  Corps  No.  50,  of  which  she  has 
been  senior  vice-president;  Martha  Washing- 
ton C^iaplcr  No.  3,  Eastern  Star,  in  Hyde  Park; 
and  Wanetta  Lodge  No.  23,  Order  of  Rebekah. 


■^-rt 


HON.    WILLOUGIIBV  W.  W.VTSON. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


175 


In  her  profession  she  is  associated  witli  the 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Northeastern 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  State  Homeopathic  Medi- 
cal Society.  She  takes  a  warm  interest  in  the 
issues  of  the  age,  and  politically  is  a  Republican. 
She  is  the  mother  of  five  children,  namely:  Ad- 
die  K.,  a  graduate  of  Dana  Musical  College  at 
Warren,  Ohio,  and  the  wife  of  Rev.  Charles  E. 
Kircher,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Alexandria,  Ind.;  Melvilla,  wife  of  H.  L.  Hutson, 
an  attorney  of  Angola,  Ind.;  R.  P.,  a  graduate 
of  Hiram  College,  with  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  a 
minister  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  now  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics  in  Hiram  College;  William 
E.,  of  Scranton,  now  taking  a  course  in  the 
School  of  Mines,  and  employed  at  Leggett's 
Creek  Mines;  and  James,  who  died  at  Ada,  Ohio, 
when  two  and  one-half  years  of  age. 


HON.  WILLOUGHBY  W.  WATSON, 
attorney  and  counsellor-at-law  and  ex- 
staie  senator,  is  interested  in  many  of  the 
most  important  corporations  and  enterprises  of 
Scranton,  being  vice-president  of  the  Traders 
National  Bank,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  Moosic 
Mountain  Coal  Company,  treasurer  of  Mt.  Jes- 
sup  Coal  Company,  Limited,  manager  of  the 
Florence  Coal  Company,  Limited,  secretary, 
treasurer  and  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Provi- 
dence &  Abington  Turnpike  &  Plank  Road  Com- 
pany, secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Leisenring 
Manufacturing  Company,  that  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  grates,  secretary,  treasurer  and  a 
director  of  the  Whitehall  Land  &  Improvement 
Company,  and  a  director  of  the  Whitehall  Water 
Company. 

Through  a  careful  observance  of  the  laws  of 
hygiene,  Mr.  Watson  has  retained  his  health  and 
vigor  to  an  unusual  degree,  and  a  stranger  would 
not  suppose  that  his  life  has  covered  a  half  cen- 
tury. He  was  born  October  6,  1842,  in  New  Mil- 
ford,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and  is  of  Scotch 
descent.  His  great-grandfather,  Walter  Watson, 
was  born  in  Edinburgh,  where  he  graduated  in 
medicine  and  surgery,  and  where  he  spent  his 
entire  life,  with  the  exception  of  the  period  of  his 
service  as  surgeon  in  the  British  army  during 
4 


the  Revolution.  One  of  his  descendants  is  the 
most  eminent  physician  in  Edinburgh  today. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Walter  Wat- 
son, was  born  in  New  York  City  while  his  par- 
ents were  visiting  in  America,  and  was  taken  by 
them  to  Scotland,  where  for  seven  years  he  was 
a  student  in  Edinburgh  University,  graduating 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  M.  D.  He  was  an 
excellent  scholar  in  classics  and  could  speak  flu- 
ently seven  different  languages.  After  gradua- 
ting he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
Cold  Spring,  N.  Y.,  where  he  practiced  his  pro- 
fession with  success.  At  the  age  of  seventy-five 
he  was  accidentally  burned  to  death  in  his  home, 
through  the  catching  on  fire  of  a  bed.  John  Wat- 
son University  of  Edinburgh  is  one  of  the  finest 
institutions  of  learning  in  Scotland,  was  founded 
by  an  ancestor,  John  Watson. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Walter  Watson, 
Jr.,  was  born  in  Cold  Spring,  Putnam  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  became  a  farmer  in  New  Mil- 
ford,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he  im- 
proved a  homestead  and  resided  for  more 
than  fifty  years.  He  was  active  in  matters 
pertaining  to  education,  and  held  numerous 
township  offices.  His  death,  which  occurred 
at  seventy- seven  years,  was  the  result  of  having 
been  accidentally  injured.  He  married  Candace 
Hammond,  a  native  of  Susquehanna  County,  and 
still  a  resident  of  the  old  homestead  there.  Her 
father.  Col.  Asa  Hammond,  was  born  in  Keene, 
N.  H.,  and  gained  his  title  through  service  in  the 
militia;  he  spent  his  life  principally  in  farm  pur- 
suits and  in  business,  and  died  when  ninety-six 
years  of  age.  His  father,  Asa,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  New  England  family,  died  in  Sus- 
quehanna County  when  very  aged. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consists  of  eight  children,  all  living,  he  being 
next  to  the  eldest.  He  attended  the  New  Mil- 
ford  public  school,  Montrose  Normal,  Susque- 
hanna Seminary  at  Binghamton  and  Millersville 
Normal.  Between  the  ages  of  seventeen  and 
twenty-four  he  alternated  attendance  at  school 
with  teaching.  In  June,  1866,  he  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  schools  of  Susquehanna 
County,  and  while  discharging  the  duties  of  this 
position    also   studied   law    with    Judge    Bentley 


176 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  Senator  I-'itch  of  Montrose,  being  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  November,  1868.  Resigning  as 
county  superintendent,  he  gave  his  attention  to 
tlie  law,  and  in  1871  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Fitch  &  Watson,  their  connection  contin- 
uing until  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate. 

In  1874  Mr.  Watson  was  nominated  by  the 
Republican  party  to  represent  the  Forty-second 
District,  consisting  of  Susquehanna  and  Wayne 
Counties,  in  the  state  senate,  and  was  elected  by 
a  large  majority,  carrying  Wayne  County,  which 
usually  gave  a  Democratic  majority  of  eight  hun- 
dred. He  served  in  the  sessions  of  1875-76,  and 
in  both  was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  commit- 
tee. He  was  again  the  choice  of  the  Susque- 
hanna County  Republicans,  but  in  the  joint  con- 
vention with  Wayne  County,  George  Waller,  of 
the  latter  county,  was  given  the  nomination. 
During  his  second  year  in  the  senate  he  intro- 
duced seven  bills,  all  of  which  arc  laws  on  the 
statutes  today.  One  of  these  provided  for  the 
foreclosure  of  mortgages  on  railroads  partly  in 
this  and  partly  in  other  states.  He  also  intro- 
duced bills  for  re-establishing  the  state  line  be- 
tween New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  for  regulat- 
ing attorneys'  fees  on  judgments  under  $100,  and 
for  making  certain  offices  incompatible.  While 
in  Susquehanna  County  he  served  011  the  state 
Republican  central  committee,  and  since  coming 
here  he  has  been  vice-president  of  the  Central 
Club.    He  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade. 

The  partnership  which  Mr.  Watson  foniied 
with  A.  H.  McCallum  of  Montrose  was  dissolved 
May  I,  1883,  at  the  time  of  his  location  in  Scran- 
ton.  In  December,  1890,  he  assisted  in  organ- 
izing the  Traders  Bank,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  vice-president  and  a  director.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  and 
fraternally  is  still  connected  with  Warren  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Montrose.  His  marriage,  sol- 
emnized in  Upper  Lehigh,  November  26,  1868, 
united  him  with  Annie  AI.  Kemmerer,  who  w-as 
born  in  Stroudsburg  and  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Kemmerer.  They  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, but  two  died  while  Mr.  Watson  was  in  the 
senate.  The  others  are  Walter  L.,  assistant  su- 
perintendent of  the  Mid-Valley  Coal  Company 
at  Wilburton,  Pa.;  Albert  L.,  member  of  the  class 


of  1900,  Amherst  College;  Annie  M.,  who  is  at- 
tending a  ladies'  seminary  in  New  York  City; 
and  Candace  A.,  who  is  with  her  parents  at  the 
family  residence,  No.  504  Monroe  Avenue.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  influential  in 
the  party  of  this  state. 


T  GRIFFIN  SMITH,  the  popular  gen- 
eral freight  agent  of  the  Delaware  & 
•  Hudson  Railroad  at  Carbondale,  was 
Ijnrn  in  this  city,  August  18,  1854.  He  is  a  son 
of  Asa  D.  Smith,  who  came  to  Carbondale  in 
early  manhood,  and  followed  the  currier's  trade 
here  until  his  death,  in  1861.  His  widow,  who 
bore  tlie  maiden  name  of  Mary  GrifSn,  afterward 
became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Orchard,  master 
car  builder  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  car  shops 
at  Carbondale  for  more  than  a  half  century.  A 
second  time  widowed,  she  makes  her  home  in 
John  Stree'i,  this  city. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  two  chil- 
dren, of  wliom  his  sister,  Jerusha  M.,  married 
John  P.owers,  son  of  William  Bowers,  the  di- 
vision superintendent  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son coal  department,  and  died  some  years  ago. 
In  the  schools  of  the  city,  T.  Griffin  Smith  re- 
ceived the  rudiments  of  his  education,  after  which 
he  was  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Dumfries,  Scot- 
land, in  company  with  John  H.  Orchard,  who  was 
his  father's  successor  as  master  car  builder  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  car  shops.  On  his  return 
from  Scotland,  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  freight  office,  and  after 
four  years,  in  1877,  he  was  made  freight  agent, 
which  position  he  has  since  held.  At  the  time 
he  first  entered  the  office,  there  were  but  two  men 
employed  in  that  department,  but  under  his  man- 
agement tb.e  business  has  increased  until  now  he 
has  nearly  a  score  of  men  under  him.  A  thorough 
and  efficient  railroad  man,  his  department  is  run 
in  a  most  satisfactory  manner.  The  work  is  now 
thoroughly  systematized  under  his  general  super- 
vision, and  he  is  ably  assisted  by  competent  men. 

In  1885  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Helene  Estelle  Tralles,  of  this  city. 
They  and  their  children,  Winficld  T.,  Kenneth 
and  Jennie  H.,  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Laurel 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


177 


Street,  near  Hendricks  Park.  In  the  Trinity 
Episcopal  Church  he  has  been  an  active  worker 
and  held  numerous  official  positions,  having 
been  a  member  of  the  vestry,  treasurer  of  the 
parish,  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school, 
leader  of  the  choir  and  lay  reader.  Of  late  years, 
however,  his  business  has  engrossed  his  atten- 
tion to  such  an  extent  that  he  has  been  obliged 
to  relinquisli  much  of  his  religious  work,  though 
retaining  a  warm  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  the 
church.  He  is  a  man  of  energy  and  an  earnest 
promoter  of  every  cause  which  he  deems  to  be 
right,  just  and  beneficial;  anxious  to  engage  in 
well-balanced  undertakings  v.'hich  promise, 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  promote  the  high- 
est interests  of  the  communitv. 


THO^NIAS  BARROWMAN.  Having  spent 
the  principal  portion  of  his  life  in  Lack- 
awanna County,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
has  an  extensive  acquaintance  throughout  the 
community.  His  long  residence  here,  together 
with  his  active  participation  in  all  worthy  meas- 
ures for  the  development  of  the  resources  of  the 
county,  has  made  him  prominent  in  social  and 
business  circles.  It  may  truly  be  said  that  few- 
residents  of  Scranton  have  been  more  closely 
connected  with  its  growth  than  has  he,  and  it  is 
to  the  efforts  of  such  men  that  the  city  owes  a 
debt  impossible  to  repay.  He  dwells  in  a  beautiful 
residence  in  Washington  Avenue,  v;here  he  is 
surrounded  by  every  comfort  that  will  enhance 
the  happiness  of  life.  This  residence,  erected  un- 
der his  supervision  in  1896,  is  constructed  of  pink 
stone  from  Lackawanna  County,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  homes  in  the  city. 

The  Barrowman  family  has  for  generations 
furnished  to  Scotland  some  of  its  most  prominent 
men, — men  who  by  their  writings  and  lectures, 
and  by  their  skill  as  mining  and  civil  engineers, 
have  gained  national  eminence.  One  of  the  fam- 
ily, a  cousin  of  Thomas,  is  civil  engineer  to  the 
Duke  of  Hamilton  in  Scotland.  Our  subject's 
father,  William,  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
December  23,  1807,  and  became  a  mining  ex- 
pert. In  1847,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  eight 
children,  he  came  to  Lackawanna  (then  included 


in  Luzerne)  County,  where  he  did  all  the  testing 
for  coal  in  the  early  days,  boring  for  the  Bellevue, 
Diamond  and  other  shafts  in  the  valley.  His 
death,  which  occurred  in  1865,  was  the  result  of 
accident,  his  horses  running  away  and  throwing 
him  from  his  carriage.  In  religion  he  was  a 
Presbyterian.  His  wife,  who  was  a  lady  of  large 
intellectual  powers,  was  born  Margaret  McDon- 
ald, in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  whence  she  came  to 
Scranton  in  1849,  remaining  here  until  her  death, 
November  9,  1887,  aged  eighty-three. 

Thomas,  a  brother  of  our  subject's  father,  was 
a  prominent  mining  engineer  in  Scotland.  An- 
other brother,  James,  had  a  son  James,  before 
mentioned,  who  was  a  gifted  writer  on  mining 
engineering.  Almost  without  exception,  the  men 
of  the  family  w^re  tall  and  possessed  powerful 
physiques.  While  many  still  reside  in  Scotland, 
several  have  sought  homes  in  the  United  States, 
and  among  the  latter  is  Moses,  our  subject's 
uncle,  who  was  an  old  settler  of  Bufifalo,  and  still 
remains  there.  The  paternal  grandparents  were 
John  and  ^Margaret  Madison  Barrowman,  natives 
of  Scotland. 

The  children  of  the  parental  family  were  John, 
who  went  to  California  in  1850,  returned  to  Scran- 
ton, and  died  in  Hyde  Park  in  1890;  William,  also 
an  early  settler  of  California,  who  returned  to 
Hyde  Park,  and  was  an  engineer  here  until  his 
death ;  Alexander,  who  resides  at  the  old  home- 
stead in  Hyde  Park;  Mrs.  Mary  Aekings,  who 
died  in  Paterson,  N.  J.;  Thomas;  James,  mem- 
ber of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry,  who  was  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville  and  died  after  the  war;  Agnes,  Mrs. 
Stephen  Jones,  of  Scranton;  and  Moses,  who  is 
superintendent  of  the  surgical  and  dental  instru- 
ments factory  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The  homestead, 
which  is  still  standing,  was  erected  about  1855,  at 
the  head  of  Lackawanna  Avenue,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  large  buildings  in  Hyde  Park. 

Born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in  1840,  the  subject 
of  this  article  was  nine  years  of  age  when  he  came 
to  Lackawanna  County.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  and  in  i86g  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  but  was  taken  ill  after  his  first  course  of  lec- 
tures and  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  intention  of 


178 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


entering  tlie  medical  profession.  After  engaging 
in  the  mercantile  business  for  a  while,  he  opened 
a  drug  store  in  Penn  Avenue.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
and  after  being  mustered  in  at  Harrislnirg  on  the 
9th  of  the  month,  was  sent  south,  participating  in 
the  battles  of  Antietam,  South  Mountain,  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Chancellorsville.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  enlistment,  lie  was  mustered 
out  with  his  regiment  at  Harrisburg,  May  24, 
1863.  On  his  return  to  Scranton,  he  entered  tlie 
government  service  under  General  Meigs,  and 
was  placed  in  the  photographic  corps  as  assistant 
to  Major  Russell.  For  a  year  he  was  stationed 
in  Alexandria  and  various  points  in  Virginia, 
after  which  he  returned  home.  He  continued 
the  drug  business  until  1890,  when  he  sold  out 
and  retired,  though  he  still  owns  his  store  build- 
ing, at  No.  217  Lackawanna  Avenue. 

In  Dunmore,  Mr.  Barrowman  married  Miss 
Georgia  Ocksenreader,  daughter  of  William  Ock- 
scnreader,  and  a  member  of  an  old  family  of  this 
state.  Mr.  Barrowman  has  traveled  extensively, 
visiting  California  in  1890  and  the  following  year, 
with  his  wife,  crossing  the  ocean  to  Scotland, 
where  he  spent  a  year  in  the  vicinity  of  his  old 
home,  after  which  he  made  a  tour  of  the  Contin- 
ent. However,  he  was  unable  to  visit  as  many 
points  of  interest  as  he  had  anticipated,  for  while 
en  route  to  Rome,  a  cablegram  obliged  him  to 
return.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Scranton  Club, 
and  was  formerly  chief  of  the  Caledonia  Club. 
Fraternally,  he  is  identified  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  is  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  order,  and  is  past  com- 
mander of  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17, 
K.  T.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  re- 
ligion is  identified  with  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Scranton. 


JOHN  L.  HULL,  a  veteran  of  Die  latr  war 
and  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Scranton, 
is  a  descendant  01  English  ancestry,  the  first 
of  the  nanie  in  America  being  three  brothers  who 
settled  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  one  in 
New  England,  another  in  Maryland  and  the  thin! 


further  south.  The  grandfather  of  Jolm  L.  was 
John  Hull,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  but  through- 
out his  active  life  a  resident  of  Massachusetts, 
where  he  engaged  in  farm  pursuits. 

William  H.,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in 
Tolland,  Mass.,  whence  in  the  early  '30s  he  came 
to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  at  Blakely,  Lacka- 
wanna County,  purchasing  two  tracts  of  land, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  Lackawanna  River.  He 
openeil  and  operated  one  of  the  first  coal  beds  in 
that  section,  and  also  ran  a  saw  mill,  having  pine 
timber  and  excellent  water  power.  In  his  com- 
munity he  was  known  as  a  persevering,  econom- 
ical and  honorable  man,  one  who  was  efiiicient  in 
public  office  and  kind-hearted  in  private  life.  His 
death  occurred  in  Blakely  in  1872  at  the  age  of 
eighty. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Rebecca  Parker  and  was  born  in  Abing- 
ton  Townsliip,  this  county,  to  which  place  her 
father,  Stephen  Parker,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
had  come  in  early  days,  there  being  but  one  set- 
tler in  the  place  prior  to  himself.  Returning  to 
Rhode  Island  he  married  there,  then  came  back 
to  his  farm  and  continued  to  reside  on  it  until 
his  death.  The  exact  date  of  his  location  in  this 
county  is  not  known,  but  presumably  it  was  about 
the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Mrs.  Re- 
becca Hull  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six,  leaving 
si.x  sons,  of  whom  five  took  part  in  the  Civil  War, 
and  all  are  still  living  and,  with  two  exceptions,  in 
this  county. 

Upon  the  home  farm  at  Blakely,  where  he  was 
born  in  1839,  John  L.  Hull  spent  his  boyhood 
years.  His  education  was  obtained  in  Wyoming 
Seminary  and  Providence  Conference  Seminary 
at  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and  Andover,  Mass.  In  the 
fall  of  1862  he  enlisted  as  a  recruit  in  Company 
H,  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  join- 
ing his  regiment  at  Yorktown  went  from  there 
south,  where  he  took  part  in  a  number  of  engage- 
ments, among  them  the  expedition  against  Wel- 
(lon,  when  a  heavy  storm  sunk  the  first  Monitor 
and  scattered  the  fleet,  which  finally  reached  Hil- 
ton Head.  He  was  present  at  the  siege  of 
Charleston  and  the  cajiturc  of  Folly  Island  and 
Morris  Island,  and  was  under  continuous  fire  in 
the  blockade  of  the  harbor  at  Ft.  Sumter.  After 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


179 


Charleston  succumbed  he  joined  Sherman's  army 
and  went  to  North  Carolina,  after  the  surrender 
of  Johnston,  being  on  provost  duty  a  short  time. 
After  thirt\'-three  months  of  service,  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Harrisburg  as  a  corporal  and  was 
honorably  discharged  in  July,  1865. 

In  1866  Mr.  Hull  started  in  the  furniture  busi- 
ness in  Scranton,  carrying  on  a  wholesale  and 
retail  trade  until  1874,  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis 
and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  slate 
business,  taking  contracts  for  roofing,  etc.  With 
a  brother  he  owned  a  quarry  at  Pen  Argyl,  and 
after  returning  from  St.  Louis,  he  managed  the 
quarry  and  the  business  here.  Though  no  longer 
interested  in  the  quarry,  he  is  still  a  wholesale  slate 
merchant  and  sells  by  carload  lots  in  Scranton 
and  vicinity.  For  eighteen  months  he  was  in 
the  wholesale  produce  and  commission  business, 
which  he  afterward  turned  over  to  a  son.  He  is 
now  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  agricultural  imple- 
ments for  five  counties,  selling  mowers,  reapers 
and  rakers  for  the  Buckeye  Builders  of  Akron, 
Ohio. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Hull  took  place  in 
Rhode  Island,  his  wife  being  Miss  Susan  Wind- 
sor, who  died  while  visiting  in  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
whither  she  had  gone  in  the  hope  of  regaining 
her  health.  Of  her  two  children,  one  son  sur- 
vives, Howard,  a  wholesale  commission  mer- 
chant of  Scranton.  In  Scranton  Mr.  Hull  mar- 
ried Miss  Florence  Watres,  who  was  born  in 
Winton,  this  county,  and  is  a  sister  of  ex-Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Watres.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, Helene,  Arthur  and  Robert.  The  family 
residence  stands  on  Marion  Street  and  Washing- 
ton Avenue.  Mr.  Hull  is  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trade,  politically  is  a  Republican,  fraternally 
is  connected  with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No. 
323,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  Union  Veterans  Union, 
and  in  religious  faith  is  associated  with  the  Green 
•Ridge  Baptist  Church. 


LORING  I.  BUNNELL,  alderman  from  the 
fifth  ward  of  Carbondale,  was  bom  in 
Bradford,  near  the  line  of  Susquehanna 
County,  Pa.,  September  15,  1838,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  a  family  long  connected  with  the  progress 


of  the  historic  county  of  Litchfield,  Conn.  His 
father,  Isaac  S.,  son  of  Samuel  Bunnell,  Sr.,  was 
born  in  that  county  in  1809,  and  when  a  child, 
at  the  death  of  his  mother,  was  taken  to  live  in 
the  home  of  his  grandfather,  Samuel  Hill.  An 
elder  brother  of  Isaac  S.  went  to  sea,  and  when 
last  heard  of  was  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel. 
After  the  death  of  his  wife,  Samuel  Bunnell,  Sr., 
left  that  locality  and  was  never  seen  by  the  family 
afterward. 

On  reaching  his  majority,  Isaac  S.  Bunnell 
came  to  Pennsylvania,  and  for  a  time  followed 
the  trade  of  a  wheelwright,  but  later  became  in- 
terested, as  tlie  patentee,  in  several  important  in- 
ventions, among  them  a  bed-spring  and  a  num- 
ber of  agricultural  implements.  He  died  in  Car- 
bondale, in  the  building  which  our  subject  now 
occupies  as  his  office.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Harriet  Tupper,  was  a  native  of 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and  the  daughter  of 
Loring  Tupper,  the  latter  being  a  farmer  of  that 
county  and  a  descendant  of  a  passenger  of  the 
"Mayflower."  By  his  marriage  to  a  Miss  Sturt- 
divant,  a  descendant  of  Revolutionar)-  ancestry, 
Loring  Tupper  had  three  sons,  James,  John  and 
Burton,  all  of  whom  were  farmers,  and  five 
daughters,  ]\lary  Ann,  Harriet,  Caroline,  Per- 
melia  and  iNIarilla.  Harriet  Bunnell  died  in  1891. 
Their  family  consisted  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Loring  I.;  W.  E.,  a  hardware  mer- 
chant of  Rockaway,  N.  J.;  Mary  J.,  of  James- 
town, N.  Y.;  James  D.,  formerly  a  sign  painter, 
now  deceased;  and  Carrie  P.,  of  Jamestown, 
N.  Y. 

When  only  eight  years  of  age,  our  subject 
could  be  found  working  in  his  father's  shop. 
His  schooling  was  limited,  but  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  was  fortunate  in  being  able  to  take  a 
special  course  in  mathematics  under  Prof.  John 
F.  Stoddard,  an  expert  in  that  science.  In  1865 
he  came  to  Carbondale,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
carriage-making  business  until  1879,  after  which 
he  manufactured  agricultural  implements  and 
bed-springs  until  1890.  For  several  years  he  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  health.  In  1891  he 
was  elected  alderman  of  the  fifth  ward,  and  his 
services  in  that  position  were  so  satisfactory 
that  he  was  re-elected  in  the  spring  of  1896. 


i8o 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Bunnell  took  place 
in  i860,  his  wife  being  Helen  Dikeman,  who 
passed  away  March  24,  1865.  Two  children  were 
bom  of  this  union:  Edson  L.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  three  and  one-half  years;  and  William  M.,  who 
is  engaged  in  railroading.  In  1866  Mr.  Bunnell 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Theodosia  Eva  Kent 
of  Brooklyn.  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Myrtie 
M.  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Craik,  a  railroad  man; 
P.  E.  is  a  painter  by  trade;  Edson  J.  was  killed 
on  the  Ontario  &  Western  Railroad,  where  he 
was  employed,  in  1 891,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one; 
Samuel  L.  is  a  conductor,  and  lives  in  Scranton; 
George  K.  is  a  foreman;  LeRoy  E.  is  a  student 
in  Wood's  College;  and  Harry  J.  is  attending 
the  high  school.  The  family  occupy  a  comfort- 
able home  in  Birkett  Street.  In  all  public  affairs 
Mr.  Bunnell  maintains  a  warm  interest.  Fidelity 
to  convictions  and  close  application  to  business, 
whether  private  or  official,  are  his  chief  charac- 
teristics. I'pon  all  public  questions  he  possesses 
shrewd,  clear-cut  ideas,  and  is  thoroughly  in- 
formed. 


FRED  W.  LAXGE,  A.  B.,  M.  D.  The  value 
of  a  citizen  to  any  community  is  not 
marked  merely  by  his  learning  or  the  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  his  efforts  in  his  business 
or  professional  undertakings,  but  also  by  his  char- 
acter in  public  and  private  life,  his  honorable  ad- 
herence to  all  that  is  good,  his  personal  integ- 
rity and  the  interest  he  takes  in  the  welfare  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  A  public-spirited  resident  of 
Scranton  is  Dr.  Lange,  who  was  born  here  Oc- 
tober 14,  1861,  and  has  been  identified  with  the 
interests  of  this  city  throughout  life. 

The  Lange  family  originated  in  Germany, 
where  its  representatives  w'ere  people  of  promin- 
ence. A  cousin  of  the  Doctor's  father,  Prof.  Carl 
Lange,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful educators  of  Germany.  The  Doctor's 
father,  Christian  Lange,  was  born  in  Saalfeld- 
Thuringen,  Saxony,  and  was  the  son  of  a  con- 
tractor and  builder.  He  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  and  in  1857,  when  a  young  man,  came  to 
America,  settling  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.     The  fol- 


lowing year,  however,  he  came  to  Scranton, 
where  he  started  in  the  shoe  business  at  No.  429 
Lackawanna  Avenue,  remaining  in  that  place  un- 
til lie  retired  from  his  active  labors.  His  home 
is  on  the  corner  of  Washington  Avenue  and  Ma- 
rion Street.  One  of  his  brothers,  Charles,  a  con- 
tractor, died  during  the  Civil  War  while  in  the 
service  of  the  country. 

In  Wilkesbarre,  Christian  Lange  married  Mary 
Housam,  who  was  born  in  Rheinpfalz,  Bavaria, 
a  daughter  of  Adam  Housam.  The  latter  came 
to  America  in  1857  and  settled  at  Wilkesbarre, 
near  which  place  he  engaged  in  farming,  though 
prior  to  coming  to  this  country  he  had  followed 
the  trade  of  a  weaver.  Christian  and  Mary  Lange 
became  the  parents  of  two  daughters  and  four 
sons,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  one  son.  Tliey 
are  Dr.  Fred  W.;  Prof.  J.  C,  principal  of  the  high 
school;  Anna,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Horton;  L.  A.,  assist- 
ant professor  of  the  classical  department  of 
Scranton  high  school;  and  Minnie,  a  student 
in  high  school. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  our  subject  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  tinsmith's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
for  seven  years.  Meantime  it  had  become  a 
fixed  purpose  of  his  mind  to  take  a  collegiate 
course  and  his  efforts  were  earnestly  turned  in 
that  direction.  In  order  to  prepare  himself  for 
college,  he  studied  of  nights  until  he  had  ac- 
quired a  sufficient  amount  of  knowledge  to 
enable  him  to  pass  the  required  examination.  In 
1884  he  entered  the  freshman  class  of  Wesleyan 
University  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1888  with  honors  and  the  de- 
gree of  Ph.  B.  His  brother  J.  C.  graduated  three 
years  before  himself,  and  his  younger  brother 
three  years  later,  and  all  are  members  of  the  Alpha 
Delta  Phi  fraternity. 

In  1888  our  subject  entered  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1890  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Afterward  he  took' 
special  courses  in  hospital  work  in  Philadelphia 
and  received  a  diploma  from  the  Lying-in  Hospi- 
tal. In  the  summer  of  1890  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton and  opened  an  office,  where  he  has  since 
conducted  successfully  a  large  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice, and  is  now  located  at  No.  240  Adams  Ave- 
nue, Court  House  Square.     He  has  been  espe- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


i8i 


cially  successful  in  the  treatment  of  hernia  by 
the  injection  method,  and  has  never  yet  failed  to 
cure  a  reducible  hernia  without  operation.  At 
one  time  he  was  president  of  the  Northeastern 
Pennsylvania  Medical  Society,  before  which  he 
has  read  papers.  He  is  also  identified  with  the 
State  Homeopathic  and  the  Inter-State  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  Societies  and  the  z\merican  Insti- 
tute of  Homeopathy. 

At  Media,  Pa.,  December  31,  1891,  Dr.  Lange 
married  Miss  Jennie  Riddle  McDowell,  who  was 
born  there,  daughter  of  Samuel  R.  McDowell, 
formerly  a  merchant  of  Chestnut  Street,  Phila- 
delphia, but  now  retired.  Mrs.  Lange  is  a  tal- 
ented artist  and  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia 
School  of  Design  and  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts. 
She  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Elm  Park  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  while  Dr.  Lange,  who 
was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  holds  member- 
ship in  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  Frater- 
nally he  belongs  to  Scranton  Lodge,  No.  263, 
K.  of  P.,  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  Knights 
of  the  Mystic  Chain,  as  well  as  several  life  in- 
surance companies.  He  is  interested  in  building 
and  loan  associations  here,  in  western  enterprises 
and  is  a  director  of  the  Lackawanna  Wheel  Com- 
pany, which  he  aided  in  organizing. 


CHARLES  E.  LATHROP,  president  of 
the  Leader  Publishing  Company  at  Car- 
bondale,  was  born  in  Sullivan  County, 
N.  Y.,  March  5,  1827.  He  was  the  first  child 
rocked  in  a  cradle  in  the  territory  now  embraced 
in  the  city  of  Carbondale,  to  which  place  his 
parents  came  when  he  was  nine  months  of  age. 
At  that  time  there  was  but  one  log  house  in  the 
place,  and  it  required  an  optimistic  spirit  to  pre- 
dict the  present  prosperous  condition  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Salmon  Lathrop,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1781.  He 
became  a  railroad  and  canal  contractor,  and  in 
1822  built  three  miles  of  the  old  Erie  canal  in 
Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  including  the  aqueduct 
across  the  Mohawk  River  at  Little  Falls.  He 
came  to  Carbondale  as  an  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Fludson  Canal  Company,  to  start  their 


improvements  here,  at  the  same  time  taking  pos- 
session of  the  log  house  that  had  previously  been 
built  by  the  company,  to  which  he  added  a  frame 
part.  For  two  years  he  conducted  their  improve- 
ments, then  erected  a  small  building  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business.  Soon  after- 
ward he  built  a  hotel,  of  which  he  was  proprietor 
for  several  years.  This,  however,  did  not  prove 
congenial  to  his  tastes  and  he  sold  out. 

About  1835  Salmon  Lathrop  was  contractor  at 
Deposit,  N.  Y.,  for  the  then  proposed  New  York, 
Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  but  the  under- 
taking v.'as  not  completed  until  some  years  after 
on  account  of  the  hard  times.  In  1838  he  be- 
came a  contractor  on  the  North  Branch  Canal 
from  Pittston  to  Towanda,  which  work  occupied 
some  years.  From  1845  m^til  his  death,  Novem- 
ber 3,  1868,  he  lived  a  retired  life  in  Carbondale. 
In  early  years  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat,  but  when 
President  Jackson  ordered  the  funds  withdrawn 
from  the  United  States  Bank,  he  opposed  that 
policy  and  left  the  party.  Later  he  was  a  Whig 
and  then  a  Republican,  and  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  the  stirring  events  of  the  Civil  War.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  was  a  Congregationalist  of  the 
orthodox  school. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ezra  Lathrop, 
was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1755,  and  in  1780 
moved  to  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  settling  near 
Kinderhook.  He  was  a  school  teacher  by  prcH 
fession,  and  Martin  Van  Buren,  afterward  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  received  the  rudiments 
of  his  education  under  him.  During  the  War  of 
the  Revolution,  he  served  as  a  private  soldier. 
He  was  the  father  of  six  sons,  one  of  whom, 
Eleazar,  was  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and 
preached  at  Port  Gibson,  Miss.  The  progenitor 
of  the  family  was  Rev.  John  Lathrop,  a  minister 
in  the  established  church  in  England  for  some 
years,  but  later  became  a  dissenter.  On  account 
of  his  change  of  views,  he  was  imprisoned  by 
Archbishop  Laud,  and  after  several  years  of 
confinement  was  released  on  condition  that  he 
leave  the  country.  In  1630,  with  several  of  his 
followers,  he  came  to  America  and  located  at 
Barnstable,  Mass.,  where  he  afterward  sowed  the 
seed  of  his  religious  faith.  From  that  time  to  this 
the  family  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  public 


l82 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  church  matters,  and  its  members  have  filled 
an  honorable  place  in  the  history  of  the  country. 

Our  subject's  niotiicr,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Aurelia  Noble,  was  born  in  Benson,  Rut- 
land County,  Vt.,  in  July,  1790.  Her  father,  John 
Noble,  was  an  aide  on  the  staff  of  Ethan  Allen 
during  the  Revolution,  and  one  of  her  cousins, 
B.  G.  Noble,  was  formerly  governor  of  Wiscon- 
sin. She  died  in  Carbondale  in  April,  1872.  Of 
her  seven  children,  three  died  in  infancy.  Two 
sons  attained  maturity:  Charles  E.,  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  and  Dwight  Noble,  who  was  born 
in  181 1,  received  an  education  as  civil  engineer, 
was  employed  in  the  survey  of  the  Erie  Railroad, 
and  later  by  the  Spanish  government  in  laying 
out  a  route  for  a  railroad  on  the  island  of  Cuba. 
Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  read  law  and 
been  admitted  to  the  bar.  On  his  return  from 
Cuba  he  was  engaged  in  railroad  work  in  the 
southern  part  of  Illinois,  where  he  married  Har- 
riet Ridg\vay.  In  1840  he  began  the  practice  of 
law  in  Carbondale  and  continued  until  1870, 
when  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  mayor's  court 
in  Carbondale.  While  holding  this  ofifice,  in  1871 
he  took  a  trip  to  Europe,  and  shortly  after  his  re- 
turn died  in  October,  1872.  He  was  a  man  of 
broad  views,  deeply  interested  in  the  upbuilding 
of  the  city,  and  connected  with  various  enter- 
prises. He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Min- 
ers &  Mechanics  Bank,  and  served  as  a  director 
of  that  institution. 

Thomas,  son  of  Dwight  Noble  Lathrop,  and 
recently  deceased,  for  more  than  thirty  years  con- 
ducted an  extensive  insurance  business  in  Car- 
bondale, now  carried  on  by  his  widow;  he  built 
a  beautiful  residence  on  the  hill  that  is  now  occu- 
pied by  the  widow  and  four  sons.  Another  son, 
W.  W.  Lathrop,  an  attorney  at  Scranton,  suc- 
ceeded his  father  as  director  in  the  Miners  & 
Mechanics  Bank.  A  daughter  married  Israel 
Crane,  formerly  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
in  Carbondale,  now  deceased,  and  Mrs.  Lathrop, 
who  is  still  living,  makes  her  home  with  Mrs. 
Crane.  Another  daughter,  Mrs.  Eugene  Scates, 
resides  in  San  Diego,  Cal. 

Sophronia,  a  sister  of  our  subject,  married 
David  B.  Blanchard,  a  civil  engineer,  and  both 
died  in  Illinois.     Another  sister,  Jeanette,  mar- 


ried William  Wurts,  nephew  of  John  Wurts,  who 
for  many  years  was  president  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad.  He  was  an  attorney  for  the 
road  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1858;  his 
wife  died  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  in  January,  1894.  Our 
subject  has  been  a  resident  of  Carbondale  since 
nine  months  of  age.  In  1836  he  was  sent  to  a 
boarding  school  at  Wilkesbarre,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1841.  Two  years  later  he  began  to 
learn  the  printer's  trade  in  Carbondale,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1847  was  conducting  the  publication  of  a 
weekly  newspaper  in  Wilkesbarre.  After  one 
year  he  went  to  Tnnkliannock,  Wyoming  Coun- 
ty, where  he  published  a  weekly  paper.  In  1849 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  that  place,  serv- 
ing four  years.  In  March,  1853,  he  moved  his 
printing  establishment  to  Scranton,  and  issued 
the  first  paper  published  in  that  city. 

During  his  intervals  of  leisure  while  in  news- 
paper work,  Mr.  Lathrop  studied  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  January,  1857,  at  Wilkes- 
barre. Selling  his  paper  in  April  of  that  year, 
he  went  west  to  Independence,  Iowa,  where  he 
began  the  practice  of  law.  Shortly  afterward  he 
was  appointed  county  superintendent  of  schools. 
In  August,  1861,  he  received  an  appointment  in 
the  navy  department  at  Washington  as  clerk,  and 
in  December,  1863,  was  appointed  naval  store- 
keeper at  the  Washington  navy  yard,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  March,  1867,  but  was  then  re- 
moved by  President  Johnson.  However,  within 
a  month  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the 
government  printing  office,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  June,  1869,  when  he  returned  to 
Carbondale  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1878,  in  company  with  his  oldest  son,  now  de- 
ceased, he  purchased  the  "Carbondale  Leader." 
then  a  small  and  insignificant  weekly  publication. 
Under  their  able  management,  the  paper  took  on 
new  life  and  grew  in  popularity  constantly. 

Finally,  when  the  increasing  population  and 
business  of  the  city  rendered  feasible  the  publi- 
cation of  a  daily  paper,  in  1887,  Mr.  Lathrop 
started  the  "Daily  Leader,"  that  has  proved  a 
financial  success,  and  is  now  one  of  the  important 
publications  of  the  county.  In  1895  there  was 
erected  the  Leader  Building,  a  commodious 
three-story  brick  and  stone  structure,  a  large  por- 


HON.    I!I;NJ.\MI\   IIUC.HHS. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


185 


tion  of  wliich  is  devoted  to  the  pulslisliing  busi- 
ness of  the  Leader  Company,  and  whicli  is  un- 
questionably the  best  equipped  printing  estab- 
lishment in  a  town  the  size  of  Carbondale  in  the 
entire  country.  In  addition  to  the  printing-  busi- 
ness, Mr.  Lathrop  continued  the  practice  of  law 
until  1893,  when,  on  account  of  failing  health  and 
deafness,  he  relinquished  his  practice.  Each  day 
he  may  be  found  at  his  desk  in  the  editorial  room. 
He  is  an  able  and  forcible  writer,  and  articles 
from  his  pen  attract  considerable  attention.  The 
management  of  the  business  is  under  the  direc- 
tion of  his  son,  Edward  D..  a  shrewd  and  far- 
seeing  business  man. 

In  the  establishment  of  the  Miners  &  Mechan- 
ics Bank,  Mr.  Lathrop  took  an  active  part,  and 
for  a  time  was  one  of  its  directors.  He  was  an 
elder  in  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  Washington, 
and  has  served  the  congregation  at  Carbondale 
in  the  same  capacit}".  In  1849  '""^  married  Miss 
Charlotte  Dilley,  daughter  of  Jesse  Dilley,  an  in- 
fluential citizen  of  Wilkesbarre.  Five  children 
blessed  their  union:  Augusta;  Mrs.  U.  C.  Rog- 
ers, of  Paterson,  N.  J.;  Dwight  N.,  who  was 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  building  up  of 
the  "Leader,"  but  died  in  December,  1882;  Ed- 
ward D.,  who  was  educated  at  Phillips  Academy 
in  Andover,  Mass.,  and  is  business  manager  of 
the  "Leader;"  William  M.,  city  editor  of  the 
"Leader;''  and  Jeanette,  wife  of  E.  L.  Bevan,  of 
Paterson,  N.  J. 


HON.  BENJAMIN  HUGHES.  The  recog- 
nized leader  among  the  Welsh  people  of 
the  county,  and  one,  too,  who  enjoys  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  people  of  all  nationali- 
ties in  the  community,  is  Benjamin  Hughes  of 
Scranton,  who.  since  1865.  has  held  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  general  mine  superintendent  for 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company  and  is  also  the  president  of  the  West 
Side  Bank.  Mr.  Hughes  was  born  October  25, 
1824,  near  Bryn-Mawr,  Breconshire,  Wales,  and 
is  a  member  of  a  family  identified  for  many  gen- 
erations with  the  history  of  that  locality.  He  is 
a  son  of  Daniel  and  Esther  Hughes,  the  latter  of 
whom   died  at  the  age  of  ninety-seven  and  the 


former,  who  was  proprietor  of  a  leased  iron  ore 
mine,  died  when  sixty-eight.  Both  were  work- 
ers in  the  Baptist  Church  and  were  hard-working, 
kind  and  pious.  They  reared  the  majority  of 
their  sixteen  children,  but  only  three  are  now  liv- 
ing, two  of  these  being  in  America.  Evan,  who 
was  foreman  in  the  mines  at  Avondale,  Pa.,  was 
killed  in  a  mine  disaster  there  in  1869.  Elias, 
who  was  foreman  at  Crystal  Springs,  West  Pitt- 
ston.  Pa.,  died  in  September,  1894. 

The  education  of  Benjamin  Hughes  was  limit- 
ed to  the  knowledge  acquired  during  a  brief  at- 
tendance at  the  pay  schools  of  his  native  land. 
When  ten  years  old  he  began  to  assist  his  father 
in  the  mine,  and  later  was  employed  in  coal 
mines,  but  afterward  returned  to  assist  in  the 
management  of  his  father's  business.  In  the  fall 
of  1848,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  left 
Liverpool  on  the  sailer  "Mary  Pleasant,"  and 
after  a  voyage  of  thirty-six  days  arrived  in  Phila- 
delphia, whence  he  went  to  Pottsville.  There  he 
was  employed  in  mining  for  the  Philadelphia  & 
Reading  Railway  Company  until  January  ot 
1850,  when  he  came  to  Slocum's  Hollow  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Scranton  Iron  &  Coal 
Company.  That  position  he  resigned  in  July, 
1853,  in  order  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  Com- 
pany in  the  Diamond  mine.  After  two  years  he 
became  foreman  of  the  mine,  and  in  1865  was 
promoted  to  be  general  mine  superintendent,  in 
which  capacity  he  has  since  been  retained.  At 
the  time  he  became  connected  with  the  company 
there  were  only  five  shafts  here,  but  this  number 
has  since  been  increased  to  thirty,  with  twenty- 
one  breakers.  Six  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
forty-seven  men  are  employed  inside  and  three 
thousand  three  hundred  and  ninety  outside,  mak- 
ing the  total  number  of  men  ten  thousand  three 
hundred  and  thirty-seven.  The  work  at  the 
mines  is  superintended  by  wire  from  his  office  in 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  depot. 
In  1895  one  hundred  and  seven  thousand,  four 
hundred  and  forty  and  one-half  kegs  of  pow- 
der were  used  in  the  mines.  Of  these  mines  all 
but  six  are  in  Lackawanna  County,  the  remain- 
der being  in  Luzerne. 

In  1853  Mr.  Hughes  established  his  home  on 


i86 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  west  side,  and  since  1870  has  resided  at  No. 
1 201  Washburn  Street.  He  has  built  other 
houses  in  the  neighborhood,  having  for  years 
been  interested  in  real  estate  operations.  When 
the  West  Side  Rank  was  organized  in  the  early 
■70s,  he  was  vice  president  and  assisted  in  its  es- 
tablishment, but  for  a  number  of  years  he  has 
been  its  president.  He  was  one  of  tlie  organizers 
of  the  Cambrian  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany on  the  west  side  and  has  been  its  president 
from  the  first. 

Before  leaving  Wales  Mr.  Hughes  married 
Miss  Mary  Davis,  who  accompanied  him  to  this 
country  and  remained  here  until  her  death.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  daughters  and  one  son. 
Those  living  are:  Esther,  wife  of  Rev.  John 
Evans,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Lu- 
ther Jones,  of  Hyde  Park;  Annie,  wife  of  A.  B. 
Eynon,  cashier  of  the  West  Side  Bank  of  Scran- 
ton  ;  Norma,  the  wife  of  Jenkin  T.  Reese,  a  min- 
ing engineer  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road.  In  November,  1881,  Mr.  Hughes 
married  Mrs.  Ann  Rosser,  of  Shamokin,  North- 
umberland County,  Pa.,  a  native  of  the  same 
town  as  her  husband. 

In  1859  Mr.  Hughes  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  council  of  the  borough  of  Hyde  Park  and 
served  until  1862.  In  1861  he  was  school  di- 
rector. For  three  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  select  council  of  Scranton,  being  president  of 
the  board  for  one  year.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Alasonic  Order.  In  the  Baptist 
Church  he  holds  the  oiifice  of  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  served  on  the  building  commit- 
tee and  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  for  years.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the 
Ivorites  Society  at  Scranton  and  was  the  first 
grand  president,  which  oftice  he  held  for  about 
nine  years;  he  is  still  actively  associated  with  the 
society.  He  has  never  wavered  in  his  political  af- 
filiations, having  always  been  a  champion  of  Re- 
publican principles.  In  1892  he  was  a  delegate 
to  the  convention  at  Minneapolis  tliat  nominated 
Benjamin  Harrison  for  the  presidency,  and  he 
had  the  honor  of  casting  one  of  the  original 
eleven  votes  from  Pennsylvania  for  Harrison. 
He  also  attended  the  national  convention  of  1896 
at  St.  Louis.     Personally,  he  is  liberal  and  enter- 


prising, and  merits  the  success  he  has  attained. 
In  spite  of  advancing  years,  his  body  retains 
much  of  the  vigor  of  his  prime,  while  his  mental 
faculties  are  as  keen  as  in  early  life.  His  has 
been  a  busy  and  useful  career,  and  not  only  has 
he  succeeded  in  raising  himself  from  poverty  to 
a  position  of  influence,  but  he  has  also  helped 
many  another  who  was  struggling  against  ad- 
verse fortune  and  by  his  kindly  nature  and  gen- 
erosity has  gained  the  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  business  or  social  relations. 


SILAS  OSTERHOUT.  In  presenting  the 
biography  of  the  late  Silas  Osterhout,  of 
Scranton,  the  mind  dwells  with  respect 
up'on  the  fair  record  of  his  life.  He  was  one  of 
those  who  acquired  a  competency  without  any 
of  the  modern  appliances  by  which  unworthy 
persons  seek  to  gain  undeserved  and  transient 
popularity.  Around  his  name  cluster  the  manly 
virtues,  generosity,  truth,  honesty  and  benevo- 
lence. He  was  a  man  whom  to  know  was  a  privi- 
lege and  to  honor  a  pleasure. 

The  eldest  of  ten  children,  Silas  Osterhout  was 
born  in  Nicholson,  Wyoming  County,  April  5, 
1829,  and  was  a  son  of  Webster  and  Sarah 
(Jayne)  Osterhout.  Particulars  in  regard  to  the 
family  history  are  given  in  the  sketch  of  his 
brother,  Milo  D.,  upon  another  page.  He  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  a  fair  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools.  At  an  early  age 
he  began  clerking  for  his  uncle,  James  Kennedy 
of  Providence,  and  afterward  was  similarly  em- 
ployed with  a  merchant  in  Scranton.  Immedi- 
ately after  his  marriage  in  1856,  he  opened  a  gen- 
eral store  just  west  of  the  Bristol  House  and  for 
three  years  was  located  there,  after  which  he 
moved  across  the  street  to  what  is  now  No.  117 
West  Market  Street,  occupying  a  building  that 
still  stands.  In  i860  he  built  at  No.  130  West 
Market  the  house  in  which  his  wife  still  resides. 
Jn  1874  he  built  a  double  brick  store  at  Nos.  Iio- 
112  West  Market,  having  previously,  in  1865, 
associated  his  brother,  Milo  D.,  with  him  as  part- 
ner. He  continued  successfully  engaged  in  busi- 
ness until  his  retirement  in  1882,  after  which  he 
lived  retired  until  his  death  in   1885. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


187 


Aside  from  his  mercantile  interests,  Mr.  Oster- 
hoiit  was  a  stoctcholder  in  tlie  branch  of  the  Sec- 
ond National  Bank  in  Providence  and  for  some 
years  held  the  office  of  vice-president.  In  polit- 
ical belief  he  affiliated  with  the  Republicans  and 
upon  that  ticket  was  elected  to  the  council.  Fra- 
ternally he  was  a  Master  Mason.  In  Lacka- 
wanna, October  8,  1856,  he  married  Miss  Cath- 
arine Tedrick,  who  was  born  there,  the  only  child 
of  Michael  and  Malatiah  (Armstrong)  Tedrick. 
Her  grandfather,  Adam,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
was  a  son  of  Adam,  Sr.,  who  removed  in  middle 
life  from  New  Jersey  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  near  Pittston.  Michael  Tedrick, 
who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  early  in  the  '30s, 
settled  in  Lackawanna  County,  as  did  also  his 
brother  John.  Purchasing  an  unimproved  farm, 
he  gave  his  attention  to  clearing  and  cultivating 
the  place.  After  a  busy  and  active  life  he  retired 
from  his  labors  and  settled  in  Providence,  where 
he  died  in  1877  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  His 
wife  died  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Osterhout,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  She  was 
born  in  Pittston,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Armstrong,  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  but 
a  descendant  of  Scotch  ancestors. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Osterhout 
has  lived  in  retirement  in  her  pleasant  home, 
giving  her  attention  to  the  supervision  of  her 
household,  keeping  posted  upon  themes  of  im- 
portance by  reading  newspapers  and  magazines, 
attending  services  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  contributing  to  charitable  enter- 
prises as  her  means  will  permit.  She  has  an  only 
daughter,  Nora  M.,  who  was  educated  in  White- 
plains  Female  Seminary  and  Binghamton  Col- 
lege, and  is  now  the  wife  of  Robert  E.  Westlake 
of  Scranton. 


1  T  7  ALTER  A.  SPENCER,  D  D.  S.,  was 
\/\/  born  October  2,  1867,  in  Jackson,  Sus- 
'  '  quehanna  County,  Pa.  When  an  in- 
fant of  four  months  he  was  taken  by  his  parents 
to  Pleasant  Mount,  Wayne  County,  the  native 
place  of  his  father,  William  Henry  Spencer,  a 
farmer  and  blacksmith.  The  paternal  grand- 
father,   Henry    Spencer,    likewise    a    native    of 


Wayne  County  and  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  was 
a  man  of  considerable  prominence  in  his  commu- 
nity, and  at  different  times  held  important  local 
offices,  among  them  that  of  justice  of  the  peace. 
He  was  tendered  the  nomination  for  representa- 
tive, but  refused  to  make  the  race.  Russell 
Spencer,  father  of  Henry,  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Wayne 
County. 

The  mother  of  Dr.  Spencer  was  Grace  Giles, 
a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  whence  at  the  age 
of  eight  years  she  accompanied  her  widowed 
mother  to  America,  settling  at  Pleasant  Mount, 
Pa.  There  she  was  married  to  William  H.  Spen- 
cer in  1866,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three 
sons,  Walter  A.,  Scott  B.  and  Earl  H.,  of  whom 
the  two  last-named  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 
Walter  A.  received  his  literary  education  in  Pleas- 
ant Mount  Academy,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1885.  On  the  conclusion  of  his  education  he 
taught  in  a  country  school  for  one  year,  and  for 
two  years  held  the  position  of  assistant  principal 
in  the  academy  from  which  he  graduated.  With 
the  intention  of  becoming  a  dentist,  he  entered 
the  dental  department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, from  which  he  graduated  in  1890.  After 
completing  the  course  of  study,  he  opened  an 
office,  and  is  now  located  at  No.  30  North  Main 
Street,  Carbondale,  where  he  has  since  built  up 
a  renumerative  practice.  In  1891  he  married 
Miss  Minnie  M.  Wingate,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr. 
Wingate,  of  Carbondale.  She  died  in  1895,  leav- 
ing- one  child. 


JOSEPH  R.  McLean,  M.  D.  The  medical 
profession  in  Scranton  is  represented  by  a 
number  of  skillful  practitioners,  who  have 
an  extended  knowledge  of  therapeutics  and  are 
recognized  by  the  people  as  physicians  of  ability. 
This  noble  profession  affords  to  the  student  a 
never  ending  source  of  investigation  and  experi- 
ment. New  remedies  are  constantly  being  dis- 
covered, steady  progress  is  being  made  in  sur- 
gery, and  new  diseases  are  presenting  themselves 
under  varying  forms  of  civilization.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  discoveries  in  other  fields  of 
knowledge — and  certainly   they  are   astonishing 


i88 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


— it  can  be  truthfully  said  of  this  science  that  not 
one  can  equal  it  in  the  great  strides  it  is  making 
toward  a  comprehensive  grasp  of  the  wliole  sub- 
ject of  man  in  relation  to  health  and  disease,  the 
prevention  and  the  cure  of  ills  to  which  flesh  is 
heir. 

In  the  list  of  physicians  of  the  city  may  be 
mentioned  Dr.  McLean,  who  has  an  office  at  No. 
305  West  Market  Street,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  here.  He  is 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  Waymart, 
Wayne  County,  in  1870,  and  is  a  member  of  a 
family  consisting  of  ten  children,  of  whom  nine 
are  living,  he  being  next  to  the  youngest.  His 
father,  Patrick  McLean,  was  for  some  time  a  res- 
ident of  Providence,  where  he  was  employed  in 
the  railroad  company's  mines,  but  removed  to 
Waymart,  Wayne  County,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided on  a  farm,  engaging  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  married  Miss  Mary  Walsh,  an  estima- 
ble lady,  who  died  in  Wayne  County. 

The  boyhood  years  of  the  subject  of  this  article 
were  passed  on  the  home  farm  and  in  attendance 
at  the  Waymart  schools.  In  1891  he  graduated 
from  the  high  school  of  that  place,  after  whicli 
he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  and  took  the  regular 
four  years'  course,  graduating  in  June,  1895,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  Immediately  afterward  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  opened  an  office  at  his 
present  location,  where  he  has  since  given  his 
attention  to  professional  work. 


WHJJAM  W\  JENKINS,  M.  D.  No 
country  has  afforded  greater  opportu- 
nities to  the  poor  boy  than  our  own. 
Here  one  who  is  frugal  and  industrious  has  a 
chance  to  work  his  way  upward,  and  while  some 
fail  to  do  so,  the  energetic  and  persevering  in 
most  cases  secure  success.  In  youth  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  poor,  obliged  to  work  when 
most  boys  were  gaining  an  education.  His  first 
money  was  earned  as  slate  picker  in  the  breaker, 
and  from  that  humble  beginning  he  worked  his 
way  to  his  present  position  as  a  physician  of 
Scranton. 

In   the    city   of    Merthyr-Tydvil,    Wales,    Dr. 


Jenkins  was  born  May  24,  1859,  a  son  of  William 
and  Eleanor  (Evans)  Jenkins,  also  natives  of  that 
place.  His  grandfather.  William  Jenkins,  who 
engaged  in  farming  there  until  his  death,  had 
two  sons  in  the  English  army,  the  older  of  whom 
was  killed  in  the  Crimean  War.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Morgan  Evans,  was  an  iron  ore 
miner  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  Wales.  Our 
subject's  father,  who  was  a  coal  miner  in  W^ales, 
brought  his  family  to  America  in  1869  and  set- 
tled in  Hazleton,  Pa.,  but  shortly  afterward  re- 
moved to  Mahanoy  City,  thence  to  Ashton  (now 
Lansford),  Carbon  County,  and  from  there  to 
Plymoutli,  Luzerne  County,  where  he  died  in 
1886  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  His  wife,  who  is 
still  living,  resides  in  Taylorville,  Lackawanna 
County.  Of  their  children  two  sons  are  living. 
Dr.  William  W.,  and  Morgan  E.,  a  business  man 
of  New  York,  who  makes  his  home  in  Palisades 
Park,  N.  J. 

At  the  time  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States,  our  subject  was  a  boy  of  ten  years,  and 
afterward  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
various  removals.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  was 
])romoted  from  the  position  of  slate  picker  and 
made  door-boy  inside  the  mines.  From  Lans- 
ford he  moved  to  Mauch  Chunk,  where  he 
worked  in  the  mines  for  eight  months.  In  1877 
he  went  to  Plymouth,  Luzerne  County,  where 
he  continued  to  work  as  a  miner  for  two  years. 
It  had,  however,  for  years  been  his  hope  to  gain 
a  good  education,  and  with  that  object  in  view 
he  saved  his  earnings  from  month  to  month.  In 
1879  he  entered  Wyoming  Seminary  and  for 
three  terms  conducted  his  studies  in  that  insti- 
tution, after  which  he  began  to  read  medicine 
under  Dr.  D.  E.  Evans  of  Plymouth.  In  the  fall 
of  1881  he  entered  the  Eclectic  Medical  College 
of  New  York  City,  and  there  took  the  regidar 
course  of  studies,  graduating  in  1884,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  Returning  to  Plymouth,  he 
remained  there  imtil  January,  1885,  when  he 
came  to  Scranton,  and  here  for  a  few  years  he 
carried  on  a  drug  business,  first  m  Hyde  Park, 
then  in  Providence.  His  increasing  medical 
practice,  however,  caused  him  at  last  to  retire 
from  the  drug  trade  and  he  therefore  closed  out 
his  store,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  him- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


189 


self  entirely  to  his  practice,  at  No.  1824  Wayne 
Avenue. 

In  this  city  Dr.  Jenkins  married  Miss  Hannah, 
daughter  of  Lewis  Harris,  both  natives  of  Wales, 
but  for  years  residents  of  Scranton,  where  Mr. 
Harris  was  formerly  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  Three  children  bless  the  union,  Lil- 
lian, \\'illie  and  Lewis.  In  his  political  opinions 
Dr.  Jenkins  is  independent,  voting  in  local  elec- 
tions for  the  men  whom  he  deems  best  qualified 
to  represent  the  people,  but  in  national  elections 
usually  votes  the  Republican  ticket,  his  prefer- 
ence being  in  that  direction.  Possessing  a  cul- 
tured, refined  taste,  with  the  soul  of  a  true  poet, 
he  has  written  for  his  own  pleasure,  rather  than 
for  publication,  a  number  of  poems  that  evince 
a  high  grade  of  scholarship  and  possess  genu- 
ine merit. 


HON.  JOHN  FULTON  REYNOLDS, 
one  of  the  foremost  of  the  young 
attorneys  at  the  Lackawanna  County 
bar,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  Carbon- 
dale,  was  born  at  Beaver  Meadow,  Car- 
bon County,  Pa.,  February  5,  1863.  He  is  a 
son  of  Jenkin  Reynolds,  who  in  young  manhood 
came  to  America  from  Wales,  his  native  land, 
and,  settling  in  Carbon  County,  assisted  in  open- 
ing some  of  the  most  important  mines  there  and 
in  Schuylkill  County.  Continuing  in  that  busi- 
ness, as  niiiK  superintendent,  until  1868,  he  then, 
having  accumulated  a  competency,  retired  to  a 
farm  in  Gibson  Township,  Susquehanna  County, 
and  proceeded  to  improve  and  beautify  one  of  the 
finest  homesteads  in  the  locality.  There  he  re- 
mained until  his  death,  in  1880.  In  the  Presby- 
terian Churcli  he  was  an  exemplary  member  and 
active  worker.  He  was  one  of  three  brothers  who 
married  sisters,  but  aside  from  this  fact,  little  is 
known  of  their  history.  Thomas  and  John,  the 
brothers,  were  for  many  years  prosperous  farm- 
ers of  Susquehanna  County.  In  regard  to  wealth 
and  social  standing,  the  family  belonged  to  the 
middle  classes  of  Wales,  and  thus  escaped  the 
temptations  by  which  the  wealthy  often  fall  and 
the  sufferings  into  which  the  poor  are  frequently 
thrown. 


The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Daniels,  and  at  the  age  of 
eight  years  accompanied  her  parents  from  Wales 
to  this  country,  settling  with  them  in  Clififord, 
Susquehanna  County.  For  many  years  her 
father  held  responsible  political  positions  in  his 
native  land,  and  after  coming  to  the  United  States 
was  engaged  in  various  positions,  his  last  years 
being  spent  on  a  farm.  A  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  he  was  an  elder  of  his  con- 
gregation for  many  years.  He  was  a  man  of 
peaceable  disposition,  kind  and  forgiving  in  his 
intercourse  with  all,  and  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  the  settlement  of  neighborhood  disputes,  thus 
gaining  the  name  of  a  peacemaker.  His  advice 
was  always  timely,  and  invariably  resulted  in  a 
satisfactory  settlement  without  resorting  to  the 
courts.  His  neighbors  had  unbounded  faith  in 
his  ability  and  integrity,  and  frequently  entrust- 
ed to  him  the  settlement  of  their  estates. 

The  family  of  which  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Reynolds 
was  a  member  consisted  of  herself,  four  sisters, 
and  an  only  brother,  who  died  in  young  man- 
hood, leaving  four  sons,  Benjamin,  John,  Mor- 
gan and  William  Daniels,  who  have  since  be- 
come prominent  in  the  business  and  political  cir- 
cles of  Lackawanna  County.  Mrs.  Reynolds  was 
a  lady  of  noble  Christian  character,  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Her  death  occurred  on  the  home  farm  in  1880. 
Of  her  eleven  children,  our  subject  was  the 
youngest  who  grew  to  mature  years.  Edward 
J.,  who  entered  the  Union  army  at  the  age  of  only 
nineteen,  served  as  sergeant  of  Company  H, 
Eighty-first  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  was  wounded 
at  Gettysburg  and  killed  at  Cold  Harbor,  and 
lies  buried  at  Arlington  Heights,  Washington, 
D.  C.  While  in  the  army,  he  heard  of  the  birth 
of  his  brother,  our  subject,  whom  he  never  saw. 
Immediately  he  wrote  to  his  parents,  requesting 
that  they  name  him  John  Fulton,  after  the  daring 
general.  John  Fulton  Reynolds,  who  lost  his  life 
on  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg.  Another  broth- 
er, Benjamin  D.,  a  life-long  merchant,  is  now  en- 
gaged in  that  business  at  South  Gibson,  Pa., 
where  he  has  been  very  prosperous;  he  has  been 
prominent  in  public  life,  serving  as  postmaster 
and    filling    other    local    offices.     His    wife    was 


ICJO 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Emily  Carpenter,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  old- 
est families  in  Susquehanna  County.  Elizabeth, 
eldest  sister  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  married 
Edwin  J.  Evans,  and  they  moved  to  Hastings, 
Neb.,  where  she  died.  Jennie,  another  sister,  be- 
came the  wife  of  William  X.  Reese,  and  they  re- 
sided in  Nebraska  for  a  time,  but  now  make  their 
home  at  Forest  City,  Pa.  Mary  A.,  the  youngest 
living  sister,  married  T.  J.  Reese,  brother  of  her 
sister's  husband,  and  they  live  at  Forest  City. 
Thomas  G.,  a  brother,  married  Anna  Evans,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  in  Gibson  Township, 
Susquehanna  County,  until  his  death,  January 
II,  1889;  he  was  well  known  in  his  community, 
and  held  several  township  offices.  William  E., 
youngest  living  brother,  a  carriage  manufacturer, 
spent  some  time  in  Montana,  but  now  lives  in 
Deposit,  N.  Y. ;  his  wife  was  in  maidenhood 
Lillie  Hincs.  The  other  children  died  when 
young. 

When  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  boy  of 
five  years  his  parents  went  to  live  upon  a  farm, 
and  there  his  youthful  days  were  happily  passed. 
Attending  the  district  schools,  he  made  such  rapid 
advance  that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  taught  a 
country  school.  Afterward  he  clerked  in  his 
brother's  store  at  South  Gibson  for  two  years, 
and  then  took  the  commercial  course  in  Wyo- 
ming .Seminary  at  Kingston,  Pa.  Later,  being- 
put  in  charge  of  the  banking  department  of  that 
institution,  he  carried  on  his  studies  in  the  liter- 
ary and  scientific  department  during  the  four 
years  he  held  the  position,  and  graduated  in  1887. 
From  youth  it  was  his  fixed  resolve  to  enter  the 
legal  profession,  and  with  this  object  in  view  he 
became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  A.  H.  I\Ic- 
Collum,  of  Montrose,  Pa.,  brother  of  J.  P.rewster 
McCollum,  of  the  supreme  court  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  August,  1889,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  in  December  of  the  same  year  came  to 
Carbondale,  where  he  has  since  practiced  his 
profession  with  marked  success.  A  close  student, 
hard  worker,  safe  adviser  and  energetic  man,  he 
has  gained  a  large  practice  and  enjoys  the  c(jnfi- 
dence  of  the  v.'hole  community. 

Firm  in  his  allegiance  to  Republican  principles 
during  the  exciting  campaign  of  1896,  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds was  brought  forward  by  the  advocates  of 


sound  money  as  their  candidate  for  the  legisla- 
ture in  the  fourth  legislative  district  of  Lacka- 
wanna County.  ■  The  district,  while  normally 
Democratic,  gave  Mr.  Reynolds  a  plurality  of 
one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twelve,  the  larg- 
est plurality  ever  obtained  by  any  legislative  can- 
didate in  the  district. 

In  October,  1891,  he  married  Miss  Bessie 
Tyler,  who  was  his  schoolmate  in  Wyoming 
Seminary,  and  was  the  daughter  of  a  prominent 
retired  farmer  of  Oneonta,  N.  Y.  They  are  the 
parents  of  one  daughter,  Mildred  Alice,  born 
January  24,  1894.  Their  liome  is  a  comfortable 
dwelling  on  Park  Street,  which  in  its  interior  re- 
flects the  refined  tastes  of  the  inmates.  In  their 
religious  affiliations  they  are  identified  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  work  of  which  they 
generously  aid  in  forwarding.  They  have  the 
culture  and  refinement  which  high  aspirations 
bring,  and  are  fitted  to  adorn  any  position  in 
social  life. 


CAPT.  EDWIN  W.  PEARCE.  There  are 
few  families  tliat  have  so  brilliant  a  record 
for  valor  and  patriotism  as  the  one  of 
w  hich  Captain  Pearce  is  a  representative.  It  was 
founded  in  Cornwall,  England,  by  his  great- 
grandfather, a  colonel  in  the  British  army,  who 
was  stationed  there  and  continued  to  make  that 
shire  his  home  until  death,  marrvinsf  and  rearing- 
his  children  there.  The  Captain's  mother  had 
two  brothers  who  were  lieutenants  in  the  British 
army,  one  of  whom  was  killed  at  the  storming 
of  Sebastopol  and  the  other,  being  fatally  wound- 
ed during  the  same  siege,  died  on  the  Island  of 
Malta  while  en  route  home. 

At  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion,  when  the  per- 
petuity of  the  L^nion  was  threatened,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  then  a  youth  in  his  teens,  became 
so  aroused  tJiat,  with  his  father  and  brothers,  he 
enlisted  in  the  army.  His  record  as  a  soldier  is 
one  of  the  highest  honor,  while  his  sufferings  on 
the  tented  field  and  in  the  rebel  prison  pens  were 
so  terrible  that  they  should  bring  him  the  grati- 
tude of  every  loyal  patriot.  The  patriotic  spirit 
which  led  him  to  bear  all  the  hardships  of  war 
was  amply  evidenced  at  the  first  signal  of  conflict, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


191 


Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  on  Friday  and  reduced  on 
Saturday,  and  Sunday  night  a  rebel  flag  (the  only 
one  ever  displayed  in  Scranton)  was  placed  on 
the  schoolhouse.  Early  Monday  morning  Judge 
Archbald  told  a  group  of  boys,  of  whom  he  was 
one,  that  the  flag  was  on  top  of  the  schoolhouse, 
and  on  it  was  painted  the  palmetto  tree,  with  a 
star,  and  a  rattlesnake  crawling  up.  At  first  it 
seemed  a  difficult  problem  as  to  how  the  flag  was 
to  be  gotten  down,  there  being  no  ladder,  but 
he  was  soon  master  of  the  situation ;  climbing  up 
over  doors  and  windows  until  able  to  catch  hold 
of  the  cornice,  and  finally  reaching  the  roof,  he 
tore  down  the  flag,  upon  which  he  stamped  as 
soon  as  he  was  again  on  the  ground. 

The  Pearce  family,  as  before  stated,  originated 
in  England.  Our  subject's  father,  William,  was 
born  in  Liskeard,  Cornwall,  January  21,  1818, 
the  son  of  an  agriculturist  and  butclicr.  After 
his  marriage  he  came  to  America  in  1840  and  set- 
tled in  Bethany,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  where  his 
son,  Edwin  W.,  was  born  January  7,  1844.  There 
he  continued  as  a  farmer  until  1854,  when  he 
came  to  .Scranton  and  opened  a  meat  market  in 
North  Main  Avenue,  Providence.  Later  he  was 
employed  in  the  construction  of  the  old  Luzerne 
works  in  the  Hollow  or  Notch,  and  afterward  as- 
sisted in  sinking  the  von  Storch  shaft.  This  work 
completed,  he  resumed  the  butcher's  business  as 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Pearce  &  Kennedy. 
When  his  sons  went  into  the  army,  he  also  en- 
listed, becoming  a  member  of  Company  F,  Fif- 
tieth New  York  Engineers,  in  which  he  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  last  active  work 
was  as  engineer  and  general  coal  inspector  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson.  Notwithstanding  his 
seventy-eight  years  he  is  hale  and  robust,  and 
enjoys  life  in  his  quiet  home  in  North  Main 
Avenue. 

The  marriage  of  William  Pearce  united  him 
with  Martha  Clathworthy,  the  daughter  of  a 
large  shipyard  owner  in  Davenport,  England, 
where  she  was  born.  Of  the  family  she  is  the 
only  one  v.'ho  ever  came  to  the  United  States. 
She  is  still  living  and  is  now  seventy-six  years  of 
age.  Her  six  children  are  named  as  follows: 
William  H.,  member  of  Company  B,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-sixth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  dur- 


ing the  war,  and  now  a  carpenter  and  builder  re- 
siding in  Milford,  N.  Y. ;  Edwin  W. ;  Jennie  A., 
widow  of  L.  S.  Tripp,  of  Scranton;  Richard  C, 
who  was  a  member  of  a  construction  corps  in  the 
Union  army  and  is  now  an  engineer  on  the  Le- 
high Valley  Railroad,  with  residence  in  Sayre, 
Pa.;  Minnie  E.,  Mrs.  E.  H.  White,  of  New  York 
City;  and  Emma  A.,  wife  of  Jacob  K.  Smith,  a 
grocer  in  West  Market  Street. 

In  1854  the  subject  of  this  sketch  accompanied 
his  father  to  Providence,  where  he  attended  the 
public  and  high  schools.  October  23,  1861,  he 
enlisted  at  Harrisburg  as  a  private  in  Company 
A,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  went  with  his  regiment  to  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  He  took  part  in  every  engagement  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  that  time  until 
his  capture  by  the  Confederates,  among  these 
engagements  being  Cedar  Mountain,  Rappahan- 
nock Station,  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Chan- 
tilly.  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville,  the  three  days'  battle  at  Gettys- 
burg, Mine  Run,  Mead's  retreat  from  Rapidan, 
where  there  was  continuous  skirmishing,  and 
Spottsylvania.  While  fighting  in  a  cornfield  at 
Antietam,  he  was  wounded  by  a  minie-ball,  which 
knocked  him  down,  but  he  got  up  at  once  and 
seizing  another  gun  (his  own  ammunition  having 
been  exhausted)  he  continued  at  the  front  until 
his  regiment  was  relieved  by  the  Seventh  Wis- 
consin. In  February,  1864,  at  the  expiration  of 
his  time,  he  again  enlisted,  and  afterward  fought 
at  Bethesda  Church,  Cold  Harbor,  th«nvestment 
of  Petersburg,  and  Weldon  Railroad. 

In  the  last-named  battle,  August  19,  1864,  Cap- 
tain Pearce  was  captured  together  with  other 
comrades  and  was  taken  to  Petersburg,  thence  to 
Libby,  Castle  Thunder,  Pemberton  Building, 
Belle  Island;  Danville  and  Salisbury,  N.  C,  re- 
maining in  the  latter  place  for  five  and  one-half 
months.  When  the  prison  was  broken  up,  he 
was  sent  to  Greensboro,  thence  to  Raleigh  and 
Goldsboro,  where  he  was  paroled  in  March,  1865, 
and  sent  to  Wilmington,  coming  into  Union  lines 
on  Cape  Fear  River.  The  sufferings  of  his  prison 
life  are  indescribable.  In  Libby  he  was  forced 
to  disrobe  and  the  rebels  took  his  good  clothing, 
leaving  liim  rags  in  their  stead.    The  only  blouse 


192 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.'^^PHICAL  RECORD. 


he  had  was  worn  out  at  the  elbows  and  shoulders, 
while  over  it  he  threw  an  old  piece  of  carpet,  with 
holes  for  the  arms  to  slip  through.  At  Salisbury 
the  prisoners  had  no  tents  or  shelter,  and  were 
not  even  given  blankets,  so  dug  holes  in  the 
ground,  into  which  they  crawled  and  which  fur- 
nished them  a  partial  protection  from  the  cold. 
When  he  reached  the  Union  lines,  he  was  almost 
starved,  having  for  seventy-two  hours  had  noth- 
ing to  eat  except  a  pint  of  corn  meal,  which  was 
composed  of  the  corn  and  cob  ground  together. 

Out  of  sixteen  thousand  prisoners  at  Salisbury, 
twelve  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  died 
and  of  the  balance  less  than  four  thousand  lived 
to  come  into  the  Union  lines;  of  those  who 
reached  the  Federal  lines,  many  died  before  they 
could  get  to  their  homes.  Of  the  large  number 
who  died,  twelve  thousand  and  thirty-t\vo  are 
sleeping  in  graves  that  arc  simply  marked  "un- 
known,"' as  no  record  was  kept  of  the  prisoners. 
Captain  Pearce  was  one  of  a  committee  who 
asked  permission  of  the  general  to  keep  a  record, 
but  they  were  refused.  There  was  no  nuining 
water,  and  wells  were  dug  in  order  to  secure 
water  for  drinking  purposes. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day,  November  25,  1864, 
Captain  Pearce  and  others  made  a  break  for  lib- 
erty. They  had  their  guns  loaded  with  boiler 
scrap  and  he  was  wounded  two  times,  once  under 
the  left  knee  cap,  the  marks  of  which  he  still 
bears,  and  the  other  time  in  the  right  hip,  which 
was  very  slow  in  healing.  .Xt  the  time  of  cap- 
ture he  weighed  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
pounds,  but  on  his  return  to  Scranton  his  weight 
was  reduced  to  si.xty-two  and  one-half  pounds. 
Soon  after  he  reached  home  he  was  taken  ill  with 
typhoid,  bilious  and  iiilennittint  lever,  all  at 
once,  and  lay  for  weeks  luiconscious.  At  times 
he  was  thought  to  be  dead.  His  mother,  who 
watched  over  him  ceaselessly,  even  losing  her 
eyesight  in  her  anxiety,  was  told  by  the  physi- 
cian that  he  was  dead,  but  she  refused  to  believe 
it.  Gradually  he  gained  strength,  but  it  was  not 
until  after  many  weary  months  that  he  was  able 
to  leave  his  room,  and  the  marks  of  his  suffering 
he  will  bear  to  the  grave.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged from  the  service  June  12,  1865,  at  Camp 
Powell,  Md. 


After  clerking  for  a  time,  Captain  Pearce 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed 
in  the  employ  of  another  for  two  and  one-half 
years,  and  then  engaged  with  his  brother  in  con- 
tracting and  building.  In  1870  failing  health 
obliged  him  to  leave  the  work.  He  then  took  a 
commercial  course  in  Wyoming  Seminary, 
Kingston,  and  afterward  had  charge  of  the  boot 
and  shoe  and  gents"  fitrnishing  goods  department 
for  Ambrose  Mulley.  In  1884  he  went  to  Milford, 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  with  his  brother,  but  three  years 
later,  February  22,  1887,  his  brother,  through 
an  accident  in  the  mill,  lost  his  hand,  after  which 
our  subject  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  return- 
ing to  work  there,  but  gave  to  his  brother  his  in- 
terest in  the  mill,  amounting  to  $3,000. 

Returning  to  Providence  in  1887,  Captain 
Pearce  helped  to  erect  the  buildings  of  the  Scran- 
ton Forging  Company  and  put  in  the  machinery, 
which  he  has  since  kept  in  good  running  order. 
His  first  marriage,  June  24,  1869,  united  him 
with  Mary  C.  Calloway,  who  was  born 
in  Flonesdale,  Pa.,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Calloway,  who  came  to  this  country  from 
Cornwall.  She  died  ten  months  after  her 
marriage.  At  Kingston,  October  24,  1872,  Cap- 
tain Pearce  married  Miss  Etta  L.  Robbins, 
daughter  of  Cornelius  Robbins,  a  veteran  of  the 
Fifty-eiglith  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  Mrs.  Pearce 
was  born  in  Owego,  N.  Y.,  and  graduated  from 
the  schools  of  Kingston.  Two  sons  bless  the 
union,  Warren  Robbins,  who  is  assistant  ship- 
ping clerk  for  the  Scranton  Forging  Company, 
and  Roy  E.  W.  The  family  residence  is  at  No. 
613  East  Market  Street. 

A  Republican  in  politics.  Captain  Pearce  has 
been  active  in  connnittee  work.  For  three  years 
he  represented  the  first  ward  in  the  select  coun- 
cil, and  was  chairman  of  the  police  committee 
which  drew  up  the  present  police  ordinances. 
Fraternally  he  is  associated  with  Celestial  Lodge 
^^o.  833,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Veteran  Soldiers  Associa- 
tion, and  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139, 
G.  A.  R.,  which  he  had  the  honor  of  naming.  At 
three  different  times  he  has  been  commissioned 
an  aide  on  Gen.  E.  S.  Osborne's  staff.  In  1870 
he  raised  the  company  known  as  Scranton  Zoo- 


.'T 


i 


RIvHSlv  C.  liROOKS. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


195 


aves,  and  July  19  of  that  year  he  was  commis- 
sioned the  first  captain  by  Governor  Geary,  con- 
tinuing in  that  capacity  until  he  was  transferred 
to  Company  B,  Ninth  Regiment,  National  Guard 
of  Pennsylvania.  In  1876  he  was  elected  major 
of  the  Ninth  Regiment,  commissioned  by  Gov. 
T.  F.  Hartranft,  and  held  that  rank  until  the  re- 
organization of  the  guard  two  years  later.  Just 
one  month  before  this,  he  was  elected  lieutenant- 
colonel  by  the  officers  of  the  Ninth  at  Wilkes- 
barre,  but  the  reorganization  changed  other 
plans.  He  then  raised  Company  H,  Thirteenth 
National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  com- 
missioned captain  by  Governor  Hartranft,  re- 
maining in  service  until  1880,  when  he  resigned 
from  the  guard.  In  religious  belief  he  is  con- 
nected with  Asbur}'  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


REESE  G.  BROOKS.  With  a  number  of 
important  enterprises  in  Scranton  ]Mr. 
Brooks  is  closely  identified,  having  assist- 
ed in  establishing  and  carrying  forward  various 
business  concerns.  At  this  writing  he  is  presi- 
dent of  three  coal  companies,  the  Greenwood, 
Langclifle  and  Laflin,  vice-president  and  a  di- 
rector of  the  Dime  and  the  West  Side  Banks,  a 
director  in  the  Consumers'  Ice  Company,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  McClave,  Brooks  & 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  patent  grates  and  blowers. 
His  uno.stentatious,  yet  useful  and  successful  life, 
bears  an  important  lesson  to  the  growing  genera- 
tion. In  life's  severest  struggles  he  has  never 
faltered.  He  has  reared  a  family  to  whom  he  gave 
the  best  of  all  heritages,  a  name  that  was  never 
tarnished.  As  a  public  official  he  attended  to 
the  duties  of  his  ofifice  with  due  diligence  and  at 
all  times  conserved  the  public  welfare. 

Reviewing  the  history  of  the  Brooks  family, 
we  find  that  they  are  of  English  origin.  William, 
father  of  Reese  G.,  was  born  in  Monmouthshire, 
England,  the  son  of  an  agriculturist  there,  and 
in  1842  came  to  America,  settling  in  Scranton. 
After  working  for  a  time  with  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Coal  Company,  and  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  Company,  he 
later  resided  on  a  farm  in  Spring  Brook  Town- 
ship until  he  retired  from  active  labors.  His 
death  occurred  in  Scranton  in   1888.     He  mar- 

5 


ried  Sarah  Powell,  who  was  bom  in  Devonock, 
Wales,  near  the  castle  occupied  by  Patti,  and  who 
now  resides  in  West  Scranton.  Of  her  six  sons 
and  one  daughter,  the  latter  and  two  of  the  boys 
are  living.  H.  J.,  our  subject's  brother,  is  fore- 
man of  the  Laflin  Coal  Company. 

On  Christmas  Day  of  1846  Reese  G.  Brooks 
was  born  in  Scranton  and  here  he  was  reared,  at- 
tending the  schools  of  Hyde  Park.  In  1863,  when 
Lee  invaded  Pennsylvania,  he  joined  an  emer- 
gency company  raised  in  this  locality,  and  went  to 
Harrisburg,  where  he  was  detailed  in  hospital  ser- 
vice. On  his  return  home  he  took  a  position  as 
brakeman  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Railroad,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall 
of  1864.  Again  entering  the  army,  he  was  as- 
signed to  a  corps  in  East  Tennessee  and  was 
present  at  Chattanooga  and  Missionary  Ridge. 
From  the  former  place  he  went  to  Cleveland, 
Tenn.,  and  Dalton  and  Athens,  Ga.  In  the  spring 
of  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  and  returned  home.  Later  in 
the  same  year  he  became  connected  with  the  Mt. 
Pleasant  Coal  Company  and  for  three  years  after- 
ward was  employed  in  their  mines,  after  which 
he  had  charge  of  a  shaft  for  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Steel  Company.  He  held  the  position  of 
general  inside  foreman,  and  then  for  almost  twen- 
ty-six years  was  general  superintendent  of  the 
coal  department. 

Meantime,  in  1884,  jMr.  Brooks  organized  the 
Greenwood  Coal  Company,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  president  and  which  has  two  breakers  with 
three  shafts  located  at  the  edge  of  the  city.  A 
low  estimate  places  the  capacity  of  Ihe  mines  at 
fifteen  hundred  tons  per  day.  In  May,  1892,  he 
organized  the  Langcliffe  Coal  Company,  seven 
hundred  tons  daily,  one  breaker  and  shaft,  lo- 
cated at  Avoca,  on  the  county  line  of  Luzerne  and 
Lackawanna.  Of  this  he  has  been  president  from 
the  first.  The  Laflin  Coal  Company,  of  which  he 
is  president,  was  organized  in  1894  and  operates 
mines  at  Laflin,  Luzerne  County,  fourteen  miles 
from  Scranton.  There  are  a  breaker  and  shaft, 
with  capacity  of  one  thousand  tons  per  day.  Em- 
ployment is  furnished  to  more  than  two  thou- 
sand hands. 

While  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Com- 


196 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


pany,  Mr.  Brooks  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Bridge  Coal  Company  and  served  as  presi- 
dent until  it  was  sold.  Within  recent  years  he 
organized  the  Lee  Coal  Company  and  started 
operations,  but  sold  out.  In  Scranton  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  A.  Morgan,  wJio  was  born  in 
Carbon  County,  Pa.,  her  father,  George  Morgan, 
having  been  one  of  the  oldest  miners  engaged  at 
Nesquehoning.  They  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren: Margaret,  Mrs.  W.  R.  McClave;  Tliomas 
R.,  secretary  of  all  the  coal  companies  in  which 
his  father  is  interested;  George  G.,  a  graduate 
of  Wyoming  Seminary  and  Cornell  University 
and  a  civil  engineer;  John  H.,  a  graduate  of 
Princeton  and  assistant  secretar}-  of  the  coal  com- 
panies, and  Cora  M.,  Mrs.  Willard  Matthews. 

Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Brooks  has  been 
chairman  of  the  county  and  city  committees  at 
different  times.  For  four  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  school  control,  for  seven  years 
served  as  a  member  of  the  poor  board  and  for 
four  years  represented  the  fifth  ward  in  the  select 
council.  He  was  elected  city  treasurer  of  Scran- 
ton and  served  seven  years.  In  June,  1896,  he 
went  abroad  for  recreation,  accompanying  one 
hundred  and  fifty  members  of  the  Manufacturers 
Club  of  Philadelphia,  and  visited  Itily,  Germany, 
France,  Belgium,  Holland,  Austria,  England, 
Wales  and  Ireland,  traveling  about  fifteen  thou- 
sand miles  in  his  trip  of  three  months.  He  has 
also  visited  points  of  interest  in  the  United  States, 
having  been  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Lakes,  and  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi  River.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trade  in  Scranton.  Fond 
of  social  amenities,  he  is  associated  with  the 
Wawayanda  Club  of  Long  Island,  tlie  Scranton 
Club  and  the  Rod  &  Reel  Forest  Club,  the  latter 
an  organization  owning  a  fine  club  house  and  ten 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  Wayne  County. 


THOMAS  R.  P.ROOKS,  secretary  of  the 
Greenwood,  Langcliffe  and  Laflin  Coal 
Companies  and  one  of  the  rising  young 
business  men  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city 
June  IQ,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  Reese  G.  Brooks. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen,  after  having  acquired  a  fair 
education  in  the  public  schools,  he  took  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  with  the  Greenwood  Coal  Company 


and  after  a  time  was  made  bookkeeper,  serving  in 
that  capacity  until  1890,  when  he  became  a  stock- 
holder and  director.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
chosen  secretary  of  the  company,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  since  filled  with  efficiency. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  LangclilTe  Coal 
Company  in  1892,  Mr.  Brooks  was  made  secre- 
tary and  a  director,  and  has  since,  by  working  in 
these  capacities,  contributed  to  the  growth  of 
this  concern.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
Laflin  Coal  Company  in  1894,  he  has  been  its 
secretary  and  treasurer.  During  the  existence  of 
the  Lee  Coal  Company  he  was  secretary  until  it 
sold  out.  While  his  father  was  city  treasurer  for 
seven  years,  he  held  the  position  of  deputy.  In 
connection  with  George  M.  DeWitt,  under  the 
firm  title  of  DeWitt  &  Brooks,  our  subject  or- 
ganized a  retail  coal  and  ice  company,  and  the 
business  grew  so  rapidly  that  it  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  the  Pocono  Ice  Company,  of  which 
he  was  secretary  and  treasurer.  Two  years  later 
the  concern  was  consolidated  with  the  Consum- 
ers' Ice  Company,  an  important  and  flourishing 
business,  in  which  he  is  one  of  the  largest  indi- 
vidual stockholders,  and  his  father  a  director. 
When  the  Dime  Bank  was  established  he  was  a 
stockholder,  but  after  a  time  disposed  of  his 
shares. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Brooks  occurred  in  Scran- 
ton and  united  him  with  Miss  Bertha  Griffin, 
daughter  of  George  Griffin.  They  are  the  pa- 
rents of  two  children,  Margaret  and  Edward  S., 
who  with  them  occupy  the  family  residence  at 
No.  1006  Linden  Street.  Socially  Mr.  Brooks  is 
identified  with  the  Scranton  Club.  A  Republican 
in  his  political  opinions,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
county  central  committee  and  one  of  the  active 
men  in  his  party.  About  1894  he  and  Mr.  DeWitt 
formed  a  partnership  and  embarked  in  the  hand- 
ling and  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  blasting 
powder,  having  their  office  in  the  Traders  Bank 
Building  and  the  magazine  in  Lackawanna 
Township,  three  miles  from  Scranton. 


HERMAN   BESSEY,   M.   D.      While  the 
])cri()d  of  his  residence  in  Scranton  has 
been  of  comparatively  short  duration.  Dr. 
Bessey  has  already  gained  a  position  among  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


197 


thoroughly  informed,  skillful  physicians  and  sur- 
geons of  the  city  and  is  recognized  as  a  man  of 
broad  professional  knowledge,  with  the  ability 
to  succeed  in  the  vocation  chosen  as  his  life  work. 
Since  coming  to  this  place  in  July,  1896,  he  has 
had  his  ofifice  at  No.  1745  Church  Avenue,  corner 
of  Oak  Street. 

The  family  represented  by  the  subject  of  this 
article  originated  in  France,  from  which  country 
his  grandfather,  Lyman  Bessey,  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  New  York  State.  In  his  native  land 
he  was  a  man  of  wealth,  high  standing  and  influ- 
ence, and  after  establishing  his  home  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  he  became  equally  prominent  among 
the  people  of  his  community.  George  Bessey,  the 
Doctors  father,  was  born  near  Nichols,  N.  Y., 
and  removed  thence  to  Bradford  County,  Pa., 
settling  north  of  Towanda,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  owned  a  large 
mill  on  Fowler  Creek.  He  died  of  apoplexy 
about  1868.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Amanda  S.  Staples,  was  born  in  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  and  died  in  Bradford  County  in 
1867.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Staples,  who 
was  of  remote  German  extraction  and  engaged 
extensively  in  farming  in  the  Green  Mountain 
State. 

In  the  family  of  George  and  Amanda  S.  Bessey 
there  are  three  sons  living,  namely:  Herman,  of 
this  sketch ;  Rev.  F.  E.,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Rome,  Pa.;  and  Hiram  G.,  who  lives 
in  Elmira,  N.  Y.  In  1861  the  subject  of  this  rec- 
ord was  born  at  the  home  of  his  parents  near 
Towanda,  a  beautiful  borough  in  Bradford 
County,  that  derives  its  name  from  an  Indian 
legend  and  means  "two  one  day."  His  early 
childhood  years  were  spent  there  and  at  Monroe- 
ton,  but  at  the  age  of  ten  years  he  went  to  live 
with  an  aunt  in  Fairfax  County,  Va.,  and  was 
reared  on  a  large  farm  about  nine  miles  from 
the  city  of  Washington.  At  an  early  age  he 
proved  the  possession  of  more  than  ordinary  abil- 
ity and  v;as  therefore  given  the  best  educational 
advantages  the  schools  of  the  country  afforded. 
After  completing  the  high  school  course,  he  pre- 
pared for  Princeton  College  at  Hightstown,  N.  J., 
graduating  from  the  classical  institute  in  that 
place.  He  then  entered  the  freshman  class  of 
Princeton  College,  but  after  a  year  there,  in  1882 


he  became  a   student   in    Lafayette   College   at 
Easton,  where  he  spent  a  year. 

On  the  completion  of  his  studies  our  subject 
began  to  teach  in  Newcastle  County,  Del.,  and 
after  a  short  time  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Benja- 
min T.  Biggs  as  superintendent  of  public  inslruc- 
lion  for  Newcastle  County,  receiving  indorse- 
ment from  the  bar  and  judiciary  of  Delaware. 
He  remained  in  that  position  from  1887  until 
1890,  inclusive,  after  which,  in  1891,  he  began  to 
study  medicine  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, remaining  there  until  his  graduation,  June 
13,  1895,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  While  in  the 
university  he  took  a  special  course  in  practical 
obstetrics  and  medical  jurisprudence,  and  gained 
,  considerable  valuable  experience  in  the  hospitals. 
For  a  time  he  was  resident  physician  of  the  Phil- 
adelphia dispensary  at  Fifth  and  Chestnut  Streets. 
In  1896  he  came  to  Scranton  and  has  since  identi- 
fied himself  with  the  Lackawanna  County  Med- 
ical Society  and  the  other  professional  interests 
of  the  locality.  While  in  Philadelphia  he  attended 
the  medical,  surgical  and  gynecological  societies. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  identified  with  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  fraternally  is  a  Master  Mason, 
and  in  his  political  views  adheres  <"0  Republican 
doctrines. 


JOHN  WINFIELD  AITKEN,  who  is  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Carbondale, 
was  born  in  this  city  March  4,  1850,  the 
only  son  of  John  and  Anna  (Arnold)  Aitken, 
natives  respectively  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and 
Rhode  Island.  His  paternal  grandfather,  John 
Aitken,  Sr.,  came  from  the  higher  class  of  the 
sturdy  Scotch  race,  and  was  an  expert  mechanic 
and  worker  in  iron  and  brass.  On  emigrating 
from  Scotland  to  America,  he  settled  in  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brass  goods.  Later,  through  the  influence  of  a 
Scotch  friend,  he  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
Susquehanna  County,  adjoining  the  property  of 
a  cousin,  John  Tinker.  Having  been  born  and 
bred  in  the  citv  of  Glasgow,  and  having  spent 
his  entire  life  in  commercial  pursuits,  he  soon 
wearied  of  the  monotony  of  farm  life.  Locating 
in  CarboTidale,  he  assisted  his  son  John  in  the 
establishing  of  an  iron  and  brass  foundry, 


198 


PORTRfMT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


At  the  time  the  family  emigrated  to  America, 
our  subject's  father  was  quite  young,  and  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  various  removals. 
He  became  the  pioneer  manufacturer  of  the  Lack- 
awanna Valley,  and  Iniilt  ui)  the  leading  enter- 
prise of  the  day  in  Carbondale.  In  1843  he  erect- 
ed the  first  three-story  building  in  the  place,  on 
the  corner  of  River  Street  and  Salem  Avenue, 
for  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements 
and  tinware,  in  connection  with  his  large  iron  and 
brass  foundry.  While  still  comparatively  young, 
Mr.  Aitkcn  departed  this  life  in  1857.  His  wife, 
who  was  a  number  of  a  good  old  Puritan  family 
of  Revolutionary  fame,  died  in  1894.  Both  were 
consistent  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
They  had  only  two  children,  John  W.  and  Anna 
Louise,  wlio  is  the  wife  of  H.  B.  Jadv,-in,  of  Car- 
bondale. 

Educated  in  the  high  school  of  Carbondale, 
Mr.  Aitkcn  began  his  business  career  with  Wil- 
liam H.  Richmond,  but  later  was  with  John- Watt 
fk  Sons.  He  abandoned  the  mercantile  trade  to 
become  connected  with  Jadwin  &  Co.,  in  the  drug 
business,  and  afterward  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother-in-law,  H.  B.  Jadwin,  under  the 
firm  title  of  Jadwin  &  Aitkcn,  their  connection 
continuing  for  two  years.  In  1876  he  established 
a  drug  store  in  North  Main  Street,  and  for  eigh- 
teen years  carried  on  a  lucrative  business  there. 
but  then  sold  out.  He  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  city's  growth  and  its  various 
enterprises.  His  foresight,  as  president  of  the 
Carbondale  board  of  trade,  which  he  organized 
in  1886,  gave  the  city  its  system  of  electric  light- 
ing, the  first  plant  ever  sold  by  the  Westinghousc 
Company.  In  187S  he  purchased  the  Keystone 
Hotel,  corner  of  Main  Street  and  Salem  Avenue, 
and  remodeled  it  into  tlie  Aitken  Building,  one 
of  the  n)ost  substantial  store  and  office  structures 
in  the  placo. 

For  years  Mr.  Aitken  devoted  his  best  energies 
to  securing  for  Carbondale  an  electric  railwa\- 
system  superior  to  that  of  any  city  of  similar  size 
in  the  United  States.  Believing  that  the  promo- 
tion of  ever)'  progressive  enterprise  affects,  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  every  citizen  of  llic  place,  he 
never  hesitates  to  endeavor  to  secure  the  co-oper- 
ation of  rjthers  in  plans  for  the  prosperity  of  the 


place.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Young 
Men's  Library  Association,  and,  aside  from  Pro- 
fessor Francis,  was  the  most  active  worker  in  its 
organization.  Many  other  local  enterprises  have 
had  his  financial  support  and  the  benefit  of  his 
enterprise. 

In  the  summer  of  1896,  in  company  with  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  members  of  the  Manufac- 
turers' Club  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Aitken  made  an 
extensive  tour  through  Europe.  While  in  the 
United  Kingdom  and  on  the  continent,  they 
traveled  in  special  cars  chartered  expressly  for 
their  use.  In  all  parts  of  the  various  European 
countries  they  met  with  a  most  cordial  reception, 
and  were  accorded  an  audience  with  Gladstone 
at  his  country-seat,  Hawarden,  where  he  gave 
them  an  address  of  welcome.  Wlien  one  of  the 
party  proposed  three  cheers  for  the  "grand  old 
man,"  it  was  given  with  such  enthusiasm  and 
fervor  that  he  remarked  he  "thought  the  English 
people  could  beat  the  world  in  cheering,  but  they 
can't  come  up  to  you  Americans.'" 

In  1877  Mr.  Aitken  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Lsabella,  daughter  of  George  L.  Morss. 
She  died  in  1895,  leaving  four  children,  George 
Morss,  Ethel  Lois,  John  ^^■inficl(l,  Jr.,  and  Harold 
Morss. 


PROF.  REEVE  JONES.  There  are  many 
noble  arts  that  conduce  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  highest  faculties  of  man,  and 
among  these  music  ranks  as  chief.  Its  power  is 
boundless;  it  sways  its  scepter  over  the  entire 
world,  bringing  within  its  kindly  rule  not  only 
mankind  but  the  animal  kingdom  as  well. 
Legion  are  tl'.e  names  of  the  heroes  whom  music 
has  inspn-cd  to  deeds  of  deathless  valor.  Count- 
less, too,  are  the  numbers  of  those  who,  in  the 
common  walks  of  life,  have  found  in  soul-stirring 
music  a  welcomed  release  from  the  heavy  cares 
of  life.  It  may  tlierefore  be  justly  regarded  as  a 
benefactor  o(  tin-  human  r;icc,  ami  those  who  are 
the  exponents  of  its  rhythmic  harmonies  and  the 
interpreters  of  its  beauties  deservedly  rank  among 
our  greatest  men. 

.^s  a  concert  pianist  Professor  Jones  has  at- 
tained a  rc'Mitation  that  is  not  limited  to  Scran- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


199 


ton,  where  he  resides,  but  extends  through  other 
portions  of  the  country.  As  a  poet  is  said  to  be 
"born,  not  made,"  so  may  it  be  said  of  a  musician, 
who  can  never  achieve  the  g-reatest  success  un- 
less he  possesses  an  innate  love  and  talent  for  the' 
art.  Inheriting  from  his  father  decided  talent  in 
this  line,  the  Professor  has  added  thereto  all  the 
knowledge  which  instruction  under  the  best  mas- 
ters, at  home  and  abroad,  can  secure,  and  is 
therefore  thoroughly  equipped  for  his  life  work. 
He  makes  a  specialty  of  teaching  fine  tone  pro- 
duction and  in  forming  an  artistic  and  refined 
touch  upon  the  piano.  In  addition  to  instruc- 
tion upon  the  pianoforte  he  is  musical  director 
for  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  one  of  the 
finest  in  Scranton. 

The  family  of  which  Professor  Jones  and  his 
sisters,  Mrs.  T.  J.  Price  and  Mrs.  Protheroe  of 
Scranton,  are  members,  originated  in  Wales, 
where  his  parents.  Professor  Robert  and  Jane 
(Simonds)  Jones,  were  born.  His  father,  who 
grew  to  manhood  near  Swansea,  studied  music 
there,  adding  by  cultivation  to  the  musical  talent 
he  had  inlierited.  He  had  aheady  attained  some 
note  as  a  musician  when  he  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  where  he  married. 
There  he  gave  instruction  in  music  and  held  the 
position  of  choir  leader  in  the  iMrst  Welsh  Bap- 
tist Church.  Under  his  efficient  direction  the 
choir  became  known  as  the  finest  in  that  part 
of  the  state.  The  Pennsylvania  Glee  Club,  of 
which  he  was  leader  and  which  consisted  of  six- 
teen male  voices,  sang  throughout  the  entire 
state,  always  winning  the  first  prize  in  musical 
contests.  Besides  his  other  work,  he  composed  a 
number  of  selections  for  the  piano.  Since  1884 
he  has  lived  in  retirement  in  Scranton,  his  home 
being  on  the  west  side.  ' 

During  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  St. 
Clair,  Pa.,  the  subject  of  this  article  was  born  in 
1864.  His  childhood  years  were  passed  princi- 
pally in  Scranton,  where  he  attended  the  public 
and  high  schools.  His  musical  talent  became 
evident  at  a  very  early  age  and  when  only  six  he 
began  to  study  under  his  father.  Six  years  later 
he  traveled  with  his  father's  company  as  pianist, 
visiting  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States, 
and  spending  almost  one  year  in  travel.    In  1880, 


wishing  to  obtain  the  highest  advantages  in  the 
art,  he  went  to  Boston,  where  for  three  years  he 
studied  in  Petcrsilea's  Music  Scliool,  graduating 
in  1884,  whh  the  gold  medal  and  the  highest 
honors  amtjng  a  class  of  thirty-four.  He  re- 
mained in  Boston  until  1885  as  piano  soloist  and 
teacher,  after  which  he  made  another  concert 
tour  of  the  United  States. 

Returning  to  Scranton  in  1887,  Professor 
Jones  soon  became  well  known  here  as  a  concert 
pianist.  In  1890  he  went  to  Europe  as  solo 
pianist  with  Madame  Marie  Roze,  touring  for 
two  years,  after  which  he  opened  a  studio  in  Lon- 
don and  engaged  in  concert  work  for  two  years. 
On  his  return  to  America  in  1894,  he  taught  for 
a  year  in  New  York  City,  and  in  1895  established 
his  studio  in  Scranton.  For  a  time  he  had  his 
studio  at  No.  134  Wyoming  Avenue,  but  in  Sep- 
tember, 1896,  removed  to  his  present  location, 
on  Linden  Street  and  Adams  Avenue.  He  has 
given  concerts  here  and  in  Wilkesbarre,  New 
York  City  and  other  places,  his  interpretations 
of  the  great  masters  winning  applause  even  from 
the  most  critical.  He  has  composed  a  number 
of  pieces,  as  yet  unpublished,  which  he  renders 
at  recitals.  His  art  engrosses  his  attentiou  to 
the  exclusion  of  public  affairs,  but  he  is  well  in- 
formed upon  national  issues  and  supports  Re- 
publican principles.  In  Boston  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  Mayell,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Lon- 
don and  who  is  fitted,  by  eihication  and  accom- 
pHshments,  to  be  the  companion  of  his  intellect 
as  well  as  his  heart. 


HENRY  FREY.  Among  the  arts  that  con- 
tribute to  the  happiness  of  mankind  there 
are  none  more  valuable  than  photogra- 
phy. By  means  of  it  we  are  enal)led  to  possess 
likenesses  of  dear  ones,  from  whom  the  grave 
has  parted  us  and  whose  portraits  therefore  are 
cherished  with  the  deepest  afifection  as  links  in 
memory's  chain,  binding  us  to  the  past.  Through 
it,  too,  we  trace  the  history  of  our  lives  or  those 
of  our  children  back  through  the  different  ages 
to  babyhood.  In  modern  times  the  art  of  pho- 
tography has  been  greatly  developed,  through 
the  labors  of  men  in  difTerent  parts  of  the  world, 


200 


PORTRAIT   AXl)    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


until  now  it  lias  almost  reached  the  stage  of  per- 
fection. Doubtless  among  the  photographers  of 
Scranton  tlKTc  is  no  one  more  devoted  to  his  art 
or  better  informed  with  regard  to  it,  than  is  the 
subject  of  this  article.  Without  disparaging  the 
work  of  other  artists,  it  may  with  justice  be  said 
that  as  a  photographer  his  work  is  unexcelled  b/ 
any  one  in  the  city. 

A  native  of  Zurich,  Switzerland,  Mr.  Frey  is 
the  son  of  Conrad  and  Anna  (Neracher)  Frey, 
who  were  born  in  the  canton  of  Zurich  and  lived 
upon  a  farm  there;  tiie  former  is  deceased,  but 
the  latter  is  still  living,  being  at  this  writing 
eighty-one  ye<irs  of  age.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  to  which  her  husband  also  be- 
longed. Of  their  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  survive,  Henry  is  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  and  the  only  one  in  America.  He 
received  his  education  in  a  gymnasium,  after 
which  he  clerked  in  a  cotton  factory.  Coming 
to  the  United  States  in  1869^  he  proceeded  west- 
ward to  Illinois  and  spent  six  months  on  a  farm 
in  Highland.  Thence  he  went  south  to  Missis- 
sippi and  for  a  year  engaged  in  raising  cotton, 
but  not  liking  the  work  or  the  climate,  he  went 
to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  for  two  years  was  clerk 
in  a  furnishing  store.  It  was  while  there  that 
he  studied  photograph}',  in  whicli  from  the  first 
he  was  deeply  interested.  On  attaining  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  work,  he  journeyed  through  Missis- 
sippi as  a  traveling  artist  for  a  year,  and  then 
went  to  Baltimore,  where  he  perfected  himself  in 
general  photography. 

In  August,  1874,  Mr.  Frey  came  to  Scranton 
and  for  a  year  worked  in  Mr.  Jewell's  gallery, 
after  which  he  bought  out  that  gentleman  and 
continued  the  photograph  gallery  on  the  corner 
of  Main  and  Jackson.  In  1883  he  purchased  from 
L.  R.  Evans  his  present  place,  and  after  carrying 
on  the  two  galleries  for  tliree  years,  he  closed  out 
the  older,  combining  it  with  the  one  at  Xo.  421 
Lackawanna  Avenue.  Here  he  occupies  a  whole 
floor,  having  a  reception  room,  operating  room, 
laboratory,  and  a  printing  room  on  the  top  floor. 
The  entire  work  he  superintends  himself,  having 
three  or  four  assistants.  All  negatives  are  pre- 
served, and  he  now  has  over  thirty  thousand  on 
hand.     He  has  cameras  of  different  sizes  up  to 


14x17,  and  can  make  a  photograph  almost  life 
size.  In  addition  to  photography,  he  does  work 
in  crayons,  pastels,  oil  and  vvater  colors,  porce- 
lain and  india  ink. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Frey,  which  took  place  in 
Scranton,  united  him  with  Miss  Louisa  Blatter, 
who  was  born  in  Jeffersonville,  Sullivan  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  they  reside  at  No.  519  Pine  Street. 
J'raternally  Mr.  I-'rey  is  associated  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias;  Scranton  Gruetli  Verein 
(Swiss  Society),  of  which  he  has  been  treasurer; 
Liederkranz,  Turn  Verein,  Lackawanna  Society 
of  History  and  Science,  and  American  Photogra- 
phers Association,  some  of  the  meetings  of  whicli 
he  has  attended.  In  national  politics  he  affiliates 
with  the  Republicans  and  in  religious  connec- 
tions is  a  member  of  the  Mifllin  Avenue  German 
Lutheran  Church. 


EDWARD  CLARKSON.  "Dost  thou  love 
life?  Then  do  not  squander  time,  for  that 
is  the  stufi  life  is  made  of,"  says  Franklin. 
Select  from  among  business  men  those  who  have 
no  idle  day  in  the  year,  and  they  are  the  men  who 
keep  posted  concerning  public  questions,  assist 
in  local  enterprises  and  give  of  their  time  to  help 
in  the  upbuilding  of  their  communities.  He  who 
knows  how  to  economize  time  can  engage  in  va- 
rious lines  of  work,  yet  find  leisure  for  the  consid- 
eration of  national  and  local  issues.  Of  Mr. 
Clarkson  it  may  be  said  that,  while  his  business 
duties  are  engrossing,  they  do  not  prevent  him 
from  taking  a  thoughtful  interest  in  every  plan 
for  the  advancement  of  Carbondale,  his  home, 
and  the  county  as  well. 

Mr.  Clarkson,  who  is  president  of  the  Electric 
Light  Company  and  vice-president  of  the  First 
National  Hank  of  Carbondale,  was  born  in  this 
city  December  6,  183 1.  His  father,  the  late  James 
Clarkson,  was  born  in  Hcrmand,  Scotland,  in 
1799,  anil  at  tlie  age  of  sixteen  was  made  man- 
ager of  the  estate  of  Lord  Maitland,  which  shows 
that  in  early  life  he  displayed  the  executive  abil- 
ity so  noticeable  in  his  later  years.  While  hold- 
ing that  position  he  married  Margaret  McGill,  a 
native  of  the  same  place  as  himself,  who  died  in 
Carbondale  in  1 87 1. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


20 1 


Accompanied  by  his  wife  and  child,  James 
Clarkson  came  to  America  in  1829,  landing  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  made  arrangements  to 
take  charge  of  the  large  farm  of  William  Graham, 
at  DundafT.  Soon,  however,  he  saw  greater  op- 
portunities in  his  adopted  country  than  the  man- 
aeine  of  a  farm.    It  was  about  the  time  that  coal 

o       o 

was  discovered  in  this  vicinity,  and  he  became 
connected  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Rail- 
road, then  building.  He  was  made  superintend- 
ent of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  coal  mines  and 
all  of  the  great  developments  in  their  coal  fields 
were  under  his  ever  watchful  eye.  This  posi- 
tion he  held  for  thirty  years,,  when  he  resigned. 
Meantime,  by  good  financiering  and  profitable 
investment,  he  accumulated  a  good-sized  fortune. 

During  his  connection  with  the  mines,  James 
Clarkson  made  one  of  the  largest  and  most  in- 
teresting private  collections  of  fossils  in  the  world. 
This  he  sold  to  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at 
Washington  for  $10,000  and  it  is  now  on  exhi- 
bition there.  The  sale  was  made  during  the  Civil 
War  and  the  sum  received  was  donated  by  him 
to  the  relief  of  the  soldiers  in  the  fields  and  hos- 
pitals. While  he  took  a  warm  interest  in  all 
local  afifairs,  he  never  aspired  to  or  held  any  of 
the  local  offices.  An  ardent  Republican,  he  aided 
during  the  Civil  War  in  maintaining  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Union.  Pie  was  raised  in  the  Pres- 
byterian faith,  but  during  the  latter  years  of  his 
life  with  his  wife  he  attended  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Fraternally  he  was  identified  with  the 
Order  of  Foresters.  In  the  fall  of  1876,  when 
in  feeble  health,  he  visited  the  Centennial  at  Phil- 
adelphia and  there  contracted  a  severe  cold, 
which  was  the  cause  of  his  death,  November  10, 
1876. 

The  only  sister  of  our  subject,  Jemima,  was 
born  in  Scotland  and  married  John  Love,  of  Car- 
bondale.  She  died  in  1852  and  her  husband  in 
1874,  leaving  a  daughter,  Margaret,  who  is  now 
living  in  Brooklyn  and  shares  with  our  subject 
in  the  large  estate.  Edward  Clarkson  was  edu- 
cated in  Wyoming  Seminary,  Kingston,  and 
afterward  learned  the  machinist's  trade  in  a  shop 
in  Pittston,  in  wdiich  his  father  was  interested.  In 
December,  1862,  he  joined  the  crew  as  first-class 
fireman  on    board   the    monitor    "Weehawken;" 


he  was  one  of  the  fortunate  ones  who  escaped 
when  this  vessel  was  sunk  ofif  Morris  Island. 
Afterward  he  was  on  the  sloop-of-war  "Pawnee,"' 
and  remained  until  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  enlistment,  being  honorably  discharged  May 
24,  1864.  Later  he  was  in  the  coal  business  in 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Franklin  mine,  but  in 
the  early  '70s  relinquished  this  on  account  of  his 
father's  failing  health  and  from  that  time  was 
constantly  with  his  father  until  the  latter's  death, 
assisting  in  the  management  of  his  several 
large  interests.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Crystal 
Lake  Water  Company,  the  owner  of  many  farms 
and  other  large  property  interests. 

In  1 87 1  Mr.  Clarkson  married  Miss  Cornelia 
V.  Mellen,  who  was  born  in  Hudson,  N.  Y.  After 
the  death  of  her  parents  when  she  was  a  child, 
she  went  to  New  York  City  and  for  several  years 
lived  with  an  aunt,  later  came  to  Carbondale  to 
make  her  home  with  her  brother,  Charles  O., 
who  has  been  connected  with  the  Van  Bergen 
Company,  Limited,  since  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarkson  have  an  only 
child,  Margaret  J.,  who  was  educated  in  the  Nor- 
wallv  (Conn.)  Female  Seminary. 

A  large-hearted  and  public-spirited  man,  Mr. 
Clarkson  assists  in  every  enterprise  calculated  to 
help  the  community  and  contributes  to  religious 
causes,  especially  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
with  which  his  wife  and  daughter  are  identified. 
Through  his  business  connections  he  is  widely 
known  and  has  always  received  the  confidence 
of  his  associates. 


EZIEGLER  BOWER,  M.  D.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  the  medical  pro- 
•  fession  at  Scranton,  was  born  in  Delta, 
York  County,  Pa.,  of  German  and  French  de- 
scent. His  father,  C.  F.,  who  was  bom  in  Ger- 
many, came  to  America  in  1845,  and  during  the 
war  was  en:ployed  in  the  government  service  as 
a  locksmith  in  the  Washington  navy  yard.  This 
trade  he  learned  in  youth  in  his  native  land, 
where  he  had  done  the  work  on  the  addition  to 
the  University  of  Pleidelberg.  During  the  Re- 
bellion, at  the  first  call  for  soldiers,  he  responded, 
but  was  rejected,  and  later,  on.being  drafted,  was 


202 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


again  rejected.  On  tlie  close  of  the  war  he  set- 
tled npon  a  farm  in  York  County,  just  north  of 
the  Maryland  state  line,  where  he  has  since  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  Politically,  he  af- 
filiates with  the  Democratic  party.  His  father 
was  king's  forester  in  Wurtemberg,  and  a  man 
of  some  local   prominence. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Angeline  Grancel, 
was  born  within  a  half-mile  of  her  present  place 
of  residence.  Her  father,  Augustus  Grancel,  was 
born  in  France,  of  French  and  Spanish  ancestry, 
and  in  childhood  accompanied  his  parents  to  New 
York  City.  After  some  time  he  settled  in  York 
County,  where  he  became  a  large  and  successful 
farmer,  prominent  citizen  and  leading  worker  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  was 
a  class-leader  and  local  e.xliorter.  His  wife  was 
a  Miss  Ziegler,  who  was  born  in  America  of  direct 
German  descent. 

The  family  of  which  Dr.  Bower  is  a  member 
consists  of  himself  and  three  sisters,  a  brother 
having  died  in  childhood.  The  sisters  are  Mrs. 
T.  Ziegler,  of  Florida;  Mrs.  Frank  Malone,  of 
Chattanooga,  Tenn. ;  and  Rose  A.,  M.  D.,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  medical  department  of  the  Michigan 
State  University,  and  now  a  medical  missionary 
in  Congo  Free  State,  Africa.  Before  receiving 
her  degree,  she  was  a  missionary  in  Liberia,  and 
upon  recovering  from  an  illness  entered  college, 
where  she  remained  until  graduation.  Our  sub- 
ject spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of  his  life  on  tlie 
home  farm,  meantime  attending  the  public  school 
and  one  term  in  a  high  school.  Having  a  great 
love  for  travel  and  adventure,  he  went  to  Florida, 
and  from  there  traveled  through  the  south  and 
Mexico,  spending  some  time  on  cattle  ranches. 
On  his  return  to  the  north,  he  studied  for  two 
years  in  Pennington,  N.  J.,  after  which  he  began 
his  preparation  for  the  medical  profession  under 
Dr.  Ramsey  in  1891.  The  following  year  he  en- 
tered Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1895,  with  an  excel- 
lent record  for  scholarship,  being  one  of  two  in  a 
class  numbering  over  two  hundred  that  graduated 
without  a  c|uiz.  Later  he  passed  an  examination 
before  the  state  board. 

July  8,  1895,  Dr.  Bower  opened  an  oiflce  in 
Scranton,  where  he  has  since  carried  on  a  general 


practice.  He  takes  a  warm  interest  in  jiublic  mat- 
ters, and  uniformly  supports  the  Republican 
party.  In  Philadelphia,  April  23,  1894,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  B.  Brooke,  who  was  born  in 
that  city  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Jefiferson  Hos- 
pital Training  School  for  Nurses.  Familiarity 
with  tlie  profession  and  its  needs  enables  her  to 
ably  assist  her  husband  in  his  work,  her  knowl- 
edge of  the  medical  science  being  broad  and  com- 
prehensive. She  is  a  daughter  of  Capt.  C.  D. 
Brooke,  who  was  one  of  five  brothers  that  served 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War.  For  a 
time  he  was  captain  of  a  company  attached  to 
the  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  but  after  being  wounded  in  bat- 
tle, he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  work  of  the 
commissary  department.  Since  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  has  been  an  employe  in  the  Philadelphia 
postofifice.  where  his  faithful  discharge  of  duties 
and  reliability  has  won  the  respect  of  each  suc- 
ceeding postmaster. 


JOHN  DEVANEY,  who  represents  the 
seventh  ward  of  Scranton  upon  the  board 
of  scliool  control,  was  born  in  Laporte, 
Sullivan  County,  Pa.,  December  18,  1859,  ^""J  '* 
of  Irish  parentage  and  descent.  His  father,  John 
Devaney,  .Sr.,  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  was 
married  in  County  Sligo  to  Margaret  Devaney, 
who,  though  bearing  the  same  name,  was  not  a 
relative.  On  coming  to  America  he  spent  one 
year  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he 
was  employed  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
in  Susquelianna  County  for  nearly  two  years,  and 
then  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Sullivan  County,  Pa. 
He  afterward  entered  the  employ  of  McFarlane 
&  Thome  in  Laporte,  but  removed  from  that 
place  to  Bernice  in  the  same  county,  and  from 
there,  in  .April  of  1872,  came  to  Scranton.  Here 
for  a  time  lie  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  in  the  Dia- 
mond mines,  but  finally  resigned  his  position  and 
is  now  living  retired  from  active  labors. 

The  family  of  John  and  Margaret  Devaney  con- 
sisted of  nine  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  the 
daughter  and  three  of  the  sons  are  living.  John, 
who  was  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  was  educated  in 


JOSEPH  J.   ALBRIGHT. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


205 


the  public  schools  of  Laporte  and  Bernice.  When 
about  eleven  years  of  age  he  became  a  slate  pick- 
er in  the  employ  of  a  coal  company.  When  the 
family  removed  to  Scranton  in  1872,  he  secured 
work  in  the  Diamond  breaker,  devoting  his  even- 
ings to  study  in  the  night  schools.  In  September, 
1875,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  tinsmith's  trade 
with  Leonard  Brothers,  and  served  for  five  years, 
afterward  continuing  as  an  employe  for  three 
years  more.  Next  he  started  in  business  for  him- 
self and  did  well  for  two  years,  but  then  sold  out. 
Since  1885  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  Hunt 
&  Connell. 

In  1887  JMr.  Devaney  was  nominated  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  to  represent  the  seventh  ward 
upon  the  board  of  school  control,  and  received 
the  election,  but  after  having  served  for  seven 
months,  the  election,  by  act  of  state  legislature, 
was  declared  unconstitutional,  and  he  retired. 
After  eighteen  months,  he  was  again  nominated 
in  1889,  and  gained  the  election,  this  time  serving 
the  full  term  of  four  years.  In  1893  he  was  re- 
elected to  the  position.  At  this  writing  he  is 
chairman  of  the  finance  committee  and  member 
of  the  new  high  school  and  the  teachers'  com- 
mittee. He  is  active  in  the  Democratic  party, 
which  he  has  represented  as  delegate  in  city  and 
county  conventions  and  as  member  of  city  and 
legislative  committees.  A  charter  member  of  the 
Tinners'  Union,  he  has  several  times  been  chosen 
as  its  president,  and  was  its  delegate  to  the  con- 
vention at  Detroit  in  Februan^,  1896. 


JOSEPH  J.  ALBRIGHT,  deceased,  was  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Scranton  and 
helped  to  foster  many  of  her  infant  enter- 
prises in  the  days  when  only  a  hamlet  marked 
the  present  site  of  this,  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous cities  in  the  state.  His  life  is  the  oft-repeated 
history  of  trial  and  triumph,  of  obstacles  over- 
come, of  hope  conquering  despair,  of  the  gradual 
development  of  a  most  noble  and  truly  grand 
character.  That  he  w-on  fame  and  fortune,  as 
was  his  due,  matters  not  so  much,  after  all,  as 
that  he  won  in  the  conflicts  with  adverse  circum- 
stance and  gained  the  mastery  over  himself. 
Mr.  Albright  was  born  in  Warwick,  Pa.,  Sep- 


tember 23,  iSii,  in  which  pretty  town  his  an- 
cestors had  lived  for  several  generations.  They 
were  of  the  honest,  God-fearing  German  sect, 
known  as  Moravians,  and  though  his  parents 
were  comfortably  well  off  in  this  world's  goods 
he  was  early  taught  to  be  independent.  In  1816, 
the  family  having  removed  to  Nazareth,  Pa.,  he 
was  placed  in  the  school  called  to  this  day 
"Nazareth  Hall,"  from  which  many  of  the  best 
citizens  in  this  state  have  graduated.  When  he 
had  arrived  at  a  suitable  age,  he  decided  that  he 
did  not  care  to  follow  his  father's  trade,  that  of 
making  guns,  and  instead,  learned  the  tinsmith's 
trade.  Not  more  than  three  months  were  requir- 
ed by  him  in  this  enterprise,  before  he  embarked 
in  business  ff>r  himself,  buying  tools  and  sheet- 
tin  from  a  New  York  firm.  At  once  he  industri- 
ously set  to  work,  and  in  a  few  months  found  that 
he  had  more  tinware  on  hand  than  the  modest 
population  of  the  town  could  use  in  years.  Wish- 
ing to  dispose  of  this  surplus,  he  went  into  the 
adjoining  country  with  his  wares,  but  he  soon 
found  this  method  not  at  all  to  his  liking. 

About  this  time,  he  then  being  almost  of  age, 
Mr.  Albright  was  offered  a  position  as  assistant 
manager  of  Henry  Jordan  &  Company's  Oxford 
furnace,  at  Oxford,  N.  J.,  and  accepting  the 
same,  he  remained  there  three  years.  From  the 
first  his  ability  was  apparent,  and  it  was  no  sur- 
prise to  those  who  knew  him,  that  he  was  next 
asked  to  take  charge  of  the  largest  plant  of  the 
kind  in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  the  Catherine 
furnace  and  forges,  near  Nazareth,  this  being  in 
the  hands  of  creditors.  So  well  did  he  manage 
affairs  there  during  the  three  years  following  that 
the  good  Moravians  were  rescued  from  bank- 
ruptcy. He  introduced  successfully  the  first  hot 
blast  applied  to  making  iron  in  the  United  States 
and  brought  the  first  magnetic  iron  ore  into  this 
state,  from  New  Jersey.  About  three  years  after 
he  had  taken  the  management  of  the  Catherine 
furnace,  he  bought  what  was  then  known  as  the 
Clarissa  furnace,  forges,  etc.,  situated  in  Carbon 
County,  and  in  order  to  do  this,  was  obliged  to 
borrow  $1,000  at  three  per  cent  interest. 

But  the  ambitious  young  man  had  hardly 
launched  himself  upon  his  new  venture,  when  a 
sad  calamity  occurred.    The  great  floods  of  1841 


2o6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


along  the  Lehigh  \'alley  and  tributary  streams, 
washed  away  the    Lehigh    Coal    &    Navigation 
works,  canals,  etc.,  and  also  swept  away  his  own 
cherished  fnmaces  and  forges,  leaving  not  one 
stone  upon  another.     Though  he  was  certainly 
overcome,  for  the  time  being,  by  this  disaster,  and 
the  fact  that  a  wife  and  two  children  were  depend- 
ent upon  him,  he  soon  recovered  his  hope  and 
courage    and    bravely    started    again.    Having 
made  terms  with  his  creditors,  who  gave  him  ex- 
tended time,  he  started  to  rebuild,  and  in  a  year 
he  had  things  in  running  order,  the  furnaces  hav- 
ing a  still  larger  capacity  than  formerly.     The 
destructive   elements  seemed  determined  to  try 
his  strength  of  purpose,  for  now  fire  attacked  the 
works,  and  partially  destroyed  the  plant.     Again 
he  rebuilt,  this  time  having  a  good  insurance, 
and  at  last  was  made  happy  by  paying  all  liis 
debts.    As  he  did  not  like  the  name  Clarissa,  as 
applied  to  the  furnaces,  he  changed  the  title  to 
the  Ashland  iron   works.     In   1844  he   became 
financially   concerned   in    several    furnaces    near 
Natural  Bridge,  Ya.,  and  soon  after  a  new  furnace 
had  been  erected  by  the  company,  it  was  burned 
down.     Being  compelled  to  sell  pig-iron  at  the 
ruinous   rate  of  $10  a  ton,   under  the  existing 
tariff,  he  abandoned  the  field  in  Virginia,  and  re 
turned  to  his  old  Ashland  iron  works,  which  he 
yet  owned.    The  manufacture  of  iron  had  been  so 
closely  associated  with  disaster  in  his  case,  that 
he  was  not  loath  to  accept  an  offer  made  by  the 
Scrantons  (for  whom  this  city  was  named)  to  take 
charge  of  the  entire  coal  mines  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western.     It  has  been  conceded 
that  to  his  correct  judgment  and  untiring  energy 
while  in  this  responsible  position  was  due  much 
of  the  company's  success.     In   i856  he  was  in- 
duced to  take  a  similar  place  with  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company,  and  was  with  them 
until  he  retired  from  business,  in  1887.    He  was 
one  of  I  lie  founders  of  the  Dickson  Manufactur- 
ing Company  and  was  a  director  in  it  until  his 
death.     He  also  assisted  to   organize  the   First 
National  Bank  of  Scranton,  was  made  its  presi- 
dent in  1872,  and  continued  thus  as  long  as  he 
lived.     The   president   of   the    Scranton    Gas    & 
Water  Company,  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna 
Iron   &   Coal   Company   and   a  director   of  the 


Weston  Milling  Company,  were  some  of  his  other 
interests. 

He  was  the  first  to  introduce  anthracite  coa! 
into  the  west.  Not  only  did  he  show-  the  people 
how  to  burn  it,  but  had  with  him  hard  coal 
stoves  to  demonstrate  the  superiority  of  the  fuel 
and  so  induce  a  trial.  He  had  much  to  do  with 
the  early  development  of  the  anthracite  trade  not 
only  in  Buf^'alo  but  through  the  west. 

Mr.  Albright  and  Elizabeth  Sellers  were  mar- 
ried in  1838.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Cornelius 
Sellers,  a  Quaker,  of  French  and  EngHsh  ex- 
traction. His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Roberts.  Mrs.  Albright  died  January  21,  1890. 
Her  four  children  were:  Mrs.  Rachel  J.  Ben- 
nell;  Anna  M.,  Airs.  James  Archbald;  Harry  C, 
of  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  and  John  Joseph,  a  manufacturer 
and  banker  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Bennell  was 
engaged  in  wholesale  merchandising  in  New 
York  City,  until  ill-health  compelled  him  to  re- 
tire. Since  then  the  family,  which  includes  one 
daughter,  have  resided  in  Scranton.  Mr.  Arch- 
bald  is  chief  engineer  for  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  \\'estern. 

The  old  home  of  Mr.  Albright,  on  the  corner 
of  Nortli  Washington  and  Vine  Street,  was  deed- 
ed to  the  city  of  Scranton,  after  his  death,  by 
the  four  heirs.  The  property,  now*  very  valuable, 
was  further  enhanced  by  the  erection  of  a  beauti- 
ful structure,  known  as  the  "Albright  Memorial 
Library,"  this  having  been  erected  at  the  expense 
of  John  Joseph  Albright.  It  cost  over  $125,000 
and  is  a  fine  specimen  of  modern  architecture. 
The  library  was  stocked  by  means  of  subscrip- 
tions and  is  maintained  by  the  city,  James  Arch- 
bald  being  one  of  the  board  of  directors.  This 
is  a  fitting  nionunient  to  one  v.ho  was  ever  prac- 
tical and  desir(;)us  to  benefit  his  fellow-beings, 
and  the  liberal  education  thus  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  poorest  boy  and  girl  in  the  citv  will  exer- 
cise an  untold  influence  for  good. 

While  the  war  was  in  progress  Mr.  Albright 
received  a  flattering  offer  through  acquaintances 
in  Richmond,  to  take  charge  of  the  manufacture 
of  iron  for  the  Confederate  forces,  but  need  it 
be  told  that  he  was  of  too  loyal  a  nature  to  be 
tempted  for  a  moment  to  assist  those  who  were 
striving  to  undermine  his  country?     For  years 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


207 


a  faithful  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  he 
died  peacefully  January  12,  1888,  mourned  by 
all  who  knew  him.  A  strong  advocate  of  temper- 
ance, purity  of  life,  gentleness  and  patience,  he 
won  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  who  journeyed 
along  the  highway  of  life  with  him  and  surely 
he  merited  the  words  "Well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant." 


COL.  THOMAS  D.  LEWIS.  There  are 
few  of  the  residents  of  Scranton  who  are 
unfamiliar  with  the  name  introducing 
this  sketch.  It  is  that  of  a  gentleman  who,  alike 
in  the  halls  of  legislature  and  on  many  a  bloody 
battlefield,  represented  his  fellow-citizens  and  up- 
held the  principles  of  loyalty  and  justice.  His 
life  was  an  honorable  one,  and  in  liis  death  he  was 
deeply  mourned.  It  will  therefore  be  of  interest 
to  the  reader  to  review  the  events  which  gave 
character  to  his  life  and  individualized  his  career. 
Before  mentioning  in  detail  the  principal  events 
in  the  life  of  Colonel  Lewis,  it  will  not  be  amiss 
to  briefly  present  his  parental  history.  His  father, 
Daniel,  was  bom  in  Wales,  and  was  there  reared 
and  married.  January  20,  1846,  a  son  was  born, 
who  was  named  Thomas,  and  six  weeks  afterward 
the  father  brought  his  family  to  America,  settling 
in  Minersville,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.  For  a  few 
years  he  followed  the  blacksmith's  trade  there, 
but  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  led  him, 
with  thousands  of  other  men,  to  seek  that  El  Dor- 
ado. For  two  years  he  worked  in  the  mines  there, 
after  which  he  started  home  via  the  Isthmus, 
but  while  crossing  there  he  was  seized  with  a 
severe  attack  of  fever,  and  soon  died,  his  body 
being  buried  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  His  widow 
was  afterward  twice  married,  and  is  now  the 
widow  of  John  L.  Lewis,  her  home  being  on  the 
corner  of  Jackson  Street  and  Garfield  Avenue, 
Scranton. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  only  child 
of  his  father  that  attained  years  of  maturity.  His 
boyhood  years  were  passed  in  Minersville,  where 
he  attended  the  common  schools  and  learned 
pharmacy  in  a  drug  store.  His  boyish  enthusiasm 
being  aroused  by  the  crisis  of  the  Rebellion,  sev- 
eral times  he  ran  away  from  home  with  the  inten- 
tion of  enlisting    in    the    Union    army,  but  his 


mother  brought  him  back  home  each  time. 
Finally,  however,  he  was  successful,  and  early  in 
1864  his  ambition  was  realized  by  his  enlistment 
in  Company  F,  Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  Second 
Division,  Ninth  Corps.  Among  the  battles  in 
which  he  participated  were  those  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Cold  Harbor 
and  White  Oak  Swamp.  At  Petersburg  he  as- 
sisted in  the  construction  of  the  mine,  and  for 
more  than  six  weeks  worked  in  water  up  to  his 
arms.  He  was  present  at  the  mine  explosion, 
and  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Weldon  Rail- 
road, Poplar  Spring  Church,  Hatchie's  Run,  the 
assault  on  Ft.  Mahone  and  the  occupation  of 
Petersburg.  For  a  time  his  duty  was  the  guard- 
ing of  trains  and  the  escorting  of  prisoners  to 
Appomattox  Court  House.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  was  mustered  out  July  17,  1865. 

During  the  Scranton  riots  of  1870,  Colonel 
Lewis  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Geary  and 
retained  this  commission  until  1872.  January  7, 
1874,  he  became  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Ninth 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  and 
December  22, 1875,  he  was  commissioned  colonel, 
in  which  capacity  he  did  service  until  September 
23,  1878.  He  was  major  of  the  Third  Brigade  on 
the  staff  of  J.  K.  Siegfried,  the  brigadier-general, 
until  he  was  mustered  out  April  19,  1879.  I" 
quelling  riots  in  the  Hazleton  coal  region  and 
Wayne  valley  he  took  an  active  part,  and  was  en 
route  for  Pittsburg  during  the  trouble  at  that 
place  in  1875,  but  was  recalled.  Under  general 
order  No.  23,  he  retired  from  office  October  2, 
1 891. 

For  a  time  after  the  war  Colonel  Lewis  was 
employed  in  a  Scranton  drug  store,  after  which 
he  went  to  Reading,  and  then  made  a  trip  through 
the  west.  Returning  to  Scranton,  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  B.  G.  Morgan,  and  for  three 
years  they  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Scran- 
ton. Prior  to  the  partnership  being  dissolved,  in 
1 87 1  the  firm  started  a  branch  store  in  Provi- 
dence, and  to  the  ownership  of  this  he  succeeded, 
running  it  until  about  a  year  before  his  death.  Ill 
health  finally  obliged  him  to  retire  from  active 
labors,  and  he  passed  his  time  quietly  at  home 
until  his  death,  April  29,  1895. 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


For  some  time  Colonel  Lewis  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  school  control,  and  in  1878-79  he 
represented  his  district  in  the  state  legislature  at 
Ilarrisburg.  He  was  a  member  of  the  north  end 
board  of  trade,  and  assisted  in  many  enterprises 
for  tiie  development  of  commercial  interests.  Fra- 
ternally he  was  a  Mason,  and  belonged  to  Lient. 
Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which 
lie  held  even.-  office.  He  was  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  generous  con- 
tributor to  its  good  works.  His  property  inter- 
ests were  valuable,  and  included  the  family  resi- 
dence on  North  Main  Avenue  and  Putnam  Street, 
together  with  the  house  adjoining. 

At  Minersville,  in  1871,  Colonel  Lewis  married 
Miss  Emma  Holdren,  who  was  born  in  that  place, 
received  a  good  education  and  is  a  lady  of  amia- 
ble disposition  and  refined  tastes.  In  religious 
belief  she  is  connected  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  in  that  faith  reared  her  chil- 
dren, Samuel  M.,  Mary  E.,  Jessie  A.  and  T. 
Willard.  She  was  the  only  child  of  Benjamin 
and  Mary  (Miller)  Holdren,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  near  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  and  was  a  car- 
penter and  builder  by  trade,  in  middle  life  he 
went  west  on  a  prospecting  tour,  but  died  while 
there.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Reading,  was 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  Miller,  also  a  native  of  that 
city  and  a  miller  there;  she  died  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter  in  1890,  aged  sixty-three. 


WILLIAM  H.  WEDEMAN,  proprietor 
of  a  general  bakery  at  No.  634  East 
Alarket  Street,  Scranton,  was  born  in 
!■  til  Township,  tliis  county,  January  29,  1852,  and 
is  of  German  and  Welsh  descent.  His  grand- 
father, Peter,  a  native  and  farmer  of  Fell  Town- 
ship, was  a  son  of  Peter  Wedeman,  .Sr.,  who  came 
as  a  conscript  to  America  during  tlie  Revolution- 
ary War,  but  deserted  the  English  and  joined  the 
American  troops,  and  took  an  active  part  in  that 
conflict,  later  settling  in  Lackawanna  fthen  a  part 
of  Luzerne)  County. 

Martin,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Fell 
Township,  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  retirement  from  active  labors,  after 
which  he  made   his  home  in  Dundaff,   Susque- 


hanna County,  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-si.x.  He  married  Elizabeth  Jones,  a  na- 
tive of  the  south  of  Wales,  whence  at  the  age  of 
ten  years  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  the 
United  States,  settling  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  and 
there  her  father,  Lewis,  secured  employment  as 
a  miner  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company. 
Her  death  occurred  in  Forest  City.  Of  her  six 
sons  and  one  daughter  all  are  living  but  two  boys. 
Her  oldest  child,  John  D.,  took  part  in  the  Civil 
War  as  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment, 
lost  his  health  through  the  exposure  and  hard- 
ships of  camp  life  and  forced  marches,  and  died 
in  Nanticoke,  Luzerne  County.  Two  sons,  Louis 
P.  and  George,  reside  in  Scranton,  the  former  an 
attorney  and  the  latter  clerking  in  a  store. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  our  subject  in  1863  went  to 
Herrick  Center,  Susquehanna  County,  where  he 
remained  until  1871,  meantime  attending  the  pub- 
lic schools.  In  1 87 1  he  came  to  Scranton  and  be- 
gan work  as  a  carpenter,  having  had  considerable 
previous  experience  along  that  line  with  his 
father,  who  was  skillful  with  tools.  Here,  with 
his  brotlier  and  father,  he  engaged  in  contracting 
and  Iniilding.  After  a  short  time  here  and  in 
Dundaff,  he  went  to  the  newly  organized  borough 
of  Forest  City,  where,  with  his  brother  Louis  P., 
he  was  employed  in  contracting  and  building  for 
six  years.  During  his  second  year  there  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  bakery  business,  which  he 
carried  on  successfully,  learning  the  trade  with  a 
baker  there.  Afterward  he  sold  the  bakery  in  ex- 
change for  a  farm  in  Herrick  Township,  where 
he  remained  a  year.  Again  selling  out,  he  re- 
turned to  Scranton  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  until  1874,  when  he  went  to  Vandling,  this 
county,  and  built  a  double  house.  This  he  sold 
in  1895,  since  which  time  lie  has  been  engaged  in 
the  liakery  business  in  Scranton.  He  has  put  in 
a  fine  oven,  ;ind  makes  a  specialty  of  home-made 
bread. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Wedeman  married  Svbil  Ship- 
ton,  daughter  of  John  Shipton,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, who  after  coming  to  Pennsylvania  was  prin- 
cipally engaged  as  a  contractor  for  the  sinking 
of  shafts.  Mrs.  Wedeman  was  born  in  Blooms- 
burg, where  she  was  reared  and  educated,  but 
nuich  of  her  life  has  been   passed   in   Scranton. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


209 


She  is  a  ineniber  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  ami  has  a  large  number  of  friends  in  her 
circle  of  acquaintances.  The  family  consists  of 
three  children,  Stella  May,  Harold  S.  and  Flor- 
ence E.  It  is  Mr.  Wedeman's  intention,  if  every- 
thing continues  favorable,  to  soon  erect  a  larger 
baken,-,  in  order  to  accommodate  his  increasing 
trade. 


REV.  PHILIP  F.  ZIZELMANN.  In  the 
history  of  any  city,  there  are  few  clergy- 
men who  hold  a  pastorate  for  so  long  a 
period  as  has  the  subject  of  this  article,  the  pas- 
tor of  Zion  German  Lutheran  Church,  Scranton, 
since  i860.  During  this  long  time  he  has  built 
up  a  congregation  of  about  five  hundred  com- 
municants and  established  a  church  that  was  the 
nucleus  from  which  the  six  other  English  and 
German  Lutheran  Churches  of  this  city  have 
sprung.  There  are  the  usual  societies  connected 
with  the  church,  a  Sunday-school  that  is  well  at- 
tended, a  Ladies'  Aid  Society  and  Young  People's 
LTnion. 

A  native  of  Cleebron,  near  Stuttgart,  Wurteni- 
berg,  Germanv,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  October  10,  1824,  to  Christian  and  Anna 
Elizabeth  (Ivranich)  Zizelmann,  natives  of  the 
same  place  as  himself,  the  former  of  whom  died 
at  seventy-seven  and  the  latter  at  seventy-four 
years.  In  religious  belief  they  were  Lutherans. 
The  father,  who  served  in  the  German  army  for 
six  years,  took  part  in  the  contest  of  the  allied 
powers  against  Napoleon,  and  was  present  at 
Waterloo.  Throughout  his  remaining  years  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  wine  culture  in  the  valley 
of  the  Neckar.  His  father,  John  J.,  who  was  born 
near  Stuttgart,  was  a  wholesale  wine  merchant 
there. 

Our  suliject,  who  is  the  only  survivor  of  four 
children  comprising  the  family,  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  Basel  University.  Switzer- 
land, and  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  Loerach,  Baden,  after  which 
he  was  sent  by  his  denomination  to  Texas  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  congregations.  In  1851 
he  left  Bremen  on  the  sailer  "Francisco,"  and 
landed  in  Galveston  after  a  voyage  of  forty-nine 


days.  Going  to  San  Antonio,  he  began  his  work 
there  the  first  of  the  following  year.  Soon  he 
organized  St.  John's  German  Lutheran  Church 
in  that  city,  built  a  house  of  worship  and  minis- 
tered to  his  people  for  a  short  time,  but  the 
climate  proved  detrimental  to  his  health,  and  he 
therefore  went  to  Fredericksburg,  Gillespie  Coun- 
ty, the  same  state,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
adjacent  mission  field.  Through  his  efforts,  Zion 
Lutheran  Church  was  organized  and  a  building 
erected.  In  1855  he  was  called  to  San  Antonio 
by  the  executive  committee  of  home  mission  work 
and  continued  in  that  city  until  i860. 

Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  war.  Rev.  Mr.  Zizel- 
mann came  north,  taking  passage  from  Texas  on 
a  sailing  vessel  March  14,  i860,  and  going  to  New 
York  City.  A  friend,  who  was  pastor  of  a  church 
in  Montgomery  County,  invited  him  to  remain 
there  until  he  found  a  location,  but  almost  imme- 
diately he  was  offered  the  home  mission  work  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Scranton.  During 
his  six  months'  work  as  missionary,  he  explored 
the  field,  and  several  times  preached  in  this  city, 
which  he  believed  offered  a  favorable  opening  for 
a  church.  May  18,  i860,  he  organized  Zion 
Church,  and  on  the  24th  of  August  began  to  hold 
meetings  in  a  hall  in  Lackawanna  Avenue,  where 
services  continued  to  be  held  for  three  years.  In 
the  fall  of  1863  he  purchased  from  a  Welsh  con- 
gregation his  present  house  of  worship,  in  Miff- 
lin Avenue.  This  was  enlarged  in  1866  and  again 
in  1886,  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  growing  con- 
gregation. In  1866  he  started  a  parochial  school, 
but  after  twenty  years  discontinued  the  work.  He 
began  to  hold  services  in  Petersburg  in  i860,  and 
eight  years  later  a  church  was  built;  of  this  he  was 
pastor  for  two  years,  in  addition  to  his  work  in 
Scranton. 

While  in  Fredericksburg,  Texas,  Rev.  Mr. 
Zizelmann  married  Miss  Christiana  Barbara 
Schloterbeck,  who  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
niiany.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  attained  maturity  and  three  ai-e 
living.  Emanuel,  who  was  at  one  time  chief  of 
the  fire  department,  died  in  1893.  Lydia,  Airs. 
Ferber,  died  in  Scranton  in  1890.  Frederick  W., 
who  resides  with  his  ]iarents  in  the  parsonage,  is 
an  employe  of    the    Delaware,   Lackawanna   & 


2IO 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Western  Company,  and  secretary  in  the  Nay-Aug 
Engine  Company.  Charles  M.  is  a  draughtsman 
and  bookkeeper  with  Conrad  Schroeder.  Theo- 
dore is  a  watchmaker  and  jeweler  in  Scranton, 
and  treasurer  of  the  Nay-Aug  Engine  Company. 


JOHN"  A.  DUCKWORTH,  well  known  as 
a  successful  architect  and  influential  citizen 
of  Scranton,  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada, 
in  iS6o,  the  descendant  of  English  ancestors,  who 
settled  in  New  Jersey  at  a  period  antedating  the 
Revolutionary  War.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
who  was  a  manufacturer  residing  in  Paterson, 
took  part  in  the  war  with  England,  bravely  de- 
fending the  interests  of  the  struggling  colonies. 
John  Duckworth,  our  subject's  father,  was  born 
in  Paterson,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  sculptor 
and  modeler  for  a  time,  later,  however,  engaging 
in  contracting.  In  1856  he  removed  to  Toronto, 
where  he  was  a  prosperous  contractor  until  his 
death,  in  1881.  His  wife,  who  also  died  in  Tor- 
onto, bore  the  maiden  name  of  Maria  M.  Night- 
ingale, and  was  born  in  New  York  City.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Nightingale,  who 
was  of  English  extraction,  and  for  many  years 
resided  in  Brooklyn. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  living,  John  A.  being 
fifth  in  respect  to  age,  and  the  only  one  of  the 
number  in  Pennsylvania.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  Upper  Canada  College,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1877.  Desiring  to  become  profici- 
ent in  architecture,  he  entered  the  Mechanics 
Institute,  where  he  remained  until  his  gradua- 
tion. For  five  years  he  was  a  pupil  of  William 
Irving,  a  celebrated  Scotch  architect,  under  whose 
able  supervision  he  became  an  expert  in  the  busi- 
ness. In  1880  he  went  to  New  York  City,  where 
he  was  employed  by  D.  fk  J.  Jardine.  Afterward 
he  followed  his  chosen  occupation  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  for  four  months  in  Chicago,  returning 
from  there  to  New  York  City. 

Going  to  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  in  1882,  bur  sub- 
ject was  for  almost  a  year  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Neier  &  Duckworth.  In  the  spring  of  1883 
he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  employed  as 
an  architect  with  others  for  a  year,  and  then,  in 


1884,  opened  an  office,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted. Among  the  buildings  of  which  he  has 
been  the  architect  may  be  mentioned  the  follow- 
ing: Coal  Exchange,  at  the  time  of  its  erection 
the  largest  building  in  Scranton;  Wells  Building 
in  Wilkesbarre,  New  Hotel  Jermyn  at  Scranton, 
public  schools  Nos.  7,  13  and  25,  Scranton;  pub- 
lic school  at  Dunmore,  high  school  and  schools 
Nos.  I,  2  and  3;  Ransom  Poor  and  Insane  Build- 
ing; five  churches  in  Dunmore,  Scranton  and 
Peckvillc;  Carbondale  public  hospital,  W.  W. 
Watt,  Burke  and  Leader  buildings  at  Carbondale, 
and  over  three  hundred  other  prominent  build- 
ings in  this  city,  as  well  as  many  throughout  the 
valley.  He  has  his  office  in  the  Coal  E.xchange 
Building,  his  city  residence  on  the  corner  of 
Quincy  Avenue  and  Olive  Street,  and  a  summer 
home  at  Lake  Ariel. 

At  Dunmore  Mr.  Duckworth  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  D.  Spencer,  who  was  born  here, 
daughter  of  A.  D.  Spencer  and  granddaughter  of 
Edward  Spencer,  a  member  of  an  old  family  of 
this  state.  Two  children,  John  A.,  Jr.,  and  Har- 
old, bless  the  union.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Duck- 
worth is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Scran- 
ton Rowing  Club.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  religious  belief  is  identified  with  the  Pres- 
bvterian  Chmxh. 


JAMES  T.  McHALE.  During  the  period 
in  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Scranton,  Mr.  McHale 
has  built  up  a  large  and  profitable  trade  among 
the  people  of  his  neighborhood,  and  has  gained 
a  recognized  position  among  the  business  men  of 
the  city.  He  is  the  proprietor  of  a  grocery  at 
No.  1602  Capouse  Avenue,  Green  Ridge,  which 
he  purchased  in  1892,  and  has  since  carried  on 
with  customary  energy.  In  his  store  he  keeps  a 
complete  assortment  of  staple  and  fancy  grocer- 
ies, including  everything  needed  in  culinary  lines. 
The  entire  life  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has 
been  spent  in  Scranton,  where  he  was  born  April 
25,  18(17.  His  father,  James  T.  McHale,  who  was 
a  merchant  tailor  by  trade,  settled  in  Scranton 
about  1855,  and  here  engaged  at  his  chosen  occu- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


211 


pation.  During  the  war  he  served  for  three  years 
as  a  member  of  Company  K,  Eleventh  Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry,  rendering  faithful  service  in  de- 
fense of  the  Union.  On  his  return  home,  he  re- 
sumed the  merchant  tailoring  business,  and  con- 
tinued thus  engaged  until  his  death,  in  1874.  His 
widow,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bridget 
Judge,  is  slill  living,  and  makes  her  home  with 
her  son.  C)f  her  three  children,  two  are  living, 
James  T.  and  Agnes,  the  latter  being  a  teacher 
in  St.  Rose  Academy  at  Carbondale. 

lentil  twelve  years  of  age,  our  subject  attended 
public  school  No.  27,  after  which  he  began  to 
earn  his  livelihood.  For  fourteen  years  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  J.  F.  Hougi,  in  which  position 
he  gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  business,  and 
thus  became  fitted  to  take  charge  of  an  enterprise 
of  his  ov/n.  In  1892  he  bought  out  J.  W.  Brown, 
and  has  since  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
at  his  present  location.  Since  the  organization 
of  St.  Paul's  Total  Abstinence  Benevolent  Society 
he  has  been  one  of  its  active  members,  and  has 
held  the  various  offices,  including  that  of  presi- 
dent; in  1894  he  represented  the  society  in  the 
convention  at  St.  Paul,  Alinn.  January  9,  1894, 
in  St.  Mary's  Church,  Dunmore,  was  solemnized 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  McHale  and  Miss  Bridget 
Dougherty,  who  was  born  in  Dunmore,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Patrick  Dougherty,  an  employe  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McHale  and  their  son,  Cyril,  have  a  comfortable 
home  at  No.  1420  Monsey  Avenue. 


E  JOSEPH  KUETTLE.  In  1882  this 
gentleman  came  to  Scranton  and  began, 
•  in  a  small  way,  the  manufacture  of  wire 
screens,  his  first  location  being  on  the  south  side 
at  No.  320  Cedar  Avenue.  xMterward  he  re- 
moved to  the  rear  of  No.  511  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue, and  iiere  he  has  since  carried  on  an  excel- 
lent business.  He  receives  orders  for  supphes 
from  all  parts  of  the  west,  south  and  north,  though 
naturally  the  largest  part  of  his  trade  comes  from 
the  east.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  manufac- 
ture of  coal  screens,  office  railings,  flour  baskets, 
baskets  for  silk  work  and  wire  fencing. 

Born  in  Dresden,  Germany,  March  23,  1836, 


the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of  Charles 
Kuettle,  a  native  of  Dresden  and  a  wire  screen 
manufacturer.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Franz 
Joseph  Kuettle,  was  born  in  Bohemia,  but  re- 
moved from  there  in  1807  to  Dresden,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  the  government  oppressed  him  on 
account  of  his  Catholic  belief.  He  devoted  his 
time  to  tlie  manufacture  of  wire  screens  and  built 
up  a  good  business.  After  his  death  his  widow 
came  to  America,  settled  in  Philadelphia  and 
died  there  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine.  The  father, 
who  served  in  the  German  army,  died  at  forty 
years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Charlotte  Haubner, 
was  born  in  Eisleben,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Johan  Haubner,  a  nailmaker  by  trade  and  a 
soldier  in  the  Napoleonic  wars.  Some  years 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Charlotte 
Kuettle  came  to  America  in  1870  and  joined  a 
daughter  in  New  York,  where  she  made  her 
home  until  her  death  in  1875.  O^  Ii^i"  family  of 
seventeen  children,  two  are  living.  In  his  native 
home,  our  subject  learned  the  wire  screen  busi- 
ness under  his  father's  direction  and  afterward 
traveled  through  Germany  and  in  Buda-Pesth, 
Vienna  and  other  Austrian  cities,  doing  journey- 
man work.  In  1857  he  enlisted  in  the  army  and 
for  three  years  was  a  sergeant  in  a  regiment  of 
sharpshooters.  June  20,  1866,  he  was  ordered 
to  report  and  entered  his  old  regiment,  the 
Twelfth  Saxon  .Sharpshooter.s,  after  which  he 
took  part  in  various  important  battles  and  then 
spent  two  months  in  Baden.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  with  the  rank  of  sergeant. 

July  16,  1870,  Mr.  Kuettle  was  again  ordered 
to  report  for  service,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
Thirty-sixth  Regiment,  Ninth  Army  Corps,  as 
sergeant.  He  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Metz  and  New  Orleans,  and  in  the  latter  battle 
was  wounded  five  times  within  about  six  minutes. 
One  of  the  balls  struck  him  in  a  limb,  three  in 
the  knee  and  one  in  the  hip.  He  was  removed 
to  a  hospital  where  he  remained  for  three  weeks. 
Soon  after  he  rejoined  his  regiment  peace  was  de- 
clared, and  he  was  honorably  discharged  May 
26,  1871. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  German  army,  Mr. 
Kuettle  resolved  to  come  to  America.    Accord- 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ingly,  in  April,  1872,  lie  left  Bremen  on  the 
steamer  "Herman,"  and  after  a  voyage  of  nine- 
teen cla\s  landed  in  New  York  City,  where  he 
made  his  headquarters  for  eleven  years,  mean- 
time traveling  around  the  country  with  first-class 
opera  troupes.  In  Germany  he  had  studied  vo- 
cal music  under  Professor  Konopaseck  of  Berlin 
and  Professor  Thirscher  of  Halle,  and  by  cuhiva- 
tion  had  added  to  his  naturally  sweet  and  clear 
voice.  In  New  York  he  sang  in  a  German  opera 
under  direction  of  Henry  Koch,  and  then  went 
to  Louisville,  Ky.,  with  the  English  opera  com- 
pany in  which  Madame  Louisa  Kellogg  starred. 
Next  he  was  connected  with  an  Italian  opera 
under  Max  Strackosch  for  about  eight  years, 
traveling  with  him  throughout  the  United  States, 
Canada,  Mexico  and  Cuba,  as  second  tenor.  He 
is  known  as  a  remarkably  fine  singer  and  has 
won  praise  from  people  throughout  the  entire 
country.  While  in  New  York  he  was  connected 
with  the  Harlem  Mannerchor  and  Concordia 
Mannerchor,  and  since  coming  to  .Scranton  he 
has  identified  himself  with  the  Arion  Society.  He 
has  never  taken  any  interest  in  politics,  1nit  is 
loyal  to  American  institutions  and  a  defender 
of  Democratic  principles. 


G|-;(  )R(  ;!•:  15.  CARSON.  The  family  rep- 
resented Ijy  this  well  known  busines,> 
man  of  Scranton  traces  its  ancestry  to 
Scotland,  where  his  great-grandfather,  Thomas 
Carson,  was  a  shepherd.  Jnlm,  next  in  line  of 
descent,  was  born  in  the  highlands  of  Scotland, 
but  in  early  manhood  went  to  Wales,  and  in  Bre- 
conshire  married  Miss  Ann  Powell.  Later  he 
made  his  home  in  Glamorganshire  until  quite  ad- 
vanced in  years,  when,  about  1859.  he  joined  his 
son,  Thomas,  in  Scranton.  lie  was  born  in  1806, 
and  was  over  seventy  when  he  passed  away.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  identified  with  the  Con- 
gregational Cluircli.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in 
Breconshire,  was  a  daughter  of  Reese  Powell,  a 
cooper  by  trade  and  a  life-long  resident  of  that 
shire. 

In  the  family  of  John  and  Ann  Carson  there 
were  four  children,  all  of  whom  came  to  America, 
and  two,  Thomas  and  a  sister,  are  living.     The 


former  was  born  near  Brecon,  Wales,  June  11, 
1827,  and  at  the  age  of  two  years  was  taken  to 
Neath,  Glamorganshire,  where  for  a  short  time 
he  attended  the  pay  schools.  At  the  age  of  nine 
he  commenced  to  work  in  the  mines,  where  he 
remained  until  thirteen,  ami  afterward  was  simi- 
larly engaged  in  another  part  of  the  same  shire. 
]\Iarch  22,  1848,  he  left  Liverpool  on  the  sailer 
"Henry  Clay,"  and  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-eight 
days  landed  in  New  York  City,  whence  he  went 
to  Tamaqua,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  and  secured 
employment  in  the  collieries  for  the  Pennsylvania 
&  Reading  Railroad  Company.  In  the  summer 
of  1850  he  went  to  Carbondale  and  prospected  for 
coal,  being  employed  by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Company. 

Coming  to  Hyde  Park  in  1855,  Thomas  Car- 
son assisted  in  sinking  the  Hampton  shaft,  and 
on  its  completion  he  became  the  inside  foreman. 
He  remained  in  that  mine  until  1890,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Taylor  mine,  but  after  three 
months  he  went  to  the  Storrs  mine  at  Dickson 
City,  and  lias  since  been  inside  foreman  there, 
liaving  onr  Imiidrecl  and  twenty  miners  under 
him.  rulitically,  he  upholds  Republican  doc- 
trines. l"or  three  years  he  represented  the  fifth 
w  ard  in  the  common  council,  serving  on  different 
ctnnmittecs.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Masons,  Odd  I'^ellows,  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
Ivorites.  I'or  years  he  has  been  a  trustee  of  the 
I'"irst  Welsh  Presbyterian  Church,  and  has  been 
the  Sunday-school  superintendent.  In  1895,  ac- 
companied by  his  son  and  granddaughter,  betook 
a  trip  to  Wales,  where  he  spent  two  months  in 
renewing  the  associations  dear  to  him  in  youtli. 

In  Tamaqua  Mr.  Carson  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine Eynon,  who  was  born  in  Camarthenshire, 
Wales,  and  was  a  sister  of  Thomas  Eynon.  Eight 
children  were  born  of  tliis  union,  one  of  whom 
died  unnamed  in  infancy.  l"he  others  were  Mar- 
garet A.;  Mrs.  W.  T.  Davis,  who  died  in  Wales; 
John,  who  passed  away  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight; 
George  B.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Edward 
and  William,  formerly  employes  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company,  but  now  de- 
ceased; Albert,  a  bookkeeper  residing  in  Scran- 
ton; and  Deborah,  deceased.  After  the  death  of 
his  first  wife  Mr.  Carson  married  ^Irs.  Jane  Davis, 


C()I<.    I-;/KA    II     RIIM'I.K. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


215 


whose  former  husband,  Daniel  Davis,  was  a  mer- 
chant in  Hyde  Park. 

Born  in  Scranton,  February  12,  1856,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article  was  reared  and  educated  here. 
When  he  was  about  thirteen  he  began  as  a  clerk, 
and  a  few  years  later  started  out  for  himself,  about 
1870  opening  a  small  grocery,  which  he  enlarged 
from  time  to  time.  In  1878  he  took  his  brother- 
in-law  into  partnership,  the  firm  becoming  Car- 
son &  Davis.  Later  he  built  a  double  store  at 
Nos.  1309-11  Washburn  Street,  and  has  since  car- 
ried on  a  large  general  mercantile  business,  em- 
ploying several  assistants  and  using  three  delivery 
wagons  for  the  accommodation  of  his  customers. 
In  this  city  he  married  Miss  Louise  Hagen,  whose 
father,  Henry  Hagen,  was  a  blacksmith  with  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western.  Three  chil- 
dren comprise  the  family,  Robert,  Bertha  and 
Ruth,  who  reside  with  their  parents  at  No.  1221 
Washburn  Street. 

In  addition  to  his  store  and  residence,  Mr. 
Carson  has  other  real  estate  interests  here.  For 
two  years  he  had  a  branch  store  in  Peckville,  but 
disposed  of  it.  In  1889  he  was  appointed  on  the 
board  of  school  control  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused 
by  the  resignation  of  the  member  from  the  fifth 
ward.  In  Februarj',  1890,  he  was  nominated  and 
elected,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  for  a  term  of 
four  years,  and  at  its  expiration  was  re-elected. 
In  1895  he  was  president  of  the  board,  and  at 
different  times  has  done  efficient  committee  work. 
He  is  a  member  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  Ivorites.  While  not  identified 
with  any  denomination,  he  has  contributed  to  the 
Simpson  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with 
which  his  wife  is  identified.  He  has  done  active 
work  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  city  and  county  com- 
mittees, at  all  times  doing  what  he  can  to  promote 
the  party  welfare. 


COL.  EZRA  H.  RIPPLE.     In  presenting 
to  the  readers  of  this  volume  the  biog- 
raphy of  Colonel  Ripple,  we  are  perpet- 
uating the  life  work  of  one  of  the  most  honored 
residents  of  Scranton.     Throughout  a  long,  in- 
fluential and  honorable  career,  both  as  a  soldier 
6 


during  the  Rebellion  and  as  a  private  citizen 
since  that  time,  he  has  maintained  the  energy  and 
integrity  that  characterized  him  in  youth.  Nor 
has  his  success  been  merely  in  accumulating 
wealth,  but  in  the  better  sense  of  the  word,  he 
has  been  successful  in  doing  good  and  in  win- 
ning the  esteem  of  a  very  large  circle  of  ac- 
quaintances. 

It  being  generally  believed  that  heredity  has 
much  to  do  with  the  formation  of  character  and 
that  our  lives  are  stimulated  by  the  influence  of 
our  ancesters,  a  short  resume  of  the  ancestral 
iiistory  of  Colonel  Ripple  may  serve  as  an  in- 
dex to  the  liberal  and  humane  impulses  which 
mark  his  daily  life,  and  which  have  won  for  him 
the  regard  of  all.  Of  remote  German  descent,  the 
family  of  which  he  is  a  member  has  been  repre- 
sented in  Pennsylvania  for  several  successive 
generations.  His  father,  Silas,  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Luzerne  County,  the  son  of  Peter  Ripple, 
who  engaged  in  lumbering  along  the  Susque- 
hanna. The  former,  in  1857,  came  to  Hyde 
Park,  and  engaged  in  hotel  business  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Jackson,  where  now  stands 
Morgan's  drug  store.  Of  this  place,  which  was 
known  as  the  White  Hotel,  he  continued  to  be 
proprietor  for  a  few  years,  until  his  death,  De- 
cember 4,  1861.  In  early  life  he  identified  him- 
self with  the  Whigs,  and  upon  the  disintegration 
of  that  party  became  a  Republican.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Harris,  who  was  born  in  Mauchchunk, 
Pa.,  was  throughout  life  a  consistent  Christian 
and  a  member  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church, 
and  died  in  Allentown  in  October,  1894.  Her 
father,  Abraham  Harris,  a  native  of  England, 
came  to  this  country  in  boyhood  and  settled  in 
the  Lehigh  Valley,  where  he  afterward  had  a 
meat  market  and  also  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness. 

In  the  family  of  Silas  Ripple  there  were  three 
children,  but  only  two  attained  mature  years, 
Ezra  H.  and  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Doster,  of  Scranton. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bom  in  Mauch- 
chunk, Pa.,  February  14,  1842,  and  was  a  youth 
of  fifteen  when  the  family  came  to  this  city.  He 
attended  the  common  schools  and  Wyoming 
Seminary  until  1858,  and  after  the  death  of  his 
father  engaged  in  the  drug  business  until  his 


2l6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


enlistment  in  the  army.  The  outbreak  of  the 
war,  with  its  threatened  peril  to  the  old  flag, 
aroused  within  liiiii  the  hitherto  lambent  flame 
of  patriotism  and  caused  him  to  resolve  to  ofler 
his  services,  and  his  life  if  need  be,  for  the  pre- 
servation of  the  Union.  Then  a  young  man  of 
twentj'  years,  he  had  all  the  ardor  and  enthusi- 
asm of  youth,  the  courage  that  never  wavered 
and  the  zeal  that  never  flagged.  Early  in  the 
war  he  assisted  in  raising  Company  H  of  the 
Thirteenth  Pennsylvania  Alilitia,  which  did  good 
service  in  the  Antietam  campaign.  In  1863,  in 
response  to  the  emergency  call,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  I,  Thirteenth  Pennsylvania  Militia.  In 
March,  1864,  his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  member 
of  Company  K,  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry-, and  he  served  on  Morris  Island,  in  the 
Department  of  the  South. 

During  a  night  assault  on  Ft.  Johnson,  July  3, 
1864,  our  subject  was  captured  by  the  Confeder- 
ates and  by  them  taken  to  Charleston,  thence  to 
Andersonville  prison,  where  he  was  confined  two 
and  one-half  months.  He  was  then  taken  back 
to  Charleston  and  from  there  sent  to  Florence, 
S.  C,  where,  in  March,  1865,  he  was  paroled, 
after  having  suffered  all  the  horrors  of  southern 
prisons  for  eight  months.  At  Florence  he  was 
successful  in  making  his  escape,  but  was  de- 
tected and  tracked  by  bloodhounds  that  attacked 
him  in  a  swamp  three  or  four  miles  from  the 
prison.  By  them  he  was  badly  bitten,  as  they 
pierced  their  teeth  deep  into  his  body.  On  be- 
ing taken  back,  he  was  seized  with  prison  fever, 
and  would  undoubtedly  have  perished  had  it  not 
been  that  his  constitution  was  naturally  rugged 
and  strong. 

On  being  paroled.  Colonel  Ripple  went  to  the 
camp  at  Annapolis,  where  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged June  30,  1865.  He  returned  home  and, 
with  a  desire  to  improve  his  education,  became 
a  student  in  Eastman's  Business  College  af 
Poughkcepsie,  N.  Y.  On  leaving  there  he  ob- 
tained a  position  with  William  Connell,  with 
whom,  since  1872,  he  has  been  associated  in  coal 
operations.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Scran- 
ton  City  Guard  in  1877,  h^  was  elected  captain 
of  Company  D,  and  was  chosen  major  on  the 
formation  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  the  fol- 


lowing year.  After  five  years  of  service  in  that 
capacity,  he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
same  regiment,  in  1888  was  chosen  colonel,  re- 
elected in  1893,  and  in  April,  1895,  was  appoint- 
ed by  Governor  Hastings  on  his  stafl  as  commis- 
sar}' genera!,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  which  he 
now  holds. 

Shortly  after  the  erection  of  J^ackawanna  Coun- 
ty, Colonel  Ripple  was  elected,  on  the  Republi- 
can ticket,  the  first  treasurer  of  Lackawanna 
County  (by  election),  and  served  for  three  years. 
His  efficiency  in  that  position  being  recognized 
by  his  fellow-citizens,  he  was  by  them  elected 
mayor  of  Scranton  in  1886  for  a  term  of  four 
years,  this  being  the  only  time  in  the  history  of 
the  city  that  the  term  has  been  so  long.  In  1896 
he  was  again  a  candidate  for  the  mayoralty,  but 
a  dissension  in  the  Republican  party  at  that  time 
led  to  his  defeat  by  a  few  votes.  During  his  ser- 
vice as  the  city's  chief  executive,  he  received 
$6,000  in  salary,  but  the  receipts  of  his  office 
turned  over  were  $9,000,  an  amount  far  larger 
than  received  in  any  previous  administration. 
The  most  important  official  acts  of  his  term  were 
the  lighting  of  the  city  by  electricity,  the  electric 
carsystemand  thecommencementof  asphaltstreet 
paving.  In  1878  he  was  chosen  to  serve  on  the 
select  council,  but  resigned  after  a  service  of 
eight  months,  as  the  demands  of  his  business 
did  not  permit  him  to  give  the  necessary  atten- 
tion to  the  position. 

In  this  city,  in  1874,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Colonel  Ripple  and  Miss  Sarah  H.  Hackett,  who 
was  born  in  Carbon  County,  Pa.,  the  daughter 
of  Richard  Hackett,  mine  foreman  for  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad.  They 
are  the  parents  of  four  children,  Hannah,  Jessie, 
Susan  and  Ezra  H.,  Jr. 

Colonel  Ripple  is  a  charter  member  of  Lieut. 
Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R. ;  is  iden- 
tified with  the  blue  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery  No.  17,  K.  T.,  and  received  the  thirty- 
third  degree  in  Masonry  at  Cerneau  Consistory 
No.  33,  Scranton.  In  the  Reformed  Episcopal 
Church  he  holds  the  office  of  vestryman,  and  is 
an  influential  member.  For  some  years  he  was 
a  member  of  the  board   of  health,   and  is   now 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


217 


president  of  the  Associated  Charities  of  Scran- 
ton,  member  of  the  advisory  committee  of  the 
Home  for  the  Friendless,  member  of  the  board 
of  park  commissioners,  and  member  of  the  board 
of  commissioners  of  soldiers'  orphans  scTiools 
for  Pennsylvania. 

As  has  already  been  intimated,  Colonel  Rip- 
ple is  prominent  as  a  local  leader  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  is  president  of  the  Central  Re- 
publican Club,  and  served  as  chairman  of  the 
county  committee  in  1894.  In  1888  he  had  the 
honor  of  being  state  elector,  receiving  the  high- 
est vote  of  any  elector  in  the  state,  and  casting 
his  ballot  for  Harrison  and  Morton  in  Harris- 
burg,  at  the  meeting  of  the  electoral  college  of 
that  year. 

Such  is  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  one  of  Scranton's 
most  influential  men,  one  who  has  at  all  times 
assisted  in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  the  city 
by  his  progressive  spirit  and  large  enterprise. 


JOHN  BLATTER,  proprietor  of  the  Blatter 
Elotel  at  Scranton  and  a  resident  of  this 
city  since  i86i,was  born  in  Sullivan  County, 
N.  Y.,  August  15,  1844.  His  father,  John,  a  na- 
tive of  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland,  and  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  was  married  in  his  native  place 
to  Margaret  Grossman.  Coming  immediately 
afterward  to  America,  he  settled  in  Sullivan 
County  and  bought  a  farm  on  Lake  Kanosa,  but 
later  sold  out  there.  About  1863  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  here  his  death  occurred  when  he 
was  quite  advanced  in  years.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Canton  Berne,  was  a  daughter  of  Franz 
Grossman,  who  came  to  America  with  Mr.  Blat- 
ter in  1S40  and  settled  in  Sullivan  County  near 
his  son-in-law.  He  died  in  that  county  at  seven- 
ty-seven years.  His  daughter  passed  away  in 
Scranton. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  six  sons  and 
five  daughters,  of  whom  John  was  next  to  the 
eldest.  Only  two  are  now  living,  our  subject  and 
Mrs.  Henry  Frey,  of  Scranton.  One  brother, 
Henry,  who  came  here  before  the  other  members 
of  the  famil)',  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  cigar 
and  restaurant  business,  but  later  became  a  hotel 
man   and   a  manufacturer  of  cigars,  continuing 


thus  engaged  until  his  death.  In  1858  our  sub- 
ject accompanied  the  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily to  Napoleon,  Ind.,  where  he  resided  one  year 
and  then  returned  to  Sullivan  County.  In  1861 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  was  apprenticed  as  a 
horse-shoer  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company.  After  completing  his  trade,  he  was 
made  head  shoer  in  charge  of  the  horseshoe  shop, 
and  worked  in  that  capacity  for  fourteen  years. 
His  brother's  ill  health  caused  him  to  become 
an  assistant  in  the  hotel  business,  in  1876,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Henry,  he  succeeded  to  the 
management  of  the  business.  Since  1888  he  has 
been  proprietor  of  the  Blatter  House.  He  built, 
in  1896,  a  hall  in  the  rear  of  the  hotel,  and  this 
is  used  as  a  lodge-room  by  the  Scranton  Gruetli 
Verein,  Mannerchor,  and  Arion  and  other  sing- 
ing societies.  The  cigar  business  which  was 
started  by  his  brother  in  1871,  he  carried  on  until 
January,  1896,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  son, 
John. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Blatter  married  Miss  Rosa 
Diegelmann,  who  was  born  in  New  York  City. 
Her  father,  Benjamin  Diegelmann,  settled  in 
Archbald  in  1848  and  was  a  contractor,  builder 
and  architect  there,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Chillicothe,  Mo.,  and  settled  on  a  farm,  where  he 
died.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blatter  are  the  parents  of 
three  daughters  and  one  son,  namely:  John  C, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  cigar  business;  Mrs. 
Eleanor  Kehrly,  of  Scranton;  Rosa  C.  M.  and 
Louisa  A.,  who  are  at  home. 

In  18S0  Mr.  Blatter  joined  Company  A,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  as  a  private,  and 
served  eight  years,  being  offered  promotion  in 
the  meantime,  but  refusing  it.  For  seven  years 
he  was  coacher  of  the  Pennsylvania  state  team 
and  from  the  first  year  was  in  the  sharpshooters' 
corps.  In  every  match  where  he  had  coached 
he  won  with  his  team  and  received  all  the  honors 
of  the  state,  including  the  first  prize  from  the 
governor,  who  pinned  the  badge  of  honor  on  his 
coat.  At  the  expiration  of  eight  years  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Creedmoor.  He  is  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Phoenix  Fire  Company, 
a  charter  member  of  the  Gruetli  \^erein.  also  of 
Camp  No.  430,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  Lodge  No.  345, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  an  honorary  member  of  the  Scranton 


>i8 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Turn  \'erein,  and  is  identified  with  the  Anion  So- 
ciety and  the  Liederkranz.  In  addition  he  be- 
lonsrs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His  member- 
ship, in  religion,  is  in  St.  Luke's  Episcopal 
Church,  to  which  he  is  a  regular  contributor. 


AF.  A.  BATTENBERG.  The  industrious 
and  thrifty  habits  which  arc  national 
•  characteristics  of  the  Germans  have  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  Mr.  Battenberg. 
Through  their  exercise  he  has  worked  his  way 
from  a  position  of  poverty  to  one  of  prosperity 
and  influence,  having  gained  a  place  among  the 
representative  business  men  of  Jermyn.  In  the 
schools  of  Germany,  where  he  was  born  January 
ID,  1856,  he  remained  a  student  until  fourteen 
years  of  age.  and  this  constituted  almost  his  en- 
tire education,  though  for  a  short  time  after  com- 
ing to  America  he  attended  the  night  schools. 
His  father,  Henry  Battenberg,  dying  when  the 
son  was  only  nine  years  of  age,  the  latter  was 
early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  for  a  liveli- 
hood and  was  obliged  when  quite  young  to  start 
out  in  the  world  for  himself.  Following  the 
example  of  so  many  of  his  countrymen,  he 
sought  a  home  in  the  United  States,  where  he 
believed  industry  and  perseverance  would  bring 
him  prosperity. 

After  his  arrival  in  Lackawanna  County,  Mr. 
Battenberg  made  Scranton  his  home  for  six 
months.  He  was  then  apprenticed  to  the  cab- 
inet-maker's trade  in  Archbald  and  served  for 
four  years,  gaining  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
occupation,  in  which  he  is  recognized  as  an  ex- 
pert. On  the  completion  of  his  apprenticeship 
he  removed  from  Archbald  to  Jermyn,  where  he 
followed  the  business  for  fifteen  years.  After- 
ward he  assumed  the  management  of  the  under- 
taking establishment  owned  by  his  brother.  This 
was  established  by  his  brother  in  1879  "^^^^  ^'c 
succeeded  to  it,  in  1889,  upon  the  latter's  death. 
In  embalming  he  is  especially  efficient,  having 
studied  this  department  of  undertaking  at  the 
Oriental  School  of  Embalming  and  Clark's 
School  of  Embalming  at  Scranton.  In  addition 
to  this  business,  he  carries  a  full  line  of  house 
furnishing  goods. 


The  wife  of  our  subject,  known  in  maidenhood 
as  Elizabeth  Jones,  was  born  in  Wales,  but  at  the 
age  of  two  years  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents, who  settled  in  Lackawanna  County,  where 
she  grew  to  womanhood.  In  character  she  was 
industrious,  self-reliant  and  capable,  and  was  ten- 
derly devoted  to  her  family,  by  whom  her  death, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years,  was  deeply 
mourned.  She  left  five  children,  in  whose  ad- 
vancement and  education  Mr.  Battenberg  has 
taken  the  greatest  interest.  They  are  named  as 
follows:  Jennie,  George  Armstrong,  Norman  G., 
Fred  A.  and  Florence  Phillipene.  The  latter 
died  in  November,  1896.  Politically  Mr.  Bat- 
tenberg affiliates  with  the  Republican  party,  to 
which  he  has  given  his  vote  at  all  national  elec- 
tions. He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  and  fraternally  is  identified  with 
the  encampment  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  being  past  grand  of  the  home 
lodge. 


A  DON  L.  CRAMER.  In  the  photographic 
business  Mr.  Cramer  has  built  up  an  ex- 
cellent trade  and  has  gained  a  reputation 
as  a  reliable,  efficient  artist,  thoroughly  informed 
in  regard  to  his  chosen  occupation,  familiar  with 
the  most  modern  methods  and  possessing  the 
artistic  taste  that  fits  him  for  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  his  work.  He  is  the  proprietor  of 
studios  at  Nos.  309-311  Lackawanna  Avenue, 
Scranton,  No.  21  North  Main  Street,  Carbon- 
dale,  and  North  Main  Street,  Jermyn,  but  gives 
his  personal  attention  to  the  studio  in  Carbon- 
dale  and  resides  in  this  city,  on  the  corner  of 
Darte  Avenue  and  Laurel  Street. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  J.  P.  Cramer,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Greenfield,  this  county,  in 
1827,  and  throughout  life  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  dying  when  sixty-two.  For  his 
wife  he  chose  Abigail  Spencer,  who  was  born  in 
Greenfield  Township  in  1831,  and  is  now  living 
in  Carbondale.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
children,  namely:  Wesley  J.,  a  druggist  in  busi- 
ness in  Florida;  Emma  H.,  wife  of  Xerxes  Wil- 
liams, of  Greenfield  Township;  Adon  L. ;  Wil- 
liam, deceased;  and  Herbert  S.,  a  photographer 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


219 


residing  in  Carboiidale  and  engaged  in  business 
in  Scranton. 

On  the  family  homestead  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  March 
15,  1850.  He  attended  the  common  schools  in 
youth  anil  worked  on  the  farm  until  twenty-three, 
meeting  with  success  in  agricultural  pursuits,  of 
which  he  is  still  fond.  However,  a  prolonged  at- 
tack of  sciatic  rheumatism  obliged  him  to  select 
an  occupation  that  would  enable  him  to  avoid 
exposure.  Acting  upon  medical  advice,  he  gave 
up  farming.  A  brother  urged  him  to  try  photog- 
raphy, and  he  did  so,  going  to  Scranton,  where 
he  soon  learned  the  business  and  found  himself 
adapted  to  the  work.  He  followed  the  trade  in 
different  places  until  1882,  when  he  established 
a  gallery  in  Carbondale  and  here  he  has  built  up 
a  good  business. 

By  his  marriage  to  Marion  Kenyon  of  Green- 
field Township,  Mr.  Cramer  has  one  child,  Del- 
bert.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  firm  in  his 
allegiance  to  party  principles.  Since  1880  he  has 
been  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 


SAMUEL  E.  MOYER,  D.  V.  S.  Among 
the  younger  business  men  of  Jermyn,  who 
are  taking  their  place  in  the  rank  of  the 
industrious,  efficient  and  enterprising  citizens  of 
their  community,  may  be  mentioned  the  subject 
of  this  article,  who  during  the  period  of  his  resi- 
dence here  has  built  up  a  good  practice  as  a  vet- 
erinary surgeon.  In  the  occupation  which  he  has 
chosen  as  his  life  work  he  is  well  informed  and 
his  opinion  carries  weight  in  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  veterinary  surgery. 

Bom  in  Easton,  Pa.,  July  28,  1872,  our  sub- 
ject is  the  younger  of  two  children,  the  older 
being  Katie,  a  resident  of  Jermyn.  His  father, 
Joseph  J.,  w-as  born  in  Easton,  and  throughout 
his  active  life  was  engaged  in  railroading,  but 
now  lives  in  retirement  from  active  labors,  his 
home  being  in  Northampton  County.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sallie  Hartman, 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years. 

The  early  educational  advantages  of  our  sub- 
ject were  the  best  afforded  by  the  city  of  Easton, 


and  in  justice  to  him  it  may  be  said  that  he  im- 
proved every  opportunity  to  the  utmost.  At  La- 
fayette he  prepared  for  college,  but  never  com- 
pleted the  regular  collegiate  course,  as  he  had 
become  interested  in  veterinary  surgery  and 
wished  to  give  it  his  entire  attention.  When  quite 
young  he  began  to  interest  himself  in  this  work, 
and  for  four  years  was  with  a  distinguished  sur- 
geon, a  horseman  of  national  renown,  under 
whose  efficient  instruction  he  gained  the  rudi- 
ments of  knowledge  in  this  occupation.  Desir- 
ous, however,  of  acquiring  thorough  efficiency, 
he  entered  the  Ontario  Veterinary  College  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  completion  of  the  regular 
course,  graduating  December  20,  1893.  His  pro- 
ficiency while  in  college  won  for  him  the  appoint- 
ment as  assistant  house  surgeon  in  the  infirmary 
and  there  he  extended  his  fund  of  professional 
knowledge  by  practical  experience.  With  a  de- 
sire to  familiarize  himself  with  every  phase  of  the 
work,  he  took  the  course  of  study  in  the  Toronto 
Veterinary  Dental  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated. 

On  returning  to  the  States,  Dr.  Moyer  estab- 
lished his  headquarters  in  Manton,  Mich.,  from 
which  place  he  took  charge  of  practice  among 
large  stock  owners  in  the  state.  Since  coming 
to  Jermyn  he  has  gained  a  practice  that  extends 
up  and  down  the  valley  and  through  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  medicines  needed  he 
keeps  in  stock,  so  that  in  emergency  cases  no 
time  is  lost  in  filling  prescriptions.  It  is  his  in- 
tention to  make  Jermyn  his  permanent  home, 
and  he  therefore  takes  a  warm  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  place  and 
the  prosperity  of  its  citizens. 


M 


ICHAEL  CONNOR  is  acting  city  treas- 
urer of  Carbondale,  to  which  office 
his  son,  P.  F.,  was  regularly  elected  in 
1896.  While  the  principal  portion  of  his  life  has 
been  passed  in  Carbondale,  Ireland  is  the  land 
of  his  birth,  and  in  County  Sligo  his  first  nine 
years  were  passed.  He  was  born  March  4,  1838, 
the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (McDonald)  Connor, 
who  came  to  America  when  Michael  was  quite 
small,  leaving  him  with  an  uncle  in  Ireland.    They 


220 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


settled  in  the  state  of  New  York,  but  later  came 
to  Carbondale,  where  the  father  died  when  sixty- 
five  and  the  mother  at  seventy-five  years.  She 
was  his  second  wife  and  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren, Michael  and  Alice,  Mrs.  Patrick  Norton, 
of  Archbald,  who  came  from  there  to  Carbondale 
and  died  in  1872. 

At  the  age  of  nine  years  our  subject  came  to 
America  with  his  uncle  and  aunt,  and  arrived  in 
Carbondale  in  June,  1847.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  began  to  work  in  the  mines,  where  he 
continued  from  the  fall  of  1851  until  1896,  a  pe- 
riod of  nearly  forty-live  years.  He  was  a  faithful, 
diligent  workman,  and  fortunately  possessed  a 
rugged  constitution  that  enabled  him  to  endure 
hard  manual  labor  without  detriment.  He  has 
always  been  frugal,  industrious  and  temperate, 
and  these  qualities  enabled  him  to  secure  com- 
forts for  his  family  as  the  years  went  by.  He 
left  the  mines  in  order  to  begin  work  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  city  treasurer  and  in  this  capacity  has 
rendered  efficient  service.  Notwithstanding  his 
lack  of  preparation  and  experience,  he  has  taken 
hold  of  affairs  in  a  business-like  manner,  and  the 
multifarious  duties  of  the  ofSce  receive  capable 
attention.  To  carry  on  the  work  he  has  twenty- 
four  dififcrent  accounts  with  the  banks. 

In  political  belief  Mr.  Connor  adheres  to  Dem- 
ocratic principles.  He  is  a  Catholic  in  his  relig- 
ious views.  In  1859  '^^  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Bridget  Flannelly,  of  County  Mayo,  ire- 
land.  They  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  nine  are  living,  all  in  this  vicinity. 


JH.  CROSS,  a  thrifty  farmer  of  Greenfield 
Township,  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the 
•  best  improved  and  most  attractive  farms 
in  this  section.  A  visitor  to  his  place  is  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  it  contains  all  the  modern  im- 
provements and  is  maintained  in  a  most  sys- 
tematic manner.  He  bought  the  property  in 
1880  and  has  resided  here  since  December  of 
that  year.  Though  engaged  in  general  farming, 
he  makes  a  specialty  of  the  dairy  business,  keep- 
ing about  thirty  cows  and  selling  large  cjuan- 
tities  of  milk.  During  1893  he  erected  a  large, 
substantial  barn,  through  which  the  water  runs 


from  a  spring.  Everything  on  the  farm  speaks 
of  intelligent  supen-ision  on  the  part  of  the  owner. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Otego, 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  February  19,  1845,  and  is 
the  eldest  of  seven  children,  the  others  being 
Isaac,  a  resident  of  Nebraska;  Charity,  deceased; 
Alva  W.,  of  Clifford,  Susquehanna  County;  Lil- 
ian K. ;  Ellen,  of  Nebraska;  and  Charles,  who 
cultivates  a  portion  of  our  subject's  farm.  The 
parents,  John  and  Abigail  M.  (Newton)  Cross, 
were  natives  respectively  of  Otsego  and  Broome 
Counties,  N.  Y.,  and  removed  from  the  former 
place  to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  the 
mother  died  in  1893  and  the  father  in  1895,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-eight.  Throughout  his  entire  life 
he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

When  but  an  infant,  our  subject  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  their  new  home  in  Susquehanna 
Count}'  and  his  boyhood  years  were  passed  upon 
a  farm  in  Gibson  Township,  where  he  became 
familiar  with  the  scenes  of  pioneer  life.  During 
the  day  he  assisted  in  clearing  the  land  and  at 
night  retired  to  rest  in  the  little  log  cabin  that 
served  as  the  family  home.  Under  such  condi- 
tions, he  Iiad  little,  if  any,  opportunity  for  secur- 
ing an  education,  but  is  nevertheless  well  in- 
formed, having  gained  a  practical  education  by 
observation,  reading  and  travel.  While  in  youth 
he  gave  his  attention  principally  to  farm  work, 
yet  the  fact  that  he  had  great  ability  as  a  me- 
chanic led  him  to  do  considerable  work  in  that 
line,  and  now  he  can  turn  his  hand  to  almost  any 
work,  setting  a  tire,  shoeing  a  horse,  putting  up 
a  building  or  doing  work  as  a  stone  mason. 

A  short  time  after  his  marriage,  in  1880,  Mr. 
Cross  came  to  Greenfield  Township,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Usually  he  votes  for  Prohi- 
bition principles,  but  the  importance  of  the  cur- 
rency issues  before  the  people  in  1896  led  him 
to  vote  the  Republican  ticket  at  that  election.  In 
religious  belief  a  devoted  Methodist,  he  is  willing 
to  do  anything  that  will  advance  the  cause, 
whether  it  be  building  a  fire  or  preaching  a  ser- 
mon, but  has  never  accepted  official  position  in 
the  church.  His  wife,  who  was  Miss  Nettie  E. 
Baker  of  Fell  Township,  is  a  daughter  of  Jackson 
and  Sarah  A.  (Montgomery)  Baker,  and  has  an 
only  sister,  Mrs.  John  Colwell.     The  family  is 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RFXORD. 


221 


of  Scotch-Irish  extraction.  Her  father,  who  was 
an  early  settler  of  Susquehanna  County,  after- 
ward removed  to  Fell  Township,  this  county, 
wiiere  he  still  owns  a  farm.  Some  years  ago  he 
removed  to  Oregon  and  recently  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cross,  with  their  only  .child,  Arthur  J.,  visited 
him  there,  also  traveled  extensively  along  the  Pa- 
cific Coast  and  through  the  west. 


JOSEPPI  O'BRIEN,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  O'Brien  &  Kelly,  attorneys  of  Scran- 
ton,  and  one  of  the  leading  criminal  law- 
yers of  the  county,  was  born  in  Winton,  Pa., 
April  i6,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Ann 
(Burke)  O'Brien.  His  father,  who  settled  in  Win- 
ton  about  1850,  was  an  employe  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Railroad  Company  until  1863,  when 
he  was  accidentally  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  roof 
in  Olyphant.  The  children,  of  whom  there  were 
nine,  were  small  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  the 
labor  of  rearing  them  and  preparing  them  for 
positions  of  usefulness  in  the  world  devolved 
upon  the  widow,  who  nobly  discharged  the  trust. 
She  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  Oly- 
phant. Of  her  family  of  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  are  living  except  one  son. 

Joseph,  who  was  next  to  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  was  reared  in  Olyphant,  and  at  a  very 
early  age  was  obliged  to  assist  in  the  maintenance 
of  the  family.  When  only  seven  years  old  he 
began  to  work  in  the  breakers  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  road,  after  which  he  was  employed  as 
a  helper  in  the  mines  until  sixteen  years  of  age. 
Though  forced  to  work  all  day,  he  did  not,  like 
many  of  his  playmates,  idle  away  his  evenings, 
but  attended  night  school  and  by  careful  applica- 
tion gained  a  good  education. 

In  1877  iMr.  O'Brien  passed  the  teachers'  ex- 
amination in  Olyphant,  this  county,  where  he 
taught  one  term  and  then  taught  in  Winton 
for  five  years.  While  teaching,  his  leisure  hours 
were  employed  in  the  study  of  law  under  Judge 
Connolly,  then  district  attorney,  and  in  1883  re- 
tired from  the  teacher's  profession,  in  order  to 
give  his  entire  time  to  legal  work.  Two  years 
later  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  here  and  prac- 
ticed alone  until  1888,  when  the  firm  of  O'Brien 


&  Kelly  was  established.  In  1892  Mr.  Kelly  was 
made  district  attorney,  but  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  in  1895,  the  partnership  was  resumed, 
the  office  of  the  firm  being  in  the  Mears  Building. 
They  make  a  specialty  of  criminal  law  and  have 
also  been  very  successful  in  damage  suits  against 
corporations. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  O'Brien  married  Miss  Kate 
Crossen,  a  noted  singer,  who  possesses  a  remark- 
ably pure  and  sweet  voice.  She  received  excel- 
lent advantages,  having  studied  music  in  Albany, 
New  York  City  and  the  Conservatory  of  Music 
in  Boston.  Culture,  added  to  natural  sweetness 
of  voice,  brought  her  considerable  fame  as  a 
singer,  and  she  has  appeared  in  concerts  not  only 
in  this  state,  but  in  New  York  and  Massachusetts, 
everywhere  winning  the  greatest  praise  by  the 
excellence  of  her  renditions.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  the  late  James  Crossen,  formerly  general  yard 
master  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern road.  With  a  number  of  leading  choral  so- 
cieties she  is  identified  as  a  prominent  member, 
and  all  her  time,  aside  from  that  required  for  the 
oversight  of  her  home  and  the  training  of  her  two 
sons,  Robert  and  Joseph,  is  given  to  music. 

Politically  a  Democrat,  Mr.  O'Brien  has  been 
chairman  of  the  county  Democratic  conventions 
several  times,  and  in  1896  was  national  delegate 
to  the  Chicago  convention.  For  three  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  examining  board  of 
law  students  for  Lackawanna  County,  of  which 
he  is  now  president.  In  1893  he  took  a  trip  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  visiting  all  points  of  interest 
in  the  far  west,  but,  aside  from  that,  he  has  de- 
voted himself  closely  to  professional  work,  tak- 
ing few  vacations  from  his  office. 


JOHN  BUTLER  GROVER,  M.  D.,  a  resi- 
dent physician  of  Peckville,  with  office  in 
Main  Street  opposite  the  postofifice,  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  August 
16,  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  Butler  Grover,  who  for 
some  time  carried  on  mercantile  pursuits,  but  is 
now  engaged  in  farming  in  Luzerne  County. 
The  latter,  by  his  marriage  to  Mary  A.  Briggs, 
had  a  family  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
named  as  follows:    Millard,  who  lives  in  North- 


222 


PORTR.-\IT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


uniberlanf]  County  and  is  a  fireman  on  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  road;  Alartlia, 
wife  of  D.  F.  Hollopeter,  of  Shickshinny,  Lu- 
zerne County;  Hannah,  also  of  that  town;  Mere- 
dith, who  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
Freeland;  Warren,  the  proprietor  of  a  drug  store 
in  Luzerne  Borough ;  Laura,  who  is  a  successful 
music  teacher;  Mrs.  Letla  Sliobert,  wife  of  a  real 
estate  dealer  in  Wilkcsbarre;  and  John  Butler. 

The  early  years  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Grover  were 
passed  in  close  study.  He  was  fond  of  books  and 
learned  rapidly.  When  but  sixteen  he  began  to 
teach,  in  which  occupation  he  continued  for  four 
years,  and  meantime  during  the  vacation  seasons 
he  attended  normal  school.  It  had  been  his 
mother's  ambition  to  have  him  enter  the  minis- 
try, but  he  preferred  the  medical  profession,  and 
after  spending  one  year  in  Wyoming  Seminary 
he  began  his  preparation  for  his  life  work  by 
entering  the  Albany  Medical  College.  Three 
years  later  he  graduated,  on  completing  the 
course  of  study  there.  Afterward  he  took  a  post- 
graduate course  in  the  New  York  Polyclinic  and 
passed  a  rigid  examination  in  Jefferson  Medical 
College  of  Philadelphia.  Having  gained  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  profession,  he  opened 
an  office  in  Peckville  in  1893  3"<J  established  a 
practice  that  has  grown  to  considerable  propor- 
tions. 

Politically  Dr.  Grover  is  a  Republican,  and  in 
fraternal  associations  is  identified  with  the 
Masons  and  the  Improved  Order  of  Heptasophs. 
He  is  medical  examiner  for  various  orders  and 
holds  membership  in  the  State  and  American 
Medical  Associations.  He  chose  as  his  wife  Miss 
Phoebe  A.  Croop,  who  was  bom  in  Columbia 
County,  graduated  from  the  Kloomsburg  State 
Normal  School  and  engaged  in  teaching  prior 
to  her  marriage.  They  have  established  a  pleas- 
ant home  in  Peckville  and  have  gained  many 
friends  in  this  locality. 


JACOB  THEODORE  NYHANT  is  one  of 
the  experienced  and  successful  merchant 
millers  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley.  From 
early  childhood  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
milling  business  and  by  experience  has  gained  a 


thorough  knowledge  of  all  its  details,  which  en- 
ables him  to  conduct  affairs  in  a  practical  and 
efficient  manner.  After  some  time  spent  in  the 
employ  of  others,  in  1873  he  began  milling  on  his 
own  account  and  for  eighteen  years  carried  on 
business  in  Providence,  but  in  1891  transferred 
his  business  interests  to  Peckville,  where  he  has 
become  known  as  a  capable  and  energetic  man. 
He  still,  however,  retains  ftls  residence  in  Provi- 
dence. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Simon  and 
Elizabeth  (Ruth)  Nyhant,  who  were  born  in 
Monroe  County,  Pa.,  and  the  father,  a  tailor  by 
trade,  died  there  at  the  age  of  forty-six.  In  the 
family  there  were  seven  children,  of  whom  five 
are  living:  Catherine,  who  lives  near  Taylorville, 
this  county;  Lana,  whose  home  is  in  Nazareth, 
Northampton  County;  Mary,  living  in  Provi- 
dence; Lydia  and  Jacob  Theodore.  The  last- 
named  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Monroe  County, 
Pa.,  April  21,  1842,  and  was  a  boy  of  eight  years 
when  hi.-;  father  died.  Not  only  was  he  deprived 
of  a  father's  counsel  and  affectionate  care,  but  of 
his  support  as  well,  and  he  was  therefore  obliged 
to  begin  earning  his  own  livelihood  at  a  time 
when  most  lads  are  in  school.  Consequently  his 
education  was  limited,  yet  by  reading  and  in  the 
school  of  experience  he  has  gained  much  val- 
uable information  of  a  general  nature. 

After  tv/o  years  in  Providence,  one  year  in  Sus- 
quehanna County  and  a  number  of  years  in  Wy- 
oming County,  Mr.  Nyhant  returned  to  Provi- 
dence in  1S73  and  has  since  made  this  place  his 
home.  When  but  eight  years  of  age  he  had  be- 
gun to  work  in  a  mill  with  his  brother  and  suc- 
ceeding years  of  experience  in  the  same  line 
made  him  familiar  with  the  business  which  he 
has  carried  on  for  himself  since  1873.  His  mar- 
riage united  him  with  Sarah  A.  Shook,  of  Wv- 
oming  County,  and  they  liave  two  children,  Stan- 
ley W.  and  Magdalene.  The  son  was  bom  in 
Wyoming  County  April  11,  1866,  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools,  Wyoming  Sem- 
inary and  Eastman's  Business  College  in  Pough- 
kcepsie,  and  is  now  his  father's  bookkeeper  and 
assistant,  being  of  the  greatest  assistance  in  the 
management  of  the  business  and  by  his  industry 
and   energy   gaining  a  place  among  the  rising 


HON.  KDWAKi)  mp;rrii'ii;i,1). 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


225 


young  business  men  of  the  place.  He  married 
Blanche  Brown  and  has  two  children,  Hilda  and 
Mae. 

Before  studying  the  political  question  thor- 
oughly Mr.  Nyhant  voted  the  Democratic  ticket, 
but  in  niaturer  years  he  gave  thoughtful  study 
to  the  national  issues  and  decided  that  protection 
of  home  industries  was  needed  for  the  benefit  of 
the  working  people  of  the  country.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  In  former  years  he  was  active 
in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
an  official  in  his  lodge,  but  has  not  retained  his 
membership.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity  he  has 
received  the  seventh  degree.  For  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  has  been  active  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  during  which  time  he  has 
been  a  class  leader  for  some  years  and  a  trustee 
for  twenty-two  years.  His  son  is  also  interested 
in  and  identified  with  the  work  of  the  same 
church. 


HON.  EDWARD  MERRIFIELD.  The 
family  of  which  this  influential  attorney 
of  Scranton  is  an  honored  representative, 
originated  in  England,  whence  one  Robert  Mer- 
rifield,  who  was  born  in  that  country  in  1703, 
emigrated  with  a  brother  to  America,  settling  in 
Rhode  Island.  His  son,  William,  who  was  born 
in  that  state  in  1752,  removed  to  Dutchess  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  with  other  members  of  the  family,  and 
was  employed  as  a  school  teacher  there  and  in 
Columbia  County,  his  death  occurring  in  that 
county.  Robert,  next  in  line  of  descent,  was 
born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1778,  and  in 
1819  came  to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  what  was 
then  the  township  of  Providence,  subsequently 
Hyde  Park.  There,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
son  William,  he  cleared  a  tract  of  land  and  with 
his  axe  felled  the  trees  that  formed  a  thick  forest 
growth.  Upon  that  place  he  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven. 

William,  son  of  Robert  and  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Pine  Plains, 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  April  22,  1806,  and  after 
completing  his  education,  engaged  in  teaching 
for   five   consecutive   wifiters.     While   thus   em- 


ployed in  Wyoming,  he  married  Almira,  sister 
of  the  late  William  Swetland  and  a  native  of 
Kingston  Township,  Luzerne  County.  Her  fath- 
er, Belding  Swetland,  was  born  in  Connecticut, 
and  thence  removed  with  his  father,  Luke,  to  the 
Wyoming  Valley,  settling  about  a  mile  from  the 
site  of  the  present  Wyoming  monument.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  Luke  Swet- 
land, was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  and  took 
part  in  the  Jersey  campaigri,  under  General  Wash- 
ington. At  the  time  of  the  Wyoming  massacre, 
he  and  his  family  were  at  Fortyfort,  but  after- 
ward he  v.'as  captured  by  the  Seneca  Indians,  and 
in  1778  was  taken  up  to  the  lakes  in  York  State 
and  there  kept  a  prisoner  for  thirteen  months. 
When  General  Sullivan's  army  passed  near  by, 
he  made  his  escape  and  joined  them;  at  first  they 
thought  he  was  a  spy,  but  soon  he  was  recog- 
nized, and  he  then  accompanied  the  army  to 
Wyoming.  Reaching  there,  he  learned  that  his 
family,  having  decided  that  he  had  been  killed, 
had  returned  to  Connecticut,  and  so  he  borrowed 
a  horse  and  went  there,  bringing  them  back  to 
Wyoming  with  him.  There  he  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety-four.  Mrs.  Merrifield  was  reared  in  Wy- 
oming, and  died  in  Scranton  in  1880. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  of  six 
children,  and  is  the  only  survivor.  George  died 
at  the  age  of  nineteen;  Robert,  at  his  death,  left 
two  sons,  Frank  and  Robert  William  departed 
this  life,  leaving  no  children;  Caroline  and  Mar- 
tha died  in  girlhood.  Their  father,  who  was  long 
an  honored  and  prominent  citizen  of  Scranton, 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Center 
Moreland,  Luzerne  County,  for  one  year.  He 
dien  returned  to  Hyde  Park,  where  he  had  pre- 
viously been  instrumental  in  securing  the  post- 
office  and  had  served  as  postmaster.  On  his  re- 
turn, he  was  reappointed  postmaster,  and  held 
that  position  for  ten  years,  meantime  erecting  a 
building  and  engaging  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness. With  a  prophetic  instinct  regarding  the 
future  of  this  county,  in  1838  he  became  a  joint 
owner  of  the  main  portion  of  the  lands  now  in- 
corporated in  the  central  part  of  Scranton.  As  a 
result  of  his  efforts,  in  1840  the  property  was  dis- 
posed of  to  Col.  George  W.  Scranton,  the  founder 
of  the  city  that  bears  his  name. 


226 


PORTR.\IT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  1843  Mr.  Merrifield  was  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature, where  he  was  retained  for  three  consecu- 
tive terms,  filling  that  responsible  position  with 
marked  ability.  All  public  enterprises  received 
his  co-operation,  when  once  he  was  assured  of 
their  beneficial  influence.  Especially  was  he  con- 
cerned in  the  progress  of  Scranton,  to  which  he 
platted  several  additions,  among  them  the  one 
known  as;  Merrifield's  i)lot  of  lots  in  the  four- 
teenth ward  and  in  Keyser's  Valley.  Educational 
matters  received  his  encouragement,  and  as 
school  director  he  contributed  much  to  the  im- 
])rovenicnt  of  the  school  system.  lie  also  gave 
liberally  to  the  erection  of  churches  and  the  car- 
rying forward  of  religious  enterprises.  In  1856 
he  was  elected  associate  judge  of  Luzerne  Coun- 
ty, in  which  position  his  knowledge  of  law,  gained 
by  private  reading,  was  most  helpful.  In  1870  he 
was  elected  president  of  the  Hyde  Park  Bank, 
an  institution  that  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the 
community  as  long  as  he  lived.  The  success 
that  he  achieved,  the  good  that  he  accomplished 
and  the  enterprises  which  he  fostered,  entitle 
him  to  the  lasting  remembrance  of  the  people  of 
Scranton.  After  an  illness  of  two  months,  he 
passed  from  earth  June  4,  1877.  The  store  which 
he  built  in  North  Main  Avenue  in  183 1  still 
stands  on  its  original  site,  opposite  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  Hyde  Park,  and  his  old  res- 
idence is  also  standing. 

In  Hyde  Park,  then  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  July  30,  1832, 
and  here  he  was  reared.  His  literary  education 
was  obtained  in  Wyoming  Seminary  and  Oxford 
Academy,  after  which  he  began  the  study  of  law 
in  Judge  McCartney's  law  school  at  Easton, 
where  he  remained  one  term,  later  reading  in  the 
ofifice  of  Harris  &  Wright  in  Wilkcsbarre.  In 
1855  he  opened  an  office  in  Scranton,  where  he 
has  since  continued  in  the  general  practice  of 
law.  This  has  been  his  life-long  work,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in  the  mercantile 
business  as  his  father's  partner.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Owego,  N.  Y.,  with  Miss  A.  Jen- 
nie Eldridge,  who  was  born  in  Montrose,  Sus- 
fiuehanna  County,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  James 
Eldridge,  for  many  years  a  merchant  of  Owego. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrifield  have  an  adopted  daugh- 


ter, Jessie,  who  was  educated  at   Miss  Walsh's 
school  in  South  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

A  prominent  and  well  known  attorney  and 
representative  citizen  of  Scranton,  recognized  as 
such  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, IMr.  Merrifield  has  also  won  prosperity, 
and  although  he  began  in  his  profession  without 
capital,  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  posi- 
tion of  affluence.  He  is  a  warm  friend  to  all  en- 
terprises calculated  to  promote  the  moral  and 
educational  interests  of  the  conniuinity.  A  man 
of  loyal  patriotism,  his  country  and  its  interests 
have  a  warm  place  in  his  heart.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Democrat,  prominent  in  the  councils  of  his 
party,  by  whom  he  was  nominated  for  judge  of 
court  of  connnon  pleas  in  1884.,  and  for  mem- 
ber of  congress  in  1894  and  1896.  Wlien  chosen 
candidate  for  judge,  he  defeated  Judge  Handley 
for  the  nomination;  thereupon  the  latter  ran  on 
the  independent  ticket,  causing  a  division  of  the 
Democratic  votes,  and  resulting  in  the  election 
of  the' Republican  nominee.  No  one  was  more 
interested  than  he  in  securing  the  separation  of 
Lackawanna  from  Luzerne  County,  and  for 
about  seven  years  he  spent  a  portion  of  each 
winter  at  Harrisburg,  lobbying  for  the  bill.  Fin- 
ally he  was  successful,  and  in  1878,  when  the  vic- 
tory was  gained,  he  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  the  new  county.  Individually,  he  is  a 
man  of  force  of  will  and  strong  character,  one 
fitted  by  nature  and  training  for  the  profession  in 
which  he  has  long  been  prominent.  Sufficient 
wealth  has  rewarded  his  efforts  to  enable  him  to 
live  in  comfort  and  to  give  generously  to  philan- 
thropic measures,  so  that  his  life  may  be  said  to 
be  successful,  in  the  best  meaning  of  that  word. 


PATRICK  F.  AIcDONNELL,  owner  and 
ijroprietor  of  a  general  store  at  No.  34 
.Main  Street,  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
County  Sligo,  Ireland,  and  was  orphaned  h\'  tlie 
death  of  his  parents  when  he  was  a  mere  child. 
Reared  in  the  home  of  an  uncle  he  early  learned 
many  hard  lessons  in  the  school  of  poverty  and 
toil.  His  education  was  obtained  by  observation 
and  business  e.xperience  rather  than  from  text 
books.    At  the  age  of  twenty  he  came  to  America 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  for  a  time  was  employed  by  a  contractor  in 
Scranton,  working  first  in  a  quarry,  then  in  the 
mines,  and  afterward  at  general  carpentering. 
Being  handy  with  tools,  he  picked  up  the  trade 
without  trouble,  and  always  met  with  success  in 
it.  Not  only  did  he  make  money,  but,  far  better, 
he  saved  it.  As  he  became  the  possessor  of  in- 
creasing means,  he  invested  in  United  States 
bonds  and  in  other  ways  put  his  money  where  it 
would  bring  in  return  a  good  interest. 

As  soon  as  his  circumstances  justified  such  a 
venture,  Mr.  McDonnell  embarked  in  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  business  in  Carbondale.  It  was 
in  1878  that  he  opened  his  store,  and  for  some 
time  he  carried  on  business  on  a  small  scale,  but 
gradually  increased  his  stock  as  the  trade  en- 
larged. After  some  time,  wishing  to  retire,  he 
established  a  nephew  in  the  business,  which  he 
transferred  to  him,  but  w'as  finally  obliged  to  step 
to  the  latter's  assistance  and  pay  off  the  large  in- 
debtedness he  had  incurred.  While  he  was  not 
legally  bound  to  do  this,  he  felt  the  moral  obli- 
gation resting  upon  him.  He  then  took  the 
business  again  and  since  1891  has  conducted  it 
at  No.  34  Main  Street,  carrying  a  well-selected 
stock  of  dry  goods,  flour,  feed,  boots  and  shoes, 
etc.-  He  is  keen  and  shrewd,  possessing  the  fac- 
ulty of  making  money  more  easily  than  some, 
and  under  his  efUcient  management  the  business 
has  become  prosperous.  He  gives  little  attention 
to  politics,  though  uniformly  voting  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Catho- 
lic and  a  regular  attendant  at  the  services  of  that 
church. 


CHARLES  H.  SHEDD,  proprietor  of  the 
Royal  Dairy  at  No.  536  Spruce  Street, 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Kankakee,  111.,  in 
July,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  W.  R.  and  Sarah 
(^Grififin)  Shedd,  natives  respectively  of  Eagle 
Bridge,  near  Saratoga,  and  Griffin  Corners,  Del- 
aware County,  N.  Y.  The  family,  of  which  he 
is  next  to  the  youngest,  consisted  originally  of 
five  children,  but  one  is  now  deceased.  His  fa- 
ther, at  an  early  age,  accompanied  the  other 
members  of  the  family  \vest  to  Illinois  and  grew 
to  manhood   upon  a  farm,  later  selecting  agri- 


culture as  his  occupation.  He  was  thus  engaged 
for  a  time  in  Kankakee  County,  but  preferring 
the  east,  he  came  to  Lackawanna  County  in  1869 
and  for  some  years  made  his  home  at  Clarks 
Green.  At  this  writing,  however,  he  is  living 
retired  in  Scranton. 

Coming  to  this  county  in  February  of  1869, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  at 
Clarks  Green,  fitted  by  education  and  training  at 
home  and  in  school  for  the  practical  duties  await- 
ing him  in  the  business  world.  In  1884  he  came 
to  Scranton  and  four  years  later  opened  a  dairy 
business,  at  first  running  only  one  wagon,  but, 
as  his  patronage  increased,  he  also  enlarged  his 
facilities  for  business  and  now  has  three  wagons. 
He  has  his  office  and  depot  of  supplies  at  No.  536 
Spruce  Street,  where  may  be  found  every  facil- 
ity for  conducting  a  large  and  successful  busi- 
ness, retail  and  wholesale.  Besides  the  sale  of 
milk,  he  also  deals  in  butter,  fresh  eggs,  cottage 
cheese,  bakery  goods  and  the  celebrated  Scott 
Valley  cream.  For  the  convenience  of  the  pub- 
lic, he  has  telephones  in  his  office  and  his  resi- 
dence at  No.  1618  Penn  Avenue.  The  dairy  is 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  county,  the  milk  from 
over  two  hundred  cows  being  sold. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Shedd  occurred  in  this 
city,  his  wife  being  Miss  Jennie  E.,  daughter  of 
.Samuel  Storie,  a  farmer  of  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  she  was  born.  They  are  the  parents 
of  three  children,  Donald,  Margaret  and  Louise. 
Mr.  Shedd  is  identified  with  the  Green  Ridge 
Presbyterian  Church  and  in  political  affiliations 
is  a  true  blue  Republican.  He  has  fraternal  rela- 
tions with  the  Heptasophs.  the  Benevolent  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  and  Green  Ridge  Lodge 
No.  603,  I.  O.  O.  F.  The  large  success  which 
has  already  rewarded  his  e.xertions  is  due  prin- 
cipally to  his  business  acumen,  great  energy  and 
constant  effort  to  please  his  customers,  whose 
patronage  he  has  secured  and  retains  tlirough 
his  honest  dealings  and  reliabilitv. 


SAMUEL   F.    GOODRICH.      In    recalling 
the  labors  which  have  contributed  to  the 
development  of  Greenfield  Township,  we 
feel  a  glo^v  of  admiration  for  all  who  bore  a  part 


228 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  the  scenes  of  early  days.  Among  this  class 
was  Janiin  Goodrich,  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  and  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born 
near  Hartford.  The  long  journey  from  that  state 
to  Pennsylvania  he  made  by  wagon  about  1815 
and  reaching  Greenfield  Township  settled  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest,  where  he  built  a  log  house. 
All  the  hardships  incident  to  frontier  life  he  expe- 
rienced. The  nearest  mill  was  at  Wilkesbarre, 
and  he  traveled  back  and  forth  on  horseback, 
carrying  the  grist.  In  that  early  day  deer,  bear 
and  other  wild  animals  were  still  occasionally 
seen,  and  all  the  surroundings  were  those  of 
primitive  nature.  It  required  constant  exertion 
for  months  to  secure  the  clearing  of  the  land 
by  chopping  down  the  trees  that  formed  a  thick 
forest  growth. 

Through  industry  and  good  judgment  Jamin 
Goodrich  succeeded  in  accumulating  an  excellent 
estate,  well  supplied  with  the  improvements  that 
make  life  in  the  country  enjoyable  and  add  to 
the  value  of  property.  He  possessed  the  hos- 
pitable spirit  that  is  a  distinguishing  character- 
istic of  pioneers  in  any  section  of  the  countr)'. 
Honorable  in  his  dealings,  he  was  justly  highly 
regarded  by  his  associates.  In  his  old  age,  when 
physical  infirmities  prevented  him  from  manual 
labor,  he  loved  to  review  the  past  and  note  the 
many  changes  wrought  by  time,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  pioneer's  strong  right  arm.  He 
could  relate  many  an  interesting  incident  con- 
nected with  the  early  settlement  of  the  township, 
where  so  much  of  his  life  was  passed.  On  the  old 
place  built  up  by  his  industry,  he  closed  his  eyes 
in  death  February  20,  1872,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six.  His  wife,  who  was  Annie  Gladding  of  Con- 
necticut, died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  five 
months  and  thirteen  days.  Their  children  were 
named,  Ira,  Jamin,  Hart,  Samuel  F.,  David, 
Annie  and  Clark,  all  of  whom  are  deceased  but 
our  subject  and  Clark,  who  lives  in  Hyde  Park, 
Scranton. 

On  the  old  homestead  in  Greenfield  Township, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  November  2, 
1819.  His  education  was  limited  to  a  brief  at- 
tendance in  the  common  schools  of  the  district, 
but  most  of  his  time  was  given  to  farm  work  and 
the  clearing  of  the  home  place.  There  he  resided 


until  1889  and  then  moved  to  his  present  home, 
five  miles  from  Carbondale.  In  October,  1862, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac. For  eleven  months  he  was  engaged 
principally  in  guard  duty,  and  the  constant  ex- 
posure and  hardships  of  camp  life  undermined 
his  health  to  such  an  extent  that  he  has  never 
been  well  since. 

June  23,  1861,  Mr.  Goodrich  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  John 
T.  and  Eliza  (Hatting)  Whiting,  of  Susquehanna 
County.  Her  father  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts in  1S02,  and  spent  his  early  life  in  Attle- 
boro,  that  state.  After  the  birth  of  four  chil- 
dren, he  and  his  wife  started  on  the  then  long 
journey  to  Peimsylvania,  taking  with  them  per- 
sonal elTects,  clothing  and  provisions  sufficient 
to  provide  for  their  necessities  the  first  year  in 
their  new  home.  In  crossing  a  river,  however, 
the  boat  sank.  The  father  with  the  older  chil- 
dren, and  the  mother  with  one  child  in  her  arms 
and  the  baby  held  by  her  teeth  in  its  clothes, 
swam  ashore,  but  their  household  goods  were 
lost.  A  kind  family  provided  for  them,  giving 
them  dry  clothes,  and  enabling  them  to  proceed 
without  much  delay  upon  their  way.  They  con- 
tinued the  journey  by  canal,  and  arrived  in 
Brooklyn  Township,  Susquehanna  County, 
poor  indeed,  but  full  of  courage  and  determina- 
tion. Mr.  Whiting,  who  was  a  rake  maker  by 
trade,  rented  a  small  place  with  a  shop,  and  thus 
secured  a  start;  after  a  few  years  he  bought  prop- 
erty in  Lenox  Township,  and  there  died  in  1870. 
His  death  was  caused  by  an  accident  in  his  own 
mill;  his  arm  catching  in  the  circular  saw  was 
severed  from  his  body.  He  died  two  days 
afterward.  Of  his  twelve  children  two  died  in 
infancy.  The  others  were  named  as  follows: 
Alfred  D.,  now  living  in  Lenox  Township; 
Jonah  S. ;  Eliza,  deceased;  J.  L.,  of  Lenox; 
George  S.,  whose  home  is  in  Binghamton; 
Joseph  E. ;  Henry  H.,  a  brave  soldier  in  the  Civ- 
il War,  dying  while  in  the  army;  Preston  H.,  of 
Cortland,  N.  Y.;  Mary  E.;  and  Sallie  M.,  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodrich  are  the  parents  of  six 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


children,  Clara  C,  Fred  M.,  Mary  E.,  John  R., 
Alva  R.  and  Katie  L.  The  eldest  daughter 
married  Nathaniel  Goodrich,  of  Greenfield 
Township,  and  they  have  six  children,  Jessie 
R.,  Bessie  M.,  Samuel  A.,  Edna  E.,  Ralph  H. 
and  Mabel  M.  Fred  M.,  of  Carbondale,  mar- 
ried Susan  Breeze,  and  they  had  two  children, 
Sadie  R.,  and  Dora  E. ;  after  the  death  of  his 
first  wife  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mabel 
Ferguson.  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Collins 
of  Scranton,  and  they  have  two  children,  Nora 
Estella  and  Cora  Rosella.  John  R.,  a  resident 
of  Carbondale,  married  Eva  Lozier,  and  they 
have  a  son,  Harry.  Alva  is  a  young  man  of 
great  physical  strength  and  endurance,  and  has 
been  offered  a  position  on  the  New  York  City 
police  force,  but  still  remains  with  his  parents, 
assisting  in  the  work  of  the  farm.  The  youngest 
member  of  the  family  is  Katie  L.,  who  is  an  excel- 
lent musician,  a  sweet  singer,  and  an  accom- 
plished young  lady,  the  pride  of  her  parents;  she 
is  secretary  of  the  Baptist  Sunday-school  and  is 
popular  in  the  social  circles  of  the  neighborhood. 
Mrs.  Goodrich  is  a  Baptist  in  religious  belief, 
as  were  also  her  parents,  though  they  were  be- 
lievers in  close  communion,  while  she  affiliates 
with  the  Free  Baptists.  In  his  political  belief 
Mr.  Goodrich  votes  the  Democratic  ticket  and 
supports  the  party  principles,  and,  like  all  old 
soldiers,  he  is  interested  in  Grand  Army  mat- 
ters. 


WILLIAM  VAN  DOREN,  M.  D.  The 
borough  of  Archbald  is  not  without 
her  share  of  members  of  the  learned 
professions,  who  are  a  credit  to  the  calling  they 
have  chosen  and  to  the  town  itself.  Among 
those  who  have  been  successful  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  may  be  mentioned  Dr.  Van  Doren, 
who  devotes  himself  assiduously  to  his  practice 
and  the  scientific  investigations  which  will  en- 
hance his  professional  knowledge  and  skill.  He 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  able  physicians  of 
the  conimunit)'. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  John  P.  and  Mary 
E  (Dumont)  Van  Doren,  were  born  in  Somerset 
County,  N.  J.,  where  the  former  followed  the 


occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-one,  and  his  widow  is  now  living  in  Arch- 
bald.  Of  their  seven  children,  only  three  are 
living:  John,  who  resides  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
Mary  Ella,  wife  of  Thomas  Morrie;  and  William, 
who  was  born  February  25,  1858,  the  eldest  of 
the  family.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  until  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  the  village  of  Middlebush,  N.  J.,  and 
there  he  was  given  excellent  advantages  in  pub- 
lic and  select  schools.  From  1873  to  1876  he 
prepared  for  Rutgers  College  and  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1880. 

Shortly  after  the  completion  of  his  literary  ed- 
ucation, our  subject  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine,  and  in  1885  graduated  from  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  University  of  the  City  of 
New  York.  The  winter  of  1885-86  was  spent 
in  hospital  work  at  Wilkesbarre,  thus  affording 
practical  experience  of  much  advantage  to  him. 
In  the  spring  of  1886,  his  classmate,  Dr.  Harry 
Davidson,  who  had  established  a  practice  at 
Archbald,  died,  and  he  came  to  this  place,  where 
he  has  since  built  up  a  fair  practice.  The  ex- 
cellent preparation  which  he  received  in  college 
and  in  hospital  work  proved  of  the  greatest  as- 
sistance to  him  when  starting  out,  and  enabled 
him  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  people,  which 
his  skillful  diagnosis  of  difficult  cases  and  pains- 
taking care  abundantly  justified.  At  this  writ- 
ing he  is  officiating  as  secretary  of  the  Arch- 
bald board  of  health.  In  1893  he  was  united  in 
niarriage  with  Miss  F.  Grace  Decker  of  Clif- 
ford, and"  they  have  established  a  comfortable 
home  in  Archbald.  Favoring  the  protection  of 
home  industries  and  the  gold  standard  of  money, 
he  advocates  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
part}^,  and  always  votes  that  ticket  at  local  and 
general  elections. 


ORLANZO  WELLS.  In  Greenfield 
Township  there  is  no  farmer  more  high- 
ly esteemed  than  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  has  spent  his  entire  life  on  the  place 
where  he  now  lives.  His  estate  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  celery,  and  hence  he 
has  decided  to  make  a  specialty  of  this  vegeta- 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ble.  He  has  also  given  considerable  attention 
to  stock-raising-,  and  from  the  sale  of  milk  re- 
ceives a  valuable  addition  to  his  income.  As  a 
farmer,  he  is  industrious,  painstaking  and  per- 
severing, and  deserves  the  success  he  has  se- 
cured. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  L.  Wells, 
was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  August  lo, 
1816,  and  wlien  a  young  man  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, first  settling  in  Clifford  Township,  Sus- 
quehanna County,  but  after  his  marriage  remov- 
ing to  his  present  home  in  Greenfield  Township. 
Farming  has  been  his  life  occupation,  and  to  it 
he  has  attended  strictly,  taking  little  interest  in 
outside  matters.  Notwithstanding  his  advanced 
years,  he  is  hale  and  hearty,  with  his  mental 
and  physical  faculties  unimpaired.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mercy  A.  Run- 
nells,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  July  20,  181 5, 
and  is  vigorous  of  mind  and  body,  attending 
personally  to  marketing  in  Carbondale  and  sell- 
ing the  products  of  the  farm  herself.  She  is  in 
many  respects  a  remarkable  woman. 

There  are  five  children  in  the  parental  family, 
namely:  Orlanzo,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
who  was  born  June  15,  1846;  William  S.,  who 
was  born  July  3,  1848,  and  now  resides  on  the 
old  homestead;  George  W.,  born  June  22,  1851; 
Lewis,  born  December  27,  1854,  now  a  carpen- 
ter in  Carbondale;  and  Sanniel  A.,  who  was 
born  January  3,  1856,  and  now  resides  at  the 
old  home  place.  Few  educational  advantages 
fell  to  the  lot  of  our  subject,  for  at  an  early  age 
he  was  obliged  to  assist  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  farm,  and  has  always  been  a  hard  worker. 
A  natural  mechanic,  he  built  his  own  house  near 
the  old  home,  and  has  also  done  some  work  of 
that  kind  in  Carbondale;  while  he  never  reg- 
ularly learned  the  trade,  he  is  a  better  mechanic 
than  many  who  have  served  an  apprenticeship. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Wells  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Julielt  Kelmer,  of  this 
county,  and  the  following  year  they  settled  at 
their  present  abode.  Five  children  blessed 
their  union:  William  L.;  Norman,  who  died  at 
seventeen  years;  Arthur,  Rosa  Bell  and  Cora 
Anna.  Wliile  Mr.  Wells  is  interested  in  local 
affairs,  as  every  loyal  citizen  should  be,  he  does 


n<jt  mingle  with  politicians,  being  i^untent  to  dis- 
charge his  duty  by  exercising  the  right  of  fran- 
chise. He  favors  Democratic  principles  and  sup- 
ports the  men  and  measures  of  that  party. 


LUTHER  LEE  is  one  of  the  old  residents 
of  Greenfield  Township,  and  has  spent 
I) is  entire  life  in  this  vicinity,  having 
never  been  fifty  miles  away  from  the  town.  The 
sights  and  scenes  of  city  life,  or  other  supposed 
attractive  spots,  have  never  had  for  him  any 
charms,  and  he  considers  them  only  "vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit."  To  him  the  idea  of  seeing 
the  world  or  any  part  of  it  has  no  attractions, 
and  he  is  fully  content  to  live  tranquilly  and 
quietly  under  his  own  "vine  and  fig  tree,"  with 
no  ocular  demonstration  of  the  beauties  of  other 
localities. 

In  Blakely  Township,  where  he  was  born, 
January  25,  1822,  Mr.  Lee  spent  the  first  seven 
years  of  his  life,  and  then  was  brought  to  Green- 
field Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
and  his  older  brother,  Martin,  of  this  township, 
and  a  younger  brother,  John,  of  Clifford,  Sus- 
quehanna Coimty,  are  the  sole  survivors  of  the 
ten  children  of  John  and  Catharine  (Rivenburd) 
Lee,  natives  of  Duchess  County,  N.  Y.  The 
father,  who  was  a  fanner,,  died  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two, and  the  mother  passed  away  at  sev- 
enty-eight. 

Though  deprived  of  school  advantages,  Mr. 
Lee  is  a  well  informed  man,  and  especially  so 
in  matters  pertaining  to  farm  work.  March  6, 
1847,  he  married  Phoebe,  daughter  of  John 
Cobb,  who  was  his  faithful  helpmate  until  her 
death  in  December,  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five.  Of  their  nine  children,  six  are  living, 
namely:  Sabina  Ann,  Lafayette,  Addie,  Eu- 
gene, Emory  and  Oscar,  all  residents  of  this 
township.  The  youngest  son,  Oscar,  assists  his 
father  in  the  management  of  the  farm  and  is  a 
young  man  of  industrious  habits  and  energetic 
character.  He  married  Alice,  daughter  of 
George  Vail,  of  Scott  Township,  and  they,  with 
their  two  children,  Gertrude  and  Alberta,  reside 
with  our  subject,  making  for  him  a  pleasant 
lionie  in  his  declining  years. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


231 


The  eldest  child  of  our  subject  is  the  wife  of 
William  McLaughlin  and  the  mother  of  four 
children,  Thomas,  Luther,  Lewis  and  Caroline. 
Her  oldest  son,  Thomas,  married  Ruth  Steele, 
and  they  have  two  sons,  Charles  and  Frank,  thus 
making  four  generations  of  the  family  now  liv- 
ing. Lafayette  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Margaret  Spencer,  and  their  two  children 
are  Lewis  and  Spencer;  by  a  former  marriage 
he  had  two  children,  Minnie  and  Zopher,  of 
whom  the  former  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Heeney, 
of  Scranton  and  the  mother  of  a  son,  Frank. 
Our  subject's  younger  daughter,  Addie,  is  the 
wife  of  Clarence  Vail,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Etta.  Eugene  was  first  married  to  Harriet  Lee, 
by  whom  he  had  a  son  and  a  daughter,  Lizzie 
and  Jesse;  afterward  he  married  Margaret  Don- 
nelly, and  they  have  two  children,  Everett  and 
Bessie. 


JUDGE  CORNELIUS  C.  DONOVAN,  al- 
derman of  the  twelfth  ward,  Scranton,  and 
a  well-known  attorney-at-law,  with  office 
in  the  Republican  Building,  was  born  in  the 
twelfth  ward  in  1856,  being  the  only  surviving 
son  of  Dennis  and  Mary  (Dwyer)  Donovan.  His 
father,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Scran- 
ton, came  here  early  in  the  '50s  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company,  working  for  a  time  In  the  mines  and 
later  in  a  rail  mill.  In  1861  he  settled  upon 
uninyjroved  farming  property  in  Lenox  Town- 
ship, Susqueiianna  County,  four  miles  north  of 
the  home  of  Hon.  Galusha  A.  Grow,  where  he 
cleared  and  placed  under  cultivation  a  small 
estate,  continuing  its  management  until  his  death 
in  1879,  at  the  age  of  si.xty-five.  His  widow, 
who  survived  him  a  number  of  years,  made  her 
home  with  our  subject  until  her  death,  which 
occurred  in  October  of  189T,  at  the  age  of  nearly 
seventy  years. 

When  about  five  years  of  age  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  the 
farm  in  Lenox  Township,  and  there  his  child- 
hood years  were  passed.  From  an  early  age  he 
displayed  a  fondness  for  good  books  and  a  de- 
sire to  gain  a  thorough  education.     To  this  end 


he  industriously  bent  his  efforts.  For  a  time  he 
attended  the  district  schools,  then  was  a  student 
successively  in  the  graded  school  at  Harford, 
Pa.,  the  high  school  of  Scranton,  Merrill's  Aca- 
demic School  and  the  Keystone  Academy  at  Fac- 
toryville.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  began 
to  teach  school  and  was  thus  engaged  in  Sus- 
quehanna County  for  fifteen  terms,  covering  a 
period  of  about  six  years.  The  money  thus 
gained  was  used  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  his 
education,  so  that  he  may  be  said  to  have  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world. 

^Meantime  Mr.  Donovan  began  the  study  of 
law  with  Lusk  &  O'Neil  of  Montrose  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  there  in  April,  1882.  In 
November,  1885,  he  came  to  Scranton,  settling 
in  the  twelfth  ward  and  beginning  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  which  he  has  since  carried  on 
efficiently.  His  success  in  election  contest  cases 
has  caused  the  people  to  regard  him  as  a  spe- 
cialist in  that  line.  One  of  these  cases  he  won 
in  the  court  of  common  pleas,  increasing  the 
majority  from  twenty-two,  the  face  of  the  re- 
turns, to  thirty-six,  but  the  opposition  carried  it 
to  the  house  of  representatives  a  few  days  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  session  and  there  the  decis- 
ion was  reversed. 

In  February,  1887,  Mr.  Donovan  was  elected 
alderman  from  the  twelfth  ward  and  was  re-elect- 
ed in  February,  1892,  being  commissioned  the 
first  time  by  Governor  Beaver  and  the  second 
time  by  Governor  Pattison.  He  was  the  unani- 
mous choice  of  both  the  Democrat  and  Repub- 
lican caucuses  for  a  third  term  and  was  duly 
elected.  With  his  wife  and  sons,  Cornelius  and 
William,  he  has  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  309 
Prospect  Avenue.  Mrs.  Donovan  was  formerly 
Maggie  Murray,  and  was  born  in  Paradise,  Mon- 
roe County,  Pa.,  but  resided  for  some  time  in 
Great  Bend,  Susquehanna  County,  where  she 
was  married  in  July,  1889. 

For  several  years  our  subject  has  officiated 
as  president  of  Division  No.  3,  A.  O.  H.,  which 
he  represented  in  the  national  convention  of  the 
order  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  July,  1896.  He  is 
also  identified  with  Roaring  Brook  Conclave  No. 
214,  I.  O.  H.,  which  he  represented  in  1895  at 
tlie  supreme  conclave  in  New  Haven,  and  was 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


elected  to  represent  his  lodge  to  the  supreme 
conclave  in  Louisville,  K)'.,  in  May,  1897.  Po- 
litically a  Democrat,  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  city  and  county  central  committees  since 
1886,  and  for  two  terms  has  served  as  secretary 
of  the  county  committee.  He  is  a  member  of 
St.  Peter's  Church  and  formerly  an  active  work- 
er in  the  Temperance  Union  of  the  diocese  of 
Scranton,  of  which  he  was  secretary  for  two 
terms.  His  legal  practice  is  large  and  extends 
into  the  circuit,  district,  superior  and  federal 
courts. 


SANFORD  E.  WEDEMAN.  The  subject 
of  this  article  is  a  native  of  Greenfield 
Township,  has  grown  to  man's  estate  on 
the  farm  which  he  now  cultivates  and  has  never 
been  away  from  home  except  for  short  inter- 
vals. He  is  the  son  of  a  pioneer  agriculturist 
of  the  township  and  grandson  of  a  man  who 
came  here  when  the  country  was  sparsely  set- 
tled. He  is  therefore  well  posted  regarding  the 
history  of  this  section  and  is  proud  of  his  con- 
nection with  those  who  aided  in  securing  its  de- 
velopment. 

During  the  progress  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
Daniel  VVedeman,  our  subject's  great-grand- 
father, a  native  of  Hamburg,  Germany,  came  to 
America,  and  served  as  a  member  of  General 
Burgoyne's  army.  Settling  permanently  in  this 
country,  he  devoted  himself  from  that  time  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  son,  Henry  C,  was 
born  in  Blakcly,  Pa.,  near  the  site  of  the  old 
axe  factory,  and  some  years  after  his  marriage 
came  to  Greenfield  Township,  purchasing  fifty 
acres  of  timbered  land  for  $50.  At  that  time 
the  property  was  covered  with  a  dense  forest 
growth  and  was  considered  of  little  value,  but  by 
cultivation  it  became  worth  a  considerable 
amount. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Ebenezer  Wede- 
man,  was  born  in  Providence,  this  county,  Octo- 
ber 12,  1822,  and  was  brought  to  Greenfield 
Township  by  his  parents  when  four  vears  of 
age.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  he  succeeded 
to  the  ownership  of  the  place,  and  has  here  re- 
sided   since,  devoting    himself    to    farm    work. 


With  few  opportunities  for  school  advantages,  he 
is  nevertheless  well  informed,  having  been  a  care- 
ful, observant  student  of  men  and  events.  Reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Democratic  party,  to  which 
his  father  belonged,  he  voted  that  ticket  until 
the  Fremont-Buchanan  campaign,  when  he  sup- 
ported the  Republican  candidate,  and  has  since 
been  a  pronounced  advocate  of  that  party.  His 
son,  our  subject,  also  favors  Republican  princi- 
ples. 

In  all  his  work  Ebenezer  Wedeman  has  had 
the  efiticient  co-operation  of  his  estimable  wife, 
who  was  born,  Ann  Clarkson,  in  England,  and 
came  to  this  country  at  five  years.  She  is  still 
living,  as  are  also  her  seven  children:  Frank, 
whose  home  is  in  Factory ville;  Charles,  of 
Whitewood,  S.  D.;  Adelia,  who  is  with  her  par- 
ents; Isabella,  the  widow  of  J.  M.  Russell;  Hen- 
ry, who  lives  near  the  old  homestead;  Emma, 
IMrs.  James  M.  Archibald,  of  South  Gibson,  Pa.; 
and  Sanford  E.,  the  youngest,  who  was  born 
March  30,  1862.  The  last-named  was  given  a 
district  school  education  and  early  in  life  be- 
came familiar  with  the  work  incident  to  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  Since  attaining  manhood  he 
has  relieved  his  father  of  a  large  share  of  the  re- 
sponsibility of  managing  the  home  place  and 
is  successfully  superintending  its  cultivation. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Agnes 
Muir,  died  in  July,  1891,  leaving  two  children, 
Majorie  and  Angus  S.  He  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  and  maintains  an  inter- 
est in  ever_\thing  pertaining  to  his  chosen  call- 
ing. The  original  acreage  of  the  place,  bought 
by  his  grandfather,  has  been  increased  by  subse- 
quent purchase  and  there  are  now  seventy-five 
acres  in  tlie  farm,  the  principal  industry  being 
the  dairv  business. 


WALTER  FRICK,  city  engineer  of 
Carbondale,  was  born  in  Lewisburg, 
Union  County,  Pa.,  April  2,  1863,  and 
is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Blair)  Frick,  the 
former  a  native  of  NorthuuibL-rland  County,  the 
latter  of  Lewisburg.  They  have  long  been  resi- 
dents of  that  place,  the  father  being  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business.     The  five    children    com- 


A 


BRYCE  RONALD  BLAIR. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


235 


prising  the  family,  Ida  May,  Jennie  B.,  Walter, 
Annie  E.  and  Sarah  J.  were  born  in  Lewisburg 
and  all  are  living  there,  with  the  exception  of 
Walter.  '  In  boyhood  he  was  given  excellent 
educational  advantages,  attending  the  common 
schools  and  Bloomsburg  Academy,  and  later 
taking  a  thorough  course  in  civil  engineering  at 
Lehigh  Universitv. 

The  first  employment  secured  by  Mr.  Frick  in 
his  chosen  occupation  was  for  the  Lewisburg 
&  Tyrone  Railroad,  and  he  continued  in  rail- 
road work,  some  of  which  was  quite  difficult, 
until  1890.  In  the  fall  of  1885  he  located  in 
Scranton,  and  was  engaged  with  the  Lackawan- 
na Iron  &  Steel  Company,  remaining  with  them 
one  year.  In  1886  he  came  from  Scranton  to 
Carbondalc,  where  for  some  time  he  was  em- 
ployed on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  as 
division  engineer  of  the  Pennsylvania  division. 
Upon  his  election  to  his  present  responsible  posi- 
tion of  city  engineer,  in  1890,  he  took  hold  of 
the  work  with  enthusiasm,  and  at  once  infused 
new  life  into  it.  Soon  it  occupied  his  entire 
time,  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  busy  men  of  the 
city.  His  experience  enabled  him  to  discharge 
his  duties  with  efficiency,  and  secured  the  public 
approbation.  He  is  now  serving  his  third  con- 
secutive term  of  three  years  each. 

Mr.  Frick  and  his  wife,  whom  he  married 
in  Lewisburg  and  who  was  formerly  Margaret 
Bennett,  have  two  children,  Walter  and  Harry, 
and  reside  at  No.  67  Wyoming  Street.  In  poli- 
tics he  votes  the  Republican  ticket  at  the  polls 
and  lends  his  influence  to  that  party.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Engineers'  Club  of  Scranton, 
Philadelphia  Engineers'  Club  and  American  So- 
ciety of  Civil  Engineers.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  Carbondale  Lodge  No.  249,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Eureka  Chapter  No.  179,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Palestine  Commandery  No.  14,  K.  T. 


BRYCE  RONALD  BLAIR  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  September  21, 
1832,  the  youngest  son  of  William  Blair, 
a  well  known  merchant  and  manufacturer  of  that 
city.  At  an  early  age  he  was  taken  into  his  father's 
warehouse,  but  the  business  being  too  confining, 
7 


was  not  to  his  liking.  He  turned  his  attention  to 
civil  engineering,  and  after  a  thorough  course  and 
some  practical  experience,  he  decided  to  make 
the  United  States  his  home,  thinking  it  a  better 
field.  He  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  in  November, 
1852,  and  at  once  took  out  his  first  naturalization 
papers.  He  was  first  employed  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  north  branch  canal  aqueduct  at 
Tunkhannock,  and  in  1853  was  engaged  on  the 
junction  canal,  New  York,  as  superintendent  on 
sections  30  and  31.  In  1854,  under  Chief  Engi- 
neer Thomas  T.  Wireman,  he  was  engaged  on  the 
surveys  and  location  of  the  Barclay  Railroad  in 
Bradford  County,  Pa.  Late  in  the  same  year, 
under  Chief  Engineer  Edwin  McNeill,  he  was 
engaged  in  the  surveys  of  the  first  railroad 
through  the  Wyoming  Valley,  the  Lackawanna 
and  Bloomsburg,  remaining  there  as  resident  en- 
gineer and  roadmaster  until  1865,  when  he  re- 
signed his  position  to  accept  one  with  the  Not- 
tingham Coal  Company  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  about 
to  construct  immense  coal  works  at  Plymouth, 
Pa.,  as  constructing  engineer  and  general  super- 
intendent. He  built  their  works,  at  that  time  the 
largest  in  the  world,  and  at  the  present  time  ex- 
celled by  none. 

In  December,  1868,  Mr.  Blair  was  appointed 
chief  engineer  of  the  Jefiferson  branch  of  the 
Erie  Railway  from  Carbondale  to  Susquehanna, 
through  the  wilds  of  Upper  Lackawanna,  Wayne 
and  Susquehanna  Counties.  The  road  was  built 
in  twenty  months,  and  cost  $2,000,000.  After  its 
completion,  he  spent  several  years  engineering 
and  contracting,  until  1876,  being  desirous  of  a 
more  settled  life,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  shovels  at  Wyoming,  Pa.,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1880.  He  then  engaged  with  Hon. 
E.  E.  Hendrick,  of  Carbondale,  to  look  after  his 
interests  in  the  oil  regions  and  as  constructing  en- 
gineer in  New  Jersey,  until  1882,  since  which 
time  he  has  followed  the  lines  of  his  profession  as 
engineer  and  contractor.  For  several  years  he 
was  city  engineer  of  the  city  of  Carbondale,  Pa. 

In  1857  and  1896  Mr.  Blair  revisited  his  native 
land.  In  1858  he  married  Emma,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Colonel  W.  A.  Tubbs,  of  Luzerne 
County.  Nine  sons  and  two  daughters  were  bom 
unto  them.    Six  of  the  sons  remain:   Bryce,  the 


236 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


eldest,  in  Colorado;  Rev.  William  T.,  in  Mount 
Upton,  N.  Y. ;  Robert,  Frank,  Charles  and  Ralph, 
at  Carbondale.  Mrs.  Blair  died  in  May,  1894, 
aged  sixty  years,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Maple- 
wood  cemetery.  Her  pallbearers  were  Mr.  Blair 
and  five  of  his  sons. 

Mr.  Blair  was  made  a  Mason  in  Lodge  No.  61, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  in  1857,  and 
Roval  Arch  and  Council  at  Catawissa  and  Knight 
Templar  at  Bloomsburg  in  1864.  Hon.  E.  C. 
W'adhams,  J.  W.  Eno,  Robert  Love,  David  Levi 
and  Bryce  R.  Blair,  as  cliartcr  members,  obtained 
from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  the  char- 
ter for  Plymouth  Lodge  No.  332,  F.  &  A.  M., 
in  1859.  He  was  elected  W.  M.  in  1862,  and 
later  high  priest  of  Valley  Chapter,  of  which 
he  is  also  a  charter  member.  Of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  Lodge  No.  332,  he  is  the  only  surviving 
member. 

He  never  had  any  political  aspirations,  having 
an  inbred  dislike  for  the  methods  employed.  He 
was  nominated  by  the  Taxpayers'  Association  for 
county  commissioner  and  without  any  efifort  on 
his  part  secured  the  city  vote,  yet  to  his  great 
relief  he  was  not  elected.  The  ofBce  of  mayor 
has  been  frequently  tendered  him  by  both  po- 
litical parties,  but  invariably  declined.  He  is  in- 
dependent in  politics,  belonging  to  no  party,  sim- 
ply an  American  citizen,  exercising  his  right  to 
vote  and  discharge  his  other  duties  according  to 
his  best  judgment,  and  although  actively  en- 
gaged in  business  for  over  forty  years  has  never 
appeared  in  a  court  house  either  as  plaintiff  or 
defendant. 


GEORGE  H.  DIMOCK  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company  since  a  youth  of  fifteen 
years,  and  ffjr  the  past  eleven  years  has  held 
the  responsible  position  of  engineer.  A  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  his  home  has  been  in  Carbon- 
dale  since  1865,  and  during  all  these  years  he 
has  shown  himself  to  be  an  honest,  industrious 
and  energetic  man,  fully  worthy  of  the  respect 
of  his  fellowmen.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  in  which 
he  carries  a  $3,000  life  and  accident  insurance. 


Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  tlie  Junior  Or- 
der of  American  Mechanics  and  at  one  time  af- 
filiated with  the  Ancient  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
but  is  now  dcmitted. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  D.  Dimock, 
was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and  in  1865  re- 
moved to  Carbondale,  where  he  now  makes  his 
home  in  Canaan  Street.  Throughout  his  entire 
active  life,  a  period  of  more  than  fifty  years,  he 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company,  and  during  much  of  this 
time  has  worked  as  a  car  builder  for  tlie  Gravity 
road.  Though  now  seventy-six  years  of  age,  he 
is  still  quite  hale  and  strong.  His  father  died 
when  forty  years  of  age,  but  his  mother,  Mrs. 
Betsy  Dimock,  is  still  living,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-six.  Our  subject  has  in  his  pos- 
session a  picture,  with  her  as  the  head,  repre- 
senting  five  generations. 

By  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Swackhamer,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Jersey,  George  D.  Dimock  had  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Benjamin, 
who  is  employed  as  car  repairer  for  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Company;  William  W.,  foreman  on 
the  Gravity  road ;  Louisa,  wife  of  Warren  Ellis, 
of  Carbondale;  George  H.;  Emma,  Mrs.  Jolm 
Copeland,  of  this  city;  and  Job.n  W.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  gents'  furnishing  business  here. 
George  H.  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
April  18,  1850,  and  in  boyhood  attended  school 
a  short  time,  but  his  mind  was  too  active  for  the 
dull  routine  of  text  book  work,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  he  entered  the  great  world  of  activity. 
In  October,  1865,  he  began  to  work  on  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson  Railroad  and  for  four  years 
was  employed  as  brakeman  on  the  Gravity  road, 
after  which  he  was  fireman  on  the  steam  road 
for  six  years.  He  was  then  promoted  to  his 
present  position  of  engineer. 

In  1869  Mr.  Dimock  married  Sarah  Blanch- 
ard,  who  died  in  1873,  leaving  two  children: 
Charles  E.,  who  married  Anna  Norris  and  has 
three  children,  Bessie,  Eleanor  and  Gladys;  and 
Sarah  E.,  who  married  Horace  Frear  and  has 
one  son,  Carroll.  In  July,  1875,  Mr.  Dimock 
married  Johanna  Hunter,  who  was  born  in  Ayr, 
Scotland,  in  October,  1853.  She  was  brought  to 
this  country  at  the  age  of  eleven  years  by  her 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


237 


parents  and  grew  to  womanhood  here,  receivhig 
an  excellent  education.  She  is  a  lady  of  broad 
information  and  kind  heart,  interested  in  charita- 
ble work  and  active  in  the  Woman's  Relief 
Corps.  Five  children  were  born  of  tiiis  union, 
of  whom  the  eldest  died  in  infancy,  and  the 
third,  Albert,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years  and 
eight  months.  The  others  are  William  H.,  Mari- 
on E.  and  Margaret  H.,  all  of  whom  are  in  Car- 
bondale.  The  family  attend  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  are  interested  in  all  religious  enter- 
prises. 

The  interest  which  Mrs.  Dimock  has  shown  in 
the  Relief  Corps  and  in  all  army  matters  is 
not  unusual,  when  the  fact  of  her  father's  pa- 
triotism is  taken  into  consideration.  Though  not 
a  native  of  this  country,  he  was  ever  loyal  to 
its  welfare  and  aided  in  preserving  its  identity 
as  a  Union.  In  October,  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
the  service  and  was  assigned  to  General  Banks' 
division.  From  that  time  onward  he  saw  much 
hard  service,  both  upon  the  battle  field  and  in 
long  and  forced  marches.  In  the  most  perilous 
positions,  however,  his  courage  never  failed  him. 
He  was  a  true  soldier,  strong  to  fight  beneath 
the  folds  of  the  old  flag.  At  last,  ere  yet  victory 
had  perched  upon  the  banners  of  the  Union,  he 
gave  his  life  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  he  loved 
so  well,  dying  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  where  he  was 
held  prisoner  by  the  Confederates,  January  29, 
1865.  He  was  one  of  the  truest  soldiers  that 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-second  New  York 
Infantry  gave  to  the  service,  and  his  name  de- 
serves to  be  placed  among  those  of  our  martyr 
patriots. 


HENRY  J.  &  FREDERICK  KUNZ,  com- 
posing the  firm  of  Kunz  Brothers,  are 
contractors  and  builders  at  Jessup,  where 
they  have  excellent  facilities  for  carrying  on  their 
business  successfully.  In  1893  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  came  to  this  place  from  Scranton, 
where  he  had  been  engaged  as  a  contractor,  and 
later  he  was  joined  here  by  his  brother,  the  two 
founding  the  business  which  has  since  grown 
rapidly  and  assumed  large  proportions.  Though 
possessing   ability  as   architects,   they   have   not 


as  yet  entered  that  line  of  business,  but  in  fu- 
ture years  will  doubtless  add  it  to  contracting. 

The  Kunz  family  originated  in  Germany,  in 
which  country  Jacob,  the  father  of  our  subjects, 
was  born  and  reared.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven,  in  1855,  he  crossed  the  ocean,  desiring  to 
establish  his  home  in  America.  Since  then  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  Lackawanna  County,  and 
while  he  has  not  accumulated  wealth,  he  is  well- 
to-do,  with  sufficient  property  to  enable  him  to 
live  in  retirement  from  active  labor.  He  has  held 
local  offices  and  is  now  serving  as  assessor.  His 
marriage  to  Magdalena  Hartman  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  nine  children,  of  whom  six  are  living, 
namely:  Mrs.  Mary  Luther;  of  Jessup;  Mrs. 
Catherine  Reisig,  whose  home  is  in  Scranton; 
Frederick  and  Flenry  J.;  Mrs.  Lottie  Truss,  of 
Scranton,  and  Jacob. 

.  The  older  of  the  brothers,  Fred,  was  born  in 
.Scranton  August  7,  1864,  and  received  a  public- 
school  education.  In  early  boyhood  he  worked 
at  unloading  coal,  running  errands  and  doing 
odd  jobs,  after  which  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship to  the  carpenter's  trade,  working  on  passen- 
ger coaches  and  sleepers  for  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad.  On  the  conclusion 
of  his  term  as  an  apprentice  he  began  work  as  a 
house  carpenter,  for  which  he  possessed  natural 
ability.  Jn  1894  he  came  to  Jessup  and  bought 
out  a  former  partner  of  his  brother,  with  whom 
he  formed  the  present  partnership.  He  mar- 
ried Annie  Sprandle  and  they  have  had  two 
children,  one  deceased,  and  Fred  H.  In  local 
elections  he  is  independent  and  casts  his  ballot 
for  the  man  whom  he  considers  best  qualified  to 
represent  the  people  in  the  office,  but  in  national 
elections  he  always  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 
Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Heptasophs. 

Henry  J.  Kunz  was  born  in  Scranton  August 
26,  1866,  and  in  youth  learned  the  cigarmaker's 
trade,  but  it  was  not  congenial,  and  he  turned 
his  attention  to  tinning,  plumbing  and  roofing, 
in  which  he  is  an  expert.  Afterward  he  acquired 
a  knowledge  of  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  after 
working  at  it  in  Scranton,  came  to  Jessup  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  W.  Swick, 
whom  his  brother  bought  out.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife,  who  was  Anna  Freehom,  he 


238 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


married  Nettie  Wickham,  and  they  had  two 
children,  Carl,  deceased,  and  Raymond  Henry 
\\'ilhani.  In  poHtics  he  adheres  to  no  party,  but 
is  independent  in  his  views. 


ROBERT  VON  STORCH.  The  von  Storch 
family,  wherever  known,  has  always  made 
a  good  record,  its  members  being  promi- 
nent in  public  life  and  of  that  liberal  and  pro- 
gressive spirit  which  leads  them  to  interest  them- 
selves in  the  general  welfare  of  their  communi- 
ty.  They  have  rightly  judged  that  only  the  spirit 
of  selfishness  will  chain  a  man  to  his  own  affairs 
and  that  the  best  citizens  are  those  who  strive 
to  secure  the  welfare  of  their  fellowmen.  Rob- 
ert von  Storch  possesses  this  family  trait  and  in 
the  city  of  Scranton  is  recognized  as  a  useful 
citizen.  During  his  active  life  he  was  a  railroad 
man,  but  for  some  years  he  has  lived  retired, 
making  his  home  in  the  residence  which  he  erect- 
ed at  No.  6i.?  East  Market  Street. 

In  Providence,  Scranton,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  November  i,  1844,  the  son  of 
Ferdinand  von  Storch,  of  whom  mention  is  made 
in  the  biography  of  C.  S.  von  Storch  on  another 
page.  Educated  in  the  common  schools,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  he  became  an  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Company,  and  later  was  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  as  brake- 
man.  In  1863  he  volunteered,  in  response  to 
the  emergency  call,  as  a  member  of  Company 
H,  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  Militia,  and  from 
Camp  Curtis  went  on  a  forced  march  toward 
Gettysburg,  but  was  mustered  out  at  Harrisburg, 
with  his  company.  A  few  months  later  he  en- 
listed in  the  construction  corps  under  Dr.  Haw- 
ley  and  did  service  in  Tennessee,  returning  home 
in  June  of  1S64,  and  resuming  work  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson.  In  December  of  the  same 
year  he  accompanied  a  construction  corps  to 
Goldsboro,  Newbern  and  Raleigh,  remaining  in 
North  Carolina  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  was  honorably  discharged  in  June,    1865. 

From  the  time  of  his  return  home  until  the 
spring  of  1S67,  Mr.  von  Storch  was  with  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson,  after  which  he  went  to  Colo- 
rado and  was  employed  in  a  mine  near  Denver 


about  one  year.  In  Augi:st,  1869,  he  became  a 
brakeman  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  between  Scranton  and  Wilkesbarre. 
Afterward  he  was  made  fireman,  and  in  1870 
became  an  engineer  between  Carbondale  and 
Plymouth,  later  having  other  runs.  In  1887  he 
retired  from  the  railroad,  with  the  intention  of 
devoting  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  property  and  the  enjoyment  of  home 
and  friends.  He  was  married  in  Scranton,  Octo- 
ber 25,  1869,  to  Miss  Belle  Rogers,  who  was 
born  in  E.xeter,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  but  spent 
her  girlhood  years  in  Wyoming  County.  Her 
father.  Nelson  Rogers,  a  son  of  Alexander  Rog- 
ers, of  Maine,  was  born  in  that  state,  but  re- 
moved to  Exeter,  Pa.,  thence  to  Wyoming  Coun- 
ty, where  he  made  his  home  on  a  farm  until  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  almost  seventy  years.  He 
married  Jane  Durland,  the  daughter  of  a  family 
well  known  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  a  lady 
of  noble  character,  a  devoted  wife,  and  an  affec- 
tionate mother,  ministering  to  the  wants  of  her 
large  family.  Of  her  eleven  children  all  but  one 
are  living,  and  two  reside  in  Scranton,  Mrs.  Rob- 
ert and  Mrs.  Godfrey  von  Storch.  The  former  is 
the  mother  of  three  children,  Alice,  Madge  and 
Harry. 

Fraternally  Mr.  von  Storch  retains  member- 
ship in  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers, and  is  a  member  of  Hiram  Lodge  No. 
261,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  the  work  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  he  has  maintained  a  warm  in- 
terest, striving  both  by  example  and  precept  to 
promote  the  cause  of  Christianity.  While  he  has 
never  desired  public  office,  he  is  well  informed 
in  politics  and  has  always  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. 


M 


RS.  LAURA  M.  DE  WITT  of  Fell 
Township,  a  representative  of  a  family 
of  pioneers,  possesses  a  more  definite  and 
reliable  information  of  matters  concerning  the 
first  settlement  of  this  part  of  the  county  and 
of  the  events  incident  to  that  period,  than  any 
other  person  now  living  here.  As  a  little  girl, 
she  listened  to  the  tales  of  her  grandfathers  and 
grandmothers,  and  they  made  an  indelible  im- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


239 


pression  on  her  young  mind.  The  stories  of 
hardship,  trial,  transportation,  perils  from 
wolves,  etc.,  are  still  fresh  in  her  memory,  and 
an  accurate  idea  of  the  first  settlement  may  be 
had  by  a  conversation  with  her  on  the  subject. 
She  is  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, grew  to  womanhood  in  this  vicmity,  was 
educated  and  taught  school  here,  and  has  al- 
ways made  her  home  in  this  locality.  At  this 
writing  she  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead, 
although  for  some  years  she  was  away  from  it. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Daniel  Wede- 
man,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  be- 
came an  early  settler  of  Providence,  this  coun- 
ty. A  man  of  considerable  ability,  he  had  much 
to  do  with  the  formation  of  society  and  was 
largely  instrumental  in  setting  in  motion  the  se- 
ries of  events  which  culminated  later  in  the  for- 
mation of  local  government  and  social  organiza- 
tion. With  a  general  knowledge  of  the  law,  his 
advice  was  often  sought  in  legal  matters.  For 
a  man  of  his  day  and  generation,  he  was  e.x- 
ceptionally  well  educated  and  spoke  seven  dif- 
ferent languages,  which  enabled  him  to  attend 
to  the  wants  of  all  nationalities. 

Charles  H.  Wedeman,  father  of  Mrs.  de 
Witt,  was  born  near  Albany,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Hud- 
son, and  came  to  this  county  in  1799  with  his 
father,  who  was  the  first  settler  in  the  town  of 
Providence.  In  Fell  Township  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  milling,  owning  a  saw  mill  and  hav- 
ing large  lumber  interests  in  this  county.  He 
was  among  the  first  to  make  use  of  coal  here, 
taking  it  out  of  the  side  of  the  mountain  for  his 
own  use  and  that  of  his  neighbors  as  they  slow- 
ly came  and  settled  from  various  parts  of  the 
country.  He  died  in  1865  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Ruth,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Franklin  B.  Aylesworth  and  a  granddaugh- 
ter of  David  Aylesworth.  The  latter  was  born 
in  Verm.ont,  removed  to  Rhode  Island  and 
thence  came  to  this  county.  During  the  Revo- 
lution he  served  for  seven  years  as  a  minute  man 
and  afterwards  received  a  pension  until  his  death. 
For  a  time  he  was  a  sailor,  but  spent  much  of 
his  life  on  a  farm.  In  1798  he  made  settle- 
ment in  Carbondale  Township  and  brought  his 


family  here  in  1804.  Pie  made  three  trips  from 
Rhode  Island  on  horseback,  with  no  companion 
but  his  old  Revolutionary  musket.  Plaving  made 
a  beginning  here  and  started  a  clearing,  he 
built  a  log  cabin.  February  4,  1804,  he  started 
with  his  family  from  Rhode  Island,  with  two 
four-horse  sleighs.  Going  over  the  route  before, 
he  had  blazed  the  way,  marking  from  time  to 
time  a  tree,  which  served  as  a  guide  to  the  new 
country.  There  were  no  roads,  traveling  was 
slow  and  sometimes  difficult,  and  frequently  they 
were  obliged  to  make  their  way  with  axe  and 
muscle.  Finally,  via  Wayne  County,  they 
reached  their  destination.  David  Aylesworth 
died  near  Carbondale  in   1835. 

I^"ranklin  B.  Aylesworth,  who  was  born  in 
Rhode  Island,  made  this  trip,  accompanied  by 
his  wife  and  two  children,  Ruth  and  Elizabeth 
(the  former  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Laura  M.  de 
Witt),  and  after  reaching  this  county  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  death,  at  sevent\'-eight  years. 
Plis  wife  died  when  seventy-nine.  Their  grand- 
child, our  subject,  was  born  in  Blakely  Town- 
ship, July  15,  1844.  By  her  former  marriage  to 
Stephen  Williams,  a  farmer,  our  subject's  moth- 
er had  five  children,  of  whom  two  are  living, 
Joseph  and  Mrs.  Mary  Anderson.  By  his  first 
marriage,  our  subject's  father  had  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  of  whom  two  are  living,  Ebenezer, 
of  Greenfield  Township,  and  Solomon,  of  Car- 
bondale Township.  Mary  (Locke)  Aylesworth, 
our  subject's  grandmother,  was  born  in  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  the  daughter  of  a  Scotch  clergy- 
man, and  came  to  this  country  in  girlhood;  she 
was  one  of  the  best  informed  women  in  this  lo- 
cality and  was  remarkably  active  and  intelligent. 

March  2y,  1872,  Laura  M.  Aylesworth  be- 
came the  wife  of  Charles  J.  de  Witt,  a  direct 
lineal  descendant  of  French  Huguenots  who  suf- 
fered persecution  during  the  religious  troubles 
in  France.  After  her  marriage  she  moved  to 
Kingston,  from  there  went  to  Pittston,  and  sub- 
sequently returned  to  the  old  homestead  which 
her  father  gave  her.  Her  two  daughters  are 
Bertha  C,  an  accomplished  young  lady  and  suc- 
cessful teacher,  and  Blanche  R.  Mr.  de  Witt's 
great-grandfather,  John,  was  premier  in  Hol- 
land, and  came  to   America  with   seven  of  his 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sons, who  settled  mainly  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York.  From  tlieni  have  come  the  de  Witts  of 
the  United  Slates,  many  of  whom  have  been 
persons  uf  distinction  and  interesting  liistorical 
characters.  Mr.  de  Witt  was  one  of  twelve  chil- 
dren born  to  the  nnion  of  John  and  Julia  (Albert) 
de  Witt,  of  whom  seven  are  living,  namely:  Mrs. 
Huldah  Jackson;  Andrew;  Ziba,  living  in  New 
York;  James,  of  Kingston;  John,  whose  home 
is  in  Wilkesbarrc;  Mary,  of  Scranton;  and 
Charles  J. 

It  is  said  that  when  the  Aylesworth  family 
started  on  the  long  journey  from  Rhode  Island 
to  Pennsylvania,  our  subject's  grandmother 
wanted  to  bring  many  things  that  would  prove 
useful  in  a  new  country,  but  was  prevented  from 
doing  so  by  her  husband,  who  knew  the  difficul- 
ties in  the  way,  and  the  necessity  of  having  as 
little  luggage  and  weight  as  possible.  However, 
she  smuggled  in  a  looking  glass,  whicli  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  de  Witt,  and  is  a  valued 
relic.  She  also  took  some  fiat  irons,  which  for 
years  were  the  only  ones  in  the  valley  and  were 
called  into  service  far  and  near,  whenever  a  dress 
or  other  garment  was  to  be  ironed.  Mrs.  de 
Witt  remembers  well  riding  with  her  father, 
when  he  got  out  of  the  wagon  and  picked  for  her 
some  Hlies  from  a  pond,  situated  where  now 
stands  the  court  house  in  Scranton.  Of  the 
changes  that  have  since  been  wrought  she  has 
been  an  interested  eye  witness,  and  as  a  member 
of  a  pioneer  family,  justly  holds  a  high  place 
among  th.e  people  of  the  township. 


HON.  JOHN  P.  KELLY.  The  biographies 
of  successful  men  who,  without  the  influ- 
ence of  wealth  or  the  prestige  of  family, 
have  attained  to  positions  of  usefulness  and  honor 
serve  the  two-fold  purpose  of  encouraging  the 
young  and  paying  a  well  merited  compliment  to 
the  man  himself.  Both  as  an  attorney-at-law  and 
public  odicial,  Mr.  Kelly  has  met  with  flattering 
success,  and  by  hard  work  and  diligent  effort 
has  deservedly  won  the  position  he  now  holds 
among  the  citizens  of  Scranton. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest  of 
five  children,  one  of  whom,  William,  is  president 


of  the  Casey  &  Kelly  Brewing  Company  of  Scran- 
ton. The  parents,  John  and  Ellen  (Downey) 
Kelly,  resided  for  a  time  in  Dickson  City,  where 
the  latter  died.  About  1850  the  father  came  to 
Scranton  and  secured  employment  in  the  brick 
yards  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company, 
but  later  went  to  Olyphant,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick.  At  this  writing  he  is 
proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  Providence.  John  P.  was 
born  in  Olyphant,  January  30,  1862,  accom- 
panied his  parents  from  there  to  Dickson  City 
and  in  1873  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  gradu- 
ated from  the  high  school  six  years  later.  He 
began  the  study  of  law  with  A.  H.  Winton  and 
J.  B.  Collings  of  Scranton,  being  admitted  to  the 
bar  here  in  the  spring  of  1883. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Kelly  entered 
the  oiifice  of  John  F.  Connelly,  district  attorney, 
as  his  assistant,  which  position  he  filled  for  three 
years.  From  that  time  until  January  i,  1888,  he 
engaged  in  practice  alone,  since  which  he  has 
been  in  partnership  with  Joseph  O'Brien.  In  the 
fall  of  1 888,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  he  was 
nominated  to  represent  the  first  district  of  Lacka- 
wanna County  in  the  state  legislature  and  was 
elected  by  three  hundred  majority,  with  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  tlie  only  Democratic  representa- 
tive from  this  district.  Wliile  in  the  house  he 
served  on  the  judiciary,  general  and  election  com- 
mittees, and  rendered  able  service  in  behalf  of  his 
constituents.  Among  the  bills  he  introduced  was 
one  providing  an  appropriation  for  the  oral 
school  for  deaf  mutes  in  Scranton;  also  one  pro- 
viding, in  cases  of  contested  elections  for  any 
county  or  judicial  ofifice,  that  the  party  receiving 
the  highest  number  of  votes  on  the  face  of  the 
returns  should  receive  commission  and  discharge 
the  duties  of  the  ofifice  until  such  time  as  the  con- 
test was  decided.  This  bill  became  a  law  and 
has  proved  highly  beneficial. 

On  the  Democratic  ticket,  Mr.  Kelly  was  in 
1891  elected  district  attorney,  which  ofSce  he 
filled  until  January,  1895.  In  1894  he  was  again 
the  candidate  for  the  position,  but  in  the  general 
"landslide"  of  his  party  suffered  defeat.  While 
occupying  this  position,  he  convicted  Frank 
Bezek,  the  first  man  who  was  convicted  of  murder 
in  the  fir.st  degree  in  the  county,  but  the  board  of 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


241 


pardons  conimuted  the  sentence  to  life  imprison- 
ment. At  the  end  of  his  term  of  office  he  re- 
sumed practice,  and  has  since  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  professional  duties,  having  his  office  in 
Mears  Building.  He  was  married  in  this  city  to 
Miss  Theresa  E.,  daughter  of  the  late  D.  B. 
Brainard,  formerly  proprietor  of  St.  Charles 
Hotel.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  the 
imion,  Louise  and  Marion. 


M 


AJ.  EVERETT  WARREN.  This  influ- 
ential citizen  of  Scranton  traces  his  an- 
cestry to  illustrious  forefathers,  who 
took  an  active  part  in  the  early  history  of  our 
country.  The  family  history  in  America  can  be 
traced  back  to  1659,  when  the  name  of  Peter 
Warren  appears  on  the  town  records  of  Boston 
as  a  mariner.  The  most  famous  man  that  the 
family  has  given  to  the  nation  was  Gen.  Joseph 
Warren,  who  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  June 
II,  1741,  and  died  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
June  17,  1775. 

General  Warren  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1759,  and  the  following  year  was  ap- 
pointed master  of  the  Roxbury  school.  He 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  James  Lloyd  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  1764.  The 
passage  of  the  stamp  act  the  next  year  led  him 
to  publish  several  able  articles  in  the  "Boston  Ga- 
zette." and  brought  him  into  prominence  as  one 
of  the  supporters  of  the  American  cause.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  safety,  also 
served  as  president  of  the  provincial  congress 
that  met  at  Watertown  May  31,  1775,  and  thus 
became  the  chief  executive  officer  of  Massachu- 
setts under  the  provincial  government.  June  14 
he  was  chosen  major-general  of  the  Massachu- 
setts forces  and  three  days  later  he  was  at  Bunker 
Hill.  It  is  said  that  both  General  Putnam  and 
General  Prescott  successively  signified  their 
readiness  to  take  orders  from  him,  but  he  re- 
fused, and  in  the  final  struggle  when  he  was  en- 
deavoring to  rally  the  militia,  he  v.'as  struck  in 
the  head  by  a  musket-ball  and  instantly  killed. 

Isaac  Warren,  our  subject's  grandfather,  who 
by  collateral  descent  was  a  relative  of  Gen.  Jo- 
seph Warren,  was  born  at  Long  Meadow,  Mass., 


and  was  enrolled  for  the  War  of  1812,  but  did 
not  participate  in  any  active  engagement.  A 
shoemaker  by  trade,  he  followed  that  occupa- 
tion at  Bethany,  near  New  Haven,  Conn.  In 
those  days  shoes  were  imifomily  worn  by  men, 
and  he  originated  the  first  calf  skin  boots  ever 
manufactured;  they  at  once  became  popular  and 
he  was  kept  constantly  busy  in  filling  orders. 
His  last  years  were  spent  at  Goshen,  Conn., 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  about  sixty-three. 

The  marriage  of  Isaac  Warren  united  him 
with  Leonora  Perkins,  who  was  born  in  Bethany, 
Conn.,  of  English  descent.  Her  father,  Israel 
Perkins,  was  a  farmer  of  Connecticut  and  pos- 
sessed broad  information  on  almost  every  subject, 
his  advice  being  in  consequence  sought  by  the 
people  of  his  neighborhood.  He  married  Mili- 
cent  Judd,  a  member  of  an  old  Connecticut  fami- 
ly. She  was  an  industrious  woman,  of  noble 
Christian  character  and  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
palian Church.  Her  death  occurred,  during  the 
Civil  War,  at  the  age  of  ninety-eight.  One  of 
lier  brothers  was  hid  in  a  well  for  forty-eight 
hours,  when  the  Tories  came  from  Long  Island 
to  Connecticut,  and  in  that  way  he  escaped  un- 
harmed. Later  he  became  a  brave  fighter  and 
received  severe  injuries  while  in  skirmishes  with 
the  British. 

Mrs.  Leonora  Warren  died  in  Scranton,  at 
eighty-seven  years.  Of  her  seven  children  we 
note  the  following:  Israel  Perkins  died  in  Port- 
land, having  given  his  early  years  to  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  and  his  latter  days  to  the  edit- 
ing of  a  religious  newspaper;  William  Edwin, 
who  began  as  a  bookkeeper,  was  connected  first 
with  the  New  York  &  Erie  road,  then  became 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western,  afterward  was  engaged  by  A. 
T.  Stewart  and  other  prominent  men  of  New- 
York  as  an  expert  accountant,  and  finally  died  in 
New  York,  his  home,  however,  being  in  New- 
burgh;  Harriet  is  married  and  lives  in  New 
Haven;  Isaac  Watts,  a  contractor  and  builder, 
died  in  Binghamton;  Harris  Franklin,  father  of 
our  subject,  was  next  in  order  of  birth;  Cornelia 
Ann,  Mrs.  Edwin  Ives,  resides  in  Wilkesbarre; 
George  Frederick,  a  soldier  in  a  cavalry  regi- 
ment during  the  war,  later  transferred  as  an  aide 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


on  Grant's  staff  upon  request  of  that  general,  is 
now  a  farmer  and  nurseryman  in  Harvard,  Clay 
County,  Neb. 

Born  in  Bethany,  Conn.,  March  10,  1824,  Har- 
ris Franklin  Warren  moved  with  a  brother  to 
Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  about  1838,  and  there  for  a 
year  attended  the  high  school.  In  1843  ^c  was 
employed  as  bookkeeper  for  a  large  wholesale 
establishment  in  Detroit,  Mich.  Three  years 
later  he  married  Mary  Ann  Stroud,  a  native  of 
England,  and  an  adopted  daughter  of  his  em- 
ployer, Reuben  Towne.  In  1848  he  left  the  em- 
ploy of  Mr.  Towne  and  engaged  as  bookkeeper 
for  the  wholesale  mercantile  house  of  Zach 
Chandler  &  Co.,  of  which  he  became  the  junior 
partner  in  1850.  His  wife  having  meantime  died 
of  cholera,  in  1850  he  married  Miss  Marion  Mar- 
gery Griffin,  who  was  born  near  Utica,  N.  Y.,  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Nathaniel  Griffin,  who  was 
given  a  farm  near  Utica  as  remuneration  for 
services  in  the  Revolution.  The  deed  for  this 
property  was  signed  by  Washington  and  is  still 
in  possession  of  the  family. 

The  climate  resulting  in  ague  and  other  com- 
plications injurious  to  his  health,  Harris  F.  War- 
ren accepted  a  position  in  Scranton  as  book- 
keeper for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern car  and  machine  shops.  For  almost  ten  years 
he  was  in  poor  health,  but  finally  regained  his 
strength  and  is  now  hale  and  hearty.  Since  the 
spring  of  1854  he  has  been  engaged  in  business 
in  this  city,  but  since  1890  he  has  resided  at  his 
country  home  in  Dalton.  During  the  war  he  re- 
sponded to  the  draft,  but  was  rejected  by  the 
medical  examiner.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. He  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of 
three  living  children,  namely:  Josephine,  Mrs. 
W.  C.  Bartlett,  of  Philadelphia;  Annie  Leaven- 
worth, wife  of  F.  P.  Price,  a  merchant  of  Scran- 
ton; and  Everett,  of  this  sketch. 

In  Scranton,  to  which  city  his  father  had  re- 
moved some  years  previous,  our  subject  was 
born  August  27,  1859.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  in  order  to 
prepare  himself  for  admission  into  college,  he 
studied  Latin  and  Greek  in  Merrill's  academic 
school,  paying  for  his  tuition  with  his  earnings 
as  a  carrier  boy  for  the  "Scranton  Republican" 


and  subsequently  for  the  "Scranton  Times."  Af- 
terward he  was  employed  as  clerk  and  office  boy 
in  the  law  office  of  A.  H.  Winton,  later  was  with 
Hand  &  Post,  and  paid  over  three-fourths  of  his 
modest  salary  to  Frank  Bentley,  who  tutored 
him  for  Yale  during  evenings.  Entering  the 
University  in  1877,  he  soon  distinguished  him- 
self in  his  literary  and  forensic  studies  and  gradu- 
ated in  1 88 1,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B. 

Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1882,  Mr.  Warren  form- 
ed a  partnership  with  Hon.  E.  N.  Willard  under 
the  firm  name  of  Willard  &  Warren,  to  which  in 
1892  Judge  H.  A.  Knapp  was  admitted  as  a  third 
member.  Mr.  Willard  having  been  appointed 
by  Governor  Hastings  one  of  the  new  superior 
court  judges  in  June,  1895,  Major  Warren  be- 
came the  head  of  the  firm  of  Warren  &  Knapp, 
undoubtedly  the  leading  law  firm  in  his  section 
of  the  state.  In  1881  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Company  A  of  the  crack  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  under  Capt.  (after- 
ward Lieut.-Gov.)  Louis  A.  Watres.  After  three 
years  of  service  in  the  ranks,  he  became  sergeant- 
major,  later  adjutant,  and  finally  judge  advocate 
of  the  third  brigade,  with  the  rank  of  major  on 
Gen.  J.  P.  S.  Gobin's  staff.  After  a  continuous 
ser\dce  of  more  than  ten  years,  he  resigned  as 
judge  advocate  in  1891,  and  withdrew  from  the 
Guard.  The  pressure  of  professional  duties 
caused  him  to  refuse  the  commission  of  colonel 
on  Governor  Hastings'  staff,  also  that  of  judge 
advocate  on  Major-General  Snowden's  staff,  with 
the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel. 

When  in  1887,  in  the  old  Chickering  Hall  in 
New  York,  there  assembled  the  first  convention 
of  the  newly  organized  National  League  of  Re- 
publican Clubs,  Major  Warren  was  present  as  a 
delegate  from  the  Central  Republican  Club  of 
Scranton,  together  with  Hon.  Louis  A.  Watres, 
and  in  the  subsequent  election  of  national  offi- 
cers, was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania delegation  for  treasurer.  In  April  of  the 
following  year,  when  the  State  League  was  or- 
ganized at  Lancaster  by  the  election  of  Hon. 
Edwin  S.  Stuart  of  Philadelphia  as  president, 
Major  Warren  was  chosen  the  first  of  three  vice- 
presidents.  In  1894  he  was  elected  president  by 
acclamation,  and  re-elected  at  York  in  1895,  '"S" 


o. 


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\V1 1.1,1AM   H.    RICHMOND. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


245 


tiring  in  1896.  He  participated  in  the  guberna- 
torial campaign  following,  actively  in  person  and 
through  the  League  organization.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  advisory  committee  of  the  National 
Republican  League. 

Fraternally  Major  Warren  is  connected  with 
Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Melita  Com- 
mandery  No.  68,  K.  T.  In  Scranton,  May  31, 
1883,  he  married  Miss  Ellen  H.,  daughter  of  Hon. 
E.  N.  Willard,  and  they  have  three  children, 
Marion  Margery,  Dorothy  J.  and  Edward  Wil- 
lard. In  politics  a  Republican,  he  has  been  secre- 
tary of  the  county  committee,  chairman  of  the 
city  committee,  and  member  of  advisory  com- 
mittee of  state  committee.  In  1896,  at  the  state 
convention  in  Harrisburg,  he  was  nominated 
presidential  elector  of  the  eleventh  congressional 
district.  In  religious  belief  he  is  identified  with 
St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is  ves- 
tryman. He  is  attorney  for  a  number  of  impor- 
tant organizations,  including  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western;  New  Jersey  Central; 
Lehigh  A''alley;  Erie,  and  Erie  &  Wyoming  Val- 
ley Railroads,  Scranton  Traction  Company, 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company,  and  others. 


WILLIAM  H.  RICHMOND.  The  Elk 
Hill  Coal  &  Iron  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Richmond  is  president  and  treas- 
urer, was  incorporated  in  1863  and  has  since  be- 
come one  of  the  most  important  industries  of  the 
kind  in  Lackawanna  County,  operating  two  col- 
lieries, with  a  capacity  for  shipment  of  four  to  five 
hundred  thousand  tons  per  annum.  Richmond 
Colliery  No.  3  is  situated  at  Dickson  City,  near 
Scranton,  and  turns  out  superior  anthracite  coal 
of  every  size.  Richmond  Colliery  No.  4,  about 
five  miles  above  Carbondale,  was  built  in  1893, 
when  a  shaft  was  sunk  to  two  veins  of  coal  at 
a  depth  of  two  hundred  and  two  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  below  the  surface,  over  which  was 
erected  a  steel  tower,  fifty-two  feet  square  at  the 
base,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  feet  in 
height.  At  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  feet,  as  the  coal  is  raised  from  the  mine,  it 


is  discharged  from  the  mine  car  and  gravitates 
down  a  steel  chute,  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet, 
to  the  breaker,  which  is  a  hundred  feet  high,  and 
then  sixty  feet  to  the  main  crushing  rolls.  There 
is  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet  between  the 
shaft  and  breaker,  in  order  to  comply  with  the 
mine  law  of  the  state  for  the  safety  of  workmen. 
The  culm  and  wastes  of  the  colliery  are  taken 
away  by  a  pressure  blower  and  through  an  iron 
pipe  ten  inches  in  diameter.  Shipments  are  made 
over  the  Richmondale  branch  of  the  New  York, 
Ontario  &  Western  road  to  the  points  of  de- 
livery. 

The  president  and  manager  of  the  Elk  Hill 
Coal  &  Iron  Company,  to  whom  its  success  is 
largely  due,  is  of  New  England  birth,  born  in 
Marlborough,  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  October 
23,  1 82 1.  His  father,  William  Wadsworth  Rich- 
mond, was  a  native  of  Chatham,  East  Hampton 
Society,  Conn.,  and  for  some  time  was  a  black- 
smith and  foundryman  at  Marlborough,  where 
he  settled  in  1820.  In  addition,  he  also  engaged 
in  farming.  He  died  in  that  place  May  31,  1843, 
at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  His  father.  Dr. 
John  Richmond,  was  born  in  West  Brookfield, 
Mass.,  and  in  1795  commenced  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Chatham,  East  Hampton  So- 
ciety, Conn.,  continuing  there  until  his  death  in 
1821.  Many  students  gained  their  first  knowl- 
edge of  medicine  in  his  office  and  his  son-in-law. 
Dr.  Smith,  succeeded  to  his  practice.  The  mother 
of  our  subject,  Clarissa  Bailey,  was  born  in 
Chatham,  April  19,  1800,  and  died  at  Marlbor- 
ough, October  26,  1834.  Of  her  five  children  the 
two  eldest  are  living,  William  II.  and  Harriet 
Kingsbury,  widow  of  the  late  George  W.  Cheney, 
of  South  Manchester,  Conn.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Joshua  Bailey,  Jr.,  and  Ruth  Sears,  the  latter 
a  daughter  of  Elkanah  Sears,  of  the  Sears  geneal- 
ogy- 

In  boyhood  the  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
such  educational  advantages  as  the  schools  of 
his  native  towns  afforded.  These  were  usually 
in  charge  of  luen  who  had  been  educated  in  Ba- 
con Academy.  For  a  time  he  attended  a  select 
school  taught  by  the  late  Israel  M.  Bucking- 
ham, brother  of  a  former  governor  of  Connecti- 
cut.    At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  left  school  and 


246 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


began  to  earn  his  livelihood.  For  three  years 
he  was  employed  by  a  merchant  at  Middle  Had- 
dani,  Conn.,  but  after  the  panic  of  1837  returned 
home  and  worked  on  the  farm  and  in  shops  near 
by.  In  May,  1842,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  store 
of  R.  H.  More,  of  Honesdalc,  Pa.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years.  In  1845  he  began  the 
mercantile  business  at  Carbondale,  Pa.,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Richmond  &  Robinson,  becom- 
ing the  sole  owner  in  1853,  and  for  ten  years  he 
also  manufactured  sash,  doors,  blinds,  coal  cars, 
etc. 

In  January,  i860,  Mr.  Richmond  commenced 
mining  anthracite  coal  near  Scranton  under  the 
firm  name  of*  Richmond  &  Co.,  having  for  part- 
ner Charles  P.  Wurts,  late  general  superintend- 
ent of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company. 
In  1863  the  business  was  transferred  to  the  Elk 
Hill  Coal  &  Iron  Company,  with  Mr.  Wurts  pres- 
ident, Mr.  Richmond  treasurer  and  manager. 
The  following  year,  however,  he  became  the 
owner  of  the  principal  part  of  the  stock,  and  is 
now  president,  treasurer  and  manager.  Con- 
nected with  tlie  business  there  are  two  stores. 
Mr.  Richmond  has  bought  goods  continuously 
of  the  firm  of  Stone  &  Starr  of  New  York  and 
successors  since  1845,  and  of  the  late  firm  of  E. 
S.  Jafifrey  &  Co.,  from  1850  until  they  went  out 
of  business  in   1865. 

Until  recent  years  Mr.  Richmond  voted  the 
RepuI'lican  ticket  and  he  is  still  in  sympathy 
with  the  party  regarding  tariff  and  coinage,  but 
the  enormity  of  the  liquor  traffic  and  its  accom- 
panying evils  caused  him  to  ally  himself  with  the 
Prohibitionists.  Since  1842  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  is  a  lib- 
eral contributor  to  religious  enterprises.  During 
the  war  he  was  unable  to  enter  active  service,  but 
aided  the  Union  cause  by  means  of  a  substitute. 
By  his  v.ife,  formerly  Lois  R.  Morss,  he  is  the 
father  of  three  living  children,  and  two  are  de- 
ceased. The  three  daughters,  Mary  Roxana, 
Emeline  K.,  and  Clara  M.,  received  classical  ed- 
ucations at  Vassar  College,  from  which  the  eldest 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1876.  She  is  the  wife 
of  Frederick  K.  Tracy,  formerly  from  Mansfield, 
Ohio,  an  attorney  by  profession,  but  now  giving 
his  time  principally  to  the  Elk  Hill  Coal  &  Iron 


Company,  of  which  he  is  vice-president.  ]\Ir.  and 
Mrs.  Tracy  and  their  five  children  reside  with 
Mr.  Richmond.  The  family  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  in  the  city  and  its  members  are  wel- 
comed guests  in  the  best  society  of  the  place. 


FREDERICK  G.  VON  STORCH,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  livery  and  boarding  stable 
business  at  Scranton,  was  born  in  Abing- 
ton  Township,  Lackawanna  County,  August  3, 
1873,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Emma  (Sher- 
man) von  Storch,  natives  respectively  of  Provi- 
dence and  Scott  Township,  this  county.  His 
grandfather,  Ferdinand,  was  the  oldest  son  of 
Henry  L.  C.  von  Storch,  and  was  a  farmer,  own- 
ing that  part  of  the  old  homestead  which  the 
Electric  City  Land  &  Improvement  Company 
has  since  developed.  There  the  most  of  his  life 
was  passed  and  there  he  closed  his  eyes  in  death. 
He  and  his  wife  reared  a  large  family,  number- 
ing eleven  children,  of  whom  George,  choosing 
the  occupation  of  an  agriculturist,  settled  upon 
a  farm  in  Abington  Township  and  there  remained 
luitil  his  death  in  1874. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ja- 
cob Sherman,  was  an  old  settler  of  the  county 
and  a  well  known  farmer  of  Scott  Township. 
His  daughter,  Emma,  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band, took  her  children  to  Scott  Township,  where 
she  reared  them,  caring  for  them  until  her  death 
ill  1883.  Of  the  three  children,  two  are  living, 
Mrs.  Delia  Newton  of  Scott  Township  and  Fred- 
erick George  of  this  sketch.  The  last  named 
spent  his  boyhood  years  principally  in  Scott 
Township,  and  until  the  age  of  thirteen  attended 
the  public  schools  there,  but  at  that  time  went 
to  Peckville  to  make  his  home  with  his  guard- 
ian. Dr.  T.  B.  Sickler.  During  the  two  years 
spent  there,  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  schools  of 
the  place.  Returning  to  Scott  Township,  he 
spent  a  year  there,  and  then  in  1889  came  to 
Scranton  and  attended  Wood's  Business  College. 
His  first  position  here  was  in  charge  of  the 
breakers  of  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  teaming. 

In  May,  1895,  Mr.  von  Storch  purchased  the 
livery  business  of  C.  L.  Smith  at  No.  221   Oak- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


247 


ford  Court,  where  he  has  a  three-story  and  base- 
ment building,  40x60,  and  carries  on  a  general 
livery  business.  In  the  basement  he  has  the  feed 
and  sale  stables,  t\venty-six  in  number,  while  on 
the  first  and  second  floors  are  carriages,  cabs 
and  coupes,  and  on  the  third  the  sleighs.  In 
politics  he  is  strongly  Republican  and  endorses 
the  views  of  his  party  conscientiously,  believing 
that  they  are  the  principles  which  constitute  the 
well-being  and  safety  of  the  country.  He  cheer- 
fully performs  all  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  his  community.  A 
promising  citizen,  he  has  obtained  a  good  start 
in  life  financially  and  by  his  business  integrity 
has  gained  the  confidence  of  his  acquaintances. 


M 


ICHAEL  FLANNELLY  resides  in  Fell 
Township,  three  and  one-half  miles  from 
Carbondale,  where,  in  partnership  with 
his  brother  John,  he  owns  a  valuable  property 
and  is  engaged  in  selling  milk  and  ice.  Their 
place  is  excellently  adapted  for  the  business  and 
they  have  so  improved  the  natural  resources  as 
to  be  able  to  secure  an  abundant  quantity  of  fine 
ice  at  a  mininuun  of  expense.  They  are  known 
throughout  the  township  as  energetic,  industri- 
ous men,  who  merit  success  by  their  honest  en- 
deavors. 

The  founder  of  th.e  family  in  America  was 
John  Flannelly,  our  subject's  father,  who  was 
born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  but  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  and  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Carbondale,  assisting  in  the  early  devel- 
opment of  that  place.  During  most  of  his  life 
he  was  employed  about  the  mines,  at  outside 
work.  Though  he  worked  hard,  he  never  be- 
came well-to-do,  and  was  not  able  to  give  his 
children  the  advantages  he  desired  for  them.  He 
died  here  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  His 
wife,  who  is  still  living,  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Mary  McChale,  and  was  born  in  County 
Mayo,  Ireland.  Of  their  nine  children,  seven 
are  living,  namely:  Michael,  Bridget,  John, 
Patrick,  Maria,  Matthew  and  Jennie,  all  resi- 
dents of  this  county. 

The  eldest  of  the  family,  our  subject,  was  born 


in  Carbondale,  March  20,  1859,  and  in  early 
childhood  attended  the  common  schools.  How- 
ever, his  advantages  were  few,  as  at  the  age  of 
ten  years  he  began  to  work,  securing  employ- 
ment as  slate  picker  in  a  coal  breaker.  Later 
he  became  a  miner  and  followed  this  occupa- 
tion for  a  number  of  years,  making  and  saving 
money.  It  was  not  a  congenial  occupation  and 
he  finally  decided  to  abandon  it.  He  did  so  and 
rented  the  place  in  Fell  Township  that  he  now 
owns.  After  three  years  he  bought  the  property 
and  has  since  utilized  its  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  to  such  good  advantage  that  he  secures 
from  it  a  good  income.  In  1892  he  embarked 
in  the  ice  business  and  has  since  established  a 
good  trade,  putting  up  from  twenty-five  hun- 
dred to  three  thousand  tons  per  annum. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Flannelly  united  him 
with  Miss  Annie  Howard,  of  Fell  Township,  and 
they  are  parents  of  a  son,  John.  While  some- 
what independent  in  his  political  views,  Mr.  Flan- 
nelly inclines  toward  the  principles  of  the  De- 
mocracy. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Catholic  and 
is  actively  connected  with  the  Catholic  Knights. 
His  accumulations  are  attributable  to  his  energy 
and  good  judgment,  and  he  and  his  brother  are 
held  in  high  esteem  as  reliable,  trustworthy  men. 


PATRICK  McGARRY,  a  farmer  of  Fell 
Township,  has  lived  in  this  county  for 
forty-seven  years  and  came  from  County 
Roscommon,  Ireland.  The  exact  date  of  his  emi- 
gration is  somewhat  in  doubt.  He  was  born 
March  20,  1830,  and  in  boyhood  had  very  limited 
advantages;  in  fact,  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that 
his  youth  was  barren  of  advantages.  In  the  hard 
school  of  experience  he  learned  many  a  lesson 
more  valuable,  perhaps,  than  those  taught  by 
text  books,  and  his  character  was  developed  by 
the  very  obstacles  he  encountered.  A  voyage  of 
three  weeks  on  a  sailing  vessel  brought  him  to 
New  York  City,  where  he  secured  employment  as 
watchman  for  a  ship  company.  ^ 

On  coming  to  Carbondale,  Mr.  McGarry 
worked  at  peeling  bark  in  a  tannery,  and  as  he 
was  industrious  and  thrifty,  he  saved  the  most 
of  his  earnings.    With  a  homesick  longing  to  see 


248 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


old  Ireland  once  more,  he  returned  on  a  visit, 
Thomas  Trott  being  captain  of  the  boat  that  took 
him  thither,  and  the  ship  was  wrecked  up  the 
Thames.  Tlie  visit  was  made,  but  the  attractions 
of  the  Emerald  Isle  were  not  so  great  as  he  had 
anticipated.  When  the  illusion  of  imagination 
was  removed,  he  found  that  he  had  no  desire  to 
continue  his  residence  there,  so  he  willingly  re- 
turned to  his  adopted  countrj',  feeling  it  was  the 
place  for  his  permanent  home.  For  a  time  he 
engaged  in  mining,  but  subsequently  bought  a 
farm  in  Fell  Township  and  here  he  has  since  re- 
sided, keeping  just  enough  stock  about  him  to 
serve  his  own  needs,  and  passing  his  declining 
years  in  peace  and  comfort. 

By  his  marriage  to  IWary  Kennedy,  a  native  of 
Ireland, jMr.McGan-y has  four  children:  Michael, 
who  is  with  his  father;  Timothy  and  Patrick,  of 
Carbondale;  and  Margaret,  wife  of  H.  J.  Bren- 
nan.  The  home  farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  acres  and  in  addition  to  this,  Mr.  Mc- 
Garrj'  owns  seventy-eight  acres  in  another  place. 
Of  independent  views  politically,  he  believes  in 
the  best  men  for  places  of  trust,  and  uses  his  own 
judgment  when  he  comes  to  exercise  the  right  of 
suffrage,  refusing  to  ally  himself  with  any  party. 
He  has  witnessed  the  growth  of  this  part  of  the 
county  and  contributed  his  share  toward  putting 
in  motion  the  series  of  events  which  have  made 
this  a  goodly  land.  Justly  he  ranks  high  among 
the  Irish-American  farmers  of  the  township. 


JOHN  SZLUPAS,  M.  D.  In  every  line  of 
activity  Scranton  has  had  its  representatives. 
There  is  no  city  in  the  state  that,  in  propor- 
tion to  its  population,  has  a  larger  number  of 
talented,  successful  young  men  than  it  has,  and 
among  this  class  may  be  mentioned  Dr.  Szlupas, 
a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon,  with  office  at 
No.  421  Penn  Avenue,  also  a  registered  phar- 
macist and  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  opened  by 
himself.  While  here  he  is  known  chiefly  in  a 
professional  way,  in  other  places  he  is  perhaps 
better  known  as  president  of  the  Lithuanian 
Society  of  Science  in  the  United  States,  he  and 
his  wife  being  at  the  head  of  that  organization  in 
America. 


In  the  historic  country  of  Lithuania,  now  a 
province  of  Russia,  Dr.  Szlupas  was  born  in  1861, 
being  a  son  of  Rochus  Szlupas,  a  farmer  there. 
He  was,  in  order  of  birth,  the  second  among  three 
sons,  his  brothers  being  Stanley  and  Rochus 
Szlupas,  M.  D.,  both  of  whom  reside  in  Lithuania. 
John  was  educated  in  a  German  gymnasium  and 
in  the  University  of  Moscow,  where  he  studied 
natural  science.  Having  heard  much  concerning 
the  favorable  opening  offered  by  the  United 
States,  he  resolved  to  seek  a  home  here,  and  ac- 
cordingly, in  1884,  crossed  the  ocean,  landing  in 
New  York  without  means  or  friends.  For  one 
season  he  worked  for  a  farmer  in  Orange  County, 
after  which,  having  become  acquainted  with  the 
customs  of  the  people  and  their  methods  of  con- 
ducting business,  he  was  able  to  cope  with  others 
in  the  field  of  intellect  and  thought.  Going  to 
New  York,  he  began  the  publication  of  "The 
Balsas,"  which  he  continued  until  1889  and 
whicli  was  given  a  warm  welcome  by  the  people 
of  his  native  land  in  this  country.  In  1889  he 
entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Maryland  at  Baltimore,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated two  years  later,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 

After  practicing  his  profession  !n  Baltimore  for 
a  year  and  taking  a  post-graduate  course,  in  1892 
the  Doctor  opened  an  office  in  Shenandoah,  Pa., 
but  after  two  years  came  to  Scranton,  where  he 
has  since  carried  on  a  general  practice,  making, 
hov\ever,  a  specialty  of  gynecology.  In  1893-94 
he  was  a  student  in  the  medical  department  of 
the  Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  perfected  himself  in  the  study  of  gynecology, 
thus  preparing  himself  for  the  successful  treat- 
ment of  the  most  intricate  cases.  As  a  physician 
he  is  accurate,  painstaking  and  skillful,  and  his 
thorough  theoretical  knowledge  of  the  science 
lias  fitted  him  for  success  in  its  practice. 

Not  alone  as  a  physician  is  Dr.  Szlupas  worthy 
of  mention.  He  is  a  man  of  intellectual  acumen, 
with  broad  classical  learning,  and  has  both  writ- 
ten and  lectured  e.x.tensively  in  his  own  language. 
He  has  been  interested  in  the  publication  of 
"Nauja  Gadyne"  ("New  Era"),  devoted  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  political,  scientific  and  economic  ques- 
tions. This  paper  has  been  published  in  Shenan- 
doah, with  the  exception  of  two  years,  1894-96, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


249 


when  the  office  was  in  Scranton.  In  addition  to 
it,  he  has  written  for  the  "Truth  Seeker"  of  New 
York,  for  various  newspapers  and  for  scientific 
and  medical  journals,  and  is  the  author  of  a  num- 
ber of  political  and  religious  works.  Especially 
has  he  been  interested  in  promoting  the  welfare 
of  the  working  classes,  and  there  is  no  subject 
upon  which  his  utterances  are  more  eloquent  or 
his  pen  more  facile,  than  upon  this.  Among  the 
people  of  his  own  nationality  he  is  very  influen- 
tial, and  at  this  writing  holds  the  position  of  presi- 
dent of  the  Lithuanian  Society  of  Science  in  the 
United  States. 

In  New  York  Dr.  Szlupas  married  Miss  Louisa 
Malinowski,  who  was  born  in  Lithuania,  re- 
ceived a  classical  education  in  Baltimore,  gradu- 
ated from  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  that 
city,  and  is  a  highly  accomplished  lady,  having 
written  novels  and  poems  and  delivered  many 
public  lectures  in  the  Lithuanian  language. 
Three  children,  Aldona,  Kynstutis  and  Hypatia, 
complete  the  family  circle,  and  reside  with  their 
parents  at  No.  917  Capouse  Avenue. 


LAWRENCE  HALKYER.  Every  year 
numbers  of  foreigners  come  from  Euro- 
pean countries  to  make  for  themselves 
homes  in  the  United  States  and  here  pursue  the 
occupations  they  learned  in  their  native  land.  Of 
our  foreign-born  citizens,  none  have  proved 
themselves  more  worthy  of  American  citizenship 
than  the  Dane,  honest,  thrifty  and  energetic.  To 
this  class  belongs  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  who 
is  a  successful  market  gardener  and  stockraiser 
residing  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Greenfield 
Township.  At  present  he  resides  on  a  rented 
farm,  the  lease  for  which  has  not  expired,  but 
it  is  his  intention  to  shortly  remove  to  an  adjoin- 
ing place,  which  he  has  purchased  and  now  rents 
to  other  parties. 

Born  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  February  23, 
1842,  Mr.  Halkyer  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive city  and  gained  a  fair  education  there.  Com- 
ing to  the  United  States  in  1873,  he  settled  in 
this  county  and  worked  in  the  employ  of  J.  Riden- 
burg,  but  made  his  home  at  Dundafif,  Susquehan- 
na County,  just  over  the  line.     About  1884  he 


began  to  work  for  himself,  turning  his  attention 
to  market  gardening,  with  which  he  was  familiar 
and  in  which  previous  experience  has  enabled  him 
to  make  a  success.  Saving  his  money,  he  bought 
a  place  and  is  now  in  a  position  where  he  may 
enjoy  life,  without  fear  of  future  poverty.  His 
prosperity  is  due  to  his  own  energetic  efTorts, 
though  he  was  assisted  somewhat  by  his  share 
of  the  estate  in  Denmark,  which,  on  his  father's 
death  in  1S54,  was  sold  for  $14,000. 

By  his  marriage  to  Maria  M.  Carlson,  Mr. 
Halkyer  has  nine  children,  namely:  Christian  L., 
who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  and  one-half  years; 
John,  residing  in  Carbondale;  Fred,  deceased; 
Carl,  Harry,  Martha  Louise,  Owen,  Frederick 
and  Lois,  who  have  been  given  excellent  ad- 
vantages and  are  well  informed  and  intelligent. 
Mr.  Halkyer  is  connected  with  the  Farmers  Alli- 
ance and  takes  an  interest  in  everv'thing  pertain- 
ing tc  his  occupation.  As  a  market  gardener  his 
specialtv  is  the  raising  of  cabbage,  in  which  he 
lias  been  very  successful;  as  a  stockraiser,  he 
is  especially  interested  in  horses  and  pigs,  and 
also  has  met  with  success  in  the  raising  of  poul- 
try. In  the  old  country  he  was  identified  with 
the  Lutheran  Church,  but  there  is  no  church  of 
that  denomination  here,  so  he  is  deprived  of  the 
religious  privileges  he  prefers.  Politically  he 
favors  Republican  principles.  As  a  citizen  he  is 
law-abiding,  sober  and  industrious,  attending 
strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  and  since  coming  here 
has  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  Danish-born 
citizens  of  the  county. 


WILLIAM  J.  McDONOUGH,  Jr., 
owner  and  manager  of  the  Crystal  Lake 
Ice  Company  and  one  of  the  influential 
young  business  men  of  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
this  city  October  28,  1870,  a  son  of  William  J. 
and  Ann  McDonough.  Reared  to  manhood  in 
this  place,  he  had  but  very  meagre  opportunities 
for  acquiring  an  education,  for  he  was  obliged  to 
begin  work  in  boyhood  and  the  stern  necessity  of 
supporting  himself  precluded  either  the  advant- 
ages or  the  enjoyments  that  fall  to  the  lot  of 
most  boys. 

In  youth  Mr.  McDonough  learned  the  trade  of 


250 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  carpenter,  and  tliis  he  followed  for  twelve  years, 
being-  for  three  years  of  that  time  in  the  employ  of 
others,  after  which  he  took  contracts  for  himself. 
Active  and  industrious,  people  soon  learned  that 
his  work  was  to  be  relied  upon  and  that  he  was 
scrupulously  honest  in  every  transaction.  Mean- 
time, while  working  in  this  way,  he  devoted  his 
evenings  to  study  in  night  schools  and  to  the 
reading  of  good  literature  that  would  develop 
his  mental  faculties.  Observation  and  experi- 
ence also  added  to  his  fund  of  knowledge,  so  that 
to-day  he  is  a  well  informed  man,  not  only  in 
business  affairs,  but  in  topics  of  current  interest. 
The  Crystal  Lake  Ice  Comi)any  had  been  es- 
tablished some  years  when  Mr.  ]\IcDonough 
purchased  the  plant  in  1891.  He  has  since  in- 
creased the  output  from  one  thousand  to  five 
thousand  tons  per  annum,  and  carries  on  a  large 
trade,  both  wholesale  and  retail.  The  business  is 
on  a  solid  financial  footing,  and  employment  is 
furnished  to  a  number  of  men.  Whatever  suc- 
cess the  future  years  may  bring  to  Mr.  Mc- 
Donough,  certainly  they  will  be  merited,  for  he 
has  been  a  hard-working  man,  honest  and  en- 
terprising. From  the  days  when  he  picked  slate 
in  the  coal  breaker  and  drove  a  mule  in  the 
mines,  to  the  present  time,  when  he  is  the  head 
of  an  iniportant  business,  he  has  been  persever- 
ing and  determined  in  his  efforts,  never  allowing 
trouble  or  obstacles  to  discourage  him. 


G 


EORGE  A.  HERBERT,  secretary  of  the 
Electric  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Com- 
pany of  Carbondale,  was  hnrw  in  this 
city  November  2,  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph 
W.  Herbert,  who  came  to  America  from  Wales 
in  1848  and  followed  the  occupation  of  a  miner 
in  Carbondale  for  some  time.  Born  in  1824,  he 
is  now  seventy-two  years  of  age.  His  first  wife 
was  Elizabeth  Tovey,  a  native  of  England,  who 
accompanied  him  to  the  United  States  and  died 
in  Carbondale  in  1861,  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 
She  was  the  mother  of  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, all  of  whom  are  living.  They  are  John,  a 
resident  of  Chicago,  111.;  George  A.,  and  Josepli 
E.,  of  Carbondale;  James  T.,  whose  home  is  in 
St.  Louis,  Mo.;  and  Sarah,  the  wife  of  P.  J. 
Devers,  of  this  state. 


When  a  boy,  our  subject  gained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  in 
his  business  for  several  years,  afterward  spending 
some  years  in  the  mines.  His  first  steady  posi- 
tion was  in  1869,  when  he  became  clerk  in  a 
general  store.  He  thus  became  familiar  with  the 
best  methods  of  conducting  business,  and  in 
1873  commenced  for  himself,  entering  into  part- 
nership with  Irving  Davis  and  conducting  a  gen- 
eral store  in  Main  Street,  Carbondale.  In  1884, 
owing  to  sickness,  he  severed  connections  with 
the  store  and  did  not  again  engage  in  business. 
In  1894  he  was  chosen  secretar}'  of  the  Electric 
Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company,  which  position 
lie  still  holds. 

In  1896  Mr.  Herbert  married  Airs.  Rose  (Trol- 
lis)  Rosser,  widow  of  William  Rosser,  of  this  city. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  but  believes  in 
voting  for  the  man  best  suited  to  the  office.  For 
two  years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city 
council. 


HEINRICH  L.  C.  VON  STORCH.  Con- 
siderable interest  attaches  to  the  history 
of  the  early  settlement  of  Lackawanna 
County  and  to  the  record  of  the  lives  of  the 
pioneers.  The  thrilling  scenes  through  which 
they  passed  in  the  settlement  of  this  portion  of 
the  state  must  ever  awaken  emotions  of  the 
warmest  regard  for  them.  To  pave  the  way  for 
those  who  followed,  they  stemmed  the  flood-tide 
of  civilization,  and  to  their  descendants  they  left 
a  heritage  whose  real  value  can  scarcely  be  esti- 
mated. 

"Life  with  them  is  o'er,  their  labors  all  are  done. 
And  others  reap  the  harvest  that  they  won." 

Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  pioneers  of 
Scranton  was  Heinrich  Ludvig  Christopher  von 
Slorch,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America. 
He  witnessed  many  remarkable  changes  after  his 
arrival  in  this  state.  Then,  even  the  primitive 
stage  coach  had  not  come  into  conunon  use,  and 
the  traveler  was  obliged  to  pursue  his  way  either 
horseback  or  on  foot  over  prairies  and  through 
forests,  where  now  rushes  the  locomotive  on  its 
iron  rails  through  populous  cities.    From  the  be- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


251 


ginning  he  identified  himself  with  the  interests  of 
the  county,  feehng  that  his  personal  welfare  must, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  be  intimately  connected 
with  the  interests  of  his  community,  and  he  aided 
by  every  means  in  his  power  the  progress  of  the 
people. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Dr.  Christian  Theo- 
docius  von  Storch,  pastor  at  Lohman,  Mechlen- 
burg,  was  a  son  of  Dr.  John  Gustav  von  Storch, 
grand  duke  of  Mechlenburg-Schwerin,  and  coun- 
cillor and  burgomaster  of  Guestrow,  the  largest 
city  of  Mechlenburg.  They  were  descended  from 
Jan  Persson  von  Storch,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who 
was  knighted  and  made  a  nobleman  for  services 
in  driving  the  Danes  out  of  Sweden,  having  de- 
feated them  at  different  places.  Afterward  he 
was  given  a  castle  at  Salis,  Germany,  where  he 
established  the  von  Storch  family. 

Records  as  to  the  birth  and  emigration  to 
America  of  Heinrich  von  Storch  conflict  some- 
what. We  have  it  that  he  was  born  May  16, 
1772,  and  came  to  America  in  1790,  but  a  paper 
written  probably  by  himself  or  G.  N.  Lutyen,  with 
whom  he  crossed  the  ocean,  was  discovered  re- 
cently, yellow  by  age,  and  it  contains  the  follow- 
ing: "Henry  Ludvig  Christopher  von  Storch 
was  born  in  Lohman,  Mechlenburg-Schwerin, 
April  29,  1770.  He  resided  at  home  until  his 
father  died  in  1784.  Then  he  resided  with  an 
uncle  for  one  year,  then  to  Hamburg,  where  he 
remained  one  year  and  four  months,  then  be- 
came a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Anton  Weaver  of 
Atona  for  eight  years,  when  he  went  back  to  his 
native  place  and  bid  his  relatives  a  long  adieu, 
and  set  sail  for  America  in  the  year  One  Thou- 
sand Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety-four,  with  the 
family  of  G.  N.  Lutyen."  It  may  be  accepted  as 
very  probable  that  the  dates  contained  in  the 
paper  are  correct. 

Landing  in  Philadelphia,  Messrs.  von  Storch 
and  Lutyen  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  there,  and 
got  together  a  shipload  of  furs,  which  they  con- 
signed to  Europe.  The  cargo,  in  which  they  had 
invested  their  all,  was  never  afterward  heard  of,  so 
that  they  found  themselves  short  of  cash  to  con- 
tinue business  in  that  line.  They  then  came  to 
Lackawanna  County  and  settled  at  Blakely,  but 
after  a  year  Mr.  von  Storch  went  to  Philadelphia, 


where,  being  able  to  converse  in  both  the  English 
and  German  languages,  he  secured  an  excellent 
clerkship  ?Iowever,  he  returned  to  Lackawanna 
and  located  three  hundred  acres  of  land  here, 
comprising  the  old  von  Storch  farm  in  Provi- 
dence. In  clearing  the  place  he  injured  his  back, 
so  that  manual  labor  was  temporarily  impossible. 
He  then  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
clerked  in  a  wholesale  store,  and  at  the  end  of  his 
time  they  insisted  upon  him  remaining,  doubling 
his  salary  as  an  incentive.  At  the  close  of  the 
second  engagement  he  started  back  tO'  Lacka- 
wanna Valley,  taking  a  pack  of  goods  which  he 
sold  on  the  way,  closing  them  out  before  he 
reached  Scranton.  He  reached  the  city  just  in 
time  to  save  the  title  to  his  land,  which  he  had  to 
buy  in  again.  The  date  of  his  permanent  location 
on  the  farm  was  about  1809,  as  we  learn  from  his 
only  surviving  son,  William. 

When  he  bought  the  land,  Mr.  von  Storch  was 
aware  that  it  contained  deposits  of  coal,  for  he 
had  seen  it  cropping  out  on  the  banks  of  the 
Lackawanna  River.  He  was  familiar  with  stone 
coal  (as  it  was  called)  and  knew  how  to  burn  it. 
Subsequently  he  mined  the  first  coal  ever  taken 
out  here.  He  was  also  the  first  to  burn  coal  in 
the  valley,  and  it  is  said  that  his  neighbors  were 
so  skeptical  regarding  it  that  they  were  afraid  to 
sit  near  his  grate  fire.  At  one  time  he  took  coal 
on  horseback,  in  a  bag,  to  Philadelphia,  and  by 
showing  people  there  how  to  burn  it  tried  to  cre- 
ate an  interest  in  it,  but  other  fuel  was  so  plentiful 
that  he  had  little  success.  In  addition  to  improv- 
ing the  farm,  he  sold  goods,  first  on  foot,  then 
horseback.  He  built  his  first  dwelling,  a  log 
house,  at  a  site  that  is  now  the  southeast  side  of 
North  Main  Avenue.  When  the  country  was  bet- 
ter settled  he  built  a  frame  store  by  the  side  of  his 
log  house,  and  carried  on  a  general  trade,  this 
being  probably  the  first  store  in  Providence. 
There  he  did  business  and  cultivated  his  farm 
until  his  death,  April  10,  1826.  The  gravestone, 
which  marks  his  resting  place  in  the  von  Storch 
biu-ying  ground,  states  that  he  was  fifty-five 
years,  eleven  months  and  eleven  days  old. 

March  3,  1810,  Mr.  von  Storch  married  Han- 
nah Searle,  who  was  born  near  Stonington, 
Conn.,  July  9,  1782.    Her  father,  who  was  Wil- 


252 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


liam  Searle,  and  her  mother,  who  had  been  a 
Miss  Hewitt,  moved  from  Connecticut  to  the 
Wyoming  \'alley  at  Wilkesbarre,  oefore  the  In- 
dian war.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian 
troubles  tliey  fled  back  to  Connecticut  and  lived 
there  a  few  years  until  peace  was  restored,  when 
they  again  went  to  Wilkesbarre.  They  traveled 
by  ox  team,  the  trip  requiring  six  weeks.  The 
first  time  they  came  to  Pennsylvania  Hannah 
was  an  infant,  and  at  the  time  of  their  second 
removal  she  was  nine  years  old.  Educated  by 
her  parents,  she  became  a  very  intellectual 
woman,  and  after  the  death  of  her  husband  she, 
with  her  oldest  son,  carried  on  the  business.  In 
legal  matters  she  was  well  informed,  and  drew 
up  many  deeds  for  early  settlers.  She  was  also 
well  posted  in  local  jiistory  and  imparted  to  his- 
torians much  valuable  information,  for  which  she 
never  received  due  acknowledgment.  She  died 
May  14,  1862,  aged  seventy-nine  years,  ten 
months  and  five  days.  She  had  a  brother.  Judge 
Corring^on  Searle,  a  civil  engineer  and  surveyor, 
who  surveyed  the  state  of  Ohio  into  counties  and 
townships,  and  later  in  life  was  chief  justice  of 
the  supreme  court  of  Ohio;  he  resided  at  Zanes- 
ville,  that  state. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  von  Storch  had  seven  sons  and 
one  daughter,  but  the  latter  died  young.  Of  tlie 
sons  we  note  the  following:  Ferdinand  died 
November  2,  1868;  Theodore  died  May  30, 
18S6;  Leopold  passed  away  in  Lackawanna 
County  November  4,  1882;  Ludvig  died,  child- 
less, April  12,  1886;  William  is  the  only 
surviving  member  of  the  family;  Godfrey  died  in 
Scranton  December  3,  1887;  Justus  died  here 
October  28,  1890. 


SAMUEL  SYKES.  Throughout  the  most 
of  the  period  from  1861  until  his  death, 
September  5,  1894,  Mr.  Sykes  was  identi- 
fied with  the  history  of  Scranton  as  one  of  its  pro- 
gressive business  men.  In  all  his  enterprises  he 
displayed  an  industry,  as  well  as  an  understand- 
ing of  llie  future  of  the  place,  that  made  him  a 
strong  and  prominent  factor  in  the  welfare  of 
the  locality,  and  his  faith  in  thr  future  of  his  city 
and  county  enabled  him  to  aid  much  in  their  de- 


velopment. His  standing  as  a  business,  man  was 
always  of  a  high  order.  Indeed  from  conversa- 
tions with  the  people  among  whom  he  resided  so 
long,  the  evidence  is  strong  that  he  commanded 
in  a  degree  second  to  none  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  entire  people.  His  record  was  one 
upon  whicli  no  shadow  of  a  stain  ever  fell. 

Marlcy,  Yorkshire,  England,  was  the  place  of 
tlie  birth  of  Samuel  Sykes,  and  August  30,  1846, 
the  date  thereof.  He  was  next  to  the  eldest  of 
nine  children  in  the  family  of  Joseph  and  Pris- 
cilla  (Kidd)  Sykes,  and  was  reared  and  educated 
in  England,  where  in  youth  he  was  employed  in 
woolen  mills.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  came 
to  America,  and  at  first  followed  the  mason's 
trade  in  Philadelphia.  In  1861  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton and  acted  as  foreman  for  his  brother  in  the 
building  of  .St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church  and  a 
number  of  residences.  Later  he  was  foreman 
for  J.  H.  Hawk,  of  Danville,  Montour  County. 
Returning  to  Scranton  in  1874,  he  began  as  a 
contractor,  having  a  shop  at  the  entrance  of  For- 
est Hill.  After  ten  years  or  more  he  formed  a 
partnersliip  with  Patrick  Muldoon  under  the 
firm  name  of  Sykes  &  Muldoon,  carrying  on 
business  in  the  same  place,  but  on  a  larger  scale 
than  before.  A  specialty  was  made  of  flagging 
and  cut  stone,  the  firm  furnisliing  the  stone  for 
some  of  the  most  substantial  buildings  in  the 
city.  The  connection  was  dissolved  in  1886,  after 
which  he  continued  alone  until  1893,  and  then 
his  two  sons,  John  Kidd  and  Harry  R.,  were 
taken  into  partnership,  the  title  becoming  S. 
Sykes  &  Sons  and  continuing  so  until  the  death 
of  the  senior  member.  He  started  a  stone  yard 
in  North  Washington  Avenue,  where  he  sup- 
plied the  trade  and  filled  contracts  for  all  kinds 
of  stone. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Sykes  was  widely  mourned. 
By  business  men  it  was  regarded  as  a  common 
loss,  for  he  had  ever  been  active  in  promoting 
the  commercial  interests  of  the  place.  Citizens 
of  every  class  united  in  bearing  testimony  to  his 
worth.  He  had  been  prominent  in  Union  Lodge 
and  was  buried,  in  Forest  Hill  cemetery,  with 
Masonic  honors.  Death  came  to  him  in  the 
prime  of  manhood,  at  a  time  when,  having  ac- 
cumulated a  competency,  he  might  have  antici- 


ffr 


m^ 


^^/,  /^VS-/  (("^e^i^^J 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


255 


patfd  many  years  of  quiet  enjoyment,  free  from 
the  fatiguing  cares  of  business.  For  some  vears 
he  had  been  a  vestryman  in  the  Church  of  the 
Good  Sheplierd,  and  his  hand  was  ever  ready  to 
aid  religious  enterprises.  Fraternally  he  was 
identified  with  the  Masons,  Foresters  and  Sons 
of  St.  George. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Sykes  to  Miss  Josephine 
Hirschman  was  solemnized  in  St.  Luke's  Church, 
Scranton.  March  25,  1869.  Mrs.  Sykes  and  Mrs. 
Benjamin  Lewis  were  the  only  children  of  John 
and  Amy  (Dailey)  Hirschman,  natives  respect- 
ively of  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Germany,  and 
Connecticut.  Mr.  Hirschman,  on  coming  to  the 
Lhiited  States,  was  employed  at  Blairstown.  N. 
].,  by  the  Iron  &  Steel  Ci)mpan\',  and  later  was 
with  them  at  .Scranton,  then  worked  in  the  Carey 
Company  mines  until  he  retired.  He  died  at  the 
home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Sykes,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two  years.  His  wife,  who  died  years  ago, 
was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  X'athaniel  Dailey,  a  native 
of  Connecticut  and  an  early  settler  of  Lackawan- 
na County,  where  he  was  a  well  known  eclectic 
doctor.  Mrs.  Sykes  was  born  in  Hyde  Park  and 
received  a  good  education  here.  .She  was  the 
confidant  of  her  husband  in  all  his  enterprises  and 
since  his  demise  has,  with  the  co-operation  of 
her  sons,  continued  the  business  successfully.  A 
lady  of  genial,  pleasant  disposition,  she  has  a 
warm  place  in  the  esteem  of  her  many  friends. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sykes  comprised 
twelve  children,  of  whom,  ten  are  living.  They 
are  William  ].,  a  stone  cutter  with  his  brothers; 
John  Kidd  and  Harry  R.,  partners  in  the  busi- 
ness; Frederick  E.,  a  bricklayer;  Walter  W., 
also  a  bricklayer  with  his  brothers;  Robert  B., 
who  is  attending  Scranton  Business  College; 
Mary  P.,  Samuel  S.,  Charlotte  J.  and  Edward  D. 
All  the  children  were  bom  in  Scranton  except 
Harry  R-,  and  Frederick  E.,  whose  birthplace 
w-as  Danville.  John  Kidd  was  born  at  the  family 
home  in  Scranton  in  1871  and  in  1893  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  S.  Sykes  &  Sons.  Since 
the  death  of  his  father  he  and  his  brother  have 
acted  in  conjunction  with  their  mother  in  carry- 
ing on  the  business.  The  family  occupy  a  com- 
fortable residence  at  No.  1235  Penn  Avenue.  In 
political   belief  their    opinions    are    similar,    all 


favoring  Republican  principles.  They  attend  the 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  Mrs.  Sykes  is  a 
member.  The  sons,  who  are  partners  in  the  busi- 
ness, are  identified  with  Union  Lodge  Xo.  291, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  in  the  work  of  which  they  maintain 
an  interest.  They  have  a  stone  yard  on  a  railroad 
side  track  and  their  office  in  Larch  Street,  carry- 
ing in  the  former  a  full  line  of  liluc  and  brown 
stone,  and  are  at  this  writing  building  school  No. 
10  on  the  south  side. 


ASA  B.  STEVENS.  As  a  business  man  and 
a  public  official,  the  record  of  Mr.  Stevens 
is  creditable  to  himself  and  interesting  to 
others.  During  the  long  period  of  his  residence 
in  Scranton  he  has  proved  the  possession  of  the 
keen  judgment  that  secures  business  prosperity 
and  the  genial  temperament  that  wins  personal 
friends.  The  spirit  that  led  him  to  enlist  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  War  has  led  him  to 
support  all  loyal  and  patriotic  movements;  yet, 
though  firm  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions  on 
political  and  other  leading  questions  of  the  day, 
he  is  not  intolerant  or  bigoted.  One  of  the 
marked  traits  of  his  character  is  his  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  others.  Sometimes  this  has  in- 
creased his  own  responsibility,  especially  in  sea- 
sons of  financial  depression,  but  it  has  never 
made  him  suspicious  or  cold,  nor  affected  his 
equable  temperament. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Stevens  occurred  in  Broome 
County,  near  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  September  21, 
1834.  His  grandfather.  Rev.  Reuben  Stevens, 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  became  a  min- 
ister in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which 
he  preached  fifty-two  years,  first  in  his  native 
place,  then  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y.  He  settlec? 
in  the  latter  county  in  1803  and  was  given  charge 
of  a  circuit  there,  traveling  on  horseback  between 
his  various  congregations.  Fie  died  at  seventy- 
seven  years.  His  father,  Capt.  Samuel  Stevens, 
who  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1731,  had  com- 
mand of  a  company  under  General  IMarion  in 
the  Revolution.  He  was  a  son  of  Asa  Stevens, 
who  came  to  this  country  from  England  at  the 
time  of  the  French  and  Indian  wars  and  settled 
in  Connecticut. 


256 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  father  of  our  subject,  W'illiam  Stevens, 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  in  1796,  and  en- 
gaged in  fanning  near  Binghaniton,  N.  Y.,  until 
his  death  there  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven.  His 
wife,  who  died  in  1836,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Marion  Piper,  and  was  born  in  Windsor,  Broome 
County,  of  German  ancestry.  Her  father,  Isaac 
Piper,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1769,  and 
became  an  early  settler  of  Broome  County,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits; 
he  married  Jerusha  Lyon,  who  was  born  in  1767. 
In  the  family  of  William  Stevens  there  were  seven 
children,  but  only  two  are  living.  One  of  the 
sons,  Abisha  C,  served  for  three  years  in  the 
Eighty-ninth  New  York  Infantry  and  was  wound- 
ed in  the  left  breast  by  a  shell,  after  which  he  was 
placed  in  Hancock's  Invalid  Corps  for  a  year  and 
until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Asa  B.,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  family. 
entered  Binghaniton  Academy  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen. His  studies  were  cut  short  by  his  father's 
death  four  years  later,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  a  marble  cut- 
ter, which  he  followed  for  three  years  in  Binghani- 
ton. In  September,  1856,  he  came  into  what  is 
now  Lackawanna  County  and  settled  at  Dalton 
(then  known  as  Bailey  Hollow),  in  Abington 
Township,  where  he  engaged  in  the  marble  busi- 
ness for  five  years,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Green  &  Stevens.  On  dissolving  the  partner- 
ship, in  1863,  he  came  to  Scranton  and  started  in 
the  marble  business  at  the  head  of  Penn  Avenue 
on  Lackawanna,  w'here  the  old  Second  National 
Bank  Building  stands.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Stevens  &  May,  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness while  in  the  army,  hiring  a  man  in  his  place. 
August  14,  1864,  Mr.  Stevens  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany C,  Two  Hundred  and  Third  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Scranton  as  a 
private,  but  September  21  he  was  made  first  lieu- 
tenant at  Philadelphia,  and  served  as  such  until 
May  20,  1865,  when,  the  war  having  closed,  he 
w^as  honorably  discharged.  He  was  at  Peters- 
burg and  took  part  in  the  skirmishes  from  Deep 
Bottom  to  Chapin's  farm  in  front  of  Richmond, 
the  second  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  and  both  expedi- 
tions to  Ft.  Fisher.  At  the  capture  of  that  fort, 
January   15,    1865,  the  captain   and   half  of  the 


company  fell,  and  Lieutenant  Stevens  took  com- 
mand of  the  remaining  members.  February  22 
he  was  at  the  siege  of  Wilmington,  N.  C,  and 
the  next  day  was  in  the  charge  at  Northeast  Sta- 
tion, Cape  Fear  River,  at  which  time  he  became 
seriously  ill  and  was  sent  back  to  Wilmington, 
N.  C,  remaining  there  until  his  recovery.  At 
Cape  Fear  River  and  Ft.  Fisher  he  received  hon- 
orable mention  from  the  officers  of  his  regiment 
and  complimentary  resolutions  were  passed  by 
members  of  his  company,  who  declared  that  they 
did  not  desire  to  follow  any  better  or  braver  offi- 
cer than  he.  During  his  service  he  was  recom- 
mended for  major  of  colored  troops,  but  declined 
to  leave  the  men  whom  he  had  induced  to  enlist. 
One  year  after  his  return  Mr.  Stevens  dissolved 
his  partnership  with  Mr.  May  and  opened  a  yard 
where  the  St.  James  Hotel  now  stands,  opposite 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  depot. 
Two  years  later  he  moved  the  business  to  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue,  west  of  the  railroad  crossings. 
Upon  his  election  as  marshal  of  the  mavor's 
court  of  Scranton,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  he 
retired  from  the  marble  business,  and  for  the  en- 
suing three  years  gave  his  attention  to  his  office, 
which  he  filled  satisfactorily.  He  then  became 
manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Miners  and  Me- 
chanics Loan  and  Banking  Association,  out  of 
which  grew  the  West  Side  Bank,  but  he  resigned 
before  the  latter  organization  was  formed.  For 
some  time  he  was  secretary  of  the  School  Fund 
Coal  Association,  and  for  seventeen  years  he  was 
manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Bridge  Coal  Com- 
pany, until  the  coal  in  their  mines  was  exhausted. 
For  several  years  he  engaged  in  merchandising 
on  the  corner  of  West  Lackawanna  and  North 
Seventh,  the  firm  title  being  A.  B.  Stevens  &  Co. 
In  1889  he  went  to  Pittston  and  built  what  is 
known  as  the  Stevens  colliery  at  West  Pittston, 
remaining  as  manager  of  the  Stevens  Coal  Com- 
pany until  1892,  when  he  sold  out.  For  one  year 
he  prospected  for  coal  in  Schuylkill  County,  but 
this  not  proving  satisfactory,  he  returned  to 
Scranton.  In  the  spring  of  1894  he  was  em- 
ployed as  manager  of  the  Economy  Light,  Heat 
&  Power  Company,  of  which  he  became  stock- 
holder and  director,  managing  the  building  of 
the   main  plant   on  Jefferson   Avenue  and   Ash 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


257 


Street.  This  enterprise  has  been  successful,  and 
tlie  plant  furnishes  heat  and  hght  to  many  pubUc 
buildings  and  residences.  June  i.  1896.  he  re- 
tired from  the  active  management,  but  is  still  a 
director.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the  Consum- 
ers Powder  Company. 

In  Abington  Township,  in  1858,  Mr.  Stevens 
married  Miss  Elvira  A.  Colvin,  daughter  of  Jason 
P.  and  Osena  Colvin,  the  latter  deceased.  Mr. 
Colvin,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  and  be- 
longed to  an  old  eastern  family,  now  resides 
with  Mr.  Stevens,  and  retains  possession  of  his 
faculties  to  an  unusual  degree  considering  his 
age,  eighty-five.  Three  of  his  sons  served  in  the 
Civil  War.  Norman,  a  sergeant,  was  wounded 
at  Chattanooga  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Confederates,  who  imprisoned  him  at  Libby,  and 
there  he  died.  Theodore,  who  was  a  member  of 
Company  K,  Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  for 
three  years,  and  was  wounded  in  service,  now  lives 
in  Ohio.  Melvin  R.  was  a  member  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
Mrs.  Stevens  was  educated  in  Madison  Academy 
and  taught  school  for  several  years  when  a  young 
woman.  She  has  two  sons,  Julian  G.,  of  Scran- 
ton,  and  Fred  E.,  a  graduate  of  Wyoming  Sem- 
inary, now  treasurer  of  the  Scranton  Ice  Com- 
pany, and  treasurer  and  bookkeeper  for  Ira  Ben- 
nett &  Co. 

When  Scranton  was  incorporated  as  a  city  Mr. 
Stevens  was  a  member  of  the  first  select  council 
and  board  of  commissioners.  In  1878  he  was 
appointed  sheriff  of  Lackawanna  County  by  the 
governor,  and  the  following  year  was  nominated 
and  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket,  serving 
four  years  and  five  months  altogether.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  has  attained 
the  thirty-third  degree  in  Masonry.  He  is  past 
officer  in  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.; 
past  priest  of  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185 ;  past 
commander  of  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No. 
17;  Cerneau  Consistory  No.  23,  of  which  he  has 
been  commander-in-chief;  Lu-Lu  Temple  Shrine 
in  Philadelphia,  and  ]\Iasonic  Veterans  Associa- 
tion of  Philadelphia,  in  all  of  which  he  is  past 
officer.  Formerly  he  was  an  Odd  Fellow,  but 
during  the  war  dropped  out  of  the  organization. 
He  is  a  Grand  Army  man,  belonging  to  Lieut. 


Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  and  at  this  writing 
commander  of  said  post.  His  wife  is  identified 
with  the  Green  Ridge  P.nptist  Church,  which  he 
attends.  Since  the  candidacy  of  John  C.  Fre- 
mont he  has  been  a  Republican.  For  three  years 
he  was  chairman  of  the  old  Luzerne  County 
committee,  and  for  two  years  held  a  similar  po- 
sition in  Lackawanna :  he  is  now  chairman  of  the 
city  central  committee  and  has  been  identified 
with  the  state  central  committee.  In  the  organi- 
zation of  this  county  he  was  very  active,  and  for 
twenty  years  spent  a  few  days  every  winter  in 
Harrisburg  lobbying,  until  finally  the  bill  was 
passed. 


JAMES  B.  GILHOOL  was  born  in  Carbon- 
dale,  where  since  1874  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  hardware,  steam  fitting  and  plumb- 
ing business.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  in- 
dustrious business  men  of  the  place,  one  who 
has  worked  his  way  upward  in  spite  of  ad- 
versity and  obstacles.  At  the  early  age  of  nine 
years,  when  most  boys  are  in  school,  he  was 
obliged  to  begin  to  support  himself  and  from 
that  day  to  this  he  has  been  indebted  to  no  one 
for  his  daily  bread. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  James  Gilhool,  was 
born  in  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  but  emigrated 
from  there  to  America  and  settled  in  Carbon- 
dale,  where  he  was  killed  in  the  mines  in  1854. 
Our  subject  was  bona  July  g,  1852,  and  was  only 
two  years  of  age  when  his  father's  accidental 
death  left  him  an  orphan,  with  few  friends  and 
little  money.  Soon  afterward  the  family  went  to 
Scranton,  and  there,  at  nine  years  of  age,  he  be- 
gan to  work  in  a  coal  breaker.  In  the  hard  and 
ill-paid  work  of  a  slate  picker  he  was  employed 
for  six  years.  Afterward  he  learned  the  tinner's 
trade,  working  for  Captain  Fish  of  Providence. 
Industrious  and  persevering,  he  worked  untir- 
ingly to  get  a  start  in  life  and  is  deserving  of  the 
success  he  has  had.  In  1873  he  opened  a  store 
in  Carbondale,  to  which  he  has  since  given  his 
close  attention. 

In  1874  Mr.  Gilhool  married  Maria  Lynch  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  Thomas  died  at  seven  years.    Joseph,  the 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


eldest  of  the  family,  is  an  intelligent,  energetic 
youth,  and  of  great  assistance  to  his  father  in  the 
store.  The  others  are  Hannah.  Eddie,  James, 
•Mar}-  and  Clara.  It  has  been  the  desire  of  ^Ir. 
Gilhool  to  give  his  children  advantages  of  which 
he  was  deprived  in  boyhood,  and  his  ambition 
to  succeed  is  largely  caused  by  his  affection  for 
his  family.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church  and  attends  its  services  regularly.  At 
this  writing  he  is  sen'ing  his  third  term  as  a 
member  i.>f  the  select  council. 


HON.  JOHN  H.  FELLOWS.  Those  pul>- 
lic-spirited  citizens  whose  sound  judg- 
ment has  promoted  the  industrial  growth 
of  their  community  and  whose  energy  has 
brouglit  an  enlarged  prosperity  to  every  line  of 
human  activity,  deservedly  occupy  positions  of 
prominence  in  local  history.  A  volume  wherein 
reference  is  made  to  leading  residents  of  Scranton 
should  not  omit  mention  of  the  gentleman  above 
named,  who  has  officiated  as  mayor  of  the  city, 
and  in  every  relation  of  life,  public  and  private, 
has  proved  his  stability  of  character  and  energy 
of  disposition.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed  on 
the  west  side,  and  he  now  resides  at  No.  418 
Tenth  Street,  within  a  very  short  distance  of  the 
house  where  he  was  born,  July  23,  1849. 

The  founder  of  the  Fellows  family  in  America 
was  Joseph,  a  native  of  England,  born  near  Shef- 
field, who  brought  his  family  to  Scranton  about 
1790  and  served  here  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  and 
conveyancer  of  lands,  his  home  being  in  what 
is  now  Hyde  Park.  He  was  an  extensive  farmer 
and  speculator  in  lands  and  patented  many 
tracts.  Among  his  possessions  were  vast  acres 
of  coal  lands,  which  he  sold  before  he  knew  their 
value.  When  about  eighty  years  of  age  he  had  a 
case  against  a  Dr.  Malone,  in  which  he  was  suc- 
cessful, thereby  incurring  the  bitter  enmity  of  the 
doctor.  In  a  fit  of  passion  the  latter  struck  him 
with  a  club  and  killed  him. 

Ne.xt  in  line  of  descent  was  Benjamin,  our  sub- 
ject's grandfather,  who  had  four  sisters,  Nancy, 
Lydia,  Catharine  T.  and  Elizabeth,  and  three 
brothers,  Henry  and  Sylvanus,  farmers;  and 
Joseph  Jr.,  a  bachelor,  who  succeeded  his  father 


in  his  real  estate  transactions,  founded  Hyde 
Park,  and  died  at  ninety-one  years.  Benjamin, 
who  w-as  born  in  England,  was  brought  to  Scran- 
ton at  the  age  of  two  years  and  grew  to  manhood 
upon  a  farm  on  the  west  side.  His  life  occupa- 
tion was  that  of  an  agriculturist,  and  he  served 
for  some  time  as  justice  of  the  peace.  His  death 
occurred  when  he  was  eighty-five. 

John  Fellows,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
on  the  west  side  and  assisted  to  clear  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  what  is  now  Hyde  Park,  but  during 
mo.st  of  his  active  life  he  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  brick.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican. 
During  the  late  war  he  gave  liberally  to  the  Union 
cause,  with  which  he  was  in  hearty  sympathy. 
In  1888  he  was  accidentally  killed,  being  thrown 
fmni  his  carriage  and  receiving  injuries  which  re- 
sulted in  his  death,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years 
and  four  months.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
I'niversalist.  His  wife,  Cynthia  J.  Pierce,  w^as 
born  in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Levi 
Pierce,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  but  for  many 
years  a  resident  of  Scranton,  where  he  had  a  dis- 
tillery on  the  \vest  side.  He  was  a  descendant  of 
Scotch  ancestors  who  came  to  America  in  the 
"Mayflower,"  and  his  wife,  a  Miss  Ingles,  was 
also  of  Scotch  descent  and  "Ma\'flower''  stock. 
Mrs.  Cynthia  J.  Fellows  died  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three, soon  after  the  demise  of  her  husband. 
She  was  a  woman  of  noble  Christian  character 
and  a  consistent  member  of  the  ^lethodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  In  her  family  there  were  six  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  the  eldest  boy  died 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  the  youngest  at 
six  years.  The  others  are  John  H. ;  Horatio  T., 
select  councilman  in  Scranton  and  an  employe  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company;  George  H.,  with  the  same  company; 
Charles  D.,  formerly  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  here,  now  deceased;  Airs.  Harriet  ^^'ol- 
cott,  of  Kingston,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Sarah  Carlton  and 
Mrs.  Electa  E.  Oram,  of  Scranton. 

Until  fifteen  years  of  age  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  attended  the  district  schools  in  the  winter 
season,  but  afterward  he  learned  the  painter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  twenty.  At  that 
time  he  took  a  scholarship  in  Gardner's  Business 
College.     For  two  weeks  he  was  with  the  Dela- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORH. 


259 


ware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  after  which  he 
began  in  the  fire  insurance  business,  representing 
the  German  Fire  Company  of  Erie  and  working 
up  the  largest  agency  in  Scranton.  In  1882  he 
sold  to  Norman  &  Moore,  who  still  continue  the 
business.  The  estate  of  Joseph  Fellows  having 
been  in  litigation  for  many  years,  he  became  in- 
terested in  it  and  succeeded  in  effecting  a,  settle- 
ment, saving  what  was  left  of  the  property.  He 
continues  to  act  as  agent  for  the  estate,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  he  has  had  large  real  estate  inter- 
ests. At  this  writing  he  is  president  of  the  J.  W. 
Browning  Land  Company,  proprietors  of  land  at 
Arlington  Heights  beyond  North  Park;  the 
Shawnee  Land  Company,  incorporated  in  1894, 
by  whom  the  Boulfevard,  South  Wilkesbarre,  was 
platted ;  and  the  Ontario  Land  Company,  found- 
ed with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  now  increased  to 
$450,000,  and  operating  in  Duluth,  Minn.,  and 
vicinity;  also  proprietors  of  land  in  Spyokane  and 
l^acoma,  Wash.,  and  Atlanta,  Ga.  The  scheme 
was  originated  by  Mr.  Fellows  and  Harry  C. 
Heermans,  of  Corning,  N.  Y.,  and  the  office  of 
the  company  is  at  Duluth. 

On  the  People's  ticket,  in  1886,  Mr.  Fellows 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  school  con- 
trol, but  was  legislated  out  of  office.  Later  he 
was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket,  indorsed 
by  the  Democrats,  and  served  until  February, 
1890,  when  he  was  elected  mayor  upon  the  Re- 
publican ticket.  He  took  the  oath  of  office  the 
first  Monday  in  April,  and  served  for  three  years, 
discharging  the  responsible  duties  of  his  position 
with  efficiency.  In  1894  he  was  a  candidate  for 
congress  and  had  one  hundred  and  thirty  dele- 
gates instructed  for  him,  but  they  were  bought, 
bribery  securing  his  defeat.  In  the  Republican 
party  he  has  been  active  on  county  and  city  com- 
mittees, and  has  been  a  capable  worker  for  his 
political  organization. 

At  Meshoppen  Mr.  Fellows  married  Genevieve 
Overfield,  who  was  born  there,  being  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  Overfield,  a  farmer,  and  a  descend- 
ant of  German  ancestry.  At  her  death  she  left 
seven  children,  Winfield  H.,  a  student  in  South 
Fayette  College  at  Easton ;  Raymond  A.,  Nellie 
I.,  Lois  J.,  Louisa  A.,  Emma  V.,  and  Alwilda  G. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Fellows  took  place 


in  Bradford  County,  his  wife  being  Miss  Laura 
L.,  daughter  of  A.  W.  Gray,  a  farmer  and  dairy- 
man of  Bradford  County,  and  granddaughter  of 
Elder  Gray,  a  Baptist  preacher  at  Laceyville. 
One  child,  a  son,  blesses  this  union. 

Personally  Mr.  Fellows  is  genial  and  afifable  in 
temperament,  conservative  in  judgment,  and 
sound  in  business  policy.  He  is  a  member  of 
Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he 
has  served  as  past  master;  belongs  to  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.;  has  been  past 
oflicer  in  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  and  a  member 
of  the  encampment;  is  identified  with  Le-ha- 
hanna  Tribe  of  Red  Men,  the  Elks,  and  Hyde 
Park  Lodge  No.  301,  Sons  of  St.  George,  and  is 
treasurer  of  Washington  Camp  No.  572,  P.  O.  S. 
of  A. 


JOHN  H.  WILLIAMS,  a  successful  business 
mao  of  Scranton  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  school  control  from  the  fifteenth 
ward,  was  born  in  Jackson  Valley,  Susquehanna 
County,  this  state,  April  3,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  M.  and  Mary  (Howell)  Williams,  natives 
of  Glamorganshire,  Wales.  His  paternal  grand- 
father. Rev.  Samuel  A.  Williams,  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  and  for  many  years  was  promi- 
nent in  the  ministry  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  holding  pastorates  in  Deerfield,  N.  Y., 
and  Neath,  Pa.  He  continued  to  fill  the  pulpit 
until  within  two  years  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 

At  the  time  of  coming  to  America  Samuel  M. 
Williams  was  twenty  years  of  age.  For  some 
time  he  was  foreman  in  a  glazing  factory  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  later  was  employed  in  the  same 
capacity  in  Chicago.  Returning  to  Neath,  he 
worked  at  the  painter's  trade  until  his  death,  Oc- 
tober 8,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Evan 
Howell,  brought  his  family  from  Glamorgan- 
shire to  Neath,  Bradford  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
settled  on  a  farm  about  1833.  There  he  died 
when  seventy-two.  His  daughter,  ^lary,  still 
makes  her  home  in  Neath. 

There  were  eight  children  in  the  parental  fani- 
ilv  and  all  but  one  are  living,  namely:  Samuel  D., 


26o 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


a  painter  in  Lc  Raysville,  Bradford  County; 
James  D.,  a  fanner  in  Brookfield,  Linn  County, 
Mo. :  Jane,  who  reside.';  witli  her  mother  in  Neath ; 
Maggie,  wife  of  Rev.  E.  J.  Morris,  of  Wilkes- 
barre;  John  H.;  Martha,  Mrs.  Samuel  Davis,  of 
Le  Raysville  and  Mrs.  Minnie  Harris,  of  Scran- 
ton.  After  ten  years  of  age  our  subject  lived  in 
Neath,  remaining  with  his  father  on  the  farm 
until  twenty-two.  In  the  fall  of  1881  he  entered 
Wyoming  Seminary,  and  graduated  later  from 
the  commercial  course.  For  about  one  year  he 
was  deputy  to  the  city  treasurer,  D.  M.  Jones, 
after  which  he  was  bookkeeper  for  Carson  & 
Davis  until  1885.  He  then  formed  a  partnership 
with  Hon.  John  T.  Williams,  as  Williams  &  Co., 
and  has  since  continued  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, occupying  three  floors  at  Xo.  702  .South 
Main  Avenue. 

In  addition  to  his  work  as  managing  partner 
of  the  firm,  Mr.  Williams  is  a  director  of  the  Wil- 
liams Coal  Company  of  Pottsvillc,  of  \yhich  his 
father-in-law,  Morgan  B.  Williams,  of  Wilkes- 
barre,  is  the  president.  He  is  interested  in  the 
Thuron  Coal  &  Land  Company,  operated  by  the 
Williams  Coal  Company;  the  Xavigation  Land 
Company  of  Pottsville;  Fain'iew  Land  Com- 
pany; the  Scranton  Packing  Company,  and  the 
West  Side  Bank ;  and  is  connected  with  the  Clark 
&  Snover  Company,  manufacturers  of  stripped 
and  fine  Kentucky  smoking  and  chewing  to- 
bacco. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Williams  at  No.  614  South 
Main  Avenue  is  presided  over  by  his  wife,  Rachel, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Morgan. B.  Williams,  a  prom- 
inent coal  operator  and  member  of  congress  from 
Wilkesbarre,  Pa.  Mrs.  Williams  received  an  ex- 
cellent education  in  Wyoming  and  Summerville 
female  seminaries.  She  is  the  mother  of  two 
sons,  Roy  and  Ralph.  In  the  spring  of  1890  Mr. 
Williams  was  nominated  on  the  Republican  ticket 
for  the  ])osition  of  member  of  the  board  of  school 
control  from  the  fifteenth  ward  and  was  elected 
without  opposition.  At  the  close  of  his  term,  in 
1894,  he  was  again  elected  without  opposition. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Robert  Morris 
Lodge  No.  58,  Order  of  Ivorites,  and  Hyde  Park 
Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  ser\'ed  on 
the  county  and  city  Republican  committees  and 


is  an  active  worker  in  ])ehalf  of  his  party.  While 
he  is  not  identified  with  any  denomination,  he 
frequently  attends  the  Plymouth  Congregational 
Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member,  and  con- 
tributes to  religious  and  charitable  enterprises. 


ANTHONY  M.  BANKS.  Among  the  trust- 
ed employes  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company  are  not  a  few  who  have 
been  connected  with  the  road  since  boyhood,  and 
one  of  these  is  Mr.  Banks,  of  Carbondale,  who 
for  some  years  has  been  filling  the  responsible 
position  of  engineer.  A  lifelong  resident  of  this 
city,  he  owns  and  occupies  a  comfortable  home  at 
No.  128  Terrace  Street  and  there,  when  off  duty, 
his  time  is  happily  passed  in  the  society  of  his 
wife  and  tv%o  daughters,  Marie  and  Evelyn. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Patrick  Banks,  was 
born  in  Ireland  and  there  spent  the  years  of 
youth.  On  emigrating  to  this  country  in  1847,  'i^ 
settled  in  Hawley,  Pa.,  but  shortly  afterward  re- 
moved to  Dunmore,  and  worked  on  the  old 
Pennsylvania  Gravity  road,  first  as  a  common 
laborer.  Later,  as  his  ability  was  proved,  he  was 
given  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility.  Some 
years  ago  he  retired  from  railroading  and  has 
since  lived  quietly  at  his  home  in  Carbondale. 
By  his  marriage  to  Susan  Bergen,  who  died  in 
1888,  he  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  and  of 
these  five  are  now  living:  Maggie,  wife  of  James 
J.  Loftus;  Anthony  M.,  who  was  bom  in  Car- 
bondale, November  10,  1863;  Kieran,  a  student 
for  the  priesthood  at  Baltimore,  now  in  hi* 
seventh  year  of  study;  James,  a  locomotive  fire- 
man, and  Susie,  who  resides  with  her  father. 

From  an  early  age  Mr.  Banks'  life  has  been  one 
of  hard  work.  When  only  twelve  he  secured  em- 
ployment as  a  slate  picker  at  a  coal  breaker  and 
there  continued  for  three  years,  learning  in  the 
meantime  many  lessons  of  patience  and  persever- 
ance that  have  been  of  assistance  to  him  in  his 
subsequent  labors.  His  first  W'Ork  with  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Company  was  that  of  wiper  at  the 
engine  house  and  he  has  since  continued  with 
them  in  difTerent  capacities.  For  seven  years  he 
was  fireman,  and  thus  gained  a  thorough  and 
practical    understanding   of   the    locomotive,    so 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


261 


was  prepared  to  render  efficient  service  as  engin- 
eer, to  whicli  position  he  was  promoted  in  July, 
iSgi. 

In  his  reHgious  behef  Mr.  Banks  was  reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  to  this 
he  has  since  adhered,  supporting  its  man}-  inter- 
ests and  co-operating  in  its  work.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  connected  with  Father  Mat- 
thew's Society  at  this  place,  and  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benevolent  As- 
sociation. Any  measures  that  may  be  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  welfare  of  the  people  or  the 
city  receive  his  sympathetic  support.  The 
Brotiierhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  numbers 
hiiii  among  its  active  members,  and  he  is  also 
associated  with  the  Crescent  Social  Club.  He  and 
his  wife,  who  was  formerly  Ami  McDonald,  are 
well  known  in  Carbondale  and  have  the  respect 
of  t'.ie  people  of  the  city. 


ALBERT  A.  LINDABURY,  M.  D.,  a  phy- 
sician of  Scranton  with  office  at  No.  210 
South  Main  Avenue,  was  born  in  Clinton, 
N.  J.,  and  is  a  descendant  of  German  ancestors, 
who  were  numbered  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  Hunterdon  County.  His  father,  John  R.,  and 
grandfather,  Herbert,  were  born  in  New  Jersey, 
and  the  former  was  a  wagon-maker  in  Clinton. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Compar.y  H,  Fifteenth  New  Jersey  Infantry,  fcr 
three  years,  but  was  severely  wounded  three 
times  in  a  charge  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and 
on  that  account  was  honorably  discharged  from 
the  service.  He  is  still  living,  though  now  in  re- 
tirement from  business  pursuits.  For  some  time 
he  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  has  always 
taken  an  interest  in  Grand  Army  affairs.  He 
married  Almira  Hall,  who  was  born  in  Stanton, 
Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  of  English  descent,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Daniel  Hall,  a  large  farmer 
there. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  the  only  child 
of  his  parents,  received  the  best  educational  ad- 
vantages afforded  by  the  schools  of  the  state. 
After  graduating  from  Flemington  Collegiate  In- 
stitute, he  taught  school  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  in  that  way  saved  a  sufficient  amount  to  ena- 


ble him  to  prosecute  his  professional  studies. 
From  boyhood  he  had  a  fondness  for  medical 
work,  and  early  determined  to  enter  that  profes- 
sion. While  teaching  school  he  carried  on  his 
medical  studies  under  a  physician  of  Clinton.  In 
1884  he  entered  Baltimore  Medical  College,  and 
two  years  later  graduated  with  honors  and  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  opened  an  office  at 
West  Auburn,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  remained  a  short  time  only.  Wishing  to  per- 
fect himself  still  further  in  his  profession,  in  the 
fall  of  18S9  he  entered  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  the  spring  of  the  next  year.  Since  then  he  has 
carried  on  a  general  practice  in  Scranton,  mak- 
ing, however,  a  specialty  of  gynecology. 

In  Scranton  Dr.  Lindabury  married  Miss 
Martha  MacPherson,  daughter  of  William  ^lac- 
Pherson,  a  descendant  of  Scotch  ancestry  and  for- 
merlv  a  coal  operator  in  this  city.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  children.  May  and  Edith.  Dr. 
Lindabury  is  connected  with  the  Northeastern 
Pennsylvania  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  was 
at  one  time  president;  is  identified  with  the  State 
Flomeopathic  Medical  Society  and  the  Inter-State 
HomeC)pathic  Medical  Society;  fraternally  be- 
longs to  Franklin  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Lacey- 
ville;  Temple  Chapter  No.  172,  at  Tunkhannock; 
and  Coeur  do  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. ; 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty Society  of  History  and  Science;  and  in  religious 
belief  is  a  Presbyterian,  holding  membership  in 
the  Washburn  Street  Church.  He  is  well  informed 
regarding  the  problems  that  are  presented  for  so- 
lution by  the  people,  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  all 
projects  for  the  advancement  and  interests  of  the 
people,  ar.f!  in  politics  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


COL.  HERMAN  OSTHAUS,  attorney-at- 
law  and  assistant  postmaster  of  Scranton, 
was  born  in  Overton,  Sullivan  County, 
Pa.,  December  24,  1852,  and  is  a  descendant  of 
German  ancestry.  His  grandfather,  Henry  Ost- 
haus,  was  engaged  as  an  agriculturist  on  the 
crown  estate,  "Woltingerode,"  in  the  kingdom  of 
Hanover,  from  about  1805  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  there.     The  family  of  which  he  was  a 


262 


PORTRAl  r   AXi)    r.IOGRAPHI'CAL    RECORD. 


niembcr  was  one  of  tliu  oldest  and  most  infiu- 
futial  in  his  locality.  The  lady  whom  he  married 
was  of  a  noble  family  named  von  Buck.  Her  two 
brothers  were  members  of  the  army  under  Napo- 
leon, and  parlicijiated  in  the  long  march  to  Rus- 
sia, and  in  the  battle  of  Borrodino  both  were 
killed. 

The  Colonel's  father,  Francis  Osthaus.  was 
born  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover  and  received  an 
e.xcellent  classical  education  in  a  college  at 
Magdeburg.  After  leaving  school,  he  engaged 
in  scientific  farming  on  large  estates  as  superin- 
tendent, it  being  necessary  in  that  country  to  farm 
scientifically  if  one  would  meet  with  any  success. 
In  the  spring  of  1852  he  came  to  America  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  Overton.  Sullivan  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  has  since  been  an  extensive  and 
successftd  agriculturist.  In  addition  to  farming. 
since  1S67  he  has  been  proprietor  of  a  general 
mercantile  establishment  at  Overton. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Minna  Hiibner, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  where  her  father  was  an 
agriculturi.st ;  she  died  in  1859,  after  having  be- 
come the  mother  of  four  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  and  one  daughter  are  living.  Herman, 
who  is  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  only  seven 
years  of  age  when  he  was  orphaned  by  his  moth- 
er's death.  With  the  assistance  of  his  father,  he 
prepared  for  college,  and  in  1870  entered  Alle- 
ghany College  at  r^Ieadville,  Pa.,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1874  with  the  degree  of  A.  B. 
Three  years  later,  on  account  of  post-graduate 
work,  tlic  degree  of  A.  ^I.  was  conferred  upon 
him. 

At  once  after  graduating  Mr.  Osthaus  went  to 
Germany,  where  he  had  the  advantage  of  eight- 
een months'  study  in  the  universities  of  Gottingen 
and  Heidelberg.  ( )f  the  opportunities  offered  by 
these  ancient  seats  of  learning  he  availed  himself 
to  the  utmost,  thus  extending  the  scope  of  his 
knowledge.  The  University  of  Heidelberg,  whicli 
was  founded  in  1386,  is  the  oldest  in  Germany, 
and  one  of  the  most  noted  in  the  world.  It  has  a 
library  of  two  hundred  thousand  volumes,  manv 
rare  manuscripts  and  other  appliances  of  learn- 
ing, nie  L'niversity  of  Gottingen  is  likewise  an 
ancient  one,  and  has  a  librarj'  of  four  hundred 
thousand  i)rinted   volumes    and    five    thousand 


manuscripts,  a  museum,  judicial  society,  and  so- 
ciety of  sciences.  To  be  a  student  in  these  institu- 
tions is,  tiierefore.  to  place  within  one's  reach  the 
accumulated  wisdom  of  the  ages. 

In  the  fall  of  1876,  shortly  after  his  return  to 
the  United  States,  Mr.  Osthaus  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  University  of  Alichigan,  and 
graduated  two  years  later  with  the  degree  of 
LL.B.  In  1879  he  located  in  Scranton,  where  he 
has  since  engaged  in  general  practice,  having  his 
office  in  tile  Commonwealth  Building.  In  1893 
he  was  ajipointed  assistant  postmaster,  which  po- 
sition he  has  since  filled.  Politically  a  Democrat, 
he  has  been  treasurer  of  the  county  committee, 
and  in  religious  belief  is. connected  with  the  Sec- 
ond Preslnterian  Church.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. 
In  Oakland  County,  Mich.,  he  married  Miss 
Alice  C  ummins,  a  direct  descendant  of  John 
Hart,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence for  New  Jersey.  She  was  born  near 
Hackettstown,  N.  J.,  where  her  father,  Opdyke 
Ciunniins,  was  a  farmer,  and  after  he  removed  to 
Oakland  County  she  attended  the  high  school  at 
Ann  Arbor,  from  which  she  graduated. 

Shortly  after  his  location  in  Scranton,  Mr.  Ost- 
haus became  a  private  in  Company  A,  Tiiirtcenth 
PennsA'lvania  National  Guard,  and  si.x  years  later 
was  commissioned  quartermaster  sergeant  of  the 
same  company.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  regi- 
ment inspector  of  rifle  practice  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment,  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  Four 
years  later  he  was  appointed  general  inspector  of 
rifle  practice  for  Pennsylvania  by  Governor  Patti- 
son,  with  the  rank  of  colonel  on  the  governor's 
staff,  and  held  that  position  until  the  expiration 
of  the  gubernatorial  term.  In  1895  he  was  com- 
missioned colonel,  on  the  retired  list.  W'hen  he 
became  general  inspector,  only  about  one-half  of 
the  men  in  the  state  guard  were  qualified  marks- 
men, but  so  efficient  was  he  in  the  work  that  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  the  entire  guard  were  ex- 
pert marksmen.  Two  times  during  his  term  the 
Pennsylvania  team  entered  the  national  military 
rifle  contests,  at  Sea-Girt,  N.  J.  In  1892  they  en- 
tered in  the  two  great  contests,  the  inter-state 
and  Hilton  trophy  matches,  and  won  both  by 
verv  high  scores,  over  a  large  number  of  teams 


HON.  JOHN  T.   WnjJAMS, 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


265 


from  other  states.  In  1894  the  team  again  took 
part  in  the  same  contests,  winning  the  Hilton 
trophy  match  by  an  exceptionally  high  score,  but 
losing  the  inter-state  by  a  few  points,  owing  to 
the  unfortunate  shooting  of  one  of  the  members, 
who,  by  mistake,  made  a  bull's  eye  on  the  wrong 
target.  Colonel  Osthaus  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  who  hold  and  manage  the  ar- 
mory property,  and  for  many  years  has  been  sec- 
retary^ and  treasurer  of  the  board. 


HOX.  JOHN  T.  WILLIAMS,  an  influential 
and  respected  citizen  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Carmarthenshire,  South  Wales,  in 
1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Barbara 
(Jones)  Williams,  also  natives  of  that  shire.  His 
father,  who  was  a  son  of  Reese  Williams,  a  farm- 
er, spent  his  entire  life  in  the  south  of  Wales, 
engaged  as  a  mason  and  builder,  and  died  there 
when  sixty-three  years  of  age.  The  wife  and 
mother,  who  died  in  1887,  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Jones,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  British  army, 
but  afterwards  returned  to  Carmarthenshire  and 
settled  on  a  farm  that  is  still  owned  by  members 
of  the  family. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  the  union  of 
Thomas  and  Barbara  Williams,  all  but  one  of 
whom  attained  maturity,  and  five  are  living,  three 
in  Wales,  one  sister  in  Australia,  and  our  sub- 
ject, the  oldest  son,  in  America.  A  son  who  came 
to  the  United  States  died  soon  after  his  arrival 
in  this  country.  John  T.  was  reared  in  Wales 
and  attended  a  private  school  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  after  which  he  worked  in  a  mine.  In 
April,  1859,  he  left  Swansea,  Wales,  for  Liver- 
pool, and  there  took  passage  on  the  "Dread  Not," 
which  landed  him  in  New  York  after  twenty- 
eight  days.  He  came  to  Scranton  and  secured 
work  as  a  laborer  in  the  Hampton  mines  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company. 

When  the  gold  excitement  was  at  its  height, 
Mr.  William.s  went  to  California  in  1861,  making 
the  voyage  by  steamer  from  New  York  by  way 
of  Aspinwall  and  Panama  to  San  Francisco. 
Soon  after,  his  arrival  he  began  mining  at  San 
Juan,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.    Return- 


ing to  Scranton  in  1866  by  the  same  route  over 
which  he  had  traveled  in  going  west,  he  resumed 
work  v.ith  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Company.  In  1872  he  was  made  inside  fore- 
man of  the  Sloan  mines  and  this  position  he  held 
many  years.  In  1884  he  returned  to  Wales  to 
visit  his  mother  and  friends  there,  and  also  spent 
a  short  time  in  other  parts  of  the  British  Isles. 
About  one  week  after  his  return  to  Scranton, 
he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  party  as 
their  candidate  for  the  legislature,  and  in  the  fall 
was  elected  by  thirteen  hundred  majority,  his 
colleague  being  George  Ferber.  In  the  session 
of  1885  he  served  on  various  committees.  The 
following  year  he  was  re-elected  by  a  good  ma- 
jority, but  his  colleague  was  defeated,  Martin 
Jordan,  Democrat,  securing  the  election.  In  the 
session  of  1887  he  was  chairman  of  the  iron  and 
coal  committee  and  a  member  of  other  commit- 
tees. During  his  first  term  he  introduced  an 
appropriation  bill  for  the  oral  school.  It  passed 
both  houses,  but  was  vetoed  by  Governor  Patti- 
son.  During  bis  second  term,  however,  it  again 
passed  and  was  signed  by  Governor  Beaver.  By 
means  of  this  appropriation  the  present  building 
was  erected  and  is  maintained.  He  also  intro- 
duced the  free  prop  amendment  to  the  mine  law, 
which  proved  of  benefit  to  mine  owners ;  and  an 
amendment  providing  for  the  appointment  of 
board  of  mine  inspecting  examiners  by  the  Lack- 
awanna County  judges,  a  bill  vetoed  at  that  time, 
but  since  made  a  law.  At  the  close  of  his  second 
term  of  office,  he  did  not  seek  renomination,  but 
turned  his  attention  to  business  affairs. 

Until  March  i,  1886,  Mr.  Williams  retained  his 
position  as  foreman  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  Company,  but  at  that 
time  he  resigned  and  embarked  in  the  general 
mercantile  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Wil- 
liams &  Co.,  his  partner  being  John  H.  Williams. 
His  business  has  since  been  conducted  on  the 
corner  of  South  Main  Avenue  and  Eynon  Street, 
and  is  one  of  the  flourishing  enterprises  of  the 
city.  In  addition  to  this,  Mr.  Williams  was  one 
of  the  original  stockholders  in  the  West  Side 
Bank  and  is  now  a  director.  He  is  interested  in 
and  a  director  of  the  Scranton  Packing  Com- 
pany,  and   has   large   interests  in   coal   lands   of 


266 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Schuylkill  Coiiiitv.  lie  is  a  dinctur  aiul  treas- 
urer of  the  Cambrian  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  In  1896  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Republican  national  convention  at  St.  Louis. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  state  committee 
and  is  now  identified  with  the  county  committee. 
In  this  cit\  in  1867  Mr.  Williams  married  Miss 
Mary  Lewis,  a  native  of  Aberdare,  Glamorgan- 
shire. \\'alcs.  and  daughter  of  George  Lewis,  a 
shoemaker,  who  died  there  at  the  age  of  forty- 
three.  Her  grandfather,  George  Lewis,  Sr.,  was 
a  farmer  of  Glamorganshire.  Her  mother,  Mary, 
was  a  daughter  of  Xoah  Williams,  and  was  reared 
on  his  farm  in  Glamorganshire.  After  the  death 
of  her  husband  she  brought  her  six  daughters 
to  America,  arriving  at  Neath,  Bradford  County, 
Pa.,  in  November,  1858.  There  she  died  three 
years  later.  Of  her  daughters,  four  are  living. 
Mrs.  Williams,  who  was  next  to  the  youngest, 
attended  the  public  schools  in  girlhood,  and  in 
1866  came  to  Scranton.  She  became  the  mother 
of  four  children,  namely:  Alma,  who  died  at  four 
years;  Elmer,  a  graduate  of  the  Bloomsburg 
State  Normal  School  in  1892,  afterward  in  busi- 
ness with  his  fatlier  until  his  death  in  1895,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four;  I 'aimer,  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1S97,  Bucknell  Tniversity;  and  Reba,  at 
home.  Fraternally  Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of 
Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M..  and 
Silurian  Lodge  No.  763,  T.  O.  O.  V.  in  the 
Welsh  Bajitist  Chiu-cli  he  is  a  deacon  and  secre- 
tary of  the  l)()af(l  i>f  trustees. 


SAMUFL  SHELDON  JONES  was  born  in 
the  village  (now  city)  of  Carbondale,  June 
jy,  1850.  His  father,  Sanniel  Jones,  was 
among  the  first  comers  who  made  tlie  little  coal 
mitiing  village  of  the  upper  Lackawanna  Valley 
their  home.  He  was  a  native  of  South  Wales, 
jjorn  near  tlie  town  of  Brecon,  February  28,  1806. 
Tlie  deatJi  of  his  mother,  which  occurred  when  he 
was  but  three  months  old,  left  him  to  the  care  of 
relatives,  with  whom  he  lived  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  he  was  obliged  to 
shift  for  himself.  He  secured  employment  witli  a 
farmer  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  early  home  and 
served  as  a  farm  laborer  for  a  number  of  \ears. 


A  longing  to  see  something  of  the  world  led  liini 
to  the  conclusion  that  life  on  the  ocean  would 
afford  him  the  opixjrtunity  he  coveted,  and  one 
day  while  strolling  about  the  wharf  in  the  city  of 
Bristol,  a  ship's  surgeon  offered  him  a  berth  as 
servant,  and  the  offer  was  promptly  accepted. 
During  one  of  the  voyages  across  the  Atlantic 
tlie  ship's  crew  mutinied,  but  the  plot  was  dis- 
covered; the  ringleaders  were  placed  in  irons 
and  upon  the  arrival  of  the  vessel  at  New  York 
they  were  handed  over  to  the  authorities,  tried, 
and  sentenced  to  long  terms  of  imprisonment. 

The  doctor's  boy  was  among  the  witnesses  for 
the  prosecution,  and  the  usual  delay  in  the  courts 
gave  him  an  opportunity  to  see  something  of  life 
in  the  American  metropolis.  An  incident  which 
occurred  in  the  court  room  made  such  an  im- 
pression upon  him  that  he  resolved  to  give  up  the 
seafaring  life  and  make  America  his  future  home. 
The  incident  referred  to  occurred  one  morning 
before  the  formal  opening  of  the  session,  when 
the  yoimg  Welshman  on  entering  the  chamber  re- 
moved his  cap.  A  man  standing  in  the  aisle  said 
to  him:  "Put  your  cap  on,  youngster;  court  ain't 
sitthig.  and  mind  _\'ou  are  in  a  free  country  now." 
This  was  the  turning  point,  and  when  the  trial 
was  over  he  took  passage  on  a  North  River  boat 
for  Albany,  and  soon  found  employment  on  a 
farm  in  the  neighljorhood  of  that  city.  In  the 
spring  of  1830  he  learned  that  a  party  of  men 
from  Wales  were  employed  in  the  Pennsylvania 
coal  mines,  and  at  once  concluded  to  join  them. 
Going  down  the  Hudson  River  to  Rondout,  he 
worked  his  way  on  the  canal  to  Honesdale,  and 
July  10,  1S30,  arrived  in  Carbondale.  The  next 
day  he  commenced  work  in  the  mines  of  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson  Canal  Company.  December 
28,  1830,  lie  married  Eleanor  Pritchard,  and  the 
young  couple  began  life  in  part  of  a  small  frame 
structure  owned  by  Stephen  Rogers,  erected  near 
what  is  now  the  corner  of  Sixth  Avenue  and  Main 
Street.  In  the  winter  of  1833  they  removed  to 
Wilkesbarre,  where  Mr.  Jones  engaged  in  coal 
mining  upon  his  own  account,  on  lands  owned  by 
Colonel  Bowman.  In  the  summer  of  1835  he 
shipped  till-  product  of  this  enterprise  by  canal, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  navigation  closed  while 
tv.'o  boat  loads  of  his  coal  were  in  the  neiglil)or- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


267 


hood  of  P)envick.  The  following  spring  when 
he  made  ready  to  continue  this  trip  to  tidewater, 
he  found  the  boats  empty.  This  loss  discouraged 
him  completely,  and  on  reaching  Wilkesbarre  he 
derided  to  return  to  Carbondale.  In  the  fall  of 
1S36  he  purchased  a  farm  on  Round  Hill,  Clif- 
ford Township,  Susquehanna  County,  but  con- 
tinued work  in  the  mines  at  Carbondale,  although 
part  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  work  on  the  farm. 
He  was  a  practical,  industrious  man;  quite  satis- 
fied with  his  lot  in  life ;  active  in  religious  work ; 
a  regular  attendant  and  officer  of  the  Welsh  Con- 
gregational Church.  He  was  always  interested 
in  public  affairs;  in  politics  a  pronounced  Free 
Soiler,  \Vhig  and  Abolitionist,  and  in  the  Fre- 
mont and  Dayton  campaigns  in  1856  naturally 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  His  death 
occurred  April  14,  1875. 

Eleanor  Pritchard,  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  born  at  Holyhead,  Anglesea, 
North  Wales,  November  14,  1813,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Harry  Owen  preparatory  school  in 
her  native  town.  Her  people  were  seafaring 
folk,  and  two  of  her  brothers  were  masters  of 
sailing  vessels  plying  between  Liverpool  and 
New  York.  She  came  to  this  country  as  com- 
panioi.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Bulkley,  in  the  spring 
of  1830.  Miss  Bulkley  was  married  to  Edward 
Owen  upon  her  arrival  in  New  York,  and  Miss 
Pritchard  was  induced  to  accompany  them  to  the 
coal  regions  of  Pennsylvania,  where  Mr.  Owen 
was  assured  steady  employment  in  the  black- 
smith shop  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company.  They  arrived  in  Carbondale  in  June, 
1830,  and  six  months  later  ^liss  Pritchartl  was 
the  bride  at  one  of  the  earliest  weddings  cele- 
brated in  the  little  mining  village.  Fourteen  cliil- 
dren  were  born  to  this  couple,  six  of  whom,  live 
daughters:  and  one  son,  are  now  living,  Samuel  S. 
Jones,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  being  the  young- 
est member  of  this  large  family,  and,  like  his 
father  and  grandfather,  an  oidy  son.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  receiving  instruc- 
tion from  such  teachers  as  Paulinas  Lewis,  A. 
Richardson,  Daniel  Davis,  Moses  Caldwell,  Ben- 
jamin Watrous,  L.  E.  Judd  and  Prof.  A.  J.  Welles, 
who  was  the  first  principal  of  graded  school  No. 
I.    On  the  13th  day  of  May,  1863,  he  entered  the 


eni])]oy  of  Jacob  Cohen  and  underwent  training 
in  the  clothing  and  merchant  tailoring  business 
for  three  years.  He  was  next  employed  by 
Joseph  Alexander,  remaining  with  him  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1867,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
William  Canipman  and  engage<l  in  the  '-lijlliing 
and  merchant  tailoring  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Jones  &  Campman. 

The  partnership  continued  until  1875.  when 
Mr.  Campman  retired,  and  the  business  was  con- 
tinued liy  the  firm  of  Jones  &  Russell.  \'ery 
early  in  life  Mr.  Jones  manifested  an  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  took  an  active  part  in  local  po- 
lit'cal  matters.  In  1871  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  city  council,  and  re-elected  three  years  in 
succersion.  During  the  four  years  he  served  as 
clerk  of  the  common  council.  In  November, 
1876,  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party  for  assemblyman  of  the  eighth  district  of 
Luzerne  County  and  was  elected,  although  the 
district  at  that  time  was  overwhelmingly  Demo- 
cratic, serving  in  the  house  of  representatives 
during  the  sessions  of  1877  and  1878,  and  was  the 
youngest  member  of  that  body  during  those 
years.  He  received  the  party  nomination  again 
in  1878,  but  was  defeated  by  the  fusion  of  the 
Greenback-Labor  and  Democratic  parties. 

During  the  year  1881  and  for  four  years  there- 
after, Mr.  Jones  was  employed  in  the  county 
court  house  at  Scranton  in  the  offices  of  the 
county  commissioners,  recorder  and  clerk  of 
courts.  In  1883  he  removed  to  Dunmore  and 
was  resident  of  that  town  until  August,  1887, 
when  he  returned  to  his  native  town  and  con- 
nected himself  with  the  "Carbondale  Leader,"  be- 
ginning active  work  on  this  newspaper  with  the 
issue  of  the  first  daily  published  in  the  "Anthra- 
cite City."  He  remained  upon  the  editorial  staff 
until  ]\lay,  1893,  when  he  retired  from  newspaper 
work,  to  take  up  the  duties  of  alderman  of  the 
second  ward,  to  which  office  he  had  been  elected 
for  the  term  of  five  years. 

Mr.  Jones  was  always  ready  to  assist  in  any 
movement  that  had  for  its  object  the  betterment 
of  his  native  city;  prominently  identified  with 
every  public  improvement;  an  advocate  of  every 
feasible  and  practicable  effort  calculated  to  place 
the  home  town   on  the  highest  plane  possible. 


268 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Firmly  believing  that  the  safety  of  the  people 
could  only  be  secured  by  perfect  sanitation,  he 
urged  the  enforcement  of  sanitary  law  as  found 
upon  the  statute  books;  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  board  of  health,  and  for  more  than  five 
years  was  secretary  of  the  board.  He  lost  no  op- 
portunity to  point  out  the  necessity  of  a  com- 
plete system  of  sewers,  the  construction  of  paved 
roadways,  grading  of  the  hill  street,  the  erection 
of  sightly  buildings,  and  all  matters  tending  to 
make  the  people  proud  of  the  city  in  which  they 
dwelt.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Car- 
bondale  Hospital  Association  and  a  member  of 
the  beard  of  directors:  an  active  worker  in  the 
first  board  of  trade  of  Carbondale,  serving"  as  sec- 
retary of  the  organization  for  five  years.  He 
was  associated  with  the  promoters  of  the  street 
railway  s\stem.  Sperl  Heating  Company,  Klotz 
Bros.'  Silk  .Mill.  .Anthracite  Land  &  Improve- 
ment Company  ^)wners  of  the  Hotel  Anthracite), 
and  secretary  of  the  last-named  corporation. 

Januarj-  i6,  1877,  Mr.  Jones  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Margaret  Gillespie,  eldest  daughter  of 
James  and  Margaret  Russell,  of  Fell  Township, 
and  two  children,  James  Russell,  born  October 
II,  1877.  and  Eleanor  Pritchard,  born  .March  4, 
1883,  are  the  result  of  this  union.  Mr.  Jones  is 
a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  and 
Sabbath-scliool  and  has  always  been  interested 
in  ihe  work  of  the  nursery  of  the  church. 


CllAKLl',.s  1)1  i'o.XT  JIRI'XK.  The  Hn- 
eage  of  the  lireck  family  is  traced  back  to 
a  remote  period  in  1  English  history.  The 
first  of  the  name  of  whom  tiiere  is  authentic  rec- 
ord is  William  de  Breck,  whose  castk  and  estate 
stood  in  Hampshire,  England,  and  who  was  one  of 
the  barons  that  tried  the  noted  .\(lain  Gurdon  in 
1274.  One  (jf  liis  descenihuits,  i'"d\\ard  Breck, 
emigrated  from  Ashton.  Lancaster,  to  Dorches- 
ter, near  Boston,  about  1633,  and  became  the 
father  of  John  Breck,  an  influential  citizen  and 
prominent  man.  Ne.xt  in  line  of  descent  was 
John,  Jr.,  the  father  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  oi  whom  the  second  son,  Samuel,  was 
born  April  11,  1747,  ''"'^  '''^''1  -^1^}'  7-  1809.  A 
man  01  prominence,  he  rejjresented  Boston  in  the 


lower  house  for  seven  years,  and  held  high  rank 
among  the  public  men  of  the  state.  During  the 
Revolution  many  I'rench  ships  came  to  Boston, 
either  for  repairs  or  to  escape  the  enemy,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  secure  an  agent  of  supplies 
there.  Accordingly  Samuel  Breck  was  appoint- 
ed to  the  position,  which  he  filled  satisfactorily 
until  the  expiration  of  the  conflict.  In  1792  he 
moved  with  his  family  to  Philadelphia  and  there 
died. 

George,  son  of  .Samuel  Breck,  was  born  in 
Boston  in  1785,  removed  thence  to  Bristol,  Bucks 
County,  Pa.,  and  married  Catharine  Israeli.  Their 
son,  William,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  at 
Bustleton  (now  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia),  May 
29,  1813,  and  in  early  life  located  on  the  Brandy- 
wine  near  Wilmington,  Del.,  where  he  married 
Gabriella  Josephine,  daughter  of  Victor  du  Pont, 
a  prominent  powder  manufacturer  of  thait  city. 
About  1859  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  rep- 
resented the  du  Pont  Powder  Company  until  his 
death,  April  26,  1870.  For  years  he  served  as 
vestryman  in  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church,  and 
throughout  his  entire  life  here  had  many  warm 
friends  among  his  fellow-citizens.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  at  the  du  Pont  home  on  the  Brandy- 
wine  and  was  a  niece  of  Admiral  Samuel  F.  du 
Pont,  died  in  Scranton  in  May,  1890.  The  fam- 
ily consisted  of  three  children:  George  L.,  a  busi- 
ness man  of  this  city:  Charles  du  Pont:  and  Ga- 
briella, ]Mrs.  John  .Swift,  of  Scranton. 

In  Wilmington,  Del.,  where  he  was  born  May 
18.  1840,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  his  education.  In  1859  he  graduated 
from  L'nion  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  Shortly  afterward  he  began 
to  read  law  in  Wilmington  with  Victor  du  Pont, 
but  soon  came  to  -Scranton,  where  he  completed 
his  studies  with  Judge  Willard,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Wilkesbarre,  August  18,  1861. 
Forming  a  partnershi])  with  George  Sanderson, 
Sr.,  the  firm  of  Sanderson  &  Breck  continued 
until  tile  death  1  if  the  senior  member,  since 
which  time  Mr.  Ihx'ck  lias  been  alone.  While 
he  is  well  informed  in  all  branches  of  tlie  law,  his 
specialty  has  been  office  practice  and  the  work 
of  counsellor. 

In  April,  189 1,  the  Dime  Deposit  and  Discount 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


269 


Bank  was  organized  with  James  P.  Dickson  as 
president,  but  the  resignation  of  that  gentleman 
was  followed  by  Mr.  Break's  election  to  the  posi- 
tion. The  Dime  Bank  Building,  where  business 
is  transacted,  is  one  of  the  finest  office  buildings 
in  the  city  and  is  centrally  located.  The  bank 
was  organized  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000, 
paid  up,  and  there  is  now  a  surplus  of  $42,000, 
while  since  1892  quarterly  dividends  of  one  and 
one-half  per  cent  have  been  declared.  A  large 
business  is  carried  on,  both  in  the  savings  and 
business  department.  Mr.  Breck  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  Eureka  Cash  Register  and 
Paragon  Plaster  Companies,  in  both  of  which  he 
is  a  director,  and  he  is  also  interested  in  coal 
properties. 

Elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  the  first  city 
controller  of  Scranton,  Mr.  Breck  served  for 
three  years,  then  declined  renomination.  In  1892 
he  was  a  state  elector  for  the  Democratic  party 
and  in  the  campaign  of  1896  upheld  the  cause  of 
the  "sound  money"  Democracy.  For  some  time 
he  was  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna  Trust  & 
Safe  Deposit  Company,  but  resigned  in  1893. 
As  a  member  of  the  Scranton  City  Property 
Company,  he  has  assisted  largely  in  the  develop- 
ment of  property  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city. 
At  one  time  he  was  interested  in  the  Pawnee  Coal 
Company,  that  sold  a  large  number  of  building- 
lots  on  the  south  side.  Afterward  he  aided  in 
the  organi.-jation  of  the  Scranton  City  Cottage 
Company  and  was  one  of  its  most  active  workers. 
He  was  interested  in  locating  the  first  silk  mill 
here  and  the  steel  mill  now  owned  by  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  Company.  In  April,  1869, 
he  married  Mary  Duer,  daughter  of  John  K. 
Duer,  United  States  Navy,  of  New  York.  Three 
children  were  born  of  that  union,  of  whom  the 
only  one  living  is  Duer  du  Pont  Breck,  a  resi- 
dent of  New  York.  In  May,  1892,  Mr.  Breck 
married  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  Anna  E.  Beck- 
with. 

In  personal  appearance  Mr.  Breck  is  imposing 
and  dignified,  and  in  character  upright  and  hon- 
orable. His  judgment  is  sound  and,  when  once 
formed,  is  firm.  Identified  with  the  history  of 
Scranton  through  its  most  eventful  years,  he  has 
contributed  to  its  growth  and  the  development  of 


its  property  interests,  and  has  maintained  the 
deepest  interest  in  its  ])rogress.  In  the  law  he  is 
well  versed,  familiar  with  the  principles  of  wise 
statesmanship  and  public  policy,  possessing  a 
mind  that  is  analytical,  keen  and  judicious,  and 
a  temperament  admirably  fitted  for  the  legal  pro- 
fession. 


CHARLES  W.  ROBERTS,  who  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  prominent  Homeopa- 
thic physicians  not  only  of  Scranton  but 
of  northeastern  Pennsylvania  as  well,  was  born 
at  Salisbury  Mills,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  Janu- 
ary 26,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Solomon  B.  and 
Sarah  (Lyons)  Roberts,  natives  of  Newburgh,  N. 
Y.,  and  Connecticut,  respectively.  His  paternal 
grandfather  died  on  a  farm  in  Wyoming  County, 
Pa.,  when  about  eighty-eight  years  of  age.  He 
had  five  brothers  who  came  from  New  York  and 
settled  on  the  Roberts  tract  in  Wyoming  County, 
now  owned  mostly  by  Everhart,  a  portion  being 
known  as  Everhart's  Island.  One  of  the  uncles 
was  killed  in  the  Wyoming  massacre  and  after- 
ward the  others  returned  to  New  York  State. 
Their  land,  which  was  sold  for  taxes,  is  now 
worth  millions  on  account  of  the  discovery  of 
"black  diamonds"  there.  Our  subject's  great- 
grandmotlier  attained  the  age  of  one  hundred 
and  two  and  his  grandmother  lived  to  be  one 
hundred  and  four,  both  dj-ing  in  Orange  County, 
N.  Y. 

Reared  in  Orange  County,  Solomon  B.  Rob- 
erts engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages  and 
in  fancy  blacksmithing  at  Washingtonville.  He 
shod  all  of  Robert  Bonner's  horses  and  at  one 
time  had  Abdallah  in  his  possession.  In  1857  he 
moved  to  a  farm  in  Russell  Hill,  Wyoming 
County,  where  he  became  the  pioneer  of  the 
fancy  stock  farmers  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  state.  In  1859,  when  he  and  his  wife  were 
returning  from  a  carriage  trip  into  New  York 
and  were  within  one-half  mile  of  their  home,  she 
was  accidentally  drowned,  and,  on  account  of 
the  ice  aiul  high  water,  her  body  was  not  found 
until  the  next  spring  at  Wilkesbarre.  The  shock 
of  her  accidental  death  so  disheartened  her  hus- 
band that  he  disposed  of  his  property  in  Penn- 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sylvania  and  went  back  to  New  York,  where  he 
spent  his  remainiiifj  years  in  Chester  and  Flor- 
ida. He  died  in  the  latter  village  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight.  Identified  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  he  was  a  local  exhorter  and 
prominent  worker  in  his  denomination,  and 
served  almost  continuously  as  Sunday-school  su- 
perintendent. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  cousin  of  Gen- 
eral Lyons,  who  was  killed  in  Missouri.  Her 
parents  were  prominent  in  their  locality  in  Con- 
necticut, and  her  brother,  Henry,  was  a  large  and 
successful  investor  in  real  estate  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  She  was  a  Methodist  in  her  religious 
faith  and  was  a  woman  of  noble  character  and 
consistent  life.  Her  death  occurred  when  she 
was  forty-eight  years  of  age.  Of  her  fourteen 
children  seven  daughters  and  two  sons  are  liv- 
ing. The  oldest  son,  Albert  W.,  who  was  in  the 
government  employ  as  engineer  on  the  famous 
run  from  Chattanooga  to  Norfolk,  bearing  am- 
munition to  General  Sherman,  was  killed  in  a 
railroad  accident  on  the  old  Midland  road  in  New 
York  in  1873.  Solomon  was  with  the  flagship 
"Roanoke"  for  two  years  and  then  re-enlisted, 
but  was  never  aftenvard  heard  of. 

Reared  in  Orange  County  until  ten  years  of 
age,  our  subject  then  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Pennsylvania.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out 
he  was  a  mere  lad,  but  patriotic  impulses  led  him 
to  enlist;  however,  he  was  rejected  on  account  of 
not  being  the  required  height.  In  i860  he  came 
to  Scranton,  where  he  attended  the  academy  for 
six  months.  Later  he  worked  until  he  had  enough 
money  to  pay  his  tuition  at  Herring's  Business 
College,  which  he  entered,  graduating  from  the 
first  class.  He  then  joined  a  brother-in-law  in 
Philadelphia,  and  it  was  while  there  that  he  enlist- 
ed on  the  one  hundred  days'  emergency  call  jn  the 
Eighty-eighth  Pennsylvania  infantry.  Afterward 
he  went  to  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  first 
with  Albert  Bull,  wholesale  and  retail  druggist, 
and  then  employed  in  J.  Erskinc  Mills'  drug 
store  three  years.  His  next  position  was  with 
Boericke  &  TafTell,  the  largest  homeopathic 
drug  manufacturers  in  New  York  City  and  Phil- 
adelphia, with,  whom  he  remained  for  two  years, 
opening  their  pharmacy  in   Washington,   D.   C. 


Later,  while  in  charge  of  their  \\  ahiut  Street, 
Philadelphia,  pharmacy,  he  attended  the  College 
of  Anatomy  &  Surgery,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated. He  also  took  two  courses  in  Columbia 
University  medical  department  at  Washington, 
after  which  he  entered  the  Hahnemann  College, 
Philadelphia,  and  graduated  there  in  1889,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  purchased  the 
pharmacy  owned  by  his  former  employer  and 
opened  an  office  at  Ninth  and  K  Streets,  where 
he  practiced  his  profession  and  managed  the 
store  until  1892,  selling  out  at  that  time  on  ac- 
count of  the  climate. 

Alive  to  everything  that  pertains  to  his  profes- 
sion. Dr.  Roberts  is  connected  with  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the  Washington 
Medical  .Society,  the  Northeastern  Pennsylvania 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society;  the  Homeopathic 
Clinical  Society  of  Scranton,  of  which  he  was  the 
originator  and  the  first  president;  and  the  Inter- 
State  Plomeopathic  Medical  Society,  which  meets 
semi-annually  at  Binghamton,  and  of  which  he 
was  the  first  vice-president  and  the  second  presi- 
dent. Before  these  organizations  he  has  at  vari- 
ous times  read  papers  upon  important  topics. 
While  in  Washington  he  was  connected  with  dif- 
ferent hospitals  and  dispensaries,  thus  gaining 
the  practical  experience  that  prepared  him  for 
active  and  successful  practice.  His  office  is  in  the 
Board  of  Trade  Building,  and  his  residence  at 
No.  638  Washington  Avenue.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  religiously  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  married  in  Mid- 
dletown to  Miss  Mary  Dunning,  who  was  born 
and  educated  in  New  York  City. 


CHARLES  E.  RETTEW.  The  family  of 
which  this  well  known  resident  of  Car- 
bondale  is  a  representative  has  long  been 
identified  with  the  history  of  America,  and  suc- 
cessive generations  by  their  patriotic  spirit  and 
successful  lives  have  made  the  name  respected 
and  honC'red.  The  first  of  the  family  to  come  to 
America  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Charles  E., 
a  native  of  Wales,  who  secured  a  large  tract  of 
land  fmm  William  Penn  and  established  his  home 
in  the  then  wilderness  of  Chester  County.    Three 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


271 


times  married,  by  each  union  he  had  two  chil- 
dren. Little  is  known  of  his  personal  character- 
istics, but  it  may  safely  be  assumed  that  he  was  a 
man  of  great  energy,  fearless  disposition  and 
strength  of  will,  else  he  would  not  have  left  his 
native  land  and  braved  the  hardships  of  life  amid 
adverse  surroundings. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Charles  Ret- 
tew,  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  cultivating  a  farm  kept  a  country  hotel 
that  was  situated  on  his  place.  His  son,  Robert, 
also  a  native  of  Chester  County,  was  born  July 
16,  iSifi,  and  throughout  life  engaged  in  farming, 
at  various  times  holding  local  offices  of  trust. 
He  died  at  his  home  place  June  i,  1894.  The 
mother  of  our  subject,  Phoebe  Ann,  was  born  in 
Berks  County,  Pa.,  September  13,  1824,  and  died 
in  Chester  County  December  4,  1885.  In  reli- 
gious belief  she  was  identified  with  the  Baptist 
Church.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Smith, 
who  came  of  an  old  Quaker  family,  but  left  that 
faith  and  united  with  the  Baptist  Church;  he 
married  a  Miss  Bailey,  residing  near  Danville, 
who  was  a  member  of  a  family  noted  for  long- 
evity, one  of  her  brothers  dying  at  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  eight,  another  at  one  hundred  and 
three,  and  a  third  when  ninety-six. 

The  family  of  Robert  and  Phoebe  A.  Rettew 
consists  of  six  children,  namely:  Charles  E.,  the 
eldest:  Smith  B.,  who  is  connected  with  the  ma- 
chine works  in  Wilmington,  Del. :  Robert  F.,  a 
machinist  in  Baltimore;  Jacob,  a  carpenter  in 
Philadelphia;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Leonard  Fresh- 
colm,  a  farmer  in  Chester  County;  and  Martha 
J.,  whose  husband,  Alfred  Geiger,  is  a  farmer  in 
Berks  C<iunty,  though  previous  to  his  marriage 
engaged  in  teaching  school.  The  early  years  of 
our  subject  were  spent  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
where  he  was  born  May  14,  1847.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in 
life,  working  at  first  for  fifty  cents  per  day.  He 
entered  the  service  of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading 
Railroad  as  an  apprentice.  After  serving  his  ap- 
prenticeship he  worked  there  as  a  journeyman 
for  some  time  and  might  have  continued  with  the 
company  mr.ny  years,  but  his  friend  and  fellow- 
apprentice,  George  Britton,  who  had  gone  to  the 
war  and  returned  in  1865,  subsequently  met  with 


a  series  of  misfortunes,  amongst  others  long  sick- 
ness occasioned  by  the  loss  of  one  of  his  eyes  by 
an  accident  in  the  shops.  When  the  men  were 
put  on  half  time  through  scarcity  of  work,  Mr. 
Rettew  generously  and  voluntarily  gave  up  his 
position  in  order  that  his  friend  might  work  full 
tim.e,  and  thus  l)e  enabled  to  recuperate  his  losses 
and  help  a  widowed  mother.  He  did  not  see  his 
friend  again  for  ten  years,  and  then  but  once,  as 
soon  afterward  he  was  accidentally  killed  in  the 
railroad  yards  in  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Rettew  filled  successively  the  positions  of 
fireman  with  the  Lehigh  Valley  road,  locomotive 
engineer  on  that  road,  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  and 
the  Morris  &  Essex,  foreman  in  machine  shops 
of  the  Long  Island  Railroad,  passenger  engineer 
on  the  same  road  for  one  year,  engineer  in  ;harge 
of  Long  Island  City  improvements,  and  foreman 
for  live  years  in  erecting  the  shops  of  the  Bald- 
win locomotive  works  in  Philadelphia,  after  which 
he  spent  six  months  in  traveling  for  the  same 
works.  Later  for  a  time  he  was  in  charge  of  the 
rolling  stock  and  machine  shops  of  the  Mexican 
and  Morrello;  Railroad  in  Alexico. 

December  i,  1885,  Mr.  Rettew  came  to  Car- 
bondale.  where  he  has  since  held  the  position  of 
ma:.ter  mechanic  of  the  Pennsylvania  Division 
of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  and  of  the 
locomotive  shops.  His  entire  active  life  having 
been  spent  in  the  railroad  business,  he  is  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  every  detail  of  its  different 
branches.  He  is  a  hard  worker,  a  careful  man- 
ager, and  very  popular  wath  the  army  of  men  in 
his  employ.  In  addition  to  his  duties  in  connec- 
tion with  the  railroad,  he  is  interested  in  some 
local  enterprises,  and  is  president  of  the  Sperl 
Heater  Company,  an  extensive  manufacturing 
concern.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
and  a  Knights  Templar  Mason.  In  1873  he  mar- 
ried Alice  Card,  daughter  of  a  prominent  con- 
tractor of  Easton,  Pa.  Tliey  have  four  children: 
Charles  H.,  who  is  connected  with  the  Van  Ber- 
gen Company,  Limited;  Robert  Stanley,  who  is 
employed  in  the  Miners  &  Mechanics  Bank; 
George  Burnham,  and  Anna  Grace,  who  are  at- 
tending school. 

In  1889  the  Republican  friends  of  Mr.  Rettew 
determined  to  run  him  for  mayor  of  Carbondale. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


There  w  as  hut  little  hope  of  his  election,  for  two 
score  years  iiad  passed  since  a  Republican  had 
been  successful  in  winning  that  office,  but  he  ac- 
cepted the  nomination.  His  personal  popularity 
anioiif;  the  workins^'inen  of  the  city,  as  well  as  the 
better  classes  of  both  parties,  gave  him  the  elec- 
tion by  a  good-sized  majority.  It  is  said  that  he 
was  one  of  the  best  mayors  the  city  has  ever  liad. 
During  his  adminstration  of  three  years  many  of 
the  present  substantial  improvements  were  made. 
The  city  hall  was  commenced,  as  well  as  other 
imprt  vinients  that  added  much  to  the  place.  To 
this  pcsition  he  carried  the  same  spirit  of  industry 
that  has  ever  characterized  him.  Both  in  public 
and  private  life  he  is  e.xact,  methodical  and  judi- 
cious, and  has  guarded  well  the  best  interests  of 
his  fellow  citizens  and  tcswn. 


G  EDGAR  DEAN,  M.  D.  Through  study 
in  the  best  institutions  of  this  country 
•  and  abroad,  Dr.  Dean  has  acquired  a 
broad  fund  of  professional  knowledge  that  en- 
titles him  to  front  rank  among  the  specialists,  not 
only  of  Scranton,  but  the  entire  state  as  well.  Ik- 
has  been  very  successful  in  the  treatment  of  dis- 
eases of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and  in 
addition  to  his  private  practice  in  these  branches, 
holds  the  position  of  oculist  to  Lackawanna  Hos- 
pital. 

In  North  Abington  Township,  Lackawanna 
(then  Luzerne)  County,  Pa.,  the  subject  of  this 
article  was  born,  October  27,  1853,  and  is  the 
youngest  .son  of  Isaac  D.  and  Polly  (Heermans) 
Dean,  tlis  father,  who  engaged  in  farm  pursuits 
and  also  in  the  lumber  and  meat  business,  came 
to  Providence  about  1868  and  has  since  lived 
here  in  retirement.  He  was  a  son  of  James  Dean, 
and  further  information  concerning  the  family 
may  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  W.  A.  Dean,  pre- 
sented elsewhere. 

The  next  to  the  youngest  of  six  children,  Dr. 
Dean  was  reared  in  his  native  place  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  after  whicli  he  resided  in  Scranton 
and  attended  the  Providence  high  school,  then 
studierl  in  Starkey's  .Seminary  on  Seneca  Lake, 
New  York,  for  two  and  one-third  years.  After- 
ward he  went  to  Minnesota  and  taught  school  in 


Tanesville,  Waseca  County,  then  spent  a  few 
months  at  Junction  City,  Kan.,  and  for  one  year 
at  Ft.  Edward  Collegiate  Institute  on  the  Hud- 
son. In  the  fall  of  1874  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
v,herc  he  studied  for  three  years,  graduating  in 
Alarch.  1877,  with  ibu  degree  of  IM.  D.  During 
the  summer  months  he  spent  his  time  in  Phila- 
delphia studying  with  his  preceptors  and  in  vari- 
ous hospitals.  For  thirteen  months  after  gradu- 
ating he  was  resident  physician  to  the  Protestant 
Episco]:)al  Hospital  in  Philadelphia.  Overwork 
resulted  in  nervous  prostration  and  spinal  con- 
gestion, which  obliged  him  to  cease  his  profes- 
sional labors  for  about  two  years,  until  he  be- 
came .strong  enough  to  resume. 

In  the  fall  of  1880  Dr.  Dean  opened  an  office 
in  Scranton,  where  he  engaged  in  general  prac- 
tice until  1887,  giving  special  attention  to  the 
cHseases  of  the  eye  and  ear,  and  since  then  has 
devoted  his  time  exclusively  to  diseases  of  the 
eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat.  In  1883  he  was  elected 
county  coroner  on  the  Republican  ticket  by  a 
majority  of  seven  hundred  and  forty-five,  the 
largest  majority  ever  developed  for  a  Republican 
candidate  up  to  that  date.  He  served  in  that 
capacity  until  Januan,',  1887.  In  May,  1887,  he 
went  to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  special  study 
and  travel,  and  took  lecture  courses  in  Vienna, 
Berlin,  Heidelberg  and  Stuttgart,  also  visited 
hospitals  in  other  places.  He  was  present  at  the 
Queen's  jubilee  in  London,  the  sixteenth  century 
celebration  in  Amsterdam,  the  Pope's  jubilee  in 
Rome,  and  the  burial  of  Kaiser  William  in  Ber- 
lin, returning  home  on  the  "Etruria,"  that  made 
the  best  record  for  speed  ever  reached  up  to  that 
time.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he  began  prac- 
tice as  an  oculist,  auristand  laryngologist,  and 
now  has  a  large  practice,  his  office  being  at  No. 
616  Spruce  Street. 

While  in  Berlin,  Dr.  Dean  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  lady  whom  he  married  in 
Scranton  April  16,  1889.  She  was  Miss  Jo- 
sephine Ginsberg,  daughter  of  Adolph  Gins- 
berg, a  silver  and  gold  refiner  of  Berlin.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Dean  are  members  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church  and  Reformed  Episcopal 
Church,  respectively,     lie  has  important  profes- 


f 

1 


ANDREW  MITCHELL. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


275 


sional  connections,  being  identified  with  the 
Physicians'  Ckib,  Lackawanna  County  Medical 
Society,  State  Medical  Association,  American 
and  Pan-American  JNIedical  Societies.  Before 
these  various  organizations  he  has  read  papers 
pertaining  to  his  specialties,  and  has  also  fre- 
quently contributed  articles  to  the  "Ophthalmic 
Record."  A  number  of  these  have  been  reprinted 
in  pamphlet  form  for  distribution  among  the  pro- 
fession, two  of  the  most  important  and  complete 
being  "Every  Day  Muscle-test  Work,  with  Ex- 
planation of  the  Best  Light  and  Apparatus,"  and 
"The  Etiology  and  Early  Management  of  Glau- 
coma." In  the  former  is  contained  an  explana- 
tion of  his  adaptation  of  electric  light  for  use  in 
connection  with  the  hand  phorometer.  His  opin- 
ions on  every  phase  of  the  subjects  of  which  he 
has  made  a  specialty  are  regarded  with  respect 
by  the  profession  and  have  been  of  the  greatest 
benefit  to  others  whose  advantages  in  study  have 
been  less  than  his.  He  is  a  successful  specialist, 
a  man  of  broad  intellect  and  keen  insight,  who 
has  attained  prominence  solely  through  his  un- 
aided exertions  in  his  chosen  profession. 


ANDREW  MITCHELL,  a  retired  business 
man  of  Carbondale,  is  the  last  survivor  of 
a  family  of  sixteen  children.  He  was  born 
November  22,  1831,  in  Grangemouth,  Stirling- 
shire, Scotland,  where  his  father,  Michael  Mitch- 
ell, carried  on  the  business  of  ship  joiner  and 
builder.  Among  the  many  contracts  executed  by 
him  was  the  cabin  and  paddles  of  the  "Charlotte 
Dundas,"  or  "Old  Comet"  as  some  called  it,  built 
at  the  Carron  Iron  Works  by  Symington,  and 
which  was  used  to  draw  ships  along  the  Forth  and 
Clyde  Canal,  but  the  washing  away  of  the  banks 
by  the  violent  agitation  of  the  water,  created  by 
the  paddles,  caused  its  withdrawal,  and  its  being 
laid  up  at  Lock  16,  near  Falkirk,  for  many  years. 
Here  Robert  Fulton  visited  it  and  took  drawings 
of  its  machinery  which  he  carried  with  him  to 
America  and  made  use  of  in  the  construction  of 
the  celebrated  "Clermont."  Mr.  Mitchell  fre- 
quently visited  the  old  boat  during  the  years  of 
his  childhood. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  accompanied 
9 


by  his  widowed  mother  and  youngest  sister,  he 
came  to  New  York  and  shortly  after  went  to  the 
island  of  Cuba,  where  he  remained  twelve  years. 
,  There  he  took  charge  of  some  of  the  largest  sugar 
plants,  drawing  out  plans  for  and  overseeing  the 
erection  of  all  the  machinery  required  in  that 
business,  giving  such  com])lete  satisfaction  that 
he  commanded  the  highest  salary  the  island  af- 
forded, and  which  was  not  a  small  one.  While 
there  he  had  yellow  fever,  which  nearly  proved 
fatal,  as  it  had  some  years  before  to  a  brother  in 
the  island  of  Jamaica.  On  one  occasion  he  was 
one  of  five  white  men  on  a  plantation  with  one 
thousand  negroes.  The  latter  had  planned  an 
uprising  to  take  place  at  midnight,  when  the 
white  men  were  to  be  assassinated;  the  plot  was 
discovered  and  ten  minutes  before  the  time  the 
Spanish  cavalry  from  the  nearest  garrison  rode 
in  like  a  whirlwind  and  seized  the  ringleaders, 
which  was  the  first  intimation  Mr.  Mitchell  had 
of  his  danger.  On  another  occasion  he,  with  a 
brother-in-law,  had  gone  over  to  the  small  town' 
of  Miryel,  from  the  estate  of  ]Mir\-el  which  be- 
longed to  the  old  Spanish  general,  Picero.  While 
paying  for  some  articles  purchased  he  incautious- 
ly pulled  from  his  pocket  a  handful  of  gold  coins. 
While  replacing  them  he  noticed  there  were  sev- 
eral evil-looking  men  lounging  around.  They  had 
left  the  town  but  a  short  distance  when  the  clat- 
tering of  hoofs  behind  told  them  tiiey  were  pur- 
sued. Intuitively  divining  the  cause,  they  put 
spurs  to  their  horses  and  fortunately  took  the 
right  hand  road,  which  skirted  one  side  of  an  im- 
passable morass,  while  their  pursuers,  just  miss- 
ing them  at  the  cross  roads,  struck  ofif  on  the 
left.  At  one  point  pursued  and  pursuers  came  in 
sight  of  each  other,  when  the  latter  raised  their 
arms  and  shook  their  machetes,  or  large  knives, 
at  the  former,  thereby  letting  them  know  what 
they  might  expect  when  they  could  lay  hands  on 
them,  but  providentially  they  reached  the  con- 
fines of  the  Miryel  estate  first  and  the  others  were 
afraid  to  follow.  Had  there  been  a  Spaniard  of 
the  estate  with  them,  as  there  always  had  been 
previously,  they  would  not  have  been  disturbed, 
but  being  alone  they  were  considered  fit  objects 
of  plunder  and  consequently  of  murder  also,  for 
these  descendants  of  pirates  in  those  days  were 


276 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


not  willing  to  work  hard  enough  to  make  an  hon- 
est living,  where  nature  made  it  very  easy  for 
them  to  do  so,  and  looked  upon  the  possessor  of 
gold  as  their  lawful  prey  and  fully  believed  that 
"dead  men  told  no  tales.'' 

The  General  Picero  before  mentioned  insisted 
that  Queen  \'ictoria  had  not  a  better  appointed 
table  than  his,  which  Mr.  Mitchell  did  not  doubt, 
for  every  obtainable  epicurean  delicacy  of  the 
world  was  on  it.  One  day  he  exhibited  with  pride 
to  Mr.  Mitchell  a  rarity  which  the  latter  did  not 
greatly  appreciate,  as  it  was  only  a  fine  specimen 
of  a  common  apple,  but  very  uncommon  there. 
The  old  general  carefully  cut  it  into  dice  form 
and  passed  it  around  the  large  table  that  all  might 
have  a  taste.  The  last  large  importation  of  slaves 
from  Africa  arrived  at  Estate  Alava  while  Mr. 
Mitchell  was  there,  for  slaves  were  sometimes 
smuggled  into  the  island  even  at  this  date,  in 
spite  of  the  international  law  existing  to  the  con- 
trary. He  tells  many  other  interesting  anecdotes 
■  of  his  life  in  Cuba. 

In  1865  Mr.  Mitchell  settled  in  Carbondale, 
where  he  had  frequently  visited  before,  and  en- 
tered into  partnership  w  ith  the  late  Jolm  .Stuart 
in  his  foundry  on  Seventh  Avenue.  He  soon 
afterward  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  business 
and  with  the  late  John  Gorman  ami  Joseph  Alex- 
ander bought  part  of  the  land  between  Salem 
Avenue  and  the  City  Park  which  had  been,  short- 
ly before,  completely  swept  over  by  one  of  the 
large  fires  with  which  Carbondale  used  to  be 
afiflicted.  After  selling  off  lots  in  Main  Street 
and  Salem  Avenue,  the  Keystone  Block  was 
erected  under  his  personal  supervision.  Half  of 
this  block  belongs  to  him,  as  does  also  the  Globe 
store,  and  one-half  of  the  Opera  House  block. 

September  5,  1866,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  H.  Jeffrey  (whose  father 
was  Alexander  G.  Douglas,  of  Paisley,  Scotland, 
but  her  parents  separating  shortly  before  her 
birth,  and  her  mother  resuming  her  own  name,  she 
was  adopted  by  her  maternal  uncle,  Andrew  Jeff- 
rey). This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  sons 
and  six  daug'nters,  viz.:  Miguel  Douglas;  Christi- 
na May,  now  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Major  (they  have 
two  children,  Helen  Eudora  and  Andrew  Mitch- 
ell); Andrew  Jeffrey ;  Marguerite  Muirhcad,  now 


the  wife  of  Frank  M.  Garney,  of  Kingston,  Lu- 
zerne County;  Robert  Duncan;  Helen  Ada; 
Alexander  McLeod;  Virginia  Cassells,  who  died 
in  infancy;  Isabella  Wyllie,  Florida  Fowler  and 
Donald  Clyde. 

In  1870  ]\Ir.  Mitchell  bought,  from  Stephen 
Torry,  land  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city  of  Car- 
bondale, partly  fronting  on  Canaan  Street.  This 
he  laid  out  in  lots,  with  two  good  streets  and  an 
alley.  These  lots  sold  quickly  and  on  the  greater 
portion  of  them  he  erected  substantial  homes  for 
the  purchasers,  giving  them  all  the  time  they 
wished  to  pay  for  them;  he  also  built  a  large 
planing  mill,  thereby  giving  to  the  city  of  Car- 
bondale $50,000  worth  of  taxable  property  on 
what  was  before  waste  common.  This  planing 
mill,  which  did  a  large  business,  was  struck  by 
lightning  on  the  2d  of  July,  1885,  and  completely 
wiped  out,  together  with  the  lumber  yard,  sheds 
and  contents,  involving  a  loss  of  $12,000,  with 
no  insurance.  Neat  homes  now  occupy  the  site. 
Mr.  Mitchell  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  has 
helped  a  great  many  men  to  get  homes  for  them- 
selves and  that  he  never  oppressed  any  one  of 
them  for  payment.  He  has  served  one  term  in 
the  select  council,  but  refused  nomination  for  a 
second  term.  He  also  refused  nomination  for 
mayor,  and  while  thoroughly  appreciating  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  preferred  a  quiet 
home  life.  The  Andrew  Mitchell  Hose  Company 
is  named  after  him  and  it  has  established  such  a 
good  reputation  as  a  fire  extinguisher,  and  is 
composed  of  such  fine  specimens  of  young  man- 
hood that  he  is  justly  proud  of  the  honor. 

Mr.  Mitchell  has  always  been  pleased  to  help 
on  public  improvements.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Presbyterian,  politically  he  votes  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  but  does  not  confine  himself  to  it 
when  he  considers  the  opposing  candidate  the 
best  man  for  the  public  interest;  and  in  fraternal 
relations  lie  is  identified  with  the  Masons. 


THOMAS  T.  MORGAN,  who  served  the 
fifteenth  ward  of  Scranton  as  alderman  for 
sixteen  years,  was  born  in  Ton-y-Ravil, 
on  the  Taf  River,  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  in 
1835.     Pie  is  a  son   of  Thomas,   whose   father, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


277 


William  Morgan,  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  his 
native  shire,  Glamorgan,  where  he  died  at  eighty- 
six  years.  The  former  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  in  Wales  and  in  1865  came  to  America, 
settling  in  Hyde  Park,  Scranton,  where  he  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five.  He  chose  as  his  wife 
Miss  Janet  Williams,  a  native  of  Ton-y-Ravil, 
Glamorganshire,  and  the  daughter  of  Isaac  Wil- 
liams, who  spent  his  life  in  farming  pursuits  and 
died  at  eighty-t\vo  years.  Mrs.  Janet  Morgan 
died  in  Wales,  having  been  the  mother  of  three 
children,  of  whom  Thomas  T.  is  the  only  sur- 
vivor and  the  only  one  who  came  to  the  United 
States. 

Reared  in  Wales,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  under  the  super- 
vision of  his  father.  In  1862  he  went  to  Liver- 
pool and  took  passage  on  the  sailer,  "Harvest 
Queen,"  which  cast  anchor  in  New  York  Cit>' 
after  a  voyage  of  five  weeks.  He  proceeded  at 
once  to  Scranton  and  for  six  months  worked  at 
his  tiade,  after  which  he  was  employed  in  the 
coal  mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  and  became  a  practical  miner. 
In  1879  he  was  appointed  alderman  from  the  fif- 
teenth ward  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  that  office  and 
was  commissioned  by  Governor  Hoyt.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket  to  the  same  office  and  was  commissioned 
by  the  same  governor.  In  1875  he  was  re-elected 
and  commissioned  by  Governor  Pattison.  Five 
years  later  he  was  again  elected  and  was  com- 
missioned by  Governor  Beaver.  In  May,  1895, 
after  sixteen  years  of  service,  he  retired  from  the 
office,  but  still  continues  as  notary  and  convey- 
ancer, in  connection  with  the  life  insurance  busi- 
ness.   Since  1895  he  has  been  tax  collector. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss  Caro- 
line Gore,  daughter  of  Thomas  Gore,  both  na- 
tives of  Radnorshire,  Wales.  Her  father,  who 
was  a  son  of  Henry  Gore,  a  farmer,  came  to  this 
country  in  1861  and  later  brought  his  family  to 
Scranton,  where  he  was  employed  as. a  miner 
until  his  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan,  with 
their  two  children,  Mary  and  Morbydd,  reside  at 
No.  506  South  Main  Avenue.  In  former  years 
our  subject  was  connected  with  the  Ivorites.  He 
is  in  sympathy  with  Republican  principles  and 


has  served  on  city  and  county  committees.  In 
the  labor  reform  movement  in  this  state  he  has 
taken  an  active  part  and  has  served  on  the  state 
and  other  committees.  In  1872  he  was  elected 
a  delegate  to  the  convention  of  the  Labor  Reform 
party,  when  David  Davis,  of  Illinois,  was  nomi- 
nated for  president,  and  Joel  Parker,  of  New 
Jersey,  for  vice-president. 


D  WIGHT  MILLS.  In  the  suburbs  of  the 
city  of  Carbondale,  on  a  hill  overlooking 
the  place  and  commanding  a  splendid 
view,  stands  the  pleasant  home  of  Dwight  Mills,  a 
well  known  resident  of  Fell  Township  and  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  dairyman.  Mr.  Mills  is  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  the  county  and 
was  born  July  13,  1839,  in  what  is  now  Fell 
Township,  then  a  part  of  Carbondale.  His  par- 
ents, Theodore  and  Maria  (Smith)  Mills,  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  this  locahty,  and  died  at  the 
respective  ages  of  sixty-seven  and  eighty.  Of 
their  seven  children  four  are  living,  namely: 
John  Edwards,  a  farmer  living  near  Cr\'stal  Lake 
in  this  township;  Dwight;  Mary  E.,  who  lives  in 
Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  and  Maria,  a  resident  of  \'anetten, 
N.  Y. 

In  boyhood  our  subject  attended  the  district 
schools  as  he  had  opportunity  and  also  spent  one 
term  in  the  Carbondale  schools.  Though  not  a 
graduate,  yet  he  is  well  educated,  mainly  by  self- 
instruction,  and  is  well  read  in  general  literature 
and  political  economy.  From  a  very  early  age 
he  began  to  assist  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home 
farm,  and  on  the  death  of  his  father  he  succeeded 
to  the  management  of  the  estate.  He  has  never 
been  away  from  home  for  any  extended  period 
except  the  nine  months  he  spent  in  the  army.  In 
1862  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  H, 
One  Hundred  and  Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  went  to  the  front,  but  unfortunately 
was  taken  ill  and  obliged  to  remain  in  a  hospital 
for  three  months.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  enlistment  he  returned  home  and  resumed  the 
peaceful  avocations  of  life. 

The  Mills  family  is  one  of  the  best  known  in 
this  township.  Tlie  first  of  the  name  here  was  our 
subject's  grandfather,  John  Mills,  who  came  to 


278 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


the  county  in  an  early  day  and  settled  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest,  clearing  and  improving  a 
valuable  farm.  Agriculture  has  been  the  prin- 
cipal occupation  of  the  family  and  in  it  they  have 
gained  a  competency.  Since  boyhood  our  sub- 
ject has  watched  with  interest  the  development 
of  this  locality  and  especially  the  growth  of  Car- 
bondale,  which  he  has  seen  increase  in  popula- 
tion until  it  is  now  an  important  city.  Like  all 
old  soldiers,  he  is  a  warm  friend  of  the  Grand 
Army  and  interested  in  its  work.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican. 

By  his  marriage  to  Helen  Fuder,  of  Carbon- 
dale'  Mr.  Mills  had  three  children,  of  whom  IMary 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  C.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  York  state. 
Thev  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  Leonard 
Dwight,  Grace  and  Lois. 


SPRUKS  BROTHERS.  This  firm,  which 
is  composed  of  Thomas  H.,  Henry  J.,  and 
Stephen  S.  Spruks,  ranks  among  the  lead- 
ing business  concerns  of  Scranton,  the  members 
being  successful  contractors  and  dealers  in  lum- 
ber and  building  material,  with  office  at  No.  519 
Alder  Street.  During  the  time  in  which  they 
have  been  engaged  in  business  they  have  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  honest  and  honorable  busi- 
ness men  and  have  built  up  a  large  trade  in  their 
special  line. 

The  father  of  our  subjects,  John  Spruks,  was 
born  in  Paderborn,  Westphalia,  Germany,  and 
was  a  son  of  John,  Sr.,  a  native  of  the  same  prov- 
ince, and  a  builder  and  lumberman  by  occupa- 
tion. The  latter  brought  his  family  to  America 
and  spent  some  time  in  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  afterward  removed  to  the  vicinity  of 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  died.  John,  Jr.,  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  in  Germany  and  in  early 
manhood  came  to  America,  settling  on  Staten 
Island,  where  he  married.  Later  he  bought  a 
farm  at  Beach  Lake,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  but 
after  cultivating  it  some  years,  he  retired  from 
active  work  and  removed  to  Honesdalc,  where  he 
still  resides.  .At  this  writing  he  is  quite  rugged 
and   hearty,  though   now   seventy-four  years  of 


age.  His  wife,  Ilaiinah  I'cnner,  was  born  in 
Beidefeld,  Westphalia,  Germany,  whence  she  ac- 
companied her  father  to  America  and  settled  in 
Stroudsburg,  Pa.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children:  Thomas  H.,  member  of  the  firm  of 
Spruks  Brothers;  Mrs.  Josephine  Huber,  of 
Wayne  County;  John  A.,  a  merchant  in  Hones- 
dale  ;  David,  a  wholesale  merchant  of  Scranton ; 
Henry  J.  and  Stephen  S.,  belonging  to  the  firm 
of  Spruks  Brothers;  Mrs.  Anna  Huber,  of  Wayne 
County;  Bertha,  wife  of  Charles  Mueller,  of 
Brooklyn;  Charles,  who  is  bookkeeper  for  his 
brothers;  and  Dena,  who  died  when  less  than  six 


years  of  age. 


Henry  J.  Spruks  was  born  at  Beach  Lake, 
near  Honesdale,  Pa.,  November  21,  1862,  and 
was  reared  on  a  farm.  January  9,  1884,  he  came 
to  Scranton  and  for  six  months  drove  a  team 
for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company. 
Later  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  with  his 
brother,  Thomas,  then  in  business  here.  After 
continuing  in  that  way  for  two  years  the  firm  of 
.Spruks  Brothers  was  organized  and  at  the  same 
time  they  started  the  lumber  business  in  connec- 
tion with  contracting.  They  occupy  a  quarter  of 
a  block  in  Alder  Street,  between  Prospect  and 
Pittston  Avenues,  where  they  have  a  lumber  yard. 
They  also  have  two  blocks  on  the  main  line  of 
the  Erie  Railroad,  where  they  have  sheds  and 
conduct  a  retail  coal  business,  the  latter  being 
under  the  firm  name  of  Spruks  &  Gibbons.  They 
prepare  plans  and  specifications  and  contract  for 
all  kinds  of  buildings,  having  built  up  the  greater 
portion  of  this  locality.  Besides  a  large  number 
of  the  best  residences  of  the  city,  they  built  two 
schoolhouses.  Nos.  22  and  37,  the  Scranton  axle 
factory,  the  Lutheran  and  Polish  churches,  and 
other  buildings.  They  are  interested  in  the 
Scranton  axle  works,  Stephen  S.  being  a  director 
in  the  company.  They  are  also  interested  in  the 
Alleghany  Lumber  Company,  operating  in  North 
Carolina.  Henry  is  the  largest  stockholder  in 
the  Eureka  Lumber  Company,  of  Washington, 
N.  C,  which  manufactures  yellow  pine  and 
cypress  lumber.  He  was  married  in  Scranton  to 
Miss  Lena  Baumeister,  who  was  born  here  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Baumeister,  an  employe 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  road 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


279 


in  this  city-  They  are  tlae  parents  of  two  cliil- 
dren,  Hazel  and  Charles.  Henry  is  a  trustee  in 
the  Athletic  Society,  president  of  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum, member  of  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of 
America,  and  of  Hose  Company  No.  10,  in 
which  he  has  been  foreman  and  treasurer.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  mat- 
ters belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Stephen  S.  Spruks  was  born  at  Beach  Lake, 
February  8.  1865,  and  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm,  attending  the  neighboring  schools.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  seventeen,  after  which  he 
clerked  for  the  firm  of  Spruks  Brothers,  grocers 
at  Honesdale.  The  business  was  sold  out  in 
1885  and  he  then  came  to  Scranton,  where  he 
became  a  partner  of  his  brothers  Thomas  and 
Henry.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Scranton  axle  works  and  is  a  director  of  the 
company,  which  employs  one  hundred  hands. 
In  the  old  Scranton  Lumber  Company  he  served 
as  president  until  the  concern  was  consolidated 
with  the  Alleghany  Lumber  Company,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  a  director.  He  assisted 
in  organizing  the  Eureka  Lumber  Company  and 
is  one  of  its  directors.  In  this  city  he  married 
Louise  Miller,  daughter  of  Michael  Miller,  an 
undertaker  of  Scranton.  In  1890  he  was  elected 
county  auditor  on  the  Democratic  ticket  and 
three  years  later  was  re-elected  for  another  term. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  city  Democratic  com- 
mittee, formerly  belonged  to  the  county  commit- 
tee, and  twice  served  as  a  delegate  to  state  con- 
ventions of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Athletic  Association,  the  Saenger- 
bunde,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  and  Cen- 
tury Hose  Company  No.  10,  of  which  he  has 
been  president  since  its  organization. 


EDWIN  G.  SMITH,  Civil  and  Mining  En- 
gineer for  the  firm  of  Bartl  &  Smith, 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Norwich,  Chenango 
County,  N.  Y.,  December  17,  1863,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  Y.  and  Elizabeth  (Bliven)  Smith,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecti- 
cut. His  father,  wlio  was  a  son  of  a  farmer  ot 
Rhode  Island,  went  to  New  York  City  in  early 


manhood  and  engaged  in  milling  and  later  was 
at  the  old  Beaver  mill  in  Williamsport,  Pa.  After- 
ward for  a  few  years  he  was  engaged  in  business 
in  North  Carolina,  but  finally  returned  north  and 
now  resides  in  Scranton.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  was  corporal  of  Company  F,  Twenty-second 
New  York  Infantry.  He  was  the  only  son  in  his 
father's  family'and  has  not  a  relative  in  the  world 
by  the  name  of  Smith,  aside  from  his  son,  our 
subject. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Wil- 
liam D.  Bliven,  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
where  he  was  a  millwright  and  miller.  From  that 
place  he  moved,  by  wagon,  with  his  family  to  ' 
Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  owned  and 
operated  five  mills  on  Yorktown  Creek.  Though 
now  advanced  in  years,  he  still  attends  to  his 
business  affairs  and  superintends  his  large  farm. 
He  is  one  of  the  oldest  surviving  settlers  of  Che- 
nango County,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  super- 
visor and  in  which  he  has  long  been  prominent. 
In  religion  he  is  identified  with  the  Free  Will 
Baptists. 

In  the  family  of  Charles  V.  Smith  there  were 
six  sons,  but  most  of  them  died  in  childhood  and 
Edwin  G.,  the  eldest,  is  the  only  survivor.  He 
attended  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Norwich, 
and  the  high  school  at  Scranton,  to  which  place 
he  came  with  his  parents  in  1878.  In  1880  he 
entered  the  engineer's  department  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  working 
under  Chief  Engineer  John  F.  Snyder  until  1890. 
In  the  mean  time,  through  private  instruction  un- 
der Prof.  J.  F.  Hawker,  he  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  mathematics  and  civil  engineering. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  his  present  partner,  E.  A. 
Bartl,  entered  the  employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  in  1881,  and  the  two  gentle- 
men have  been  together  ever  since. 

In  1S90  Mr.  Smith  went  to  the  Pittsburg  min- 
ing regions  at  Irwin,  Pa.,  as  mining  engineer  for 
the  Westmoreland  Coal  Company.  He  also  had 
charge  of  the  mines  of  the  Manor  Gas  Coal  Com- 
pany. While  there  he  opened  up  two  of  the  com- 
pany's new  mines.  In  1894,  on  account  of  his 
wife's  ill  health,  he  resigned  his  position  and  re- 
turned to  Scranton.  Here  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Edmund  A.  Bartl,  locating  at  No.  404 


28o 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Lackawanna  Avenue  and  actively  entering  upon 
his  work  as  civil  and  mining  engineer.  Some  of 
his  contracts  have  been  large  and  important,  in- 
cluding railroads,  sewers  and  water  works,  and 
seven  skilled  men  are  employed  as  assistants. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Mary  C. 
Green,  who  was  born  in  Columbia,  N.  J.,  daugh- 
tei  of  James  F.  Green,  now  superintendent  of 
the  Continental  mines  for  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad.  She  is  a  member 
of  a  family  that  was  identified  with  the  history  of 
New  Jersey  for  many  generations,  her  great- 
grandfather having  settled  and  entered  land  in 
■  Warren  County.  Of  her  marriage  a  son  was 
born,  Roland  Green  Smith.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Royal  Arcanum,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  Society  of  Mining  Engineers,  and  in 
politics  he  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  For  three 
years  he  served  in  tlie  old  Columbia  Fire  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  was  financial  secretary.  Prior 
to  his  removal  to  western  Pennsylvania  he  was 
for  three  years  a  mcmlDcr  of  Company  C,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment,  Pennsylvania  National  Guard. 


ULYSSES  S.  WONNACOTT  is  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Wonnacott  &  Peck, 
proprietors  of  the  steam  laundry  at  No. 
20  Salem  Avenue,  Carbondale.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  he  started  in  business  here  during 
the  financial  depression  and  has  suffered  some- 
what from  the  hard  times  that  ensued,  he  has 
nevertheless  built  up  a  good  trade  among  the 
people  of  the  city  and  has  dmibled  the  original 
amount  of  business.  He  has  succeeded  in  grasp- 
ing every  detail  connected  with  its  management 
and  has  increased  the  patronage  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  eleven  girls  and  four  men  are  now  em- 
ployed. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Daniel  Wonnacott, 
was  born  in  England,  emigrated  thence  to  Amer- 
ica at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and  for  more  than 
forty  years  has  been  a  trusted  employe  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  Company,  his  res- 
idence at  present  being  in  Waymart,  Pa.  By  his 
union  with  Minerva  Jane  Bunnell,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  he  became  the  father  of  eight  chil- 


dren, of  whom  si.x  are  living,  namely:  Eugene 
A.,  baggage  master  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad;  Zegonia,  living  in  Waymart;  Emma, 
wife  of  D.  B.  Robbins,  of  Carbondale;  Ulysses 
S.;  Minnie,  Mrs.  B.  M.  Peck,  of  this  city;  and 
Oscar,  who  works  for  his  brother  'n  the  laundry. 

Born  in  Waymart,  January  25,  1868,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  given  a  good  opportunity 
for  acquiring  an  education  in  the  excellent 
schools  of  his  native  place.  When  a  boy  he  was 
employed  in  carrying  water  for  a  gang  of  men 
on  the  railroad  and  in  this  way  earned  his  first 
money.  The  most  of  the  time  between  the  ages 
of  thirteen  and  nineteen  he  was  employed  on  the 
Gravity  branch  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Rail- 
road, and  during  this  period  attended  school 
whenever  possible.  Going  to  Avoca,  he  was  em- 
ployed as  clerk  for  the  Florence  Coal  Company 
about  two  years,  and  then  went  to  Troy,  N.  Y., 
where  he  clerked  for  Jones  Brothers'  Tea  Com- 
pany a  year.  On  coming  to  Carbondale,  he  was 
employed  in  the  store  of  Byron  Clark.  Through 
his  experience  in  different  lines  of  business  and 
under  dififcrent  circumstances,  he  became  familiar 
with  human  nature,  of  which  he  is  a  good  judge, 
and  also  Ijecame  an  expert  in  bookkeeping  and 
clerical  work.  He  then  bought  an  interest  in  the 
steam  laundry  with  which  he  is  now  connected. 

Politically  Mr.  Wonnacott  has  always  advo- 
cated Republican  principles  and  never  fails  to  up- 
hold its  doctrines  by  his  ballot  and  influence. 
His  marriage,  in  1895,  united  him  with  Miss 
Jennie  Aunger,  of  this  city,  and  they,  with  their 
daughter  Dorothy,  have  a  comfortable  home  at 
No.  52  Wyoming  Street. 


FREDERICK  G.  KRUEGERMANN,  su- 
perintendent of  the  Scranton  Iron  Fence 
«&  Manufacturing  Company,  was  born  in 
Berlin,  Prussia,  April  7,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of 
Frederick  and  Minnie  (Schreib)  Kruegermann, 
natives  respectively  of  Magdeburg  and  Oeden- 
burg,  Germany.  His  father,  who  worked  upon  a 
farm  in  boyhood,  was  in  early  life  apprenticed  to 
the  locksmith's  trade  and  afterward  removed 
from  Afagdeburg  to  Berlin,  where  he  manufac- 
tured all  kinds  of  iron  work  for  twenty  years.    He 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


2«I 


then  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
ornamental  iron  work.  His  wife  died  in  1869, 
and  of  their  three  children  two  are  living,  Fred- 
erick G.  and  Antonia,  Mrs.  E.  G.  Keuhling,  of 
South  Bethlehem. 

Educated  in  public  and  private  schools  of  Ber- 
lin, the  subject  of  this  sketch  began  an  apprentice- 
ship, at  the  age  of  fourteen,  to  the  locksmith's 
trade  in  an  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of 
general  iron  work  in  Berlin.  There  he  remained 
for  four  years.  Afterward,  as  a  journeyman,  he 
traveled  through  Hanover,  Rhine  Province,  Oed- 
enburg.  Saxony,  Schleswig-Holstein  and  other 
provinces,  becoming  a  practical  machinist  through 
long  experience.  In  the  spring  of  1882  he  went  to 
Glasgow,  .Scotland,  where  he  was  employed  for 
two  years  in  the  ship  yards.  Thence  going  to  Ire- 
land, he  took  passage  soon  afterward  for  Amer- 
ica and  on  landing  in  New  York  went  at  once  to 
Allentown,  Pa.  His  first  position  was  in  the 
Bethlehem  Iron  Works  under  John  Foitz.  in 
the  machine  shop,  where  he  remained  until  De- 
cember, 1884. 

Coming  at  that  time  to  Scranton,  Mr.  Krueger- 
mann  was  for  two  months  employed  as  machinist 
in  the  ClifT  works  of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing- 
Company.  In  the  spring  of  1885  he  started  in 
the  general  iron  and  ornamental  fence  business 
in  Franklin  Avenue,  and  the  following  year  lo- 
cated in  \A^ashington  Avenue,  where  he  built  his 
works.  The  business  was  incorporated,  in  July, 
1892,  as  the  Scranton  Iron  Fence  &  Manufac- 
turing Company,  in  which  he  has  since  been  a 
stockholder  and  the  general  superintendent.  At 
the  same  time  the  location  was  changed  to  Lack- 
awanna Avenue  and  Mattes  Street.  After  one 
year  the  present  location  was  secured,  Nos.  1335- 
37  Capouse  Avenue,  where  the  company  has  a 
shop,  50x121,  with  a  wing  30x60,  and  boiler  and 
engine  house  adjoining.  From  forty  to  fifty 
hands  are  usually  employed.  Fancy  iron  work, 
railings,  grille  work  of  every  description,  and 
wire  screens  of  all  kinds  are  manufactured  here, 
and  the  business  is  upon  a  solid  financial  basis. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Kruegermann  married  Miss 
Mary  Mans,  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County,  and 
a  daughter  of  Jacob   Maus,   who  was   born  in 


Oedenburg,  Germany,  emigrated  thence  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  was  engaged  for  some  years  as  a 
hotel  keeper  in  Scranton.  One  child,  Emma, 
blesses  the  union.  The  family  residence  is  at  No. 
1366  Washington  Avenue.  For  four  years  Mr. 
Kruegermann  was  a  member  of  Company  D, 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  P.  N.  G,  and  is  now  an 
honorary  member  of  the  General  Phinney  En- 
gine Company  No.  4,  also  belongs  to  the  Order  of 
Heptasophs.  As  a  Republican,  he  has  frequent- 
ly served  on  county  and  city  committees,  and  has 
been  delegate  to  conventions  of  the  party. 
Among  the  contracts  which  he  has  had  may  be 
mentioned  those  for  the  iron  work  on  the  post- 
office  building,  Lackawanna  County  jail,  T.  H. 
Watkin's  fence,  the  Dunmore  cemetery,  where 
six  thousand  feet  of  fencing  are  used ;  Delaware 
&  Hudson  depot,  a  very  important  contract; 
Washburn  cemetery,  the  German  Catholic  ceme- 
teries at  Petersburg  and  Dunmore,  schoolhouses 
Nos.  27,  19,  36  and  37,  Con  Schroeder's  residence, 
the  Moses  Taylor  Hospital,  Lackawanna  Hos- 
pital, and  the  residences  of  Victor  Koch.  William 
Connell  and  William  T.  Smith. 


CHRISTIAN  STORR.  The  business  in- 
terests of  Scranton  have  a  representative 
in  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  suc- 
cessful furniture  dealer  and  one  of  the  foremost 
citizens  of  the  place.  He  has  his  place  of  busi- 
ness at  No.  615  Cedar  Avenue,  in  a  building 
erected  by  himself  many  years  ago.  His  biogra- 
phy, which  we  now  review,  affords  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  fact  that  industry  and  perseverance 
almost  invariably  bring  their  possessor  material 
success,  although  he  may  begin  in  business 
without  friends  or  capital. 

Born  in  Sensweiler,  Rhine  Province.  Prussia, 
in  April,  1841,  our  subject  is  a  member  of  one  of 
the  old  families  of  that  locality.  His  great-grand- 
father. Christian  Storr,  who  was  a  miller,  had  a 
son  Christian,  also  a  miller,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  army  under  Napoleon  and  took  part  in  the 
memorable  march  to  Russia;  the  latter  died  in 
1845,  aged  seventy-two.  His  son.  Christian,  our 
subject's  father,  was  born  in  Rhine  Province, 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  merchant  tailor  un- 


282 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


til  his  death  in  1847;  'ic  married  MarA'  E.  Nilius, 
a  native  of  W'irschweiler,  Rhine  Province,  and 
daughter  of  Peter  Nilius,  a  land  owner  and  a  man 
of  broad  learning.  Our  subject's  mother  came 
to  America,  married  a  second  time,  and  died  in 
Petersburg.  Pa.,  in  1866.  In  religious  belief  she 
was  a  Lutlieran.  She  had  two  children,  of  whom 
the  daugiitcr.  Mrs.  George  Rosar,  died  in  Scran- 
ton  in  1893. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  on  leaving  the  public 
school.  Christian  Storr  was  apprenticed  to  the 
cabinet-maker's  trade  under  his  uncle  Fred,  who 
is  still  living  in  Germany.  With  him  he  contin- 
ued for  two  and  one-half  years,  later  spent  four 
and  one-half  years  in  another  town  in  the  same 
province.  Afterward  he  was  employed  in  Metz, 
Strassburg,  Paris  and  other  places  for  three 
years.  July  15,  1865,  he  reached  New  York  City, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  October, 
1865,  and  then,  his  health  being  poor,  he  decided 
to  seek  another  location.  He  reached  Scranton 
on  the  4th  of  October,  joining  his  mother  and 
sister  here,  and  securing  work  at  his  trade  with 
Colvin  &  Kiezer,  Nos.  316-318  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue. He  continued  with  this  and  other  firms 
until  able  to  embark  in  business  for  himself.  In 
1867  he  bought  his  present  location  in  Cedar 
Avenue,  and  two  years  later  started  in  the  furni- 
ture and  undertaking  business,  building  a  shop 
and  employing  five  workmen.  In  1870  he  built 
the  three-story  structure  at  No.  615  Cedar  Ave- 
nue, which  he  has  since  occupied.  He  has  the 
distinction  of  being  the  oldest  undertaker  on  the 
south  side  and  the  third  oldest  in  the  city,  as  well 
as  the  oldest  furniture  maker  in  the  city  to-day. 
In  1885  he  bought  a  lot  in  Alder  Street  and  built 
the  residence  at  No.  524  that  he  now  occupies. 

While  giving  his  attention  specially  to  the  fur- 
niture and  undertaking  business,  ]\Ir.  Storr  has 
found  time  for  other  matters.  In  1891  he  started 
in  the  ice  business,  and  for  one  year  was  with 
the  Maplewood  Ice  Company,  but  that  concern 
consolidating  with  the  Consumers',  he  embarked 
in  the  business  for  himself  in  1892.  His  two 
sons,  Christian  and  Carl  A.,  arc  in  charge  of  the 
business  and  have  a  large  number  of  customers, 
running  two  teams  on  the  south  side. 

In  1866  Mr.  Storr  married  Miss  Marv  Wev- 


and,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  Their  family 
consists  of  five  daughters  and  two  sons,  the  latter 
previously  mentioned,  and  the  former  named  as 
follows:  Matilda,  wife  of  John  Woodworth,  of 
Scranton;  Carrie,  Mrs.  Charles  Dippre,  of  this 
city;  Louisa,  Mamie  and  Katie,  who  are  with 
their  parents.  In  national  politics  Mr.  Storr  is 
a  Democrat.  He  has  served  on  the  county  cen- 
tral committee,  and  in  1887  was  elected  alderman 
from  the  nineteenth  ward,  was  re-elected  in  1892, 
serving  from  ^lay,  1887,  until  May,  1897.  The 
nomination  in  both  instances  was  conferred  upon 
him  without  solicitation,  and  he  has  never  asked 
a  man  to  vote  for  him,  so  that  his  election  proves 
his  personal  popularity.  He  aided  in  organizing 
the  old  Germania  Building  &  Loan  Association 
and  was  a  director  until  1895.  He  is  now  presi- 
dent of  the  Anthracite  and  the  Industrial  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Associations,  both  on  the  south  side, 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  others.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Residenz  Lodge  No.  513,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
Nay-Aug  Tribe  No.  140,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  of  which 
he  is  past  sachem.  In  the  organization  of  the 
first  fire  company  on  the  south  side,  Neptune  No. 
2,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  was  its  secretary 
and  president.  In  religious  matters  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  German  Presbvterian  Church. 


JAMES  B.  NICHOLSON  has  held  the  posi- 
tion of  superintendent  of  the  Carbondale 
Electric  Light  &  Power  Company  since  its 
organization  in  1887  and  has  made  his  home  in 
Carbondale  since  1865,  having  come  here  at  the 
age  of  five  years.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Drummond)  Nicholson,  the  former  a 
native  of  England  and  a  carpenter  by  trade,  now- 
following  this  occupation  in  Carbondale.  The 
five  children  comprising  the  family  are  named 
Mary  J.,  Joseph  D.,  James  B-  and  Annie  W. 
(twins),  and  John  Grant. 

Near  Jermyn,  Pa.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  November  19,  i860.  He  was  reared  in 
the  home  of  his  uncle.  Joseph  Birkett,  wdio  gave 
him  good  common-school  advantages.  At  an 
early  age  he  began  to  earn  his  livelihood,  assist- 
ing his  iniclc.     After  a  time  lie  besfan  to  work  in 


AIGIST  KOHINSOX. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


285 


building  telegraph  lines  for  E.  Aliddleton,  a  con- 
tractor of  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company,  and  in 
that  way  he  was  employed  for  six  years.  His 
next  employment  was  with  the  Electric  Light, 
Heat  &  Power  Company.  Quick  to  comprehend 
any  detail  of  business,  he  has  proved  a  capable, 
employe,  and  justly  merited  his  promotion  to  the 
position  of  superintendent.  He  thoroughly  un- 
derstands his  system  of  electric  lights  and  their 
adjustment,  and  is  regarded  as  an  expert  in  his 
chosen  occupation. 

December  14,  1888,  Mr.  Nicholson  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  L.  Atkinson,  who 
was  born  in  Carbondale  and  is  a  refined  and  well- 
educated  lady,  possessing  the  friendship  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends.  One  child,  Harry  B., 
blesses  their  union.  While  the  business  interests 
of  Mr.  Nicholson  have  been  of  such  an  engross- 
ing nature  as  to  preclude  his  participation  in 
public  affairs,  he  is  nevertheless  interested  in 
everything  conducing  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
people  and  the  welfare  of  the  nation.  In  casting 
his  ballot  he  invariably  supports  Republican 
principles.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 


AUGUST  ROBINSON,  manager  of  E. 
Robinson  Sons'  brewery  at  Scranton.  iil 
which  he  and  his  brother  Charles  are  the 
sole  proprietors,  was  born  in  Lauterecken,  Ba- 
varia, the  son  of  Hon.  Jacob  Robinson,  also  a 
native  of  Bavaria.  His  grandfather,  Philip,  him- 
self a  successful  brewer  and  member  of  a  family 
that  for  generations  has  been  engaged  in  the 
brewing  business,  spent  his  active  life  in  the  land 
of  his  birth,  but  when  advanced  in  years  joined 
his  children  in  America  and  died  in  Scranton. 

It  was  in  1852  that  Jacob  Robinson  brought 
his  family  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
Scranton,  where  he  was  the  first  man  to  embark 
in  the  brewing  business.  He  opened  a  brewery 
on  the  south  side  and  operated  it  until  1868, 
when,  selling  out,  he  went  to  New  York  City 
and  became  proprietor  of  the  brewery  in  Turtle 
Bay  now  run  by  Oppermann.  In  1875  he  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  there  and  returned  to  Scran- 
ton, where,  the  following  year,  he  began  the  erec- 


tion of  the  present  brewery  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion to  the  present  extensive  business.  However, 
his  plans  were  prevented  from  being  executed  by 
his  death  in  1877,  when  fifty-three  years  of  age. 
He  was  a  Mason  and  a  charter  member  of  Schil- 
ler Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  hi  most  of  the  German 
societies  of  Scranton  he  held  membership  and 
took  an  active  part.  During  the  war  he  was 
elected  to  represent  this  district  in  the  state  legis- 
lature and  served  from  1863  to  1865.  During 
that  time  he  introduced  and  succeeded  in  having 
passed  a  bill  separating  Lackawanna  from  Lu- 
zerne County  and  it  was  signed  by  the  governor, 
but  was  afterward  defeated  by  the  people  of  the 
county.  He  married  Elizabeth  Heintz,  who  was 
born  in  Bavaria  and  now  resides  at  the  home- 
stead in  North  Seventh  Street. 

The  sole  survivors  of  the  family  of  thirteen 
children  are  August  and  Charles.  Another 
brother,  William,  who  was  associated  with  them 
in  business  and  was  a  practical  brewer,  died  in 
1893.  August  was  reared  in  Scranton  and  re- 
ceived his  education  here  and  in  New  York  City. 
In  1866  began  his  active  connection  with  the 
business,  at  which  time  he  succeeded  to  the 
position  occupied  by  his  uncle.  Christian  Robin- 
son, who  had  been  accidentally  killed  by  a  run- 
away team.  For  one  year  he  was  an  assistant, 
but  his  manifest  ability  soon  caused  his  father 
to  entrust  him  with  a  share  in  the  responsibilities. 
In  1871  he  went  to  New  York  City  and  became 
connected  with  the  Turtle  Bay  brewery,  but  four 
years  later  returned  to  Scranton  and  the  next 
year  assisted  his  father  in  establishing  the  present 
business,  building  a  power  liouse  and  introduc- 
ing an  electric  plant  for  lighting  the  building. 
The  location  of  the  plant  is  Nos.  435-455  ^'orth 
Seventh  Street.  The  buildings,  all  substantial, 
comprise  brewery,  storehouse,  stables,  boiler 
house;  artificial  ice  plant,  and  offices,  covering 
three  acres  of  land.  Opposite  the  brewery  is  the 
building  containing  the  ice  machinery,  equal  to 
the  manufacture  of  thirty-five  tons  per  day.  The 
brine  is  forced  through  a  tunnel  under  the  street 
and  distributed  by  myriads  of  small  pipes  into 
cellars,  where  the  temperature  is  never  above 
twenty  degrees.  The  annua!  output  is  about 
one  hundred  tliousand  barrels.     Employment  is 


286 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


furnished  to  seventy  men,  and  twenty  teams  are 
used  in  delivery.  After  the  death  of  the  father, 
Mrs.  E.  Rohinson  conducted  the  business  in  her 
name,  but  in  1893  transferred  her  interests  to  her 
sons. 

In  addition  to  the  business  bearing  his  name, 
Mr.  Robinson  is  interested  in  many  corporations 
and  has  tal<en  an  active  part  in  the  upbuilding 
of  Scranton.  At  this  writing  he  is  a  director 
in  the  Scranton  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Company. 
He  was  married  here  to  Miss  Caroline,  daughter 
of  Frederick  Locher,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  two  sons,  August  S.  and  Lewis.  In  1890  he 
took  a  four  months'  trip  to  Germany  for  the  pur- 
pose of  recreation  and  six  years  later  again  vis- 
ited the  old  home  land,  also  traveled  in  Switzer- 
land and  Austria  and  spent  some  time  at  Carls- 
bad. While  in  New  York  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Arion  and  Mannerchor,  and  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  Liederkranz  here,  also  a  member  of 
the  Turn  Verein  and  Hyde  Park  Mannerchor. 
From  the  organization  of  the  fire  department  of 
Scranton  he  has  been  identified  with  it,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade. 

The  Democratic  party,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  member  ever  since  attaining  his  majority  and 
with  whicli  he  is  most  heartily  in  sympathy,  rec- 
ognizes in  Mr.  Robinson  one  of  its  most  able 
members  and  has  reposed  in  him  the  local  lead- 
ership to  a  large  extent.  While  he  has  done  as 
much  toward  the  success  of  the  party  as  anyone 
in  the  county,  yet  he  asks  nothing  in  return;  in 
fact,  has  steadily  refused  to  accept  nomination 
for  office,  feeling  that  his  business  interests  de- 
mand his  entire  attention. 


JOHN  GIBBONS.  An  honorable  record  is 
a  suitable  subject  for  gratification.  One 
who  has  begun  life  with  no  means,  and  by 
his  industry  and  perseverance,  with  no  aid  ex- 
cept that  given  by  an  economical  wife,  has  gained 
a  competence  and  provided  for  his  children  the 
advantages  which  every  father  should  aim  to 
give  them,  may  well  feel  pride  in  his  record. 
Such  a  man  is  John  Gibbons,  who  is  general 
outside  foreman  for  William  Connell,  of  Scran- 
ton.    He  has  held  a  number  of  important  local 


positions,  having  for  twenty-two  years  been  con- 
stantly in  office,  a  part  of  the  time  having  two 
offices.  At  this  writing  he  is  a  member  of  the 
school  board.  Among  the  positions  he  has  held 
are  those  of  city  treasurer,  member  of  common 
and  select  councils,  and  member  of  the  poor 
board. 

Born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  our  subject 
was  nine  years  old  when  his  father,  John  Gib- 
bons, a  farmer  by  occupation,  started  for  Amer- 
ica. Three  years  later,  in  1852,  he  brought  his 
children  to  Scranton,  his  wife,  Bridget  ]\Ioore,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  having  meantime  died  at  the 
age  of  about  forty-five.  The  three  sons  and  two 
daughters  comprising  the  family  reside  in  Lack- 
awanna County.  The  eldest  son,  Patrick,  was  a 
member  of  an  Illinois  regiment  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  our  subject  also  endeavored  to  enlist, 
but  w-as  rejected  on  account  of  an  accident  to  his 
eye  that  happened  when  he  was  nine  years  old. 

The  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  was  made  in 
a  sailing  vessel  and  consumed  five  weeks  and 
four  days.  From  New  York  City  the  family  pro- 
ceeded by  rail  to  Lackawaxen,  thence  by  canal 
to  Hawley,  and  from  there  drove  to  Dunmore 
and  Scranton.  After  a  brief  attendance  at  the 
district  schools,  John  began  as  a  slate  picker  in 
1853,  then  for  a  year  v.'as  employed  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  south  division  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  road,  and  later  was  on 
the  Bloomingsburg  division.  His  next  work  was 
as  driver  on  the  tow  path  of  the  Schuylkill  Canal, 
from  Pottsville  via  Philadelphia  to  New  York.  In 
1857  he  returned  to  Scranton  and  entered  the 
employ  of  William  Connell,  then  foreman  for 
John  R.  Davis.  In  1872  he  became  foreman  for 
Mr.  Connell  and  has  since  continued  steadily  in 
his  employ.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Scranton  axle  works,  in  the  organization  of  which 
he  was  actively  interested. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Gibbons,  built  by  himself, 
stands  at  No.  1902  Pittston  Avenue.  He  was 
married  in  this  city  to  Miss  Mary  Casey,  a  native 
of  Carbondale  and  daughter  of  John  Casey.  Of 
the  ten  children  born  to  this  union,  eight  are  liv- 
ing: j\Trs.  Ella  Connell,  a  widow,  formerly  a 
teacher;  Mrs.  Mary  Manley,  who  also  taught  in 
Scranton  prior  to  her  marriage;  John  F.,  a  grad- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


287 


uate  of  the  business  department  of  Wyoming 
Seminary,  now  bookkeeper  in  the  coal  depart- 
ment of  Wilham  Connell;  Theresa,  a  graduate 
of  the  high  and  training  schools,  now  employed 
as  teacher;  Annie,  a  graduate  of  the  high  and 
training  schools;  Alice,  James  and  Edgar. 

For  more  than  thirty  years  Mr.  Gibbons  has 
been  active  in  politics.  He  was  the  first  school 
director  in  Lackawanna  Township,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  he  moved  into  Scranton.  For 
two  terms  he  represented  the  twelfth  ward  in  the 
common  council,  after  which  he  represented  the 
same  ward  upon  the  board  of  school  control  for 
three  years.  His  next  position  was  as  member 
of  the  select  council  from  what  is  now  the  twen- 
tieth ward,  to  which  he  was  re-elected.  For  four 
years  he  served  as  school  controller  from  this 
ward.  In  1888  he  was  appointed  by  Judge  Rice, 
of  Wilkesbarre,  a  director  of  the  poor  board  for 
this  district,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until 
March,  1896,  when  he  retired.  In  1889  he  was 
elected,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  to  the  office  of 
city  treasurer;  for  one  year  he  was  legislated  out 
of  oiifice,  but  made  no  fight  for  it,  as  he  knew  the 
good  of  the  community  demanded  that  the  peo- 
ple's money  not  be  tied  up.  In  February,  1896, 
he  was  elected  to  the  board  of  school  control, 
in  which  capacity  he  is  now  serving.  He  was 
treasurer  of  the  county  central  committee,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  committee  and  has  been  delegate 
to  county  and  state  conventions.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  St. 
John's  Catholic  Church  and  the  Catholic  Mutual 
Benevolent  Association,  and  has  assisted  in  build- 
ing both  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches,  when 
solicited. 


EDWARD  J.  McHALE,  who  has  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Carbondale  and  is  a  well 
known  business  man  of  the  city,  is  of  Irish 
parentage  and  descent.  His  father.  William,  was 
born  in  County  ]\Iayo  and  there  married  Mary 
Rogan.  Shortly  afterward,  while  yet  a  young 
man,  he  came  to  this  country  in  1845  ^^id  began 
to  work  in  the  mines  of  Lackawanna  County. 
For  some  years  before  his  retirement  from  active 
labors,  he  was  employed  as  sawyer  in  the  mines. 


and  this  jjosition  is  still  in  the  family.  Through 
his  good  constitution  and  temperate  habits,  he 
has  been  enabled  to  reach  an  advanced  age  in 
the  enjoyment  of  fair  health.  '  More  than  sixty 
years  ago  he  took  the  total  abstinence  pledge 
from  Father  Matthew  and  this  he  has  never 
broken.  He  is  now  the  oldest  member  of  the 
Father  Matthew  Temperance  Society.  His  wife 
died  in  18S7,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  Their  four 
children  are  living  and  are  named  as  follows: 
Alary,  wife  of  Michael  Cox,  of  Carbondale ;  Ann, 
Mrs.  Tom  Nealon,  also  of  this  city;  Edward  J.; 
and  Bridget,  the  widow  of  John  F.  Grady. 

In  Carbondale,  where  he  was  born  May  5, 
1S50,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood. 
Though  he  had  an  opportunity  to  secure  a  good 
education,  he  was  desirous  of  beginning  work 
and  did  not  therefore  attend  school  many  terms, 
his  present  knowledge  having  been  obtained  prin- 
cipally by  observation  and  experience.  At  the 
age  of  thirteen  he  secured  work  as  a  slate  picker, 
receiving  forty-five  cents  per  day,  and  during  the 
prevalence  of  the  war  was  given  larger  wages. 
From  seventeen  until  twenty  he  was  employed  in 
the  mines,  after  which  he  worked  at  blacksmith- 
ing  a  year  and  then  for  a  similar  period  was  a 
"wiper"  for  the  engines  of  a  railroad  company. 
Later,  for  three  and  one-half  years,  he  assisted 
his  father,  and  after  that  embarked  in  the  bottling 
business  in  1876,  continuing  eleven  years.  His 
next  enterprise  was  the  furniture  and  undertaking 
business,  concerning  which  he  knew  nothing  on 
embarking  in  it,  but  soon  learned  considerable 
by  experience.  While  in  the  end  he  secured  suc- 
cess, yet  he  met  with  so  many  obstacles  that  he 
gives  it  his  advice  to  young  men  never  to  enter 
a  business  of  which  they  know  nothing. 

After  some  time  Mr.  McHale  sold  out  his  fur- 
niture business,  but  he  still  continues  the  under- 
taking. With  a  desire  to  become  proficient  in 
the  embalming  process,  he  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  studied  under  Professors  Sullivan, 
Underwood,  and  others.  He  holds  diplomas  tes- 
tifying to  his  thoroughness,  one  of  which  is  from 
the  Oriental  School  of  Embalming  in  Boston. 
Long  experience  and  study  have  made  him  thor- 
ough along  this  special  line,  and  he  is  called 
upon  to  act  as  funeral  director  frequently  in  vari- 


288 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ous  parts  of  the  county.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  fraternally  is  identified  with  the 
Heptasophs,  and  on  state  and  national  issues 
votes  the  Republican  ticket,  but  in  local  affairs 
casts  In's  ballot  for  the  man  best  qualified  to  rep- 
resent the  interests  of  the  people.  His  marriage 
united  him  with  Miss  Margaret  T.  White,  of  Car- 
bondale,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, \\'illiam,  Clarence,  Florence  and  Gerald. 


AKjA  WTLLIAMS,  assistant  secretary  of 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company 
and  one  of  the  well  knpwn  citizens  of 
Scranton,  was  born  here  March  22,  1850,  and  is 
a  son  of  Rev.  John  R.  and  Mary  (Evans)  Wil- 
liams, natives  of  Wales.  His  father,  who  was 
born  in  Merthyr-Tydvil,  emigrated  to  America 
hi  1842  and  settled  in  Scranton.  where  he  was 
employed  by  Scranton  &  Grant,  remaining  with 
their  successors,  Scranton  &  Piatt  and  the  Lack- 
awanna Iron  &  Steel  Company.  While  there 
he  rolled  the  first  rails  ever  manufactured  for 
railroads  by  this  company,  holding  the  position 
of  boss  roller  until  he  retired.  However,  he  is 
still  interested  in  the  business.  He  was  born  in 
October,  i8i6,  and  is  therefore  eighty  years  of 
age.  His  wife  died  in  1869,  aged  fifty-Uvo  years. 
Many  years  ago  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry 
of  the  Welsh  Calvinistic  ;Mcthodist  Church  and 
often  preached  in  Scranton  and  surrounding 
cities,  being  fluent  in  the  use  of  both  the  Welsh 
and  English  languages.  However,  since  his 
wife's  death  he  has  not  been  so  active.  During 
the  war  he  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  Union 
League. 

The  family  consisted  of  two  children,  Mrs.  W. 
A.  Powell,  of  Scranton,  and  Arja,  of  this  sketch. 
The  latter  was  reared  in  this  city  and  received  an 
excellent  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
Wyoming  Seminary  at  Kingston,  which  he  at- 
tended for  two  years,  completing  the  classical 
course.  In  r868  he  became  a  clerk  for  the  Lack- 
awanna Iron  &  Steel  Company,  with  whom  he 
worked  his  way  up  from  an  humble  position  with 
small  wages  to  a  good  position  with  correspond- 
ing salary,  being  finally  made  chief  clerk.  In 
February,    1894,   he  became  assistant  secretary, 


the   position   having  been   made   vacant  by   the 
death  of  the  former  incumbent. 

In  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1875,  ^i''-  Williams  married 
Miss  Kittie  J.  Rowland,  who  was  born  in  New- 
York  City,  and  they  have  one  child,  Frank  Row- 
land. Airs.  Williams  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Rowland,  D.  D.,  of  Utica,  who  edited  the 
first  Welsh  magazine,  "Cyfaill,"  published  in  the 
United  States.  For  years  he  was  known  as  "the 
Welsh  boy  preacher,"  owing  to  the  fact  that  he 
entered  the  ministry  w^hen  a  mere  lad.  He  held 
the  pastorate  at  Utica  for  a  long  time  and  was 
probably  the  most  prominent  Welsh  minister  in 
the  country.  Always  a  Republican  in  politics, 
Mr.  Williams  was  elected  in  1893  '^^^  1894  to 
represent  the  seventeenth  ward  in  the  common 
council.  In  1894-95  he  was  collector  of  taxes 
for  the  poor  district.  In  the  Elm  Park  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  he  has  held  the  office  of  trus- 
tee, and  his  wife  is  prominent  in  Sunday-school 
and  church  work.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Royal  Arcaiumi,  Peter  Williamson 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A. 
M.,  and  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  Xo.  17,  in 
which  he  is  captain  general. 


JOHN  J.  GORMAN,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
plumbing  business  at  No.  309  Spruce  Street, 
Scranton,  was  born  July  4,  1865,  ^t  the 
home  of  his  parents,  Walter  and  Annie  (O'Don- 
nell)  Gorman,  in  Penn  Avenue,  this  city.  His 
father,  who  was  born  at  Westport,  Ireland,  was 
the  son  of  a  wealtliy  land-owner  and  prominent 
man,  who  was  accidentally  drowned  when  \\'al- 
ter  was  eleven  years  of  age.  In  1853  he  came  to 
America  and  at  once  secured  work  in  the  mines 
of  Carbondale,  but  after  four  years  removed  to 
Scranton,  where  he  was  similarly  engaged  for  a 
sliuil  time.  The  same  year,  1857,  he  bought 
pro])erty  in  Penn  Avenue  and  started  in  the  gro- 
cery business,  also  was  one  of  the  first  brewers 
in  the  city  and  made  the  first  ale  and  porter  man- 
ufactured in  this  part  of  the  state.  In  1889  he 
retired,  and  has  since  lived  quietly  at  his  home  at 
No.  133  Penn  -Vvenue.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  Ireland,  accompanied  her  mother  to  this  coun- 
try and  is  now  living  in  Scranton. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


289 


The  parental  family  consisted  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  living.  One  of  the  cons, 
Rev.  Walter  Gorman,  graduated  from  St.  Mary's 
Seminary,  Baltimore,  and  is  assistant  priest  and 
private  secretary  to  Bishop  Hoban  at  Ashley, 
Pa.  Another  son,  Austin,  is  with  John  J.  in  the 
plumbing  business.  The  youngest,  Bernard,  is 
twelve  years  of  age.  Our  subject,  who  was  next 
to  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  the  School  of  the  Lackawan- 
na. At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  an  appren- 
ticeship to  the  plumbers'  trade  under  Watson  & 
Barber,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  and  one- 
half  years.  Later  he  spent  five  years  with  Hunt 
&  Connell,  and  afterward  did  journeyman  work. 
In  1892  he  started  in  business  at  No.  309  Spruce 
Street,  and  from  a  very  small  beginning  worked 
his  wav  upward  until  he  now  employs  about 
thirty  hands  to  carry  out  his  contracts  for  plumb- 
ing, eas  and  steam  fitting,  hot  air,  Liteam  and  hot 
water  pipes. 

Among  the  private  residences  and  public 
buildings  for  which  Mr.  Gorman  has  had  the 
contract  may  be  mentioned  the  following:  resi- 
dences of  Dr.  J.  L.  Wentz,  Dr.  C.  R.  Parke,  Dr. 
J.  A.  Manley,  Dr.  X.  Y.  Leet,  J.  L.  Crawford,  in 
Scranton;  the  McCauley  and  Loftus  residences 
in  Carbondale;  the  Lackawanna  County  court- 
house, county  jail  and  federal  building;  Amer- 
ican House,  the  Arlington  Hotel,  schoolhouse  at 
Olyphant,  Father  :Matthe\v  Hall,- First  National 
Bank  of  Scranton,  Burke  Building  in  Carbon- 
dale,  residences  of  F.  A.  Kane  at  Minooka  and 
John  McCauley  in  Bellevue;  Robert  T.  Black, 
W.  Gibson  Jones,  F.  and  A.  C.  Nettleton,  Scran- 
ton House,  G.  L.  Dickson  and  James  T.  McGold- 
rick  residences,  Home  of  the  Friendless,  Atlantic 
Refining  Company's  building,  the  White  house, 
O'Boyle's  residence  in  Providence,  Keystone 
brewery  in  Dunmore,  St.  Peter's  Cathedral  and 
St.  Thomas'  College,  and  many  other  buildings, 
both  public  and  private. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Gorman  married  Miss  Mattie, 
daughter  of  Michael  Gormley,  formerly  with  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  but  now  re- 
tired. While  in  the  eighth  ward  our  subject  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  school  controller  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  but  lost  the  election  by 


one  vote;  this  was  an  excellent  record,  as  the 
ward  usually  gave  a  large  Republican  majority. 
He  is  a  member  and  secretary  of  the  Master 
Plumbers'  Association  in  Scranton,  and  has  been 
a  delegate  to  the  Master  Plumbers'  Association 
in  Philadelphia.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Elks  and  the  Y.  M.  A.  He  and  his  wife  re- 
side at  No.  732  Capouse  Avenue. 


SCOTT  W.  BEACH.  Since  June,  1892,  Mr. 
Beach  has  held  the  position  of  engineer  on 
the  New  York,  Ontario  «&  Western  Rail- 
road, and  for  five  years  previous  to  that  time  he 
was  employed  in  the  same  capacity  on  the  main 
line  of  tiie  Delaware  &  Hudson.  A  practical  rail- 
road man,  he  began  at  the  bottom  of  the  busi- 
ness, working  first  with  shovel  and  pick,  and  win- 
ning gradual  advancement  until  he  was  given  the 
responsible  position  of  engineer.  In  this  capacity 
he  is  recognized  as  reliable  and  trustworthy.  He 
is  a  citizen  of  Carbondale,  his  home  being  at  No. 
38  1-2  Canaan  Street. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Orrin  L.,  has  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer  throughout  his 
entire  life,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period 
spent  in  the  general  mercantile  business  at  Han- 
cock, N.  Y.,  but  the  burning  of  his  store  caused 
him  to  return  to  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the 
opening  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
New  York  Infantry,  and  served  for  two  years, 
taking  an  active  part  in  many  engagements.  Sev- 
eral times  he  had  narrow  escapes.  Once  a  flying 
bullet  left  a  hole  in  the  shoulder  of  his  cape,  at 
another  time  a  ball  passed  through  his  boot  leg 
and  one  through  his  hat.  While  he  miraculously 
escaped  injury,  yet  the  hardships  of  forced 
marches,  long  exposure  in  inclement  weather 
and  the  experiences  of  camp  life  left  him  in  poor 
health,  and  permanently  impaired  his  constitu- 
tion. At  this  writing  he  lives  on  his  farm  in 
Oneonta,  Orange  County,  N.  Y. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  Jane  (Clark) 
Beach,  was  born  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
and  died  at  twenty-five  years  of  age,  leaving  him 
an  only  child,  bereft  of  a  mother's  care.  Though 
so  young  at  the  time  of  her  death,  he  has  an  in- 


290 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


distinct  recollection  of  her  and  remembers  clearly 
the  funeral,  the  bier  and  the  sorrowing  friends. 
He  was  born  at  Gilboa,  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
September  22,  1856,  but  when  two  years  of  age 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Walton,  Delaware 
County,  and  there  he  gained  a  common  school 
education.  In  youth  he  assisted  his  father  on  the 
farm.  However,  at  an  early  age  he  began  work- 
ing on  the  railroad,  after  a  time  was  made  fire- 
man, and  in  1887  became  engineer.  For  thir- 
teen years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson,  and  for  four  years  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  New  York,  Ontario  &  Western. 
He  is  an  active  worker  in  George  W.  West 
Lodge  No.  468,  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers, at  Carbondale. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Beach,  which  took  place 
December  25,  1879,  united  him  with  Estella 
Humphrey,  who  was  born  in  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Ina 
and  John  Q.,  the  latter  named  after  Mrs.  Beach's 
father,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  and  a 
resident  of  Delaware  County.  While  Mr.  Beach 
is  prevented,  by  reason  of  the  duties  of  his  posi- 
tion, from  actively  identifying  himself  with  po- 
litical alfairs  or  municipal  interests,  he  is  never- 
theless w-ell  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  age, 
and  is  a  strong  Republican  politically. 


M 


ISS  MARY  E.  BARRETT.  While  the 
nineteenth  century  has  shown  a  wonder- 
ful growth  in  every  direction,  probably 
there  is  no  fact  connected  with  its  history  more 
remarkable  than  the  progress  made  by  women 
in  the  professions  and  the  industrial  arts.  The 
"new"  woman,  as  she  is  facetiously  called  by 
many  of  the  papers  of  the  day,  differs  from  her 
predecessors  only  in  the  fact  that,  v/hen  thrown 
upon  her  own  resources,  she  displays  the  energy 
and  business  acumen  which  place  her  in  rank 
with  her  competitors  of  the  sterner  sex.  There 
are  few  lines  of  work  in  which  she  does  not  now 
find  ready  admission  and  in  which,  if  faithful  and 
persevering,  she  may  not  hope  to  achieve  success. 
Miss  Barrett  is  one  of  the  number  who  have 
started  in  business  in  Scranton,  where  she  has  an 
office  at  No.  630  Washington  Avenue.    She  is  a 


graduate  in  chiropody  and  in  manicure,  and  is 
thoroughly  experienced  in  both  lines  of  work. 
She  is  well  educated,  having  attended  the  schools 
of  this  city,  her  birthplace,  and  being  a  graduate 
of  the  Hyde  Park  school.  Her  father  died  when 
she  was  a  child,  but  her  mother  continues  to  re- 
side in  Scranton.  After  her  graduation  she  was 
employed  by  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany as  dressmaker  in  their  mercantile  depart- 
ment, and  later  held  a  trusted  position  with  the 
firm  of  J.  D.  Williams  and  Brother. 

In  1892  Miss  Barrett  began  to  study  under  Pro- 
fessor Kenison,  of  Broadway,  New  York,  and 
graduated  from  his  school,  receiving  a  diploma 
for  proficiency  as  a  chiropodist  and  manicure. 
In  1895  she  located  at  No.  630  Washington 
Avenue,  where  she  gives  treatment  of  all  kinds 
in  those  two  branches,  her  practice  being  among 
the  best  class  of  people  in  the  city.  In  religious 
belief  she  is  a  Catholic,  worshiping  at  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral. 


CHARLES  W.  WESTPFAHL.  Although 
scarcely  yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of 
tins  sketch  has  attained  a  high  standing  in  busi- 
ness circles,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men 
of  the  south  side,  Scranton.  When  only  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  he  became  proprietor  of  a  mer- 
cantile establishment,  and  this  he  has  since  con- 
ducted, carrying  on  a  large  trade  in  groceries 
and  dry  goods,  and  using  two  delivery  teams  to 
accommodate  his  customers.  While  his  business 
interests  occupy  much  of  his  time,  he  gives  atten- 
tion to  public  affairs,  and  is  a  prime  mover  in 
every  measure  for  the  benefit  of  the  community. 
Referring  to  the  family  history,  John  West- 
pfahl,  our  suJiject's  father,  was  born  in  Mecklen- 
burg, (iermany,  in  1836,  and  was  the  son  of  Fred- 
erick, a  mechanic  Ijy  trade,  Init  spent  his  boy- 
hood years  principally  on  his  uncle's  farm.  In 
1850  he  came  to  America  and  after  spending  nine 
months  in  Canada,  proceeded  to  Scranton.  where 
he  took  a  position  with  tJie  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad.  In  1862  he  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  C^ne  Hinidrcd  antl  Thirty-second 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


291 


Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  at  the  battle  of  Antie- 
tam  was  wounded  in  the  forehead  bv  the  burst- 
ing of  a  shell,  after  which  he  remained  for  a  time 
in  a  hospital  at  Washington,  and  later  was  at 
Chestnut  Hill.  His  disability  caused  him  to  be 
transferred  to  detached  service,  where  he  re- 
mained until  mustered  out  with  his  regiment  in 
May,  1863.  Returning  to  Scranton,  he  worked 
as  a  blacksmith  in  the  car  shops  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western. 

In  1872  John  Westpfah!  went  to  New  York 
and  engaged  in  the  restaurant  and  bakery  busi- 
ness at  No.  no  Bleecker  Street  until  1874,  when 
he  came  back  to  Scranton  and  resumed  work 
with  the  railroad  company.  In  1882  he  built  a 
store,  which  he  rented  for  two  years,  and  then 
embarked  in  the  mercantile  business.  This  he 
has  since  conducted,  the  store  being  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Pittston  Avenue  and  Willow  Street.  He 
is  an  enthusiastic  Grand  Army  man,  and  belongs 
to  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139.  After 
coming  to  this  city  he  married  Miss  Augusta 
Rabe,  who  was  born  in  Bojonowo,  a  town  of 
Pi-ussian  Poland,  and  who  died  here  in  1888. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children:  Mrs. 
Amelia  Storr,  of  Scranton;  Charles  W.;  Albert, 
clerking  for  his  father;  and  Wanda,  who  is  with 
our  subject. 

In  Scranton,  where  he  was  born  March  16, 
1867,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and 
educated.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  be- 
came a  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  H.  &  E.  G. 
Coursen,  and  after  a  year  there  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  held  a  clerkship  several  months. 
Afterward  he  learned  the  upholsterer's  trade  with 
Hill  &  Keiser  (now  Hill  &  Connell),  where  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  and  one-half 
years,  leaving  the  store  at  the  death  of  his  mother 
in  1888.  Since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness for  himself.  He  aided  in  the  organization 
of  the  Industrial  Building  &  Loan  Association, 
in  which  he  is  still  active,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Germania  Building  &  Loan  Association. 

A  strong  Republican  politically,  Mr.  Westpfahl 
is  influential  in  local  matters.  In  1892  he  was 
nominated  a  member  of  the  select  council,  from 
a  strong  Democratic  ward,  and  was  elected  by 
a  majority  of  fifty-nine  over  the  most  prominent 


Democrat  in  the  ward.  He  took  the  oath  of  office 
in  April,  about  twenty  days  after  he  was  twenty- 
five  years  old,  the  latter  being  the  limit  before 
which  no  one  can  be  elected  to  the  office.  During 
the  last  year  of  his  service  he  was  president  of  the 
council.  In  April,  1896,  he  retired  from  the  of- 
fice, and  at  the  same  time  was  candidate  for  city 
comptroller,  but  was  defeated,  though  making  a 
very  creditable  campaign  race.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  city  and  covmty  committees.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  German  Presbyterian.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Century  Hose  Company, 
Scranton  Athletic  Club,  Harigari  Society,  Be- 
nevolent Protective  Order  of  Elks,  James  Connell 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Scranton  Lodge  No.  263,  K. 
of  P.,  Washington  Camp  No.  242,  P.  O.  S.  of  A., 
in  which  he  was  secretary,  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Heptasophs. 


FRANK  H  STAIR,  superintendent  of  the 
American  Safety  Lamp  &  Mine  Supply 
Company  at  No.  1321  Capouse  Avenue, 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  March  17, 
1866,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Henrietta 
(Steele)  Stair,  natives  of  Easton.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Michael  Stair,  was  of  German  de- 
scent, and  his  maternal  grandfather,  John  Steele, 
who  was  born  in  Easton,  remained  there  through- 
out his  entire  life,  engaged  as  a  general  con- 
tractor; he  married  Miss  Henrietta  Clendenning, 
who  died  in  1890. 

Until  the  panic  of  1876  George  Stair  was  en- 
gaged in  general  contracting,  but  since  then  he 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Jersey  Central 
Railroad  Company  as  baggage  master  between 
Easton  and  Scranton.  He  and  his  wife  have 
three  children,  Frank  H.,  Mrs.  McPherson  and 
Mrs.  Royce,  of  Easton.  In  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city  our  subject  gained  a  practical 
education,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  to 
make  his  way  in  the  world.  His  first  position  was 
in  an  agricultural  warehouse,  after  which  he 
spent  four  years  in  learning  the  brass  finishing 
trade.  In  1886  he  came  to  Scranton  and  was 
employed  as  foreman  for  T.  P.  Hoban  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  went  to  Rome,  N.  Y.,  and 
worked   at  his   trade.     Returning  to   Easton   in 


292 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1890,  he  was  engaged  for  two  years  as  foreman 
in  the  Easton  brass  works. 

In  Marcli,  1892,  Mr.  Stair  again  came  to  Scran- 
ton  to  accept  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  newly  organized  American  Safety  Lamp  & 
Mine  Supply  Company,  wliich  manufactures 
safety  lamps,  mine  supplies  and  general  brass 
work.  In  i8<)6  he  patented  what  is  known  as  the 
Stair  Safety  Lamp,  which  is  more  durable  than 
those  previously  manufactured.  In  that  year  the 
company  was  bought  out  by  AI.  E.  McDonald, 
John  J.  Fahey  and  !■".  li.  Stair,  and  Mr.  Fahey 
is  now  president,  Mr.  McDonald  secretary  and 
treasurer  and  Mr.  Stair  vice-president  and  su- 
perintendent. The  products  are  shipped  through- 
out the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  to  Aus- 
tralia, South  America  and  South  Africa.  At  No. 
1 321  Capouse  Avenue  they  have  a  building  50X 
150  feet,  with  a  wing  120x80,  containing  all  the 
latest  improved  machinery,  including  a  boiler 
and  engine  of  sixty  horse  power. 

In  Easton  Mr.  Stair  married  Miss  Emma  M. 
Garris,  who  was  born  there,  and  they  and  their 
daughter,  Ethel,  reside  at  No.  536  Wyoming 
Avenue.  They  are  Presbyterians  in  religious  be- 
lief, and  were  identified  with  that  church  in  Eas- 
ton. Fraternally  our  subject  is  connected  with 
Lehicton  Lodge  No.  244,  1.  O.  O.  F.,  in  Easton. 


M 


ILTON  W.  LOWRY,  A.  M.  The  family 
of  which  this  influential  attorney  of 
Scranton  is  a  member  originated  in  Eng- 
land, but  has  been  represented  in  America  since 
an  early  period  in  the  history  of  this  country,  the 
first  of  the  name  settling  near  Lowell,  Mass.  His 
great-grandfather,  John  Lowry,  lived  in  southern 
New  York,  and  there  Holloway,  the  next  in  line 
of  descent,  was  born  and  reared.  The  latter,  upon 
attaining  manhood,  settled  upon  an  unimproved 
farm  in  the  wilds  of  Susquehanna  County,  Pa., 
where  he  made  his  home  until  death.  Among 
his  children  was  James  W.,  who  was  born  near 
McAllas  Mills,  Clifford  Township,  Susquehanna 
County,  within  a  mile  of  his  present  place  of  resi- 
dence, and  who,  in  addition  to  following  the  occu- 
pation of  a  farmer,  has  been  justice  of  the  peace 
at  Elkdale  for  more  tlian  twentv-five  vears.     In 


tlie  Republican  jiarty  he  has  been  a  prominent 
local  worker,  and  at  one  time  was  a  candidate  for 
the  assembly.  In  the  work  of  the  Republican 
county  conmiittee  he  has  also  been  influential. 
Besides  his  other  interests  he  has  engaged  exten- 
sively in  the  lumbering  business. 

The  marriage  of  James  W.  Lowrj-  united  him 
with  Alma  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Lackawanna 
County,  being  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Taylor,  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire.  The  family  consisted 
of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are 
living  except  one  son.  Milton  W.  was  born  at 
the  family  homestead  in  Susquehanna  County  in 
1859,  and  there  his  boyhood  years  were  spent, 
his  primary  education  being  obtained  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  In  1876  he  entered  Keystone  Acad- 
emy, and  there  remained  a  student  for  three  years, 
the  intervening  vacations  being  devoted  to  teach- 
ing. In  June,  1879,  he  graduated  from  the  acad- 
emy, and  the  following  year  secured  an  appoint- 
ment, on  competitive  examination,  to  a  scholar- 
ship at  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  from  the 
twenty-sixth  senatorial  district  at  the  hands  of 
Hon.  William  N.  Nelson.  By  virtue  of  this  ap- 
pointment he  entered  the  sophomore  class.  Dur- 
ing his  collegiate  course  he  won  the  first  prize  in 
the  oratorical  contest  of  his  class,  this  being  pre- 
sented him  by  Governor  Beaver,  then  president 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  college.  In  1884 
he  graduated  with  honors  in  the  classical  course. 

Prior  to  his  graduation  Mr.  Lowry  had  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  under  Hon.  W.  W.  Wat- 
son, of  Scranton,  and  to  this  city  he  returned 
after  graduating.  Soon  afterward  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  the  prothonotary's  of- 
fice, in  which  responsible  position  he  won  the 
confidence  of  the  people  and  proved  that  he  pos- 
sessed energy  and  ability.  The  position  was  one 
of  especial  advantage  to  him  in  that  it  enabled 
him  to  become  familiar  with  every  form  of  legal 
procedure  known  to  the  courts,  as  all  were  sub- 
ject to  his  supervision  and  passed  through  his 
hands.  In  April,  1886,  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  courts  of  Lackawanna  County,  and 
was  subsequently  admitted  to  practice  before  the 
supreme  court  of  the  state. 

In  October,  1885.  Air.  Lowry  was  married  in 
Green  Grove,  Lackawanna  County,  to  Miss  An- 


THOMAS  n.   r)AI<K. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


295 


nie  Lowry,  who,  though  bearing  the  same  name, 
was  not  related.  She  was  born  in  England,  but 
came  to  this  country  at  a  very  early  age  with  her 
parents  and  received  an  excellent  education  in 
Bucknell  University  at  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  from 
which  she  graduated.  One  son,  Robert,  blesses 
the  union.  The  family  are  identified  with  the 
Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church  in  Scranton. 

With  the  local  workings  of  the  Republican 
paity  Mr.  Lowry  is  closely  identified,  and  he  has 
been  chairman  of  city  conventions  and  secretary 
of  the  county  committee.  In  i8gi  he  was  his 
party's  candidate  for  the  office  of  district  attor- 
ney, and  his  manly,  energetic  canvass  won  for 
him  the  respect  of  all,  irrespective  of  political  ties. 
In  January,  1897,  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of 
Keystone  Academy.  Well  versed  in  the  law  and 
well  informed  in  outside  matters,  increasing  suc- 
cess may  safely  be  predicted  of  his  future  vears. 


THOMAS  H.  DALE,  one  of  the  successful 
business  men  of  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Daleville,  which  lies  fourteen  miles  south- 
east of  Scranton  and  which  was  founded  by  his 
grandfather,  David  Dale,  a  native  of  England, 
about  1818.  Prior  to  his  emigration  he  had  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Tanfield,  who  accompanied  him  to 
this  country.  At  that  time  the  present  site  of 
Daleville  was  a  forest  farm,  for  which  he  paid  by 
working  on  the  Great  Bend  and  Philadelphia 
turnpike.  On  the  place  he  built  a  log  house,  and 
laboring  industriously,  after  a  time  he  had  the 
farm  cleared  of  its  forest  growth.  He  died  there 
and  was  buried  in  the  Daleville  graveyard. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Wil- 
liam, was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  was 
nine  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  the  LTnited  States.  He  grew  to  manhood  on 
the  home  farm,  a  portion  of  which  came  into  his 
possession.  It  was  largely  through  his  efforts 
that  a  postoffice  was  established  at  Daleville, 
and  he  was  appointed  the  first  postmaster,  in  ad- 
dition to  which  he  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising, the  lumber  and  sawmill  business  and  the 
manufacture  of  handles.  A  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  the  first  Re- 
publican presidential  candidate.  He  held  a  num- 
10 


ber  of  local  offices,  all  of  which  he  filled  credit- 
ably to  himself  and  acceptably  to  the  people. 
His  death  occurred  in  1882,  when  he  was  seventy- 
three.  His  wife,  who  continues  to  reside  at  the 
Daleville  homestead,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Susan  Hodgson,  and  was  born  in  London,  Eng- 
land. She  was  a  daughter  of  Matthew  Hodgson, 
a  native  of  England,  and  a  carpenter  by  trade, 
who  brought  his  family  to  America  about  the 
time  that  the  Dales  settled  here,  and  was  thence- 
forward engaged  in  farming. 

The  family  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  a  member,  consisted  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  nine  attained  maturity  and  eight  are  liv- 
ing, namely:  M.  H.,  of  Scranton;  David  W., 
of  Daleville,  a  member  of  the  Sixty-first  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry  during  the  Civil  War  and  a 
participant  in  forty-three  battles  in  the  course  of 
his  four  years'  service;  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hanks  and 
Miss  Eliza  Dale,  of  Daleville;  Thomas  H.;  Alice 
L.,  wife  of  Myron  Kasson,  deputy  prothonotary 
of  Lackawanna  County;  Frank,  who  resides  at 
Grand  Junction,  Iowa;  and  Everett  E.,  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  During  1863  Thomas  H.  was  a 
student  at  Eastman's  Business  College,  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.  At  the  time  of  Lee's  invasion  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  answer  to  Governor  Cur- 
tin's  call  for  emergency  men,  he  left  school  and 
enlisted  in  an  independent  company  formed  in 
Lackawanna  County  and  ordered  to  Harrisburg. 
At  the  expiration  of  three  months  he  was  honor- 
ably discharged. 

After  completing  his  education  in  Wyoming 
Seminary  at  Kingston,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
entered  the  wholesale  produce  business  with  his 
brother,  M.  H.,  in  1869,  under  the  finn  name  of 
Dale  &  Co.  They  had  a  store  in  Franklin  Ave- 
nue, and  were  among  the  first  wholesale  mer- 
chants here.  The  connection  was  continued  un- 
til 1892,  when  Thomas  H.  retired  from  the  firm. 
Meantime,  in  1882,  he  was  elected  prothonotarj' 
by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  forty-nine,  and 
three  years  later  was  re-elected  by  an  increased 
majority,  again  in  1888  with  a  majority  of  twelve 
hundred,  serving  until  January,  1892,  when  he 
refused  further  nomination.  In  1886  he  became 
interested  in  coal  operations  with  R.  G.  Brooks, 
organizing  the  Greenwood  Coal  Company,  Lim- 


296 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ited,  at  Greenwood,  of  which  he  is  secretary  and 
treasurer.  At  the  time  of  organization  they  had 
only  one  breaker,  but  in  1890  built  another. 

Besides  his  other  interests  Mr.  Dale  is  a  stock- 
holder and  treasurer  of  the  Langcliffe  Coal  Com- 
pany, Limited,  operating  at  Avoca;  a  stockhold- 
er and  treasurer  of  the  Lailin  Coal  Company,  op- 
erating at  Laflin,  Pa.;  also  secretary  of  the 
Thouron  Coal  Land  Company.  His  marriage, 
which  took  place  at  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  in  1870, 
united  him  with  Miss  Grace  R.  Rounds,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  State,  and  is  a  graduaite  of 
Wyoming  Seminary.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  Ruth  E.,  Luise  F.,  and  Everett  T., 
of  whom  the  daughters  are  graduates  of  Wyo- 
ming Seminary.  Mrs.  Dale  is  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Nelson  Rounds,  D.  D.,  a  Methodist  minister, 
who  was  formerly  presiding  elder  in  New  York 
and  editor  of  the  "Northern  Christian  Advocate," 
but  afterward  held  the  position  of  president  of 
Willamette  University  at  Salem,  Ore.,  until  his 
death. 

From  1871  until  1895  Mr.  Dale  belonged  to 
the  Simpson  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  was  president  of  the  board  of  trustees 
the  most  of  the  time  and  Sunday-school  super- 
intendent for  eleven  years.  At  this  writing  he  is 
identified  with  the  Elm  Park  Church.  In  1892 
he  was  chosen  one  of  the  two  lay  delegates  by 
the  Wyoming  conference  to  attend  the  general 
conference  at  Omaha.  A  Republican  politically, 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  county  central  com- 
mittee for  several  years,  served  as  its  secretary 
and  treasurer,  also  as  chairman.  He  is  connect- 
ed with  the  city  committee  and  was  its  secretary 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1895  he  erected  the 
comfortable  home  on  Linden  Street,  where  he 
and  his  family  now  reside. 


M 


ICHAEL  MILLER.  Biographies  of  suc- 
cesshil  men  furnish  interesting  and  in- 
structive reading,  and  especially  is  this 
the  case  when,  as  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Miller,  the 
one  whose  history  is  narrated  has  early  in  life 
been  thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  among 
strangers  and  in  a  strange  land.  The  struggles 
which  they    have    successfully  encountered,  the 


hardships  which  they  have  battled  undismayed 
and  the  victories  which  they  have  enjoyed,  ren- 
der their  examples  worthy  of  emulation. 

Now  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  south 
side,  Scranton,  Mr.  Miller  was  bom  in  Lautzen- 
hausen,  Rhine  Province,  Germany,  March  17, 
1 83 1,  and  is  the  older  and  only  survivor  of  the 
two  children  of  Col.  Michael  and  Margareta  Mil- 
ler, natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself,  the  for- 
mer being  a  hotel  keeper  and  holding  the  rank 
of  colonel  in  the  German  army.  Michael,  of  this 
sketch,  attended  the  "public  schools  and  gym- 
nasium of  his  native  place,  graduating  at  the  age 
of  seventeen.  It  was  his  desire  to  enter  the  army 
as  a  member  of  the  Sharpshooters,  but  while  his 
education  entitled  him  to  admission,  various 
excuses  were  given  to  delay  his  acceptance,  in- 
stead of  which  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a 
judge's  ofifice  for  three  years.  Growing  impa- 
tient at  his  treatment,  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  de- 
cided to  come  to  America,  and  accordingly  took 
passage  July  28,  1851,  on  the  sailer  "Emma," 
which  sank  in  the  ocean  the  next  year.  It  is  a 
somewhat  strange  fact  that  the  steamer  "Elba," 
on  which  Mr.  Miller  returned  to  Germany  in 
1889,  also  sank  the  following  year. 

After  a  voyage  of  forty-nine  days,  Mr.  Miller 
reached  New  York  and  thence  came  to  Scranton. 
Times  were  hard  and  work  scarce,  but  he  finally 
secured  employment  chopping  wood,  where  the 
court  house  now  stands,  at  forty  cents  per  day. 
Afterward,  for  thirteen  years,  he  was  employed 
in  the  old  rolling  mill  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company,  becoming  a  practical  iron  roller. 
In  1863  he  began  in  the  grocery  business  in  the 
twelfth  ward,  continuing  for  twelve  years.  Mean- 
time, in  1874,  he  bought  his  present  place  and 
started  in  the  grocery  business;  also  carried  on 
a  livery  trade.  In  1885  he  began  in  the  undertak- 
ing business,  which  was  carried  on  by  his  son, 
G.  A.,  for  six  years.  On  retiring  from  business, 
he  turned  his  different  enterprises  over  to  his  son 
and  daughters,  but  still  owns  five  residences  and 
a  business  block. 

In  Dunmore  in  1852  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss 
Maria  M.  Fickinger,  a  native  of  Rhine  Province, 
Germany.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  living 
children:    Mary;    Gustav  Adolphus,   who  is   in 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


297 


business  in  Scranton ;  and  Louisa,  Mrs.  Stephen 
Spruks,  of  this  city.  Like  liis  ancestors  for  many 
generations,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Presbyterian  Church,  but  unHke  them,  he 
is  not  identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His 
political  affiliations  are  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  firm  supporter  of  all 
its  principles. 


CHARLES  P.  J  AD  WIN.  The  life  of  no 
man  can  be  counted  as  having  been  in 
vain  who  has  established  a  business  upon 
a  finn  basis  and  contributed  to  the  advancement 
of  a  city  in  a  practical  way.  The  business  in 
Scranton  to  which  Mr.  Jadwin  devotes  his  atten- 
tion IS  the  purchasing,  improvement  and  sale  of 
realty.  Not  only  was  he  the  first  in  this  city  to 
regularly  embark  in  the  real  estate  business,  but 
he  has  also  been  one  of  the  most  successful,  hav- 
ing efifected  the  largest  transfers  of  property  here 
and  frequently  handled  valuable  tracts  in  the 
business  center. 

A  native  of  this  county,  Mr.  Jadwin  was  born 
in  Carbondale  September  13,  1840.  He  is  a  son 
of  Henry  B.  Jadwin,  who  was  bom  in  Maryland, 
grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm,  in  youth  served  in 
the  War  of  1812,  later  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  removed  to  Carbondale 
about  1830.  He  was  similarly  engaged  here  un- 
til old  age,  when  he  retired  from  active  business. 
His  death  occurred  in  1876,  when  he  was  more 
than  seventy-six.  In  religious  affiliations  he  was 
associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
The  lady  whom  he  married  was  Alice  Plumb,  a 
native  of  Litchfield  County,  Conn.,  and  daughter 
of  Ezra  Plumb,  who  removed  from  Connecticut 
to  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and  later  settled  in  Lack- 
awanna County.  Mrs.  Alice  Jadwin  was  an  ear- 
nest believer  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  faith  she  died  in  1880. 

There  were  eight  sons  in  the  parental  family, 
namely:  Orlando  H.,  a  wholesale  druggist  of 
New  York  City;  Cornelius  C,  a  former  member 
of  congress  and  for  some  years  a  prosperous 
manufacturer;  Henry  B.,  a  retired  merchant  and 
formerly    mayor    of    Carbondale;     Charles    P.; 


James  S.,  who  died  here  in  boyhood;  Ezra  W., 
who  passed  away  in  1864;  Thomas  S.,  a  drug- 
gist, who  died  in  this  city  in  1894;  and  John  S., 
also  a  druggist,  who  died  in  1895.  Lieut.  Edgar 
Jadwin,  a  son  of  Cornelius  C,  received  the  highest 
average  of  any  one  who  ever  graduated  from 
West  Point. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
became  an  employe  in  a  drug  store  in  Carbon- 
dale, where  he  remained  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Rebellion.  September  4,  1861,  he  married  Miss 
Augusta  Hampton,  and  on  the  same  day  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army,  becoming  a  private  in  Com- 
pany C,  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  and  being 
mustered  in  at  Philadelphia.  In  the  spring  of 
the  following  year,  while  drilling  at  Dranesville, 
a  horse  fell  on  him  and  disabled  him  permanently. 
On  this  account  he  was  honorably  discharged  in 
February,  1862,  with  the  rank  of  color  sergeant. 
It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  him  that  he  was 
unable  to  continue  with  his  regiment  and  share  in 
the  final  triumph  of  the  Union. 

Returning  home,  in  1864,  with  his  brother, 
Henry  B.,  our  subject  bought  out  the  drug  busi- 
ness of  his  brother,  Orlando  H.,  and  continued 
thus  engaged  until  1872,  when  he  went  to  New 
York,  forming  a  partnership  with  his  brother 
Orlando,  under  the  firm  name  of  Jadwin  Broth- 
ers, and  embarking  in  the  wholesale  drug  busi- 
ness at  No.  63  Courtland  Street.  In  addition  to 
the  sale  of  drugs,  he  also  engaged  in  their  manu- 
facture. In  1875  he  returned  to  Lackawanna 
County,  to  take  charge  of  a  drug  business  in 
Scranton  that  had  come  into  the  possession  of 
the  firm.  Of  this  he  remained  in  charge  until 
1879,  when  he  sold  out,  but  having  meantime 
become  interested  in  other  enterprises,  he  decided 
to  remain  here,  and  accordingly  disposed  of  the 
New  York  business. 

In  1883  Mr.  Jadwin  opened  a  real  estate  busi- 
ness in  the  old  postoffice  building,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  sale  of  city  tracts,  and  also  platted 
Clark's  Summit,  a  ride  of  fifteen  minutes  from  the 
heart  of  the  city.  In  addition,  he  developed  Pros- 
pect Park  and  the  Silkman  plat  in  Green  Ridge. 
For  some  years  he  has  had  the  heaviest  real  estate 
business  in  the  city,  and  his  deals  are  large  and 
important.    A  number  of  lots  he  has  sold  as  many 


298 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


as  six  times,  these  being  located  principally  in 
the  business  center.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trade,  in  fonner  years  was  identified  with  the 
Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  belongs  to  Lieut.  Ezra 
S.  Griflin  Post  Xo.  139.  G.  A.  R.,  is  identified  with 
the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
for  five  years  was  chairman  of  the  Republican 
county  committee. 

To  the  request  of  his  townsmen  to  become  an 
office-holder  Mr.  Jadwin  has  turned  a  deaf  ear, 
believing  tliat  in  aiding  by  his  active  co-operation 
those  projects  set  on  foot  for  the  welfare  of  his 
community,  he  can  be  of  more  real  service.  He 
is  not  one  of  those  impulsive,  vacillating  charac- 
ters, to  be  governed  by  the  opinions  of  others, 
driven  by  adversity  or  led  away  by  prosperity, 
but,  like  every  consistent,  honest  man,  he  holds 
firmly  to  his  principles  under  all  circumstances. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County, 
is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  R.  Hampton,  formerly  of 
New  Jersey,  now  residing  with  his  son-in-law. 
Two  children  comprise  the  family,  Orlando  H., 
who  is  in  business  with  his  father;  and  Reuel  H., 
whii  is  witli  tlie  Scranton  Forging  Company. 


JOHN  \V.  KILPATRICK,  manufacturer  of 
cigars  for  the  wholesale  and  retail  trade, 
with  factory  in  Main  Street,  Carbondale, 
was  l)orn  in  this  city  January  21,  1854,  the  young- 
est child  of  Joseph  and  .^.nn  (Dougherty)  Kilpat- 
rick,  natives  of  County  Sligo,  Ireland.  His  fath- 
er, who  came  to  this  country  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage, settled  in  Carljondale  and  continued  to 
follow  mining  pursuits  until  his  death,  at  tlie  age 
of  about  seventy-one  years.  Of  his  four  children, 
three  are  living,  those  besides  our  subject  being 
Elizabeth,  wluo  resides  in  Carbondale:  and 
Tames,  whose  home  is  in  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton. 

In  the  common  schools  Mr.  Kilpatrick  ob- 
tained a  practical  education  that  fitted  him  for 
active  business  affairs.  The  first  position  he  ever 
held  was  that  of  clerk  in  a  confectionery  store, 
where  he  remained  from  1871  to  1873.  Later  he 
held  a  clerical  position  in  the  office  of  the  Erie 
Company  for  about  eighteen  months,  after  which 
he  was  weighmaster  and  bookkeeper  for  Clark- 


son  &'  L'.rennan  Coal  Company  for  two  years. 
Meantime  he  had  become  interested  in  base  ball, 
and  for  a  time  after  leaving  his  position  with  the 
coal  company  he  gave  his  attention  to  matters 
pertaining  to  that  game.  After  a  time  he  opened 
a  billiard  parlor,  but  for  some  time  past  has  been 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars.  Though 
he  had  no  knowledge  of  the  business  on  entering 
it,  he  was  quick  to  grasp  its  details,  and  has  estab- 
lished and  put  on  sale  some  brands  of  cigars  that 
have  a  wide  reputation  for  superior  quality. 
Through  energetic  efforts  he  has  accumulated 
properly  and  owns  some  valuable  real  estate. 

Politically  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Kilpatrick  has 
taken  a  lively  interest  in  local  matters.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
county  committee,  and  has  frequently  been  del- 
egate to  state  conventions.  While  a  member  of 
the  common  council  he  served  on  important  com- 
mittees. For  a  time  he  held  the  position  of  col- 
lector of  school  tax.  For  twenty  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  Columbia  Hose  Company  No. 
5,  and  is  now  the  president  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees. In  i8q2  he  was  delegate  to  the  convention 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians  at  New  Or- 
leans. He  married  Miss  Kate  Loftus,  who  was 
born  in  Carbondale,  and  they  have  a  daughter, 
Mary.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Catholic.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
Society  and  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benevolent  As- 
sociation, being  financial  secretary  of  the  latter 
organization.  Fraternally  he  is  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Improved  Order  of  Heptasophs. 


JOHN  V.  CORBY,  who  has  represented  the 
seventh  ward  upon  both  the  common  and 
select  councils  of  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  capital  of  the  county  of 
Northumberland,  England,  June  23,  1857,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Cullen)  Corby,  na- 
tives of  County  Mayo,  Ireland.  His  grandfathers, 
Thomas  Corby  and  Francis  Cullen,  were  farmers 
and  life-long  residents  of  Ireland.  He  was  one 
of  four  children  who  attained  mature  years,  name- 
ly: John  F. :  Thomas  P.,  who  died  July  26,  1895; 
Mrs.  Catherine  Magee  and  Ellen,  i\Irs.  James 
Mayock,  both  of  Scranton. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


299 


The  father  of  our  subject,  immediately  after  his 
marriage,  went  to  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  and 
there  engaged  in  farming  until  1870,  when,  with 
his  wife  and  four  children,  he  took  passage  on  the 
steamer  "Calabria"  at  Liverpool,  and  after  a  voy- 
age of  eleven  days  landed  in  New  York.  Pro- 
ceeding at  once  to  Scranton,  he  settled  in  Pine 
Brook  and  secured  a  position  in  the  Dickson  iron 
works.  He  died  May  19,  1874,  aged  fifty-one 
years.  His  widow  is  still  living  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  son,  John  F.,  in  the  house  he 
erected  at  No.  933  Capouse  Avenue. 

The  early  education  of  our  subject  was  ob- 
tained in  the  pay  schools  of  England,  and  after 
accompanying  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in 
1870,  he  attended  school  at  intervals  when  not 
employed  in  the  Dickson  boiler  shop.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  began  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  boilerniakers'  trade,  and  upon  completing  it, 
he  was  employed  as  a  journeyman.  He  is  still  in 
the  employ  of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany and  the  long  period  of  his  service  proves  his 
faithfulness.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Equitable 
Building  &  Loan  Association. 

Politically  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Corby  has  been  a 
member  of  the  city  committee.  In  1887  he  was 
elected,  on  that  ticket,  to  represent  the  seventh 
ward  on  the  common  council,  and  served  for  one 
year.  In  1890  he  was  nominated  on  an  inde- 
pendent ticket,  endorsed  by  the  Republicans,  as 
a  member  of  the  select  council,  and  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  sixty.  During  his  three  years  of 
service  he  was  chairman  of  the  finance  commit- 
tee and  of  the  committee  on  law  and  order,  also 
served  as  member  of  connuittees  on  street  and 
liridges,  light  and  water,  and  others.  On  the  ex- 
])iration  of  his  term  in  1893  '^^  refused  to  again 
become  a  candidate  for  the  office.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church,  and  was  for- 
merly identified  with  St.  John's  Total  Abstinence 
Society,  of  which  he  was  the  first  secretary. 


CHARLES  PERRY  BALL.  In  a  review 
of  the  trade  and  commerce  of  Scranton, 
it  must  be  evident  that  every  branch  of 
industry,  every  line  of  trade  and  every  channel 
of    human    activity,   have    their    representatives 


here.  Search  the  directories  of  the  city  from  the 
first  ones  published  to  the  last  one  issued,  and 
what  a  panorama  the  list  will  present.  New 
names,  new  trades,  new  industries,  are  added 
yearly,  all  contributing  to  make  the  Scranton  of 
to-day.  Within  the  past  decade  a  new  industry 
has  sprung  up  in  the  United  States  that  may  be 
counted  as  one  of  the  most  important  in  existence, 
and  that  is  the  Keeley  Institute. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  manager  of 
the  Keeley  Institute  at  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Montrose,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa ,  in  1857. 
The  family  is  an  old  one  in  that  locality,  his  great- 
grandfather. Perry  Ball,  having  been  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  county;  prior  to  locating 
there,  while  still  in  Connecticut,  he  had  taken 
part  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Grandfather 
George  W^.  Ball,  who  accompanied  his  parents 
from  Connecticut,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers 
of  Susquehanna  County,  and  remained  at  the  old 
homestead  near  Montrose  until  his  death. 

Our  subject's  father,  E.  G.  Ball,  was  born  in 
Susquehanna  County  and  followed  farm  pursuits 
until  1 87 1,  when  he  was  elected  county  com- 
missioner. Since  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
office  he  has  been  clerk  for  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  his  home  being  in  Montrose. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican.  He  married  Ruth 
A.  Baldwin,  whose  maternal  ancestors,  the  San- 
dersons, were  of  Scotch  origin  and  who  was  born 
in  Susquehanna  County.  Our  subject,  who  is 
the  only  child  of  his  parents,  was  educated  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  Montrose,  and  in 
youth  learned  the  creamery  business.  He  built 
the  Excelsior  creameries  at  Burchardville,  Fair- 
dale  and  Middletown,  Pa.,  and  shipped  the  prod- 
ucts to  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Jersey  City  and 
Newark. 

Selling  out  the  creameries  in  1892,  Mr.  Ball 
became  connected  with  the  Keeley  Institute,  and 
is  now  manager  for  northeastern  Pennsylvania. 
He  established  the  headquarters  in  Scranton  at 
Nos.  726-30  Madison  Avenue,  Nos.  726  and  728 
being  the  hospital  and  principal  institute,  and  No. 
730  the  ladies'  department.  In  November,  1895, 
he  took  as  partner  E.  J.  Goodwin,  who  is  now  su- 
perintendent. In  addition  to  the  other  rooms, 
he  has  fine  club  apartments,  with   card,   siuok- 


300 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  and  billiard  rooms.  The  physician  in  charge 
is  William  I).  Bullock,  M.  D.,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C, 
a  graduate  of  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  Col- 
lege. The  success  of  the  business  proves  that 
it  is  under  able  management.  Patients  come  here 
from  different  parts  of  the  country,  many  coming 
from  other  slates.  At  the  time  the  Institute  was 
started  Mr.  IJall  had  sixteen  competitors,  whose 
modes  of  treatment,  however,  infringed  upon  the 
Keeley  method,  and  none  of  them  now  remain. 

Politically  Mr.  Ball  is  a  Republican,  though 
not  active  in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of 
Warren  Lodge  Xo.  240,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Montrose, 
and  is  identified  with  the  Managers'  National 
Association  Keeley  Institutes.  In  Susquehanna 
County  he  married  Miss  Emma  A.  Tilden,  who 
was  born  there,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ma- 
rietta. 


THOMAS  J.  MOORE,  general  manager  of 
the  four  stores  of  William  Connell  &  Co., 
and  one  of  the  efficient  business  men  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Dublin.  Ireland,  and  is  a 
son  of  the  late  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Do vie) 
Moore,  natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself.  His 
father,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ireland,  was 
government  superintendent  of  public  works  and 
an  energetic  business  man.  Thomas  J.  was  reared 
in  Dublin,  where  he  received  a  common  school 
education.  I"or  a  time  he  was  employed  as  cash- 
ier for  a  railroad  in  South  Wales. 

Coming  to  America  in  1870,  through  acquaint- 
ance with  \\'illiam  Connell,  Mr.  Moore  was  en- 
gaged to  come  to  Scranton  as  bookkeeper  for  the 
two  stores  here.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Connell's 
brother,  Alexander,  he  was  promoted  to  the  po- 
sition of  superintendent  of  the  Meadow  Brook 
and  Minno'.-n  stores.  Since  then  two  stores  have 
been  added,  there  being  four  at  this  writing,  and 
em])loyment  is  furnislu'd  tcj  twenty-five  hands. 
In  addition  to  this  position,  .Mr.  Moore  has  also 
been  connected  with  other  business  enterprises. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Scranton 
Axle  Works,  organized  March  17,  i8g2,  and  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000.  In 
1893  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  company, 
anrl  has  held  that  position  since.     In  the  works. 


which  are  located  in  the  twentieth  ward,  straight 
steel  axles  and  the  crank  axle  are  manufactured, 
the  capacity  being  about  seven  thousand  sets  per 
month.  Steam  power  is  used,  and  the  plant  is 
supplied  with  the  latest  machines  for  manufac- 
turing, i'roni  its  inception  the  business  has  pros- 
pered, and  the  works  now  rank  among  the  best 
in  the  United  States. 

At  No.  546  Adams  Avenue  Mr.  Moore  and  his 
wife,  formerly  Margaret  Mclntyre,  have  estab- 
lished a  pleasant  home.  Under  Mayor  John  H. 
Fellows  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  board 
of  park  commissioners  and  is  now  its  secretary. 
He  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Sheridan  Monument 
Association.  In  the  south  side  board  of  trade, 
which  he  was  active  in  organizing,  he  served  as 
the  first  president  and  is  still  prominent.  He 
is  also  connected  with  the  Scranton  board  of 
trade.  His  political  belief  brings  him  into  affilia- 
tion with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Lackawanna  Republican 
Club.  Fraternally  he  is  associated  with  the  Hep- 
tasophs,  and  is  past  officer  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 
In  business  transactions  he  is  very  shrewd  and 
quick,  yet  possessing  that  balance  of  tempera- 
ment which  enables  him  to  mingle  with  enthu- 
siasm sound  common  sense  and  wise  judgment, 
thus  securing  the  best  financial  results  in  his 
business  enterprises. 


JOHN  CHURCH  HUTCHINS.  From  the 
age  of  nineteen  until  his  death  when  sev- 
enty, the  subject  of  this  article  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Carbondale,  of  which  for  some  time  he 
was  an  influential  business  man.  His  entire  life 
was  passed  in  Lackawanna  County,  his  youthful 
years  having  been  spent  in  the  village  of  Provi- 
dence (now  a  part  of  Scranton),  where  he  was 
born  December  17,  1816.  His  education  was 
such  as  the  common  schools  afforded  and  was 
added  to  in  subsequent  life  by  observation  and 
business  experience.  The  death  of  his  father 
when  he  was  a  child  of  only  six  years  deprived 
him  of  that  parent's  wise  counsel  and  help,  and 
obliged  him  at  an  early  age  to  become  self-sup- 
porting. 

The   youthful    years    of    Mr.   Hutchins    were 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


301 


passed  on  the  home  farm  in  Providence,  but  after 
coming  to  Carbondale  he  secured  work  as  clerk 
in  a  store.  Agriculture,  however,  was  a  more 
congenial  occupation  than  the  confining  work  of 
a  clerk,  and  as  soon  as  his  means  permitted  he 
bought  a  farm  one  and  a  quarter  miles  from 
Carbondale.  Here  he  resided  for  a  time,  but  the 
manual  labor  incident  to  the  cultivation  of  his 
place  finally  obliged  him  to  abandon  the  occupa- 
tion. Returning  to  Carbondale,  in  the  hope  of 
regaining  his  health,  he  became  interested  in  the 
grocery  business  and  met  with  success.  In  1876 
poor  health  forced  his  final  retirement  from  active 
business.  Ten  years  later,  August  30,  1886,  he 
passed  away,  at  his  home  in  this  city. 

In  his  political  belief  Mr.  Hutchins  was  a  Re- 
publican, but  displayed  no  partisanship  in  his  ac- 
tions. He  vvas  deeply  interested  in  everything 
for  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  people, 
and  contributed  of  his  time  and  means  to  philan- 
thropic projects.  February  16,  1843,  h^  married 
Sarah  A.  Burlingame,  a  native  of  Norwich, 
Conn.,  now  residing  in  Washington  Street,  Car- 
bondale. Of  the  children  born  to  their  union  we 
note  the  following:  Susan  Ann,  Flenry  and  Nor- 
man died  at  the  ages  of  eight,  twenty-two  years 
and  fourteen  months  respectively;  Homer  is  an 
engineer  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad; 
Annie  resides  with  her  mother;  John  is  employed 
as  a  dispatcher;  Harriet  is  a  successful  teacher 
in  the  high  school  here;  and  Frank  is  express 
agent  at  Norwich,  N.  Y. 


PETER  ROSAR.  What  honesty,  hard  work 
and  steadfast  determination  may  accom- 
plish cannot  better  be  illustrated  than  by 
giving  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Rosar,  one 
of  the  substantial  business  men  of  Scranton.  He 
is  the  proprietor  of  a  grocery  at  Nos.  724-726 
Cedar  Avenue,  where  he  carries  a  full  line  of 
staple  and  fancy  groceries,  and  also  has  a  large 
trade  in  coal,  wood,  hay,  straw  and  feed.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  store  he  is  also  the  owner  of  Wash- 
ington Hotel,  in  Cedar  Avenue. 

Of  German  birth  and  parentage,  Mr.  Rosar 
was  born  in  Trannenweir,  Prussia,  October  5, 
1835,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Hart- 


mann)  Rosar,  natives  of  the  same  place  as  him- 
self. His  father,  who  was  a  son  of  George,  Sr.,  a 
farmer,  came  to  America  one  year  after  his  son, 
Peter,  crossed  the  Atlantic;  he  settled  in  Scran- 
ton, where  he  remained  until  his  death.  The  wife 
and  mother  also  died  here.  They  were  the  parents 
of  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  re- 
side in  Scranton,  except  a  sister  in  Elmira,  N.  Y. 
Peter,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Germany  in  boyhood.  In 
1852,  when  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  went 
to  London,  where  he  took  passage  on  a  sailing 
vessel  for  America.  The  voyage  lasted  sixty-eight 
days,  and  was  one  of  indescribable  sufifering,  for 
food  and  water  both  gave  out,  and  the  passengers 
almost  starved  to  death. 

When  Mr.  Rosar  reached  his  uncle's  home  in 
Scranton  he  was  not  expected  to  live,  and  it  was 
due  to  his  vigorous  constitution  that  he  finally 
recovered,  after  an  illness  of  two  months.  As 
soon  as  able,  he  began  to  work  in  the  mines  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years.  For  ten  years  follow- 
ing he  Vvas  employed  in  the  boiler  shops  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad, 
after  which  he  worked  in  the  yards  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company  for  a  year,  and  was 
then  foreman  of  the  outside  works  for  ten  years, 
finally  resigning  to  engage  in  business.  In  1866 
he  started  a  grocery  store,  which  his  wife  carried 
on  for  some  time.  As  the  venture  proved  suc- 
cessful, he  decided  to  devote  his  entire  time  to 
the  business.  He  began  with  a  small  stock,  and 
as  he  always  bought  for  cash,  he  was  enabled, 
little  by  little,  to  build  the  business  up  to  its  pres- 
ent substantial  proportions. 

In  national  politics  Mr.  Rosar  votes  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  but  in  local  elections  he  supports 
the  man  whom  he  deems  best  qualified  to  repre- 
sent the  people.  For  one  year  he  represented  the 
eleventh  ward  in  the  common  council,  but  after- 
ward refused  renomination.  He  belongs  to  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church,  and  is  identified  with 
St.  Joseph's  Society  in  that  church.  Fraternally 
he  is  associated  with  the  Deutches  Selskof.  In 
Scranton  he  married  Miss  Caroline  Zang,  who 
was  born  in  the  same  locality  as  her  husband. 
They  are  the  parents  of  six  children:    Charles, 


302 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


deputy  city  controller;  Joseph,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  milk  business;  William,  who  is  with  his 
father  in  the  grocery;  Peter,  Jr.,  clerk  for  the 
Delaware  I'v:  Hudson  Railroad  Company;  Lena 
and  Lizzie. 


ISAAC  L.  WILLI AALS.  The  business  inter- 
ests of  Scranton  have  an  efficient  representa- 
tive in  this  gentleman,  who  is  known  as  one 
of  the  most  stirring  and  energetic  citizens  of  the 
place.  It  may  truthfully  be  said  of  him  that,  in 
striving  to  advance  his  own  interests,  he  has  not 
overlooked  the  welfare  of  others  or  achieved  per- 
sonal success  at  the  expense  of  his  fellowmen, 
but  in  his  intercourse  with  all,  whether  in  busi- 
ness or  .society,  has  proved  himself  an  honorable 
man. 

Referring  to  the  family  history  of  our  subject, 
we  find  that  his  father,  Jonathan  M.,  was  born  in 
Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  followed  the  occupation  of 
a  carpenter  and  builder,  and  about  1850  began 
work  in  Pittston,  Wilkesbarre  and  Scranton, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  original  breaker  contrac- 
tors. His  business  has  carried  him  to  different 
parts  of  tlie  valley,  though  for  the  past  few  years 
he  has  resided  in  .Scranton.  By  his  marriage  to 
Margaret  Michaels,  who  was  born  in  Monroe 
County,  Pa.,  he  had  seven  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living,  one,  Henry  M.,  a  contractor  in 
Scranton.  ( )ur  subject,  who  was  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  was  born  in  Ransom,  Lackawanna 
County,  Pa.,  in  1859,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  Scranton.  When  elev- 
en years  of  age  he  began  to  w-ork  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  continued  for  some  years. 
In  1880  he  began  the  study  of  architecture  under 
W.  P.  Cutting,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  one  year.  Afterward  he  worked  for 
a  year  as  a  carpenter  in  liabylon,  L.  I.,  devoting 
his  spare  time  to  architecture.  Returning  to 
Scranton,  he  becam.e  superintendent  for  John 
Benore,  meantime  continuing  his  studies. 

In  1888  Mr.  Williams  secured  some  contracts 
by  competition  and  opened  an  ofifice,  which  he 
has  since  conducted,  his  present  location  being 
in  the  Mears  Building.  He  had  the  contracts  for 
public  schools  Nos.  14,  18,  22,  32,  35,  36  and  37,  in 


Scranton,  the  public  school  at  Dalton,  remodel- 
ing the  Wyoming  County  jail  at  Tunkhannock, 
building  the  business  houses  of  Carter  &  Ken- 
nedy, Golden  &  Welsh,  Roche  &  Fadden,  and 
the  Jones  Block,  also  two  residences  for  A.  H. 
Coursen,  the  homes  of  George  Benore,  F.  E.  Net- 
tleton  and  Dr.  Roberts,  a  hotel  building  for 
Charles  Kirst,  a  residence  for  Bishop  Hobon  at 
Ashland,  and  the  remodeling  of  the  Elk  Building 
at  Franklin.  His  most  important  contract  was 
that  for  the  Mears  Building,  the  finest  business 
block  in  the  city,  and  two  stories  higher  than  any 
other  building  here,  being  ten  stories  in  height. 
In  national  politics  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Benevo- 
lent Protective  Order  of  Elks.  With  his  wife  and 
children.  Myrtle  and  George,  he  has  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  413  Spruce  Street.  He  was  married 
in  Hawley  to  Miss  Lizzie  Vandermark,  a  native 
of  Wayne  County,  and  a  daugliter  of  John  \'an- 
dermark,  who  owned  a  farm  and  quarry  thet-e. 


WILLIAM  B.  FOSTER.  The  present 
age  has  witnessed  many  improvements 
in  commerce,  arts  and  sciences,  but 
it  is  doubtful  if  any  line  shows  greater  advance- 
ment than  has  been  made  in  the  art  of  photog- 
raphy. Go  into  a  modern  studio  and  examine 
with  the  eye  of  a  connoisseur  the  pictures  upon 
exhibition,  and  you  will  come  away  with  an  en- 
hanced admiration  for  the  men  who  have  brought 
the  art  up  from  a  crude  stage  to  its  present  con- 
dition of  perfection.  Of  Mr.  Foster  it  may  be 
said  that  he  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the  work 
and  has  introduced  all  modern  improvements 
into  his  studio  at  Carbondale. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  James  Fletcher  Fos- 
ter, was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  in  1835. 
He  obtained  his  education  in  the  schools  and  in- 
stitute of  that  city,  and  was  engaged  in  a  printing 
ofifice  when  a  lad,  but  was  afterward  apprenticed 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  machinist.  After  serving 
his  time  he  was  examined  as  to  his  proficiency 
for  the  British  Merchant  service.  Passing  satis- 
factorily, he  was  ordered  out  on  the  East  India 
service,  and  at  once  proceeded  on  a  man-ofwar 
to  the  Orient,  serving  a  period  of  four  years.    He 


HON.  D.  M.  JONES. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


305 


returned  to  England  and  shortly  afterwards  came 
to  America,  proceeding  directly  to  Scranton, 
where  he  had  a  sister  living.  In  1865  he  mar- 
ried Alice  Lindsay,  daughter  of  William  Lind- 
say, of  Carbondale.  Three  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  Maggie  May,  William  B.,  and  Bertie, 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
July  4,  1871.  Some  three  years  afterward  he 
again  married,  his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  Will- 
iam Ousey,  of  Danbury,  Conn.  She  is  now  liv- 
ing with  our  subject.  J.  F.  Foster  followed  the 
trade  of  a  machinist  in  various  parts  of  the  states 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Carbondale 
January  26,  1893.  The  paternal  grandfather  and 
grandmother  of  our  subject  were  William  and 
Sarah  (Fletcher)  Foster,  the  latter  belonging  to 
the  Society  of  Quakers. 

William  B.  Foster  was  born  in  Carbondale  De- 
cember 12,  1868,  and  was  early  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources,  making  his  own  way  in  the  world 
from  boyhood.  He  was  engaged  in  various  oc- 
cupations until  fifteen  years  of  age.  It  then  be- 
came his  desire  to  learn  the  photographic  busi- 
ness, and  as  soon  as  the  way  was  opened  he  did 
so.  In  spite  of  obstacles,  in  spite  of  limited 
means,  he  became  successful,  and  deserves  men- 
tion among  the  hard-working,  intelligent  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city.  He  started  in  business  for 
himself,  and  opened  a  well  equipped  studio  at 
the  corner  of  Sixth  Avenue  and  Main  Street  in 
1893,  and  has  built  up  a  good  trade,  having 
among  his  patrons  many  of  the  best  families  of 
Carbondale. 

February  i,  1894,  Mr.  Foster  married  Jennie 
Bernd,  of  Danbury,  Conn.  In  local  politics  he 
is  prominent  as  a  worker  in  the  Republican  party, 
and  a  member  of  the  county  committee. 


HON.  D.  M.  JONES,  deceased.  The  cosmo- 
politan character  of  the  population  of  the 
United  States  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
every  country  of  the  world  is  represented  among 
its  citizens.  While  many  of  these  nations  have 
sent  hither  men  and  women  of  energy,  thrift}' 
habits  and  honest  hearts,  yet  it  may  be  said,  with- 
out injustice  to  the  others,  that  no  land  has  con- 
tributed to  the  citizenship  of  our  country  a  higher 


class  of  people,  men  of  intelligence,  industry  and 
perseverance,  men  of  brain  and  brawn,  than  has 
Wales. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  of  Welsh  birth 
and  ancestry,  a  member  of  a  family  that  was  long 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
shire  of  Brecon,  lying  inland  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Wales.  His  father,  David  A.,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Brecon  and  was  a  son  of  David,  Sr. 
In  early  life  he  engaged  in  farming,  but  after 
his  marriage  he  settled  at  Rhymney,  where  he 
engaged  as  a  contractor  in  the  ore  mines.  His 
wife,  Jane,  who  was  a  native  of  Brecon  and  a 
daughter  of  William  Jones,  a  horseman  of  fliat 
shire,  died  in  Wales  in  1848,  and  three  years 
later  he  came  to  America,  accompanied  by  his 
children,  David,  Margaret  and  William.  He 
reached  Pittston,  Pa.,  in  May,  1851,  but  three 
months  later  went  to  Hyde  Park,  where  he  was 
connected  with  mining  interests  until  his  retire- 
ment from  business.  In  October,  1856,  he  went 
to  California  via  the  Nicaragua  route  and  during 
the  journey  Walker's  gang  of  filibusters  made  an 
attack  upon  the  party.  With  others  he  was  held 
and  promised  land  if  he  would  guide  their  expe- 
dition, but  rejected  the  proposal  and  later  was 
allowed  to  depart.  In  due  time  he  arrived  safely 
at  his  destination.  For  a  year  he  remained  at 
the  Monte  Cristo  gold  mines,  returning  via  Pana- 
ma in  1857  and  continuing  to  reside  in  Hyde 
Park  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
He  was  a  man  of  sincere  religious  belief  and 
served  as  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Three  children  comprised  the  family,  but  none 
now  survives.  Our  subject's  sister,  Mrs.  D.  H. 
Davis,  who  resided  in  Indiana,  died  in  Scranton. 
His  brother,  William,  who  enlisted  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  in  May,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company 
K,  Ninth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  served  as  an 
orderly  on  Stanley's  staf?  until  he  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Bull's  Gap,  Tenn.,  April  13,  1865.  Near  the 
village  of  Rhymney,  Breconshire,  D.  M.  Jones 
was  born  Jime  26,  1839.  He  was  a  boy  of  eleven 
when,  witli  his  father,  brother  and  sister,  he  took 
passage  at  Cardiff  on  a  merchant  sailing  vessel, 
which  anchored  at  New  York  after  a  voyage  of 
five  weeks  and  four  days.     Coming  to  Pennsyl- 


3o6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


vania.  he  soon  began  to  work  in  tlic  old  Diamond 
mine,  and  later  was  apprenticed  to  the  moulder's 
trade  in  the  foundry  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad.  In  1858  he  went  to 
California,  making  the  journey  by  steamer  from 
New  York  to  Panama,  and  from  Aspinwall  to 
San  Francisco.  From  the  latter  city  he  went  to 
Folsom,  Cal.,  where  he  engaged  in  prospecting 
and  mining.  Ilis  ne.xt  move  was  to  British  Co- 
lumbia and  from  there  he  went  to  Russian 
America  (now  Alaska),  where  he  remained  until 
i860,  prospecting  and  mining.  In  the  fall  of  i860 
he  returned  to  Folsom  in  time  to  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Lincoln,  after  which  he  started  for  Ari- 
zona with  a  pack,  traveling  horseback.  The 
party  being  driven  back  by  the  Apache  Indians. 
he  began  mining  in  Calaveras  County,  wiiere  he 
was  successful.  While  in  California  he  was  cor- 
poral in  a  company  of  rifles  under  Captain  Hop- 
kins, formerly  of  Scranton. 

Meantime  the  nation  was  plunged  in  the  peril 
of  a  great  civil  strife,  and  even  in  far  distant 
California  the  highest  excitement  prevailed.  The 
condition  of  the  L^nion  was  such  as  to  appeal  to 
the  patriotic  spirit  of  every  true  citizen.  Desiring 
to  take  an  active  stand  for  the  government,  Mr. 
Jones  determined  to  return  east,  and  in  1864 
made  the  long  journey  by  the  Isthmus  of  Pana- 
ma. On  his  arrival  at  Scranton,  he  was  mus- 
tered into  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety- 
ninth     Pennsylvania     Infantry,     September     17, 

1864,  and  was  sent  to  Camp  Cadwallader,  Phila- 
delphia, and  from  there  to  Richmond.     April  2, 

1865,  the  day  on  which  Richmond  and  Peters- 
burg fell,  he  was  serving  as  first  corporal  in  the 
charge  on  Ft.  Gregg,  and  was  shot  in  the  right 
thigh,  receiving  an  injury  so  severe  as  to  neces- 
sitate the  amputation  of  the  limb,  which  was  done 
on  the  field.  He  was  then  taken  to  the  hospital 
at  Hampton,  Va.,  and  in  July  to  Central  Park, 
New  York  City,  thence  to  David's  Island,  East 
River.  October  1,  1865,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged from  the  service. 

For  two  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Jones  held  the  position  of  night  watchman  at  the 
Second  National  Bank.  During  this  time  he  was 
a  student  in  Gardner's  Business  College  and 
graduated   at  the  completion   of  the   prescribed 


course.  In  May,  1868,  he  was  elected  upon  the 
Republican  ticket  as  alderman  of  the  fourth  ward 
and  was  re-elected  in  1873,  serving  until  Decem- 
ber, 1876.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected 
to  represent  his  district  in  the  legislature  and 
served  during  the  sessions  of  1877  and  1878.  In 
June  of  1S78,  on  his  return  from  the  assembly, 
he  was  appointed  deputy  city  treasurer  under 
Reese  T.  Evans,  whom  he  succeeded  in  office  by 
election  in  February,  1879,  serving  two  terms  of 
two  years  each  from  June,  1879.  In  1886  he  took 
a  trip  to  California,  where  he  spent  three  months, 
an  interested  observer  of  the  wonderful  changes 
that  had  been  made  there  since  his  first  visit. 

As  a  Republican,  Mr.  Jones  always  took  a  deep 
interest  in  public  affairs  and  his  aid  was  always 
ready  at  the  party  call.  On  several  different  oc- 
casions he  was  chairman  of  the  Republican  coun- 
ty central  committee,  filling  that  position  during 
the  Blaine  campaign,  when  Lackawanna  County 
gave  that  famous  statesman  a  majority  of  thirty- 
five  hundred.  He  was  treasurer  of  the  county 
committee  in  1894  and  served  as  a  delegate  to 
state  conventions.  It  was  felt  by  the  members 
of  his  party  that  he  received  a  just  recognition 
of  his  public  services  when,  April  20,  1889,  Pres- 
ident Harrison  appointed  him  postmaster  at 
Scranton,  he  being  the  first  postmaster  appointed 
under  that  administration.  He  assumed  the  du- 
ties of  the  office  in  May  and  continued  until  the 
change  of  administration,  holding  the  position 
for  four  years  and  one  month.  Meantime  he  was 
busily  engaged,  not  only  in  taking  charge  of  the 
mail  delivery  service,  but  also  in  superintending 
the  construction  of  the  federal  building  now 
occupied  by  the  postoffice,  in  the  construction  of 
which  he  was  disbursing  agent  for  the  United 
States. 

With  many  of  the  prominent  business  concerns 
of  Scranton  Mr.  Jones  held  a  close  relation.  He 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Scranton  & 
Pottsville  Coal  &  Land  Company,  of  which  he 
was  secretary;  aided  in  organizing  the  Cambrian 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  in  187 1  and 
was  treasurer  until  his  death;  also  held  the  posi- 
tion of  secretary  of  the  Schuylkill  Anthracite 
Coal  Royalty  Company;  assisted  in  organizing 
the  Ronaldson  Coal  Land  Company,  of  which  he 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


307 


was  treasurer;  and,  in  addition  to  other  interests, 
carried  on  a  real  estate  business,  having  an  office 
in  the  West  Side  Bank  Building.  He  was  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  West  Side  Bank.  While 
an  alderman  he  was  for  two  years  associate  judge 
of  the  mayors  court  of  Scranton.  During  the 
period  of  his  service  in  the  legislature  Lacka- 
wanna was  separated  from  Luzerne  County,  in 
June,  1878,  after  thirty-five  years  of  apparently 
fruitless  labor  for  that  end.  The  passage  of  the 
bill  was  due  to  his  energy,  coupled  with  the 
efforts  of  his  colleagues,  James  Kierstead  and 
Maj.  A.  I.  Ackerley. 

In  May,  1868,  Mr.  Jones  married  Miss  Han- 
nah Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Clififord,  Susque- 
hanna County,  and  died  in  Scranton  in  Decem- 
ber, 1871.  She  had  two  children,  Margaret  and 
Jane,  both  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Her  father, 
David  Edwards,  of  Wales,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Clififord,  and  engaged  in  farming 
there,  but  for  some  years  has  lived  retired  in 
Hyde  Park.  In  Plymouth,  Pa.,  September  23, 
1873,  Mr.  Jones  married  Miss  Anna  E.  Williams, 
who  was  born  in  Pittston,  a  daughter  of  James 
Williams,  formerly  a  merchant  of  Plymouth,  now 
of  Nanticoke.  Their  children  are  Edgar  A., 
Helen  E.,  Dorothy  M.  and  Ethel  H.  The  only 
other  relative  of  Mr.  Jones  in  this  county  is  his 
nephew,  David  J.  Davis,  an  attorney.  Inter- 
ested in  everything  pertaining  to  Grand  Army 
affairs,  Mr.  Jones  attended  many  of  the  national 
encampments,  including  those  at  San  Francisco, 
St.  Louis,  Boston,  Pittsburg,  Philadelphia  and 
Baltimore,  and  was  an  aide  on  the  national  staff 
of  General  Warren,  of  Kansas  City.  He  was  a 
charter  member  and  for  several  terms  command- 
er of  the  Willie  Jones  Post  No.  199,  named  in 
honor  of  his  brother,  and  previous  to  this  was 
commander  and  adjutant  of  the  old  James  Robb 
Post  at  Scranton;  he  was  also  connected  with 
the  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  in  which 
he  sen'ed  as  quartermaster  and  trustee.  He  was 
identified  with  the  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias from  its  organization,  and  was  the  first  past 
chancellor  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  306. 

When  his  life  ended,  October  25,  1896,  it  was 
felt  that  one  of  our  best  citizens  had  passed  from 
among  us.    The  words  that  close  this  memoir  ex- 


press the  sentiment  of  all  to  whom  he  was  per- 
sonally known: 

"In  the  halls  of  legislature  in  Harrisburg,  in 
the  city  treastirer's  office,  in  the  postoffice,  and  in 
every  position  of  trust,  public  and  private,  his  rec- 
ord has  been  untarnished.  This  record  is  the 
most  priceless  gift  he  has  left  to  posterity.  His 
home  was  an  ideal  one  in  every  sense.  The  kind 
husband,  and  affectionate  father,  and  the  stead- 
fast friend  united  in  him.  Mingled  with  the  tears 
that  affection  and  a  loving  remembrance  will  shed 
upon  his  grave  will  be  found  the  silent  tears  of 
many  an  old  soldier  who  found  in  him  a  friend, 
comrade,  and  a  brother." 


OSCAR  E.  HISTED,  locomotive  engin- 
eer on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Rail- 
road and  a  resident  of  Carbondale  since 
December  of  1869,  was  born  in  Waymart,  Pa., 
February  18,  1853,  and  is  the  next  to  the  eldest 
son  of  Stephen  and  Adelia  (Bunnell)  Histed.  His 
father,  who  was  born  near  Honesdale,  has  always 
resided  in  this  part  of  Pennsylvania,  and  for  the 
past  forty-three  years  has  occupied  the  same 
house  in  Waymart.  His  tenure  of  employment 
with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company 
covers  a  period  of  more  than  fifty  years,  and  at 
this  writing  he  is  stationary  engineer  on  the  Grav- 
ity road.  He  is  an  energetic,  hard-working  man, 
faithful  to  his  employers  and  showing  the  utmost 
fidelity  to  their  interest.  Their  appreciation  of 
his  merits  is  proved  by  his  long  service  with  them. 
His  wife  died  in  1865. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consists,  besides  himself,  of  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  namely:  William,  a  conductor  on  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  road;  Andrew,  who  was 
employed  as  a  locomotive  engineer,  and  was 
killed  in  an  accident  on  the  road;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Boyd  Case,  a  conductor;  and  Hortense,  who 
married  Thomas  Cooper,  employed  on  the  Grav- 
ity road.  In  early  boyhood  our  subject  was  the 
recipient  of  fair  educational  advantages.  When 
sixteen  year?  of  age  he  came  to  Carbondale  and 
began  to  work  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Ca- 
nal Company  on  the  Gravity  road.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  continuously  in  the  service  of 


3o8 


PORTRAIT  AXD   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


the  company.  As  soon  as  tlie  steam  road  was 
built  he  was  transferred  to  the  Scranton  Divis- 
ion, and  has  since  become  known  as  a  trustworthy 
and  rehable  engineer.  Among  his  characteristics 
are  thrift  and  energy,  inherited  from  his  German 
forefathers,  and  steadfast  determination,  the  gift 
of  his  Enghsii  ancestors. 

Mrs.  Histed  was  in  maidenh.ood  Mary  WylHe, 
her  father,  Andrew  Wylhe,  being  a  resident  of 
Carbondale,  and  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  They  and  their  children,  Belle,  Laura, 
Raymond  and  Marjorie,  reside  at  Xo.  30  Belmont 
Street.  Mr.  Histed  also  owns  the  lot  adjoining, 
and  e.xpects  soon  to  build  there  a  fine  residence 
for  his  family.  A  Republican  in  political  views, 
he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  matters  in 
past  years.  He  has  served  as  chairman  of  the 
common  council  and  has  represented  his  w-ard 
in  the  select  council,  in  both  positions  devoting 
himself  to  the  interests  of  the  people.  Identified 
with  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 
he  has  filled  all  the  offices  of  the  lodge  to  which 
he  belongs.  Fraternally  he  has  filled  all  the  of- 
fices of  the  subordinate  lodge  and  is  now  past 
grand.  Since  1882  he  has  belonged  to  the  en- 
campment, and  for  some  time  has  held  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  district  deputy  grand  master 
for  Lackawanna  District  No.  i. 


JOHN  SCHEUER,  Jr.  The  success  of  men 
in  business  depends  upon  character  as  well 
as  knowledge,  it  being  a  self-evident  propo- 
sition that  honesty  is  the  best  policy.  Business 
demands  confidence,  and  where  that  is  lacking 
business  ends.  As  a  representative  of  the  class 
of  enterprising,  honest  and  capable  business 
men,  of  whom  Scranton  has  a  very  large  number, 
mention  belongs  to  John  Schcuer,  Jr.,  member 
of  the  firm  of  Scheuer  Brothers,  successors  to 
John  Scheuer,  and  proprietors  of  the  Keystone 
Steam  Bakery  at  Nos.  341-347  Brook  Street. 
The  firm,  which  consists  of  George,  John,  Jr., 
Henry  and  Philip  C.  Scheuer,  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  crackers,  cakes,  biscuits  and 
bread,  making  a  specialty  of  the  Keystone  crack- 
er and  fancy  cakes. 

John   Scheuer,   Sr.,   our   subject's   father,   was 


born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  a  son  of  Conrad 
Schetier,  who  emigrated  to  America  and  engaged 
in  merchant  tailoring  at  Scranton.  The  former, 
who  learned  the  trade  of  a  linen  weaver  in  his 
native  land,  participated  in  the  Revolution  of 
1848,  and  shortly  afterward  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, walking,  with  five  others,  to  Dunmore, 
then  going  to  Pittston,  and  from  there  to  Slo- 
cum's  Hollow  (now  Scranton),  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Lackawanna  Iron  »fe  Coal  Com- 
pany. About  i860  he  started  in  the  milk  busi- 
ness, having  the  first  milk  wagon  in  Scranton. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  responded  to  a  draft, 
but  w-as  rejected.  Later  he  carried  on  a  grocery 
in  Willow,  above  Cedar,  until  1874,  when,  with 
his  sons,  he  started  a  bakery,  continuing  in  that 
business  until  he  retired,  in  1891.  He  still  resides 
in  Scranton,  being  about  sixty-nine  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Petronella 
Hoffman,  was  born  near  Worms,  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  and  died  in  May,  1895.  Their 
children  are  George,  John,  Jr.,  Henr\',  Philip, 
Peter,  who  died  December  31,  1890,  and  Kate. 

In  1874  the  bakery  was  started  by  John 
Scheuer,  Sr.,  and  ten  years  later  the  manufacture 
of  crackers  was  added.  In  1889  the  firm  became 
Scheuer  Brothers,  and  under  that  name  the  busi- 
ness has  since  been  conducted.  The  building, 
which  stands  in  Brook  Street,  between  Cedar 
and  Remington,  is  80.X100  feet  in  dimensions, 
two  stories  and  basement,  with  a  capacity  of  forty 
barrels  of  flour  in  ten  hours.  The  basement  is 
used  for  storage  and  shipping  purposes,  the  first 
floor  for  baking  and  the  second  for  packing.  All 
modern  im.provements  have  been  introduced,  the 
doughs  being  mixed  by  machine  and  the  plant 
operated  by  steam.  The  boiler  and  engine  are  of 
seventv-five  horse  power  each.  Shipments  are 
made  throughout  the  Lackawanna  and  Wyoming 
valleys,  and  three  salesmen  are  employed  to  at- 
tend to  the  wants  of  customers.  The  firm  own  a 
farm  of  sixty-eight  acres  at  West  Mountain, 
where  they  have  fourteen  head  of  Jersey  cows, 
producing  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred 
quarts  of  milk  daily.  The  factor)-  is  the  largest  of 
the  kind  in  this  section,  and  the  quality  of  the 
products  is  unexcelled. 

The  subject   of  this   sketch   was  born   in   the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


309 


eleventh  ward  of  Scranton  December  12,  1858. 
He  attended  school  here  until  nearly  fifteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  began  to  work  in  the  factory, 
gaining  a  knowledge  of  the  bakery  business. 
Afterward,  for  about  six  months,  he  studied  book- 
keeping at  night  school  under  Prof.  H.  D.  Wal- 
ker, and  for  eighteen  months  continued  his  stud- 
ies with  a  companion.  Taking  charge  of  the 
books  of  the  company,  he  has  kept  them  and 
acted  as  business  manager  ever  since.  In  1887 
he  was  elected  to  represent  the  eleventh  ward  in 
the  select  council,  and  served  for  one  year,  when 
the  new  law  caused  him  to  retire.  He  aided  in 
the  organization  of  the  old  Germania  Building  & 
Loan  Association,  in  which  he  was  a  director, 
and  is  vice-president  and  a  director  of  the  new 
Germania,  also  a  director  in  the  Citizens  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association,  and  formerly  in  the  In- 
dustrial. In  the  organization  of  the  axle  works 
he  was  actively  interested,  and  .still  retains  his 
connection  with  that  concern. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Scheuer  married  Miss  Anna 
M.  Linn,  daughter  of  William  Linn,  for  years  an 
employe  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern. They  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  Will- 
iam W.,  Anna,  Dorothea  and  John  C.  The  family 
residence,  built  by  Mr.  Scheuer,  stands  at  No.  316 
Elm  Street,  and  he  is  the  owner  of  other  real  es- 
tate here.  In  April,  1890,  he  aided  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  south  side  board  of  trade,  to  the 
presidency  of  which  he  succeeded  on  the  resigna- 
tion of  T.  J.  Moore;  after  serving  for  three  years 
he  declined  re-election.  Politically  a  Republican, 
he  has  been  a  member  of  city  and  county  com- 
mittees and  delegate  to  conventions.  In  relig- 
ion he  is  a  member  of  the  Hickory  Street  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  his  wife  is  active  in  that  de- 
nomination and  in  the  work  of  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association. 


WILLIAM  WILLIAMS.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1871  the  steamer  "City 
of  Brussels"  set  sail  from  England  for 
America,  loaded  with  human  freight.  The  voy- 
age was  a  rough  and  dangerous  one,  but  was  suc- 
cessfully braved  by  the  gallant  ship,  which,  how- 
ever,  soon    afterward    sank    to    rise   no   more. 


Among  the  passengers  who  had  left  home  and 
friends  and  native  land  to  seek  a  new  home 
among  strangers  was  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
then  a  man  of  thirty-one  years.  Behind  him  he 
left  his  wife  and  children,  turning  his  face  bravely 
toward  the  New  World,  where  he  hoped  they 
might  soon  join  him. 

The  early  life  of  Mr.  Williams  had  been  one 
of  hard  work,  of  unceasing  toil.  Born  in  County 
Cornwall,  England,  December  28,  1840,  his  op- 
portunities in  youth  were  very  meager  and  at  an 
early  age  he  went  to  work  for  others,  receiving 
two  pence  and  his  dinner  per  day.  As  the  years 
went  by,  and  he  saw  prosperity  still  far  away  in 
the  distance,  he  determined  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
to  the  United  States.  He  reached  this  country 
November  20,  1871,  and  the  following  day  arrived 
in  Lackawanna  County,  where  he  hoped  to  find 
employment.    He  got  off  the  cars  at  Gravity  No. 

4  and  found  himself  among  strange  people  and 
very  few  of  them,  the  county  being  yet  sparsely 
settled.    His  first  work  was  that  of  fireman  at  No. 

5  Gravity  road,  near  his  present  place  of  resi- 
dence, and  in  this  capacity  he  was  employed  for 
eight  years. 

Meantime  saving  his  earnings,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  the  eight  years,  Mr.  Williams  opened  a 
mercantile  store  in  a  building  that  he  erected  in 
Belmont  Street,  Carbondale.  His  wife,  who  had 
joined  him,  took  charge  of  the  store  and  later, 
on  his  removal  to  the  city,  he  assisted  there,  also 
engaged  in  teaming.  With  his  wife  as  an  efficient 
helpmate,  he  continued  to  make  and  save  money. 
In  i8(>o  he  removed  to  a  farm,  one  and  one  half 
miles  from  the  city,  where  he  owns  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres,  and  in  addition  to  this,  he 
still  owns  the  property  in  Carbondale,  which  he 
rents. 

Politically  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Prohibitionist  in 
principle  and  upholds  that  party,  usually  voting 
the  ticket.  While  in  Carbondale  his  ability  and 
merit  were  recognized  and  he  was  prevailed  upon 
in  1887  to  be  a  candidate  for  alderman  of  the  fifth 
ward,  running  on  the  Prohibition  ticket.  He  was 
elected  to  the  gffice  and  served  for  four  years,  re- 
signing when  he  moved  to  his  farm.  In  1891  he 
was  elected  to  serve  as  justice  of  the  peace,  which 
ofifice  he  now  holds,  having  been  re-elected  in 


3IO 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


the  spring  of  1896.  Since  tlie  age  of  sixteen  he 
has  been  identified  witli  the  Methodist  Church 
and  is  one  of  the  tnistees  of  the  church  here. 
Active  in  Sunday-school  work,  for  years  he  served 
as  secretary  and  treasurer,  but  in  the  spring  of 
1896  resigned  to  give  the  work  into  younger 
hands. 

In  England,  N'ovember  30,  1861,  Mr.  Williams 
married  Miss  Eliza  Solomon,  a  native  of  that 
country  and  like  himself  an  earnest  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  Nine  children  were  born 
of  their  marriage,  but  five  are  deceased,  the  sur- 
vivors being  Louey  Augusta  Alberta,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Cox,  of  Carbondale:  Florence  Annie  Eliza- 
beth; Emily  Gertrude  Louisa,  wife  of  Eugene 
Schaflfer,  of  Waymart,  Pa.;  and  William  Walter 
Wesley,  who  is  with  his  parents. 


CHARLES  L.  BELL.  Through  many 
years  of  practical  experience  as  a  carpen- 
ter, Mr.  Bell  has  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  trade  and  has  established  a  rep- 
utation as  a  reliable  business  man.  Since  Febru- 
ary, 1865,  his  home  has  been  in  Jermyn,  where, 
in  order  to  assist  him  in  his  work  as  a  contractor 
and  builder,  he  operates  a  planing  mill  and  keeps 
in  his  yards  a  supply  of  different  kinds  of  lumber 
used  in  building.  He  has  a  sufficient  number  of 
contracts  ahead  to  keep  him  busy,  even  in  the 
dull  times  when  every  line  of  activity  has  suf- 
fered. 

In  Scott  Township,  this  county,  Charles  L.  Bell 
was  born  February  17,  1835,  the  eldest  of  five 
children  born  to  the  union  of  John  S.  and  Ruth 
A.  (Brown)  Bell,  residents  of  that  township.  His 
father,  who  was  an  honest,  industrious  man  and  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.  Of  the  children  one  died  in  infancy  un- 
named; the  others  besides  our  subject  are  Lib- 
bie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  E.  Steele,  of  Jer- 
myn; Bertha,  Mrs.  James  Carey,  also  of  this 
place;  and  Frank,  who  is  in  his  brother's  employ. 
The  first  ten  years  of  the  life  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  Scott  Township,  where  he  was  a 
pupil  in  the  common  schools.  Much  of  his  edu- 
cation, however,  was  gained  in  the  school  of  ex- 
perience, and  by  close  observation  and  self-cul- 
ture.   Under  his  father's  supervision  he  gained  a 


knowledge  of  the  carpenter's  trade  early  in  life 
and  when  fifteen  he  began  to  earn  his  livelihood 
by  working  at  this  occupation.  Gradually  he 
built  up  a  good  business  among  the  people,  who, 
noticing  the  care  with  which  his  work  was  done, 
placed  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  honesty  and 
reliability.  He  chose  as  his  wife  Miss  Retta  Mil- 
ler, and  they  are  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
named  as  follows:  Grant  L.,  Clyde,  George,  Ber- 
nard, Ethel,  William  and  Dean. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Bell  voted  the  Republican 
ticket.  However,  the  enormous  amount  of  mon- 
ey spent  in  the  liquor  traffic  and  the  number  of 
lives  ruined  and  hearts  broken  by  the  use  of 
liquor  convinced  him  that  the  great  need  of  our 
nation  to-day  is  prohibition  of  the  sale  of  intoxi- 
cants. This  caused  him  to  adopt  the  principles 
of  the  Prohibition  party  and  since  1894  he  has 
voted  that  ticket  and  been  one  of  its  most  earnest 
supporters.  He  believes  that  if  the  money  wasted 
for  whiskey  could  be  applied  to  the  dissemina- 
tion of  the  Gospel  and  to  charitable  purposes,  our 
nation  would  soon  become  the  glory  of  the  world, 
the  brightest  star  in  earth's  firmament.  His  ac- 
tions throughout  life  have  been  controlled  by 
Christian  principles.  He  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  the  work  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  which  he  is  trustee  and  treasurer,  and  also  as- 
sistant superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  blue  lodge,  chap- 
ter and  commandery  of  the  Masonic  Order. 


REV.  GEORGE  EVERETT  GUILD.  The 
subject  of  this  narrative,  throughout  his 
entire  ministerial  life,  has  held  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Providence  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
during  this  time  a  new  house  of  worship  and 
parsonage  have  been  erected  and  the  usefulness 
of  the  congregation  in  different  fields  of  labor 
increased  several-fold,  until  now  the  church  ranks 
among  the  foremost  in  the  Lackawanna  presby- 
tery. His  work  has  required  patience  and  per- 
.sistence,  and  through  the  e.xercise  of  these  quali- 
ties he  has  attained  commendable  success.  As  a 
preacher,  his  sermons  show  painstaking  thought, 
and  his  illustrations  are  always  happy  and  to  the 
jjoint. 

The  Guild  family  is  of  English  and  Scotch  de- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3" 


scent,  but  had  representatives  in  this  country  at 
a  very  early  period  in  its  settlement.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  partici- 
pant in  the  Revolution,  and  the  grandfather,  Ev- 
erett, served  faithfully  in  the  War  of  1812.  The 
latter,  who  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  took  his 
family  from  that  state  to  New  York  and  became 
a  pioneer  of  Delaware  County,  being  the  first  har- 
nessmaker  in  Walton.  Truman  Guild,  our  sub- 
ject's father,  was  born  in  Milford,  Conn.,  and  held 
the  rank  of  lieutenant  in  the  anti-rent  war.  At 
its  close  he  sold  out  the  harness  and  saddlery 
business,  in  which,  with  two  brothers,  he  had 
been  engaged,  and  shortly  afterward  opened  a 
drug  store  in  Walton.  This  he  has  since  carried 
on,  his  son,  Edwin,  being  now  associated  in  busi- 
ness with  him.  For  years  he  has  taken  an  influ- 
ential place  in  the  workings  of  the  Democratic 
party,  but  has  steadily  refused  the  nominations 
that  at  different  times  his  party  has  offered  him. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elizabeth  Keene  and  was  born  in  Hones- 
dale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.  She  is  a  lady  of  noble 
Christian  character  and  for  years  has  been  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church  of  Walton.  Her  father,  George  Keene, 
was  a  member  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family  and 
for  years  held  a  position  in  the  employ  of  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson  Canal  Company  on  the  Gravity 
road.  He  took  an  active  part  in  religious  affairs 
and  served  as  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Prompton,  Wayne  County.  His 
daughter,  Mrs.  Guild,  was  the  mother  of  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely:  George  E. ;  Mrs. 
Fannie  Twaddell,  a  widow  residing  in  Walton; 
Edwin,  who  is  his  father's  partner  in  business; 
and  Mrs.  Ilattie  Tobey,  of  Walton. 

A  few  months  after  graduating  from  Walton 
Academy,  in  the  fall  of  1872,  George  E.  Guild 
entered  Amherst  College,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1876  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  had 
the  honor  of  being  one  of  six  members  of  the 
senior  class  who  received  prizes  for  high  rank  in 
English  literature  and  e.xtemporaneous  debate. 
In  1876  he  entered  the  theological  seminary  of 
Yale  College,  where  he  remained  one  year.  After- 
ward for  two  years  he  studied  in  the  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  New  York  City,  and  during 


his  senior  year  was  assistant  to  Dr.  Buddington, 
of  Brooklyn.  In  February,  1879,  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  Provi- 
dence Church  until  his  graduation  a  few  months 
later.  His  pastorate  here  commenced  May  i, 
1879,  and  he  was  ordained  and  installed  in  the 
following  October. 

At  the  time  of  his  arrival  here.  Rev.  Mr.  Guild 
found  the  congregation  occupying  an  old-fash- 
ioned building  in  Oak  Street,  while  the  parsonage 
stood  in  West  Market  Street.  In  1882  property 
was  bought  in  North  Main  Avenue  and  a  new 
parsonage  erected,  after  which  a  house  of  worship 
was  built,  the  latter  being  dedicated  in  1886.  The 
congregation  was  organized  about  fifty  years  ago 
and  with  one  exception  is  the  oldest  in  Scranton. 
Financially  it  has  been  prospered  and  now  owns 
property  worth  $60,000,  free  from  encumbrance. 
To  achieve  the  highest  good,  various  societies 
have  been  organized  in  the  church,  including  mis- 
sionary bands  for  adults  and  children.  Ladies'  Aid 
Society,  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  En- 
deavor and  Junior  Endeavor. 

At  Northampton,  Mass.,  in  April,  1879,  Rev. 
Mr.  Guild  married  Miss  Mary  Lyman  Clark,  who 
was  born  in  that  place  and  received  a  good  edu- 
cation, graduating  from  Elmira  College.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  the  late  Anson  Clark,  who  was  for- 
merly connected  with  the  Nanantuck  silk  mills. 
The  family  consists  of  three  children,  George 
Clark,  Everett  Burnham  and  Gertrude  Elizabeth. 
Mr.  Guild  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  general  as- 
sembly and  the  synod,  has  been  honored  with 
election  as  moderator  of  the  Lackawanna  pres- 
bytery, and  is  vice-president  of  the  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society  for  the  evangelization  of  foreign- 
speaking  people  within  the  bounds  of  the  presby- 
tery. For  seven  years  he  has  been  president  of 
the  association  of  Presbyterian  ministers  of  Scran- 
ton and  vicinity,  and  for  two  years  he  held  the  of- 
fice of  president  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  Wal- 
ton Academy.  In  the  position  of  president  of  the 
Scranton  Christian  Endeavor  Union  he  has  done 
tireless  and  effective  work,  and  won  the  regard 
of  the  young  people  throughout  the  city.  Public 
affairs  demand  and  receive  a  share  of  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  was  a  member  of  the  north  end  board 
of  trade  during  its  existence.     In  1894  he  went 


312 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGR.A.PIIICAL   RECORD. 


abroad  and  spent  three  months  in  making  a  tour 
over  the  r)ritish  Isles,  France,  Switzerland,  Ger- 
many and  The  Netherlands,  sailing  from  Antweq) 
to  New  York  on  the  return  voyage  and  reaching 
home  after  a  most  delighthd  and  profitable  trip. 


JOilX  S.  COX,  chemist  for  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Steel  Company,  at  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Rockport,  Carbon  County,  Pa.,  in 
1854,  and  is  of  English  descent.  His  father,  John 
P.,  was  a  son  of  William  Cox  and  was  born  in 
England,  wh.ere  he  studied  mining  engineering. 
When  a  young  man  he  came  to  America  and  at 
once  proceeded  to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  but 
later  settled  in  Mauchchunk,  Carbon  County, 
where  he  was  employed  as  mining  engineer  with 
the  Buck  Mountain  Coal  Company.  Later  he 
was  civil  engineer  and  superintendent  of  building 
for  the  northern  division  of  the  Lehigh  \'alley 
Railroad,  and  then  became  general  superintend- 
ent of  the  Pennsylvania  &  New  York  Canal  & 
Railroad  Company,  which  position  he  held  until 
his  death,  in  December,  1870,  at  Tovvanda,  at  the 
age  of  about  fifty-six. 

The  motlier  of  our  subject  was  Mary,  daughter 
of  William  H.  Sayre,  and  born  in  Philadelphia. 
Her  fatlior,  a  native  of  liordentovvn,  X.  J-,  settled 
in  Mauchchunk  in  1829,  and  was  for  many  years 
identified  witli  the  Lehigh  Valley  Coal  &  Navi- 
gation Company.  His  father,  Dr.  Francis  R. 
Sayre,  was  a  distinguished  physician  of  Philadel- 
phia. Mrs.  Mary  Cox  resides  in  Bethlehem,  as 
does  also  her  son,  Walter  E.,  who  is  line  agent 
of  the  Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Company,  and  her 
brother,  Robert  H.  Sayre,  second  vice-president 
of  the  Lehigh  \'alley  Railroad  and  general  man- 
ager for  the  Bethlehem  Iron  Company. 

The  youngest  of  five  children,  Jolm  S.  Cox 
spent  his  boyhood  years  in  Bethlehem  and  at 
other  places  along  the  line  of  the  Lehigh  Valley 
Railroad.  In  1872  he  entered  Lehigh  University 
and  took  a  special  course  in  chemistry,  which  he 
completed  four  years  later.  He  then  engaged  in 
civil  engineering  in  Illinois  on  the  Grayville  & 
Mattoon  Railroad.  In  1878  he  joined  an  expedi- 
tion sent  to  South  America  for  the  purpose  of 
surveying  a  line  around  the  numerous  cataracts 


of  the  Madeira,  so  that  the  railroad  might  be  built 
into  Bolivia.  The  expedition  proceeded  up  the 
Amazon  and  Madeira,  reaching  the  head  of  that 
river  after  a  trip  of  six  weeks,  and  continuing  to 
work  through  the  forest  until  ordered  to  stop,  on 
account  of  the  Bolivian  government  not  filling  its 
part  of  the  contract.  At  first  the  expedition  num- 
bered seven  hundred  men,  but  within  one  year 
disease  and  death,  resultant  from  the  unhealthful 
climate,  had  reduced  the  number  to  three  hun- 
dred, and  some  of  these  died  during  the  voyage 
home. 

Having  received  no  remuneration  for  his  ser- 
vices, Mr.  Cox  was  obliged  to  make  his  way  back 
home  on  credit.  He  journeyed  on  a  three-masted 
schooner  down  the  Amazon  and  at  Para  received 
from  the  American  consul  a  sufficient  amount  of 
money  to  pay  his  expenses  to  New  York,  for 
which  place  he  at  once  sailed  on  the  "City  of 
Para."  He  returned  to  Bethlehem  after  an  ab- 
sence of  less  than  twelve  months.  This  expedi- 
tion was  one  of  the  greatest  peril  and  attended 
with  many  privations  such  as,  fortunately,  fall  to 
the  lot  of  but  few.  In  1879-80,  during  the  ex- 
citement at  Silver  Cliff,  Colo.,  he  practiced  in 
those  regions  as  chemist  and  assayer,  assaying 
the  ores  of  different  mines,  and  also  engaged  in 
prospecting.  In  1880  he  went  to  Mexico  as  as- 
sistant engineer  in  charge  of  construction  of  a 
subdivision  of  the  Mexican  National  Railroad, 
and  remained  there  until  operations  were  sus- 
pended, when  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania. 
When  work  was  resumed  on  the  road  he  went 
back  and  spent  two  and  one-half  years  there. 
The  line  has  since  been  completed  and  is  now  in 
operation. 

After  a  stay  of  two  years  with  the  Bethlehem 
Iron  Company  as  chemist,  in  December,  1887, 
Mr.  Cox  came  to  Scranton  as  chief  chemist  for 
the  Scranton  Steel  Company.  His  headquarters 
were  in  the  south  mill  until  the  consolidation. 
In  August,  1895,  '''6  '^^'''s  made  chemist  of  both 
the  north  and  south  mills,  in  each  of  which  he 
now  has  laboratories.  His  attention  has  been 
given  unreservedly  to  his  business  affairs  and  he 
has  found  no  time  for  participation  in  politics, 
though  he  supports  Republican  principles  at  elec- 
tions. In  New  York  Citv  he  married  Miss  Miriam 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


315 


Franklin,  who  was  born  in  Flushing,  L.  I.,  and 
received  an  excellent  education  in  New  York 
City,  where  her  father,  Joseph  Fitch  Franklin, 
was  a  broker.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, Donald  and  Anita.  A  man  of  kind  heart 
and  liberal  views,  Mr.  Cox  is  universally  respect- 
ed by  the  people  of  Scranton,  as  well  as  in  the 
other  places  to  which  business  has  taken  him 
temporarily. 


JUDGE  WILLIAM  J.  LEWIS,  general  man- 
ager of  the  New  York,  Susquehanna  & 
Western  Coal  Company  at  Scranton,  and 
one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  city 
and  county,  was  born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  August 
27,  1843,  ^nd  is  a  son  of  John  D.  and  Ann  (Hop- 
kins) Lewis,  natives  of  Wales.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  David  J.  Lewis,  died  at  Carbondale 
in  1854,  aged  seventy-six  years.  During  the  early 
days  of  the  history  of  Carbondale,  John  D.  Lewis 
established  his  home  there,  and  being  a  practical 
miner,  he  was  of  great  assistance  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  coal  industry,  then  in  its  incipiency. 
For  some  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  but 'in  1858 
abandoned  mining  and  turned  his  attention  to 
farming  in  the  township  of  Clifford,  Susquehanna 
County.  In  1866  he  retired  from  active  labors 
and  returned  to  Carbondale,  where  he  resided 
until  the  death  of  his  wife,  and  then  came  to 
Scranton,  where  his  last  years  w-ere  spent  in  the 
home  of  his  son,  William  J.  Here  he  died  in 
May,  1880,  aged  seventy-three.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  March,  1876,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 

There  were  five  sons  and  two  daughters  in  the 
parental  family,  of  whom  the  eldest  son,  David, 
left  home  for  California  in  1852  and  his  subse- 
quent history  to  1871  has  been  traced,  but  since 
then  nothing  has  been  heard  of  him.  Another 
son,  Lewis,  died  in  i860;  the  eldest  daughter, 
Gwennie,  died  in  1856;  John  F.  is  with  the 
American  Safety  Lamp  and  Mine  Supply  Com- 
pany in  Scranton ;  Thomas  lives  in  San  Francis- 
co, as  does  also  the  only  surviving  daughter, 
Margaret  E.  Kenvin.  William  J.,  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  attended  the  Carbondale  schools  until 
nine  years  of  age,  after  which  he  began  to  work 
II 


in  the  coal  mines,  but  the  work  was  distasteful 
and  at  an  early  age  he  left  home  and  secured 
work  on  a  farm.  When  his  father  purchased  a 
farm,  he  returned  home,  where  he  remained  until 
his  enlistment  in  the  Union  army  in  the  fall  of 
1862.  He  entered  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and 
was  mustered  into  service  at  Montrose  as  a  pri- 
vate, serving  nine  months. 

The  company  served  principally  along  the  dis- 
mal swamp  in  southern  Virginia.  When  the  bat- 
tle of  Gettysburg  was  fought  they  were  on  their 
way  to  that  place  to  reinforce  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  later  were  assigned  to  General 
Slocum's  corps.  They  were  mustered  out  at  Har- 
risburg  in  September,  1863.  Mr.  Lewis  returned 
home  after  about  a  year's  absence.  Though  his 
opportunities  for  attending  school  were  very  lim- 
ited, yet  by  self-culture  and  careful  reading  he 
acciuired  a  fair  education,  and  became  a  success- 
ful teacher  in  the  public  schools.  As  labor  was 
very  scarce  in  the  coal  mines  and  the  work  was 
profitable,  he  and  his  brother,  John  F.,  late  in 
1864  engaged  in  mining  coal  in  Jermyn.  Early  in 
1866  he  came  to  Scranton  and  embarked  in  the 
general  mercantile  business  in  that  portion  of  the 
city  conmionly  known  as  Providence.  Soon, 
however,  selling  out,  he  started  a  hardware  busi- 
ness in  the  same  vicinity  and  for  two  years  was 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Fish,  after  which 
he  continued  alone  for  five  years.  The  venture 
proved  unfortunate  financially. 

Starting  out  again  without  capital,  Mr.  Lewis 
began  as  a  fire  insurance  agent  and  conveyancer 
in  Providence,  and  built  up  a  large  business,  con- 
tinuing until  1886.  In  1875  Governor  Hartranft 
appointed  him  paymaster  of  the  Ninth  Regiment, 
National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1879  the 
same  governor  appointed  him  one  of  the  first 
auditors  of  Lackawanna  County,  but  he  did  not 
accept  the  position.  On  the  separation  of  the 
county  from  Luzerne  he  was  elected  associate 
judge,  and  with  Jvidges  Handley,  Hand  and  As- 
sociate Moffit,  held  court  in  Washington  Hall  in 
Lackawanna  Avenue  for  five  years,  when,  under 
the  provisions  of  the  new  constitution,  the  office 
was  abolished.  In  the  fall  of  1885,  after  a  most 
hotlv  contested  fight,  he  was  nominated  on  the 


3i6 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Republican  ticket  for  county  sheriff  and  was  elect- 
ed by  a  majority  of  nearly  one  thousand,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  his  predecessor,  Randolph 
Crippen,  a  Democrat,  had  been  elected  by  a  ma- 
jority of  seventeen  hundred,  while  his  successor, 
Robinson,  Democrat,  was  elected  by  more  than 
two  thousand  majority.  In  January,  1886,  he 
took  the  oath  of  office  and  served  for  three  years, 
retiring  in  January,  1889,  with  a  record  for  efifi- 
ciency  second  to  no  similar  officer  in  the  com- 
monwealth. In  i88g,  after  the  failure  of  the 
Scranton  City  Bank,  Judge  Lewis,  representing 
the  depositors,  and  Dr.  Throop,  representing  the 
stockholders,  were  appointed  trustees  of  the  prop- 
erties, then  known  as  the  "Jessup  leases,"  and  it 
was  largely  through  the  able  management  of 
Judge  Lewis  in  disposing  of  these  properties  that 
a  speedy  payment  of  the  claims  of  the  deposi- 
tors of  the  bank  was  made  possible.  October  i 
1890,  Judge  Lewis  accepted  the  position  of  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  New  York,  Susquehanna  & 
Western  Coal  Company.  This  company  takes 
the  output  of  eighteen  collieries,  which  in  1895 
amounted  to  one  and  one-half  million  tons,  the 
capacity  being  two  and  one-half  million  tons  per 
.  annum.  Besides  being  general  manager,  he  is  a 
director  of  the  company.  He  is  one  of  the  in- 
corporators and  has  been  chosen  president  of  the 
Susquehanna  Connecting  Railroad  Company, 
which  was  chartered  in  1896,  with  a  capital  of 
$500,000,  for  the  construction  and  operation  of 
a  railroad  from  a  point  on  the  Wilkesbarre  & 
Eastern  Railroad,  eleven  miles  easterlv  from 
Wilkesbarre  and  extending  through  the  counties 
of  Luzerne  and  Lackawanna  to  a  point  in  the 
borough  of  Winton,  and  which  will  probably  be 
constructed  and  in  operation  before  the  close  of 
1897.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Dime  Deposit  and 
Discount  Bank,  and  is  largely  interested  in  many 
of  the  industries  in  and  about  Scranton. 

December  31,  1863,  Judge  Lewis  married  Aliss 
Adeline  Wells,  who  was  born  in  Sus(|uehanna 
County  and  died  there  April  14,  1864.  His  sec- 
ond marriage  took  place  in  Scranton  in  March, 
1867,  his  wife  being  Miss  Cassanda,  daughter  of 
William  P.loss,  a  contractor  and  builder,  and 
member  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family.  Mrs. 
Cassanda  Lewis  died  May  30,  1877,  leaving  two 


children,  ^\"illiam  J.,  Jr.,  assistant  general  inspec- 
tor of  the  Xew  York,  Susquehanna  &  Western 
Coal  Company,  and  Effie,  a  graduate  of  Wilson 
College,  Chambersburg,  Pa.  June  2,  1882,  Judge 
Lewis  married  Miss  Mary  Griffith,  a  native  of 
Wales,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Walford 
C.  The  family  reside  in  a  substantial  home  in 
Edna  .\venue.  commanding  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive and  finest  views  obtainable  in  the  city. 

In  addition  to  this  property  Judge  Lewis  owns 
valuable  real  estate  in  the  city  and  county.  He 
aided  in  the  organization  of  the  north  end  board 
of  trade  and  was  its  president  for  several  years, 
but  finally  rlcclined  further  re-election.  He  is  a 
member  of  (iriffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  a 
Free  and  Accepted  Mason  of  the  thirty-second 
degree,  but  since  his  business  affairs  have  re- 
(luired  his  entire  attention,  he  has  ceased  to  af- 
filiate with  all  the  higher  bodies,  retaining  a  mem- 
bprship  only  in  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  in  which 
he  was  raised  in  1867,  and  of  which  he  is  a  life 
member.  I-'or  fifteen  consecutive  years  he  was  a 
trustee  of  the  First  Presljyterian  Church  of  Provi- 
dence, during  which  time  the  handsome  new  edi- 
fice was^  erected  and  the  finances  of  the  church 
placed  upon  a  solid  foundation.  His  first  vote 
was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  and  since 
that  time  he  has  taken  an  active  and  prominent 
part,  as  a  Republican,  in  politics:  serving  at  vari- 
ous times  on  the  county  and  state  committees. 
He  is  possessed  of  an  extensive  store  of  general 
knowledge  and  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  librarv. 
He  ranks  high  among  the  active  men  of  the  dav, 
both  as  a  thinker  and  doer,  and  is  of  a  genial  and 
sunny  disposition,  with  a  kind  w(ird  for  all. 


ROBERT  McKENNA.  Many  years  ago  a 
young  man  of  twenty-one  years  stood  on 
the  dock  at  Liverpool,  undecided  whether 
to  seek  a  home  in  America  or  Australia.  He  had 
no  friends  in  either  land,  and  it  seemed  difficult 
to  determine  which  ship  to  take.  Finally  he  de- 
termined to  leave  his  destiny  to  the  flip  of  a  penny 
and  has  never  regretted  that  it  turned  "heads 
up"  on  the  dock.  America  won  and  to  America 
accordingly  he  came,  taking  passage  on  the 
sailer  "Queen  of  the  West,"  which  reached  New 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


317 


York  March  13,  1848,  after  a  voyage  of  thirty-five 
days.  A  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  he  was  nev- 
ertheless very  fortunate  in  his  experiences,  obtain- 
ing a  position  in  the  first  shop  he  entered,  and 
from  that  time  to  this  he  has  never  been  out  of 
employment.  He  is  now  master  car  builder  for 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company, 
and  resides  in  Scranton. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  McKenna  occurred  August 
2,  1826,  in  Girvan,  a  burgh  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland, 
twenty-one  miles  from  the  city  of  Ayr.  His  fath- 
er, Robert,  and  grandfather,  Fergus,  both  natives 
of  the  same  place,  were  occupied  respectively  as 
farmer  and  carpenter,  the  former  dying  at  seven- 
ty-three years.  The  mother,  Jean  McCreath,  was 
born  in  Ayrshire,  where  her  father,  Gilbert, 
owned  a  farm.  The  McCreath  family  was  of  the 
old  Covenanter  faith  and  gave  to  the  world  sev- 
eral martyrs  during  the  religious  persecutions  that 
troubled  Scotland.  Robert  and  Jean  McKenna 
had  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  John 
is  foreman  of  the  house  department  of  the  Hud- 
son River  Railroad;  Fergus,  who  occupies  the 
old  homestead,  is  employed  in  the  freight  depart- 
ment of  a  railroad  there;  Agnes,  Mrs.  Ferguson, 
resides  in  Rockland  County,  N.  Y.  The  mother 
of  these  children  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six 
years. 

Educated  in  the  parochial  schools,  at  the  age 
of  thirteen  our  subject  was  apprenticed  to  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  Ayr,  and  served  an  appren- 
ticeship of  seven  years,  becoming  an  expert  car- 
l)enter,  joiner  and  pattern  maker.  For  two  years 
afterward  he  was  employed  as  a  journeyman  and 
saved  his  earnings  until  he  had  sufficient  to  pay 
his  passage  to  another  country.  In  February, 
1848,  he  went  from  Greenock  to  Liverpool, 
where  chance  led  him  to  take  passage  for  Amer- 
ica. For  eighteen  months  after  his  arrival  in  New 
York  he  was  employed  as  a  pattern  maker  in  a 
shop  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  after  which  he  was 
occupied  as  a  builder  in  Morrisania,  N.  Y.  Re- 
turning to  the  pattern  shop  in  a  short  time,  in 
1853  he  became  connected  with  the  car  shops  of 
the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  and  after  six  weeks 
there  he  was  made  foreman,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  employed  for  seventeen  years.  June  15,  1870, 
he  came  to   Scranton  to  accept  the  position  of 


master  car  builder  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western,  a  position  tendered  him  while  with 
the  Hudson  River  Company.  At  the  time  he 
came  here  these  works  were  small,  being  about 
one-third  of  their  present  capacity,  but  now  they 
are  the  largest  of  the  city.  Employment  is  fur- 
nished to  nearly  one  thousand  hands  and  cars  of 
every  description,  except  sleepers,  are  manufac- 
tured. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  McKenna  is  situated  at 
No.  318  Madison  Avenue.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  in  New  York  City  to  Miss  Ann  Fer- 
guson, daughter  of  David  Ferguson,  both  na- 
tives of  Scotland.  The  latter,  who  was  a  stone 
mason  by  trade,  brought  his  family  to  America, 
and  settled  in  New  York,  where  his  last  years 
were  spent.  The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kenna consists  of  five  children,  all  of  whom  were 
educated  in  Scranton.  They  are  Mrs.  Janet  Luce, 
of  this  city;  Jeanie  and  Katie;  Robert  F., 
draughtsman  and  pattern  maker  in  charge  of  the 
air  brake  department  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western;  and  David  A.,  a  pattern  mak- 
er in  the  machine  shop  of  this  road.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
McKenna  is  identified  with  the  Republican  partj 
and  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Master  Car 
Builders'  iVssociation  of  the  United  States. 


THOMAS  F.  MULLEN  is  the  proprietor  of 
a  plumbing  establishment  situated  at  No. 
315  Spruce  Street,  Scranton,  where  he  has 
a  commodious  building,  stocked  with  plumbers' 
supplies  and  steam  and  hot  water  heating  appa- 
ratus. The  Mullen  family  originated  in  Ireland. 
The  first  of  the  family  to  cross  the  Atlantic  was 
James  ].,  our  subject's  father  and  a  native  of 
County  Tyrone.  When  a  boy  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  worked  on  the  canal  at  Rondout,  N.  Y., 
later  being  employed  as  an  engineer  on  the  river. 
In  1866  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  sta- 
tionary engineer  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  Company  for  many  years. 
His  death  occurred  in  Hyde  Park  when  he  was 
seventy-one.  For  some  time  he  was  school  con- 
troller from  the  third  (now  the  twenty-first)  ward. 
He  was  married  in  Carbondale  to  Alice  Flanlev, 


3i8 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  native  of  Irclaml,  whence  she  accompanied  her 
parents  to  Pennsylvania.  Her  death  occurred  in 
Hyde  Park.  Of  their  twelve  children  five  are  now 
living,  all  sons. 

Thomas  F.,  who  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth, 
was  born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1858,  and  in 
1866  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Scranton, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools  a  short  time. 
Before  he  was  nine  years  of  age  he  began  to  work 
as  a  slate  picker.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was 
apjirenticed  to  the  ])luml)er's  and  gas  fitter's  trade 
under  Mr.  Maloney,  of  .Scranton,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  a  few  years.  In  1888  he  started  in 
business  on  Wyoming  Avenue,  as  a  member  of 
the  tirm  of  Rollins  &  Mullen,  but  two  years  later 
the  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  he  has  since 
been  alone.  He  occupies  the  entire  building  at 
Xo.  315  .Spruce  Street,  where  he  uses  the  first 
floor  for  office  and  salesroom,  and  the  second 
floor  for  tin  shop  and  stock.  He  had  the  contract 
for  the  plumbing  in  the  Hotel  Jemiyn,  the  largest 
job  of  plumbing  ever  done  in  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty. Besides  this,  he  had  the  contract  for  the 
plumbing  in  the  Jermyn  and  Boies  residences, 
the  Blakely  almshouse,  and  tiie  heating  of  the 
Globe  warehouse  and  the  Keller,  Blair,  Rice  and 
Jermyn  residences.  He  is  acting  as  agent  for 
Richmond  steam  and  hut  water  heaters,  and  is 
thoroughly  informed  regarding  every  detail  of 
his  work.  At  present  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Master  Plumbers'  Association  of  Scranton.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Catholic  and  belongs  to 
the  Catholic  .Mutual  Benevolent  Asso'ciation.  He 
built  the  residence  which  he  occupies  at  No.  337 
North  Sumner  Avenue,  Hyde  Park,  and  here 
he  and  his  wife,  formerly  Alice  Quinnan,  have  a 
comfortable  home.  Five  children  comprise  their 
family,  James,  Mabel,  Alice,  Thomas  and  Rose. 


PROF.  WALTER  H.  BUELL,  A.  M.  Prob- 
ably in  northeastern  Pennsylvania  there  is 
no  educational  institution  better  or  more 
favorably  known  for  effective  work  in  preparation 
for  college,  than  The  School  of  the  Lackawanna, 
of  which  Dr.  Cann  and  Professor  Buell  are  the 
principals.  It  is  situated  at  No.  243  Jefferson 
Avenue,  Scranton,  and  is  attended  by  pupils  not 


onlv  friim  this  city,  but  many  from  other  parts 
of  the  state.  There  are  three  departments,  higher, 
intermediate  and  preparatory,  where  may  be  ob- 
tained a  thorough  English  and  business  course, 
and  training  in  history  and  classics.  From  this 
school  students  have  been  admitted  to  about 
tliirty  different  colleges,  as  many  as  sixteen  col- 
leges receiving  pupils  in  one  year.  A  w-ell- 
ecjuipped  physical  laboratory  is  one  of  the  valua- 
ble features  of  t!ie  institution.  Many  men  now 
])rominent  in  public  life  in  this  city  and  elsewhere 
laid  the  foundation  of  their  knowledge  here  and 
look  back  upon  the  days  spent  in  the  school  as 
among  the  happiest  and.  most  useful  of  their  lives. 

Born  in  Killingworth,  Conn.,  Prof.  Buell  is  the 
son  of  J.  Sherman  and  F" ranees  (Hull)  Buell,  na- 
tives of  the  same  place,  but  now  residents  of  Mad- 
ison, the  same  state.  His  father  is  of  English  and 
Welsh  extraction,  w-hile  his  mother,  the  daughter 
of  Dr.  J.  Hull,  is  of  English  descent.  He  is  next 
to  the  eldest  of  the  family,  the  others  being  Rev. 
Lewin  F.,  a  graduate  of  Yale  and  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  Church  at  Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y.; 
Collin  S.,  A.  M.,  a  graduate  of  Yale,  and  prin- 
cipal of  the  Williams  Memorial  Institute,  of  New- 
London,  Conn. ;  Ralph  J.,  a  business  man  of  Mad- 
ison, Conn.;  Gertrude  F.,  a  graduate  of  Smith 
College  and  now  an  instructor  in  the  high  school 
in  Brooklyn;  and  Edith  }il..  who  is  principal  of  a 
public  school  in  Madison,  Conn. 

In  the  Alorgan  school,  at  Clinton,  Conn.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  prepared  for  college.  In 
1876  he  entered  Yale  College,  and  four  years  later 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  the  honor 
of  being  chosen  as  one  of  the  speakers  at  com- 
mencement. In  1883  he  received  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  At  his  graduation  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society.  In  1880  he  was 
chosen  principal  of  the  Lee's  Academy  in  Madi- 
son, Conn.,  and  the  following  year  became  a 
teacher  in  The  School  of  the  Lackawanna,  after 
which  he  did  post-graduate  work  in  Yale  as 
Earned  scholar.  For  one  year  he  was  prin- 
cipal of  the  Guilford  (Conn.)  Institute,  and  in  1884 
returned  to  Scranton  as  one  of  the  principals  of 
The  School  of  the  Lackawanna.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  American  Philological  Association  and  a 
man    of    broad    literarv    culture    and    extended 


J     C.   ni'.XRV   WIUIRl'M. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


321 


knowledge.  In  Scranton  lie  married  Miss  Louise 
H.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Cann ;  she  was  born  in  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  and  received  an  excellent  educa- 
tion in  Frederick  Seminary. 

Actively  connected  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  it  is 
due  in  no  small  degree  to  his  work  that  the  past 
four  years  have  seen  a  growth  of  membership 
from  thirty-five  to  three  hundred.  For  one  year 
he  has  been  educational  director  of  the  John  Ray- 
mond Institute  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  has  for  four 
years  been  chairman  of  the  educational  committee 
of  the  association.  He  is  identified  with  the  New 
England  Society  and  the  Lackawanna  Society  of 
History  and  Science,  and  in  religious  connec- 
tions is  associated  with  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  1800-QI  he  traveled  in  Europe,  visit- 
ing the  British  Isles,  France,  Germany,  Italy, 
Greece,  Turkey,  The  Netherlands,  and  matricu- 
lated at  the  University  of  Berlin,  where  he  at- 
tended the  lectures  of  Dr.  Ernst  Curtius  upon 
Greek  history  and  archeology.  During  his  ab- 
sence abroad  he  contributed  to  American  journals 
descriptions  of  the  countries  visited,  their  ad- 
vancement in  educational  work  and  methods 
adopted  in  their  various  institutions  of  learning. 


J 


C.  HENRY  WEHRUM,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company  at  Scranton,  was  born  in  Pirma- 
sens,  a  town  of  Rhenish  Bavaria,  in  the  Vosges. 
His  paternal  ancestors  for  many  successive  gen- 
erations were  identified  with  the  history  of  that 
locality,  and  his  father's  maternal  grandfather  was 
the  founder  of  the  citv  of  Pirmasens,  served  as  its 
mayor  and  was  an  ofificer  in  the  German  army. 
He  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Schweit- 
zer) Wehnnn,  natives  respectivelv  of  Pirmasens, 
Bavaria,  and  Biist,  Alsace,  the  former  of  whom 
died  when  only  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  The 
maternal  grandfather  was  born  in  France,  and 
spent  his  life  principally  in  Alsace.  Great-grand- 
father Kugler  fought  under  the  Great  Napoleon, 
being  one  of  the  officers  of  his  army. 

From  Alsace  our  subject's  mother  removed  to 
Bavaria,  and  in  Pirmasens  was  married  to  Henry 
Wehrum,  but  after  a  few  years  was  left  a  widow 
with  tW'O  children.     Some  time  during  the  '50s, 


she  came  to  America  with  her  son,  Charles  C, 
but  died  soon  afterward  in  New  York  City,  and 
was  buried  in  Greenwood  cemetery.  Charles  C, 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth 
Massachusetts  Infantry,  and  served  faithfully  in 
defense  of  his  adopted  country.  Both  at  Antie- 
tam  and  Gettysburg  he  received  severe  wounds. 
For  faithful  service  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  captain  and  became  acting  adjutant  on  the  gen- 
eral's stafif.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  ser- 
vice he  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  resumed 
his  business  enterprises.  Accumulating  a  compe- 
tency, for  some  years  he  has  lived  retired  from 
active  work.  For  many  years  he  has  held  the  po- 
sition of  school  connnissioner,  and  has  wielded 
an  influence  in  educational  and  public  afifairs  in 
his  city. 

At  the  age  of  seven  years,  in  1850,  our  subject 
was  taken  to  the  province  of  Lorraine,  but  his 
education  was  received  principally  in  the  college 
of  Bouxviller,  Alsace.  In  1859  he  went  back  to 
Lorraine  and  secured  employment  in  the  steel 
works  at  Mutterhausen,  where  he  became  depart- 
ment superintendent  and  chief  of  construction.  In 
1871,  at  the  time  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  he 
deemed  it  prudent  to  change  his  occupation. 
Upon  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  Strassburg, 
and  established  a  wholesale  and  retail  store. 
Later  he  became  secretary  of  The  Directorate  and 
High  Consistory  of  the  Church  of  the  Confession 
of  Augsburg  for  the  provinces  of  Alsace  and  Lor- 
raine, which  office  he  held  until  he  came  to 
America. 

In  the  fall  of  1874  Mr.  Wehrum  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  landing  in  New  York  City,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  following  year.  He  then  became 
an. engineer  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company,  and  in  1876  was  made  chief  engineer. 
The  plans  of  the  new  steel  works  were  designed 
by  him,  and  he  was  superintendent  of  construc- 
tion under  W.  W.  Scranton,  president  of  The 
Scranton  Steel  Company.  On  its  consolidation 
with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  as 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company  in  1891, 
he  remained  in  the  service  of  Mr.  Scranton  until 
November,  1893,  when  he  became  chief  engineer 
and  superintendent  of  the  consolidated  concern. 
In  February,   1896,  he  was  made  general  man- 


322 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ager,  ami  in  this  rcs]^()nsible  position  lias  main- 
tained tlie  high  standard  of  the  works.  Employ- 
ment is  furnished  here  to  some  three  thousand 
hands,  while  many  others  are  employed  in  the 
mines. 

Since  i8*)i  Mr.  Wehrum  has  made  his  home  in 
Elmhurst,  where  he  has  a  fine  residence.  While 
he  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  he  is 
well  inf(jrined  in  public  affairs  and  is  a  Republi- 
can in  opinion,  favoring  protection  and  sound 
money.  Fralernally  he  is  identified  with  the  Be- 
nevolent Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Lackawanna 
County  Society  of  History  and  Science  and  the 
Engineers  Club.  Formerly  he  held  the  position 
of  jjresident  of  the  Liederkranz. 


T  T  7  1LL1AA1  F.  KIESEL,  cashier  of  the 
\ /\  /       Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company  at 

'  '  Scranton  and  one  of  the  honored  citi- 
zens of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
the  beautiful  old  city  of  .Stuttgart,  Wurtemberg, 
in  December.  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  John  G. 
Kiesel,  who  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  near 
Stuttgart,  and  on  attaining  manhood  took  a  i)o- 
sition  as  watchman  in  the  royal  palace  at  Stutt- 
gart, continuing  in  that  capacity  until  his  death. 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-four;  his 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Dorothea 
Stierle,  was  born  in  Gundelbach,  kingdom  of 
Wurtemberg,  and  died  in  Stuttgart  at  the  age  of 
forty-four.  The  family  consisted  of  only  two 
children,  William  F.  and  Charles,  both  residents 
of  Scranton. 

Receiving  his  education  in  the  gymnasium 
near  his  home,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  after 
graduation,  secured  a  position  as  junior  clerk 
in  the  government  ofifice  and  afterward  was  made 
bookkeeper,  remaining  there  for  three  years.     In 

1854  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing  vessel, 
"Ocean  Queen."  which  made  the  voyage  from 
Havre  to  Xew  York  City  in  thirty-nine  days. 
On  his  arrival  in  this  country,  he  went  to  Dan- 
bury,  C(jmi.,  where  he  worked  on,  a  farm  for  four 
months,  and  afterward  was  employed  for  six 
montlis   in  a   factory   at   Waterbury,   Conn.     In 

1855  he  went  to  Wilkcsbarre,  Pa.,  where  he 
worked  in  Ihe  coal  mines  for  two  months,  and 


llien  I)ecanie  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Grav  &  Bro. 

Almost  immediately  after  coming  to  Scranton, 
in  February,  1857,  Mr,  Kiesel  was  given  the  po- 
sition of  bookkeeper  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company,  and  held  the  same  until  1881, 
when  he  was  made  cashier.  When  the  consolida- 
tion took  place,  he  continued  as  cashier  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  and  now 
has  the  honor  of  being  the  oldest  employe  con- 
nected with  both  concerns.  He  is  a  director  in 
the  Scranton  Savings  Bank  and  for  si.x  years 
held  a  commission  as  notary  public.  In  the 
Scranton  Liederkranz  he  is  an  active  member. 
The  religious  faith  of  his  forefathers  is  the  one 
in  which  he  believes,  and  he  is  a  trustee  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church,  at  times  having  been 
president  of  the  board. 

November  20,  1859,  in  Stuttgart,  Germany, 
occurret!  the  inarriage  of  Mr.  Kiesel  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Neufifer,  who  was  born  there  June  14, 
1841,  being  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Neufifer,  a  de- 
signer at  that  place.  Eleven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  living,  comprise  the  family,  namely:  Mary, 
who  is  a  notary  public  and  insurance  agent; 
Jennie;  William,  a  graduate  of  Lehigh  Univers- 
ity and  now  employed  as  mechanical  engineer  at 
Altoona,  Pa, ;  Emily ;  Charles  and  Theodore,  who 
are  bookkeepers  in  the  First  National  Bank; 
Anna,  a  graduate  of  the  Mansfield  State  Normal 
School  and  wife  of  E.  J.  Fuchs,  of  Moosic;  Al- 
bert, bookkeeper  in  the  "Republican"  office; 
Ernest,  who  is  attending  school;  Lillie  and  Helen. 
The  sons  and  daughters  are  well  educated,  intel- 
ligent and  refined,  respected  in  business  circles 
and  poptilar  in  society,  comprising  a  family  of 
whom  the  parents  may  well  be  proud. 


JOHN  McCAWLEY.  A  resident  of  Carbon- 
dale  since  1854,  this  gentleman  has  wit- 
nessed the  rapid  growth  of  the  city  and  has 
taken  a  warm  interest  in  the  welfare  of  its  people. 
His  life  has  been  a  comparatively  uneventful  one, 
marked  by  no  startling  events,  but  he  has 
"pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  way"'  in  an 
honest,  manly  and  industrious  manner.  His 
active  life  was  given  to  work  in  the  employ  of 
the  Delaware  iSc  Hudson  Canal  Company,  but  he 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   REC(JRU. 


323 


is  now  living  retired  in  his  comfortable  home  at 
No.  30  River  Street. 

The  early  years  of  Mr.  McCavvley  were  passed 
in  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in 
1823.  Obliged  to  support  himself  from  boyhood, 
he  did  not  have  any  opportunities  for  acquiring 
an  education,  but  the  knowledge  he  has  acquired 
was  gained  through  experience  in  the  hard 
school  of  toil.  Resolving  to  seek  a  home  in 
America,  where  better  opportunities  were  pre- 
sented to  a  poor  man,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
landing  in  New  York,  and  thence  a  week  later 
coming  to  Carbondale,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. He  at  once  secured  employment  on  the 
Gravity  road  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  with  whom  he  did  faithful  service  for 
many  years,  until  his  retirement  in  advanced  age. 

In  his  political  opinions  Mr.  McCawley  is  in- 
dependent, refusing  to  tie  himself  to  any  political 
organization,  but  casting  his  ballot  for  the  man 
best  qualified,  in  his  estimation,  for  an  official 
position.  He  was  reared  to  the  Catholic  faith,  to 
which  he  has  since  adhered  and  in  which  he  has 
trained  his  children.  His  marriage,  which  was 
solemnized  in  March,  i860,  united  him  with 
Mary  Scott,  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  are  the 
parents  of  six  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely: 
James,  who  died  in  infancy;  John  P.,  who  is 
employed  on  the  railroad  and  resides  in  this  city; 
Thomas;  Peter,  also  a  railroad  employe;  Frank, 
Mar)'  Ann  and  James. 


FRANK  XAVIER  LEUTHNER.  The 
writer,  having  spent  several  hours  in  the 
foundries  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company  at  Scranton,  and  noting  with  deep  in- 
terest the  many  intricacies  connected  with  the 
moulding,  heating  and  puddling  of  iron,  is  pre- 
pared to  say  that  the  man  who  can  successfully 
fill  the  responsible  position  of  general  foreman 
certainly  possesses  abilities  of  no  ordinary  kind. 
It  is  apparent,  to  even  the  most  casual  observer, 
that  Mr.  Leuthner,  the  incumbent  of  this  posi- 
tion, is  amply  qualified  for  the  accurate  discharge 
of  his  manifold  duties.  Himself  an  incessant 
worker,  his  energy  and  vitality  are  infused 
throughout  the  entire  place;  he  moves  hither  and 


thither  among  his  men,  directing  the  work,  su- 
perintending every  department,  and  throwing 
into  even  the  smallest  details  some  of  his  own 
persevering  enthusiasm. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Leuthner  occurred  December 
1,  1846,  in  the  city  of  Schecr,  Wurtemberg,  on 
the  Danube,  near  Ulm.  He  is  the  son  of  Frank 
Xavier  Leuthner,  who  was  born  in  I^.adcn,  on  the 
borders  of  Wurtemberg,  and  who  in  youth 
learned  his  father's  trade  of  a  hammersmith,  emi- 
grating from  his  native  land  to  America  in  1885 
and  settling  in  Scranton,  where  he  died  at  sixty- 
three  years.  He  married  Caroline  Ilummler, 
who  was  born  in  Schecr,  and  died  in  Germany  at 
the  age  of  thirty-three;  her  father,  Nepemuk 
Hummler,  owned  the  grist  mills  of  Scheer. 

Of  the  parental  family  of  eight  children,  five 
are  living,  four  in  Scranton  and  one  in  Chicago. 
Our  subject,  the  eldest  of  the  number,  spent 
his  childhood  years  in  Scheer,  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  until  fourteen.  The  following  year 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  molders  trade  in  his 
native  place,  and  after  two  years  went  to  Gopin- 
gen,  where  he  worked  a  year.  Later  he  was 
employed  in  Geislingen,  seventeen  miles  from 
Ulm,  where  he  remained  for  eight  months. 
In  1866  he  left  Hamburg  on  the  steamer 
"Titonia,"  and  after  a  voyage  of  seventeen 
days  landed  in  New  York.  His  first  work 
was  in  Williamsburg,  a  suburb  of  Brooklyn.  In 
February,  1867,  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  a  few 
days  after  his  arrival  began  to  work  in  the  Dickson 
foundry.  June  5,  1883,  he  was  tendered  the  po- 
sition of  foreman  of  the  foundry  of  the  Scranton 
Steel  Company,  and  continued  at  the  south  mill 
after  the  consolidation.  To  his  duties  as  foreman 
of  the  south,  were  in  August,  1896,  added  those 
of  foreman  of  the  north  foundry  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  Company.  Here  are  man- 
ufactured castings  of  all  sizes,  from  one-half 
pound  to  thirty  thousand  pounds,  and  the  entire 
supervision  of  the  work  is  in  his  hands. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Leuthner  is  at  No.  856 
Capouse  Avenue,  Pine  Brook.  He  was  united 
in  marriage,  in  Scranton,  with  Miss  Mary  Halde- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  and 
died  in  this  city  in  1887,  leaving  four  children: 
Amelia;    Minnie;    Frank,  a  machinist;    and  Al- 


324 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


bert,  who  is  learning-  the  niokler's  trade  nnder 
his  father.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Leuthner,  Samuel 
Haldcnian,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  emigrated 
to  this  coimtry,  and  settled  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  then 
removed  to  Middlcton  and  afterward  came  to 
Scranton,  where  he  died.  His  trade  was  that  of 
a  molder. 

Politically  Mr.  Leuthner  is  a  Republican,  and 
has  represented  the  seventh  ward  upon  the 
county  committee.  For  two  years  lie  has  been 
president  of  the  Liederkranz  and  is  one  of  its 
active  workers.  He  is  past  master  of  Schiller 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  wliich  he  has  held  im- 
portant positions ;  is  also  a  member  of  the  Alli- 
ance Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  he  is  a  past 
officer.  Formerly  he  was  identified  with  the  en- 
campment and  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks. 


THOMAS  O'CONNELL,  of  Carbondale, 
was  born  at  Little  Neck,  Long  Island, 
February  22,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Ryan)  O'Connell,  natives  of  Ireland. 
His  father,  who  emigrated  to  America  at  an  early 
age,  followed  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  for  some 
years  in  Xew  York  City,  but  died  when  our  sub- 
ject was  a  small  boy.  The  widowed  mother  after 
the  death  of  her  husband,  in  1852,  came  to  Car- 
bondale, where  she  had  friends.  She  continued 
to  make  her  lioinc  here  until  her  death,  in  1857. 
Of  her  family  three  sons  grew  to  mature  years. 
Andrew  served  in  the  navy  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
during  the  Civil  War,  after  which  he  was  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Carbondale  with  his  brother 
Thomas;  he  died  in  1875.  Daniel,  who  was  a 
private  in  the  Fifty-seventh  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry during  the  war,  afterward  ent^aged  in  the 
hotel  and  bottling  business  in  Carbondale,  where 
he  died  in  March,  1896. 

At  the  time  of  coming  to  Carbondale  our  sub- 
ject was  twelve  years  of  age.  However,  he  stayed 
here  only  a  short  time,  when  he  returned  to  New 
York  and  was  employed  by  a  Mr.  Fox  in  a  bolt 
and  nut  shop.  Later  he  went  to  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  where  he  secured  work  in  the  shop  of 
John  Parsley.  In  1854  he  again  came  to  Car- 
bondale,   where    he    learned    the    confectioner's 


trade.  In  1858  he  went  via  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama to  California,  landing  in  San  Francisco,  and 
then  proceeding  to  the  mines  on  the  Pacific 
slope,  where  he  was  employed.  After  staying  for 
a  while  in  Sacraiiiento,  Maysville  and  Grass  XzS.- 
ley,  he  went  to  Virginia  City,  Nev.,  and  embarked 
in  mining  on  his  own  account,  in  partnership 
with  several  others.  From  there  he  journeyed  to 
Idaho  City,  thence  to  Portland,  Ore.,  and  in  i860 
sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  his  home  in  the 
east,  having  met  with  fair  success  in  his  enter- 
prises on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

LTpon  his  return  to  Carbondale  Mr.  O'Connell 
began  as  a  business  man,  and  for  the  past  thirty 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  different  branches 
of  merchandise,  including  the  dry  goods  and 
grocery  business.  At  this  writing  he  is  pro- 
prietor of  a  grocery,  in  addition  to  which  he  has 
acted  as  administrator  of  various  estates  and 
guardian  of  minor  heirs.  In  1867  he  married 
Miss  Judith  Gilligan,  who  was  born  in  Carbon- 
dale, her  parents  having  been  among  the  very 
earliest  settlers  of  the  place.  Her  sister,  who 
now  resides  with  her,  was  the  first  child  born 
here.  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  O'Connell  have  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  son,  Andrew,  is  a  traveling 
salesman  in  western  New  York.  Mary  and  Mar- 
garet reside  at  home.  The  family  attend  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  are  devoted  adherents  of 
that  faith.  Politically  Mr.  O'Connell  always  ad- 
vocated Democratic  principles,  but  the  campaign 
of  1896  found  him  on  the  side  of  sound  money, 
and  he  backed  this  belief  at  the  polls,  where  he 
cast  his  ballot  for  McKinlev  and  Hobart. 


HENRY  T.  KOEHLER,  who  has  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  political  affairs  in 
.Scranton  and  has  been  elected  upon  the 
Democratic  ticket  to  various  positions  of  respon- 
sibility, is  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  born  in  Erie 
County,  December  18,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of 
Henry  Koehler,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  young  manhood 
and  settled  in  York,  Pa.,  where  he  married 
Christine  Mitzel.  A  man  of  broad  education,  a 
graduate  in  classics  and  theology,  he  was  an 
efficient  teacher  of  German  and  English  in  vari- 


Pni.ASICl   CAKTHR. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


327 


oils  cities  of  this  state,  but  principally  in  Scran- 
ton,  where  he  was  employed  in  this  capacity  for 
twenty  years.  Later,  removing  to  the  west,  he 
spent  a  short  time  in  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  then 
went  to  Chicago,  where  he  died  about  1890.  He 
adhered  to  the  religious  faith  of  his  ancestors 
and  was  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  York,  Pa.,  and  still 
resides  there,  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Mitzel,  a 
farmer,  who  attained  the  age  of  ninety-seven 
years. 

In  the  family  of  Henry  Koehler  there  were  six 
children,  namely:  Jacob,  who  preaches  to  a  con- 
gregation of  deaf  mutes  and  resides  in  Wayne 
Junction,  Pa.;  Henry  T.;  Robert  P.,  who  is  in 
the  cigar  business  in  Scranton;  Kate,  who  re- 
sides with  her  mother  in  York,  Pa.;  Fred  M., 
who  is  connected  with  the  job  printing  business 
of  Koehler  &  Co.,  in  Scranton;  and  Benjamin  S., 
who  resides  in  York,  Pa.  When  our  subject  was 
only  about  nine  years  old  he  began  to  sell  papers 
and  afterward  for  several  years  he  was  office  boy 
for  the  "Scranton  Times."  His  next  position  was 
with  Carney,  Short  &  Co.  (later  Carney,  Brown 
&  Co.),  cigar  manufacturers,  with  whom  he  began 
as  errand  boy,  but  was  soon  promoted,  in  time 
becoming  salesman  in  charge  of  the  retail  busi- 
ness. With  this  firm  he  remained  from  1874  un- 
til the  fall  of  1891. 

■  Meantime,  in  1887,  Mr.  Koehler  was  elected 
county  auditor  on  the  Democratic  ticket  and 
served  a  term  of  three  years,  from  January,  1888, 
until  January,  1891.  In  the  fall  of  the  last-named 
year  he  was  elected  register  of  wills,  and  took  the 
oath  of  office  in  January,  1892,  after  which  he 
served  for  three  years,  retiring  in  1895.  In  April 
of  the  latter  year  he  embarked  in  the  shoe  busi- 
ness in  Spruce  Street,  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Schank  &  Koehler,  but  in  August,  1896,  the 
partnership  was  dissolved,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  was  nominated  to  represent  the  second 
district  of  Lackawanna  County  in  the  legislature. 
In  the  election  that  followed  he  was  defeated 
after  an  exciting  contest. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Koehler  is  identified  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Knights 
of  Pythias  No.  263  and  Washington  Camp  No. 
242,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  in  which  order  he  served  for 


one  term  as  state  vice-president  and  assisted  in 
organizing  most  of  the  camps  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  state.  In  1888,  when  the  state  con- 
vention met  in  this  city,  he  was  chairman  of  the 
reception  committee  and  took  an  active  part  in 
promoting  the  success  of  the  gathering.  He  was 
the  originator  of  the  erection  of  the  statue  of 
George  Washington  on  Court  House  Square, 
facing  the  federal  hall,  and  being  made  president 
of  the  Washington  Statue  Association,  carried 
the  plan  to  a  successful  consummation.  The  statue 
was  unveiled  July  4,  1893,  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies, Clarence  Huth,  national  president  of  the 
Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  delivering  the 
speech  of  presentation.  In  addition  to  his  other 
public  work,  Mr.  Koehler  has  frequently  been  a 
member  of  the  county  and  city  committees,  and 
at  one  time  was  treasurer  of  tli^  latter  organiza- 
tion. In  all  his  efforts  he  has  been  influenced  by 
a  desire  not  only  to  advance  party  interests,  but, 
above  all,  to  secure  the  welfare  of  his  fellow- 
citizens  and  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  city 
with  which  his  business  interests  are  associated. 


PCLASKI  CARTER.  Providence  may  well 
complain  that  while  the  ability  and  public 
spirit  of  Scranton  has  been  told  by  many  a 
historian  and  celebrated  at  the  elaborate  annual 
banquets  of  the  New  England  Society,  the  deeds 
and  achievements  of  its  foremost  citizens  have 
been  relegated  to  the  background  by  local  his- 
torians, who  delighted  to  call  it  "Razorville." 
Yet  Providence  was  a  place  of  considerable  im- 
portance when  Scranton  was  still  "Slocum's  Hol- 
low," and  had  it  not  been  for  the  unfortunate 
termination  oi  a  dispute  between  rival  hostelries 
as  to  the  location  of  Drinker  turnpike  across  the 
river,  it  might  to-day  be  a  powerful  rival  of  Scran- 
ton, if  it  had  not  been  the  real  city. 

Among  the  men  who  built  up  Providence  no 
name  stands  out  clearer  for  strict  integrity  and 
honorable,  upright  honesty  than  does  that  of 
Pulaski  Carter.  He  came  of  a  family  of  New 
Englanders  who  prided  themselves  on  the  fact 
that  for  generations  their  word  had  been  as  good 
as  their  bond,  and  he  inherited  all  the  stern,  un- 
bending honesty  of  his  race.     He  was  born  at 


3-^8 


POR 


AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Westminster,  I'unii.,  June  2^.  1813.  His  mother 
was  of  a  gentle  nature,  possessing  many  lovely 
and  lovable  traits  of  character.  Her  health  was 
never  firm,  and  she  died  when  Pulaski  was  nine 
months  old.  His  father  was  an  honest,  upright, 
but  very  austere  man.  of  a  strong  will  and  very 
strict  in  his  family  discijiline,  a  devout  Christian 
of  the  Congregational  faith,  rigid  to  a  fault  in 
e.xacting  observance  of  religious  forms  and  cere- 
monies. It  was  said  that  after  his  wife's  death 
he  was  scarcely  ever  known  to  smile.  He  was  in 
good  circinnslances,  and  desired  that  young  Pu- 
laski should  become  a  physician,  but  the  young 
man  had  inherited  his  father's  stron,g  will,  and  he 
had  decided  to  be  a  business  man.  With  this 
end  in  view  he  went  to  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  and 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  While  here  he 
had  the  free  use  of  the  library  of  Rev.  Samuel  J. 
May,  the  Unitarian  clergyman,  who  afterward 
became  so  well  known  as  a  leader  with  Garrison, 
I^hillips  and  others  in  the  anti-slavery  conflict. 
Mr.  Carter's  memory  was  so  retentive  that  in 
after  life  he  was  able  to  recite  whole  pages  of  the 
works  read  in  those  years.  When  he  finished 
learning  the  blacksmith's  trade  at  Brooklyn,  he 
went  to  Winsted.  Conn.,  and  entered  the  shop 
of  Capt.  Wheelock  Thayer  to  learn  scythe  mak- 
ing. He  was  determined  to  know  his  business 
from  the  bottom  up,  and  when  he  sold  a  man  a 
scythe  or  an  axe  to  know  that  it  was  good  all 
the  way  through.  While  there  he  formed  the  ac- 
cpiaintance  of  Henry  Harrison  Crane,  and  the 
two  young  men  formed  a  friendship  that  lasted 
through  life. 

August  5,  1839,  Mr.  Carter  married  Susan 
Sophia  Spaulding,  of  Abington,  Conn.,  being 
then  twenty-six  years  old.  Having  now  learned 
his  trade  and  being  ready  to  go  into  business  on 
his  own  account,  he  .started  out  the  next  year  on 
a  prospecting  tour  to  find  a  place  where  he  could 
locate  and  comnience  his  life's  work.  He  visited 
several  places,  but  finally  decided  that  he  would 
settle  at  Providence,  Pa.  He  returned  to  Con- 
necticut, and  the  next  year,  1841,  brought  his 
wife  to  her  new  hoine.  In  October,  1841,  a  little 
one  came  to  brighten  the  home,  but  the  mother 
died  in  November.  Tlie  next  July  the  daughter 
followed,  and  Mr.  Carter  was  left  alone.     On  his 


arrival  in  Providence  he  rented  shop  room  of 
Jacob  Sager  and  Larned  White,  and  entered  upon 
the  business  of  making  scythes.  In  June,  1842, 
in  company  with  Jerison  White,  he  purchased 
the  axe  factory  of  Sager  &  White,  and  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  axes  and  scythes. 
This  was  the  first  manufactory  of  the  kind  in  the 
state.  In  a  little  while  Jerison  White  sold  his 
interest  to  Larned  White,  and  April  25,  1843,  ^I"". 
Carter  purchased  Mr.  White's  interest  and  asso- 
ciated Mr.  Crane  with  him  in  the  business. 

August  7,  1843,  Mr.  Carter  married  again,  his 
wife  being  Olive  Ingalls,  of  Canterbury,  Conn. 
She  was  a  double  cousin  of  the  first  wife,  and 
they  were  said  to  be  strikingly  alike  in  form  and 
feature.  Mr.  Crane,  disliking  the  care  and  re- 
sponsibility the  business  entailed  upon  him,  dis- 
posed of  his  interest,  though  still  remaining  with 
the  concern.  After  this  Mr.  Carter  associated 
Artemus  Miller  with  him  for  a  time,  but  soon 
after  purchased  all  the  outstanding  interests  and 
conducted  the  business  alone.  Prior  to  this  some 
thirty  acres  of  land  were  purchased,  on  which 
were  erected  the  shops,  buildings,  etc.,  of  the 
growing  establishment,  for  there  was  a  vast  wil- 
derness all  around  them  in  those  early  days,  and 
vigorous  workmen  were  slaughtering  the  giants 
of  the  forest  right  and  left,  and  "Carter's  axes" 
were  known  to  be  reliable  and  were  in  great  de- 
mand. For  many  years  Mr.  Carter  remained  sole 
owner  of  the  "Capouse  Works,"  named  from  the 
old  IndiaiT  chief  of  the  Monceys,  from  whom  also 
the  Capouse  Meadows  received  their  name. 

In  1847  ^  great  controversy  arose  over  the 
question  of  "pay  schools''  or  "free  schools."  Full 
of  his  New  England  ideas  on  education,  Mr.  Car- 
ter, then  a  young  man  of  thirty-four,  threw  him- 
self into  the  struggle  heart  and  soul.  Up  and 
down  the  valley  he  went  preaching  the  gospel  of 
free  schools.  When  the  day  came  he  had  his 
forces  well  in  hand  and  marshalled  for  the  fray. 
The  cause  of  free  schools  so  ably  championed 
by  the  young  New  Englander  won  by  a  decided 
majority,  and  this  when  Scranton  was  only  just 
getting  ready  to  grow.  In  1850  the  first  public 
school  building  in  Providence  was  erected  on 
land  given  by  Mr.  Carter  as  long  as  it  should  be 
used  for  school  purposes.  In  1857  the  first  graded 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


329 


school  building  in  the  city  was  erected  on  the  hill 
in  Providence,  and  in  the  celebration  of  that  event 
Mr.  Carter  received  ample  praise  for  his  labors 
in  behalf  of  free  schools.  He  had  made  his  mark 
and  could  have  had  any  office  in  the  gift  of  the 
people.  In  the  early  days  of  the  citv  he  was 
urged  to  run  for  mayor,  but  his  was  a  retiring 
nature,  not  caring  for  the  bustle  and  excitement 
of  politics,  and  he  modestly  but  firmly  put  these 
offers  by,  and  contented  himself  with  seeing  his 
business  grow  from  year  to  year.  However,  he 
was  treasurer  of  the  Providence  school  board  for 
twenty-eight  years. 

In  1864  his  factory  burned  down.  It  was  onI\' 
insured  for  $10,000,  and  the  loss  was  a  heavy  one, 
but  as  soon  as  his  customers  and  friends  heard  of 
his  loss,  ofifers  of  help  began  to  flow  in.  They 
knew  the  man,  knew  his  uprightness  and  integ- 
rity, and  this  one  and  that  one  wrote  him  that 
they  had  ten,  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars which  he  was  welcome  to,  if  he  could  find  a 
place  for  it  in  his  business,  but  again  he  put  the 
tempting  ofTer  aside  and  rebuilt  himself,  without 
borrowing  a  dollar  and  preserved  the  independ- 
ence he  loved  so  well. 

But  it  was  as  a  temperance  man  that  he  was 
best  known.  He  preached  temperance  and  he 
practiced  it.  He  was  always  active  in  the  cause. 
Many  a  man  he  helped  reclaim  from  a  life  of 
degradation  and  shame.  He  was  an  active, 
zealous  worker,  and  the  saloon  keepers  dreaded 
him.  He  fought  licenses  persistently.  He  was 
always  ready  to  contribute  of  his  time  and  means 
to  aid  the  cause  of  temperance.  That  sounds  as 
though  he  might  have  been  fanatical,  but  he  was 
not.  He  was  an  unostentatious  man,  but  his 
great  heart  was  easily  moved  to  pity,  his  ear  was 
ever  open  to  the  cry  of  distress,  his  hand  and 
his  purse  ever  ready  to  help  the  unfortunate  and 
the  down-fallen. 

In  November,  1876,  he  met  with  a  fearful  acci- 
dent. Two  men,  reckless  from  drink,  were  racing 
their  teams.  Their  wagons  crushed  in  on  each 
side  of  Mr.  Carter's  carriage,  wrecking  it  and 
most  seriously  injuring  him ;  for  days  his  life  was 
despaired  of,  but  a  good  constitution  and  the  ab- 
stemious life  he  had  always  led  prolonged  his 
davs.    He  never  recovered  from  the  effects  of  this 


accident,  and  died  October  13,  1884,  aged 
seventy-one  years.  He  left  surviving  him  his 
widow  and  three  children,  the  former  still  residing 
at  the  old  homestead.  The  children,  Pulaski  P., 
Marvin  P.  and  Amelia  M.,  married  to  William 
De  Witt  Kennedy,  still  carry  on  the  business 
he  left,  maintaining  the  high  reputation  he  had 
built  up.  Mrs.  Kennedy  has  always  been  inter- 
ested in  church  and  charitable  work,  and  was  for 
thirteen  years  secretary  of  the  Home  for  the 
Friendless,  until  she  was  elected  vice-president. 


WILLIAM  H.  McGRAW,  D.  D.  S.  Dur- 
ing the  years  in  which  he  has  been  a 
resident  and  professional  man  of  Car- 
bondale.  Dr.  McGraw  has  become  known  as  one 
of  the  energetic  and  stirring  citizens  of  the  city. 
Though  young  in  years  and  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  he  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the 
best  dentists  here,  and  his  skill  in  this  special  line 
of  work  is  well  known. 

The  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  occurred 
at  Silver  Lake,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  April 
8.  1868.  His  father,  Dennis  McGraw,  who  was  a 
native  of  New  York,  removed  in  early  life  to 
Pennsylvania  and  settled  at  Silver  Lake,  where 
he  became  a  prosperous  and  enterprising  farmer. 
Among  the  various  local  offices  which  he  was 
called  upon  to  fill  were  those  of  assessor,  school 
director  and  poor  officer.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  McCormick,  who  was  born  in 
Apolachon  Township,  Susquehanna  County,  be- 
ing a  member  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
that  locality.  Her  father,  John  McCormick,  was 
killed  by  accident  when  our  subject  was  a  child. 
The  remote  ancestors  were  from  Ireland,  as  were 
also  the  founders  of  the  McGraw  family  in 
America. 

In  the  family  of  Dennis  and  Mary  McGraw 
there  are  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  The 
sons  are  F.  L.,  a  graduate  of  the  Baltimore  Den- 
tal College  and  a  practicing  dentist  of  Scranton : 
W.  H.,  of  this  sketch;  James  and  Augustine, 
who  are  with  their  parents  on  the  home  farm. 
Reared  to  manhood  in  the  country,  our  subject 
began  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  but 
afterward    had    the    advantage    of   a    course    in 


330 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Wood's  Business  College  at  Scranton.  Upon 
the  com])lction  of  his  hterary  education  he  en- 
tered the  Baltimore  Dental  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  with  honors  in  1892.  Thus  equipped 
for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  he  came  to 
Carbondale,  opened  an  office,  and  has  since 
gained  a  place  among  the  rising  young  profes- 
sional men  of  the  city.  He  takes  an  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  his  support  may  be  relied  upon 
in  matters  affecting  the  prosperity  of  the  people. 


HENRY  F.  ATHERTON.  It  has  been  cus- 
tomary to  speak  of  men  who  have  raised 
themselves  to  honorable  stations  in  life 
without  the  aid  of  wealth  or  influential  friends  as 
"self-made.''  Such  a  man  is  the  subject  of  this 
review,  who  started  in  life  for  himself  with  no 
other  capital  than  energy,  ability,  and  a  determin- 
ation to  succeed.  That  his  desire  has  been  ac- 
complished is  noted  by  the  fact  that  he  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Scranton.  In  his 
life  we  find  an  excellent  example  for  young  men 
just  embarking  in  fields  of  activity,  showing 
what  may  be  accomplished  by  prudence,  honesty 
and  industn,',  for  it  is  the  possession  of  these 
qualities  that  secured  for  him  the  position  of  pay- 
master for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany, which  he  has  held  since  March  24,  1864. 
The  Atherton  family  is  of  English  origin. 
Jonathan,  the  great-grandfather  of  Henry  F.,  was 
born  in  England,  and  with  a  brother  emigrated 
to  Massacliusctts,  settling  in  Franklin  County. 
One  of  that  name  served  as  a  captain  in  King 
Phillip's  War  and  was  killed  in  l)attle.  Jonathan, 
Jr.,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  engaged  in  farming  in  Greenfield 
throughout  most  of  his  active  life,  held  various 
local  offices,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 
By  his  marriage  to  Huldah  Chamberlain,  a  native 
of  Durham,  Conn.,  he  had  the  following-named 
children:  Susan,  Martha,  Alva,  Almeda;  Ralph, 
who  came  to  Pennsylvania  abmtt  1830,  settled  in 
Wyoming  (then  Troy),  and  later  moved  to  De 
Kalb  County,  111.;  Maria;  Permelia;  Jonathan 
A.,  father  of  our  subject,  and  Zora,  who  is  living 
in  Franklin  County,  Mass.  The  last  two  are  the 
sole  survivors. 


In  Greenfield,  Franklin  County,  Mass.,  where 
he  was  born,  April  19,  1810,  Jonathan  A.  Ather- 
ton attended  school  in  the  primitive  days  of  edu- 
cational efforts,  when  children  sat  on  benches  in 
log  houses  and  amid  unfavorable  surroundings 
were  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  "three 
R's."  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  was  apprenticed 
to  a  boot  and  shoe  maker  in  Bernardston,  Frank- 
lin County,  and  served  for  five  years,  later  travel- 
ing as  a  journeyman.  In  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  he 
married  Ellen  S.  Bennett,  who  was  born  there,  of 
an  old  Connecticut  family,  and  died  in  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pa.,  in  March,  1861,  aged  forty- 
six  years. 

In  1835,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two  little 
children,  John  R.  and  Henry  F.,  Jonathan  A. 
Atherton  came  to  Pennsylvania,  making  the  jour- 
ney from  Brattleboro  in  a  covered  wagon,  drawn 
by  one  horse.  They  crossed  the  Green  Mount- 
ains, traveled  from  there  to  the  Susquehanna 
River,  and  then  drove  to  Montrose,  thence  going 
to  West  Troy  (now  Wyoming).  They  were  led 
to  select  that  location  owing  to  the  fact  that 
Ralph,  a  brother  of  Mr.  Atherton,  had  formerly 
settled  there.  In  1838  he  removed  to  Hyde  Park 
and  worked  at  his  trade  until  1846,  when  he 
bought  coal  land  in  the  Keiser  Valley.  This 
property  he  sold  in  1855  and  purchased  a  fine 
farm  in  Susquehanna  County,  a  place  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  situated  in  South 
Bridgewater  Township,  three  miles  south  of 
Montrose.  During  the  years  of  his  residence  there 
he  added  new  buildings  and  placed  the  soil  under 
excellent  cultivation.  The  estate  is  still  in  his 
possession,  but  is  operated  by  tenants,  and  he 
makes  his  Iicjme  with  his  son,  J.  L.,  in  Scranton. 

Nine  children  composed  the  family  of  Jona- 
than A.  Atherton,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy, 
and  Fred,  in  Susquehanna  County,  August  i, 
1873,  when  twenty-six  years  of  age.  The  eldest, 
John  R.,  was  born  in  Verinont  followed  the 
wagon-niaker's  trade,  and  died  in  Hyde  Park  in 
1 85 1.  The  survivors  are  Henry  F.,  who  was 
born  in  Bernardston,  Mass.,  July  30,  1834;  J. 
L.,  who  has  been  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company  since  November  of  1864,  and  is 
now  assistant  outside  superintendent  of  the  coal 
department;     Rosella,    wife   of    Hon.   T.    H.    B. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


331 


Lewis,  an  attorney  of  Wilkesbarre  and  ex-mem- 
ber of  the  legislature;  Bicknell  B.,  who  is  repre- 
sented on  another  page  of  this  volume;  Florence, 
Mrs.  David  Sherer,  of  Susquehanna  County;  and 
Sophia,  Mrs.  H.  T.  Lake,  of  Binghampton,  N.  Y. 

The  long  journey  from  the  Green  Mountains 
to  the  Wyoming  Valley  is  not  remembered  by 
our  subject,  who  was  then  only  a  year  old.  In 
1838  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Hyde 
Park,  then  Luzerne  Count}',  where  in  boyhood 
he  attended  school.  In  1850  he  secured  a  clerk- 
ship with  O.  P.  Clark,  an  old  merchant  of  that 
place,  and  three  years  later  went  to  Honesdale, 
where  he  took  a  position  with  Foster  Brothers, 
merchants.  In  1855  he  went  to  Montrose  and 
entered  business  with  Frank  B.  Chandler,  a 
brother-in-law  of  Judge  Jessup,  but  after  three 
years  went  back  to  Honesdale,  resuming  his  for- 
mer position  with  Foster  Brothers.  Upon  the  in- 
vasion of  Lee  into  Pennsylvania  Governor  Cur- 
tin  made  a  call  for  men  to  defend  the  capital  and 
state.  Mr.  Atherton  at  once  went  to  Harrisburg, 
Pa.,  where  he  joined  Judge  Jessup's  company, 
which  became  part  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Penn- 
sylvania militia  under  Colonel  Chamberlain,  and 
Mr.  Atherton  was  unanimously  elected  second 
lieutenant  of  Company  B.  During  the  engage- 
ment at  Gettysburg  his  company  was  guarding 
a  pass  at  South  Mountain,  then  followed  Lee  into 
Maryland,  and  later  returned  to  Harrisburg, 
where,  the  services  of  the  company  being  no 
longer  needed,  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

Going  back  to  Honesdale,  Mr.  Atherton  held 
his  position  there  until  March  24,  1864,  when  he 
resigned  and  came  to  Scranton  in  response  to  an 
invitation  from  E.  W.  Weston.  He  was  tendered 
and  accepted  the  position  of  accountant  and  as- 
sistant paymaster  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company,  which  he  held  until  January  i, 
1869,  and  since  then  has  been  paymaster.  This 
very  responsible  position  he  has  filled  with  great- 
est efificiency,  and  has  disbursed  millions  without 
the  loss  of  a  dollar  to  the  company.  The  more  than 
ninety-five  thousand  bank  checks  he  has  issued 
are  arranged  on  file  in  numerical  order,  and  every 
other  department  of  his  work  is  conducted  in  a 
manner  equally  systematic.  He  is  paymaster  for 
all  the  departments,  railroad,  coal,  real  estate  and 


sales.  To  do  this  work  accurately  requires  close 
attention,  and  obliges  him  to  be  constantly  at  his 
post  of  duty.  Frequently  he  has  had  narrow 
escapes,  as,  the  fact  being  known  that  the  com- 
pany always  pays  in  cash,  plans  have  been  laid 
to  hold  him  up,  but  fortunately  none  of  them 
ever  succeeded. 

Politically  Mr.  Atherton  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. For  many  years  he  officiated  as  an  elder 
of  the  Providence  Presbyterian  Church.  In  1867 
he  was  chosen  treasurer  of  the  Providence  Gas 
&  Water  Company,  and  has  acted  in  that  capacity 
ever  since.  In  addition  to  his  comfortable  home 
at  No.  2104  North  Main  Avenue,  he  owns  other 
valuable  property  in  the  city.  At  Honesdale, 
October  12,  1864,  Mr.  Atherton  married  Miss 
Abbie  Foster  Roe,  who  was  bom  and  reared 
there.  Her  parents  were  John  F.  and  Ruth 
(Sayre)  Roe,  both  natives  of  Long  Island.  Mr. 
Roe  was  for  sixty  years  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Honesdale  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church;  he  was  a  cousin  of  E.  P.  and  A.  S.  Roe. 
The  five  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.-  Atherton  are 
Carrie  Foster;  Annie;  John  R.,  who  in  Novem- 
ber, 1895,  was  appointed  assistant  paymaster  for 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company; 
Thomas  S.,  who  is  pay  clerk  in  the  office;  and 
Henry  F.,  Jr. 


CHARLES  W.  ZIEGLER.  The  century 
soon  to  close  has  been  an  age  of  inven- 
tions in  every  line  of  human  activity,  and 
in  this  respect  the  coal  industry  has  not  been 
neglected.  Among  the  useful  inventions  that  are 
gaining  recognition  throughout  fhe  country  may 
be  mentioned  the  Ziegler  coal  separator,  of  which 
the  subject  of  this  article  is  the  inventor  and  pat- 
entee, and  which  is  especially  valuable  owing  to 
the  fact  that  it  reduces  the  cost  of  the  production 
of  coal.  The  plan  is  the  construction  of  a  series 
of  plates,  with  the  necessary  spaces  for  the  slate 
to  fall  thi'ough,  advantage  being  taken  of  the  fact 
that  the  specific  gravity  of  the  slate  is  heavier 
than  that  of  coal  and  also  ofTers  more  resisting 
power. 

At    present   superintendent  of  the  von  Storch 
shaft  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  mines,  and  for 


iZ2 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGR.'^PHICAL   RECORD. 


many  years  a  resident  of  Scranton,  Mr.  Ziegler 
was  born  in  Grossalnierode,  Hesse-Nassau, 
Prussia.  March  3.  1849.  'i"<l  '^  ^  *""  o^  Frank  and 
Christiana  (Gundlach)  Ziegler.  natives  of  the 
same  province.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  in 
the  Cierman  army  and  accompanied  Napoleon 
on  his  niarch  to  Russia.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, William  Gundlach,  carried  on  a  business 
that  has  been  in  the  family  over  a  thousand  years 
and  that  is  still  conducted  by  his  descendants, 
being  sole  manufacturer  of  crucibles  for  Ger- 
many. 

Reared  in  (iermany,  I'rank  Ziegler  learned  the 
nailers  trade  and  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  nails,  meeting  with  success  until  the 
revolution  of  1848  ruined  him.  During  that 
struggle  he  was  pressed  into  service  with  his 
twelve  teams,  and  on  being  permitted  to  return 
home,  withcjut  pay  for  liis  service,  he  had  only 
three  teams  and  his  business  was  ruined.  This 
caused  him  to  seek  a  home  in  America.  In  1852 
he  settled  at  Archbald,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in 
mining  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company, 
and  later  was  with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Dimmore,  where  he  died  in  1874.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  a  member  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church.  His  wife  died  in  1882,  aged 
seventy-two.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons, 
our  subject's  brother  being  Henry  J.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  on  the  south 
side  of  Scranton. 

Two  years  after  Frank  Ziegler  came  to  Amer- 
ica he  sent  for  his  wife  and  children,  who  took 
passage  on  a  sailer  at  P>remen,  and  after  a  voyage 
of  seven  weeks  and  two  days  landed  in  Baltimore, 
going  thence  by  rail  to  Philadelphia  and  Tama- 
qua,  then  by  stage  to  Wilkesbarre  and  Scranton. 
At  the  time  of  the  emigration  our  subject  was 
between  four  and  five  years  of  age.  He  attended 
school  in  Pine  Brook  and  Dunmore,  and  after 
going  to  work  was  a  student  in  a  night  school 
taught  by  A.  Bryden.  At  the  age  of  nine  he 
began  to  work  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  Spencer 
coal  mines.  In  i860  he  became  a  slate  picker  in 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  mines,  operated  by  A. 
E.  Albright,  and  when  thirteen  was  made  weigh- 
master,  after  which  he  gradually  worked  his  w-ay 
upward   to   a  position   of   responsibility.      Since 


1872  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  von 
Storch  mines,  having  held  the  position  longer 
than  almost  any  superintendent  in  this  localitv. 
In  1875  he  devised  his  first  coal  separator,  in 
1883  got  up  another,  and  now  has  constructed  a 
third.  The  slate  picker  of  1875,  which  has  been 
in  constant  use  since  introduced  by  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson,  was  about  the  first  successful  one  in 
the  valley,  and  has  been  constantly  made  more 
valuable  by  added  improvements.  It  is  now  used 
in  eighteen  out  of  the  twenty-one  breakers  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson,  and  other  companies 
have  also  adopted  it  with  success.  In  length  it  is 
thirty-five  feet,  and  some  breakers  have  from  six- 
teen to  twent\--two  of  them. 

With  his  wife  and  four  children,  Jennie,  Alice, 
Harriet  and  Carl  W.,  Mr.  Ziegler  resides  at  No. 
1728  North  Main  Avenue.  Mrs.  Ziegler  was  for- 
merly Miss  Nellie  A.  Kelly,  and  was  born  in 
Hawley,  Pa.,  being  the  daughter  of  Peter  Kelly, 
a  native  of  New  York.  Though  not  a  member 
of  any  denomination,  our  subject  attends  ■  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Politically  he  is  a  firm 
Republican,  always  voting  the  party  ticket.  He 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  but  has  not  continued  his  mem- 
bership. In  Masonry  he  belongs  to  Hiram 
Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Providence,  Lack- 
awanna Chapter  No.  185,  Scranton  Council  and 
Consistorv. 


WILLIAM  MOORE.  From  a  family 
where  noble  Christian  principles  and 
pur])oses  controlled  both  thought  and 
action,  our  subject  came.  His  early  life  was 
spent  under  the  influences  and  in  the  presence  of 
an  example  calculated  to  inspire  in  his  mind  the 
love  of  knowledge,  the  appreciation  of  a  practical 
Christian  life  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  the  Great 
Master,  and  a  patriotic  devotion  to  the  principles 
that  lie  at  the  foundation  of  our  government. 
From  his  father,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1 81 2,  an  energetic  farmer  and  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  he  had,  by  precept  and  ex- 
ample, instilled  in  his  mind  a  love  of  country, 
love  of  work  and  love  of  God.  Of  his  parents 
mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother-in- 


WILLIAM  MOORE. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


333 


law,  Alfred  L.  Green,  presented  on  another  page. 

Upon  a  farm  within  the  present  city  limits  of 
Scranton  the  subject  of  this  narrative  was  born, 
December  3,  1823.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he 
secured  a  clerkship  with  W.  W.  Winton,  a  mer- 
chant, and  later  was  with  A.  B.  Dunning.  After 
a  few  years  he  was  taken  into  partnership,  the 
firm  becoming  Dunning  &  Moore,  but  later  was 
alone,  and  continued  in  business  until  1862. 
Again  in  1878  he  opened  a  store  at  No.  135  West 
Market  street  and  there  carried  on  a  large  busi- 
ness until  1889,  when  approaching  age  caused 
him  to  retire.  Aluch  of  his  time  was  given  to 
the  improvement  of  property.  Purchasing  a 
tract  of  land  in  Green  Ridge,  he  laid  it  out  in  lots, 
and  disposed  of  it  as  opportunity  offered.  He 
also  bought  coal  lands,  which  he  sold  at  a  large 
profit.  At  one  time  he  was  interested  in  a  brick 
yard  in  Throop. 

BeHeving  the  liquor  traffic  to  be  the  greatest 
menace  to  our  nation,  Mr.  Moore  identified  him- 
self with  the  Prohibition  party  and  was  a  large 
contributor  to  this  cause.  At  one  lime  he  was 
the  Prohibition  candidate  for  assembly.  He  was 
interested  in  local  matters  and  served  for  a  time 
as  treasurer  of  the  borough  of  Providence.  For 
forty  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  an  earnest  supporter  of  its  doctrines,  and 
a  most  liberal  contributor  to  its  maintenance. 
In  fact,  had  it  not  been  for  his  determined  efTorts, 
the  organization  in  Scranton  would  have  been 
unable  to  continue  its  existence.  When  days 
were  gloomy,  his  cheerfulness  encouraged  oth- 
ers; when  poorer  members  were  unable  to  give, 
he  made  up  any  deficits  in  the  running  ex- 
penses; and  when  the  future  of  the  cause  seemed 
almost  hopeless,  he  stood  steadfastly,  like  a  brave 
captain  or  a  faithful  pilot,  never  acknowledging 
that  there  was  a  chance  of  failure.  It  is  due  to 
his  faithfulness  that  there  is  an  organization  to- 
day. It  seemed  almost  fitting,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, and  considering  his  great  love  for 
the  church,  that  his  spirit  should  take  its  flight 
from  this  earthly  house  of  worship  into  eternal 
joy.  His  death,  which  was  very  sudden,  took 
place  .Sunday  morning,  February  16,  1896,  im- 
mediately after  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  sup- 
per had  been  observed,  and  while  he  was  seated 


in  his  pew.  The  shock  was  great,  not  only  to  the 
citizens  of  the  community,  but  especially  to  his 
devoted  wife,  whom  his  death  left  alone. 

Miss  Emily  Ingalls,  who  became  Mrs.  Moore 
at  Hampton,  Windham  County,  Conn.,  October 
17,  1852,  was  a  daughter  of  Marvin  and  Amelia 
(Spaulding)  Ingalls,  natives  of  Hampton  and 
Abington,  Windham  County,  and  was  next  to 
the  }'oungest  of  eight  children,  the  others  being 
Oliver,  Mrs.  Lydia  Brown  and  Mrs.  Malenda 
Lyon,  all  of  whom  died  in  Connecticut;  Mrs. 
Olive  Carter,  of  Scranton;  Roger  T.,  who  died  in 
York  state;  John  S.,  whose  death  occurred  in 
Scranton;  and  Walter,  who  is  in  Connecticut. 
Mrs.  Moore  was  born  in  Hampton  and  remained 
in  Connecticut  until  her  marriage.  For  forty- 
one  years  she  has  made  her  home  at  No.  133 
West  Market  Street  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
among  the  people  of  this  locality.  Throughout 
the  years  of  wedded  life  she  was  linked  with  her 
husband  so  truly  that  she  was  a  sharer  in  more 
than  name  in  all  the  happenings  and  events  of 
his  career,  rejoicing  in  his  successes,  cheering  and 
sustaining  him  in  the  time  of  trial  and  threatened 
reverses,  and  sharing  with  him  in  the  esteem  of 
the  people. 


JAMES  B.  FAULKNER.  The  majority  of 
the  citizens  of  Carbondale  are  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Faulkner,  who  has  been  a  resident 
of  this  place  since  1850.  Coming  here  when  the 
village  was  small,  he  has  witnessed  its  gradual 
growth  into  a  prosperous  city  and  has  himself 
contributed  to  its  advancement.  His  active  years 
have  been  given  to  service  in  the  employ  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  but  for 
some  years  past  he  has  lived  in  retirement,  hav- 
ing accumulated  a  sufficient  amount  of  this 
world's  goods  to  provide  every  comfort  for  his 
declining  days. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Joseph  Faulkner, 
was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  grew  to 
manhood  there,  choosing  the  medical  profession 
for  his  life  work,  and  to  this  he  devoted  his  at- 
tention for  a  long  time.  He  attained  advanced 
years,  dying  when  eighty  years  of  age.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Priscilla  Faulk- 


334 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ncr,  was  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  I'^aulkncr,  and  died 
at  seventy-seven  years.  Her  father  was  a  man  of 
patriotic  spirit  and  great  activity,  and  took  part 
in  the  early  wars  of  tlic  country,  as  did  also  the 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  ten  children,  namely :  W'illiam;  Cas- 
sandra, deceased;  Clarissa;  Marj^  Ann  and  Cath- 
arine, deceased;  Thomas;  James  B.,  of  this 
sketch;  Martha,  who  lives  in  Hyde  Park,  Lacka- 
wanna County;  Phinnie  and  John,  deceased. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Dundas,  Pa.,  June  28, 
1824,  and  had  but  limited  opportunities  for  an 
education,  as  he  worked  on  a  farm  the  most  of 
his  time  in  boyhood.  However,  being  observant 
and  a  thoughtful  reader,  he  learned  much  by  self- 
culture.  On  coming  to  Carbondale  he  began  to 
work  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany, with  whom  he  continued  for  thirty-three 
years.  For  seven  years  he  was  director  of  the 
poor,  and  for  many  years  served  as  constable 
and  collector,  proving  a  capable  and  efficient 
officer.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he  is  always 
willing  to  give  a  reason  for  his  belief,  and  is  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  party  platform.  Frater- 
nally he  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  past  grand  of  the  lodge  at 
Carbondale. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Faulkner  united  with  him 
Miss  Susan  Murdock,  a  native  of  County  Sligo, 
Ireland.  They  became  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, named  as  follow-s:  Franklin  and  Louise, 
who  live  in  Carbondale;  Lizzie,  deceased;  Mar- 
tha, whose  home  is  in  this  city;  Evaline,  Evaline 
(2d)  and  Clarissa,  deceased;  George  and 
Charles,  who  reside  in  Carbondale;  and  Sarah, 
who  lives  in  Paterson,  N.  J.  Mrs.  Faulkner  died 
November  13,   1896,  aged  si.\ty-si.x  years. 


ALFRED  LERWOOD  GREEN.  During 
the  long  period  of  his  residence  in  Scran- 
ton,  Mr.  Green  became  known  as  a  man 
of  public  spirit  and  executive  ability.  Identified 
with  every  movement  promising  to  promote  the 
public  welfare,  enjoying  a  leading  social  posi- 
tion and  contributing  of  his  time  and  energy  to 
public    enterprises,    he    had     an    extensive    ac- 


ijuaintance  and  possessed  many  warm  friends. 
Of  his  personal  characteristics,  it  may  be  said 
that  he  was  self-poised,  keen  in  perception,  stead- 
fast in  convictions,  sagacious  in  council  and  ener- 
getic in  action.  The  sturdy  virtues  which  com- 
manded for  him  universal  respect  were  rooted  in 
a  kind  and  sympathetic  nature  that  won  the  en- 
during love  of  kindred  and  the  affectionate  re- 
gard of  associates. 

Born  in  Widmore,  England,  January  i,  1817, 
the  subject  of  this  article  was  reared  in  his  native 
land  and  there  learned  the  baker's  trade.  He 
had  one  brother,  Benjamin,  who  preceded  him 
to  America  and  settled  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  remained  until  death.  In  1844,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven,  Alfred  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  at 
once  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  secured  work 
in  the  iron  ore  mines.  After  five  years  in  that 
position,  he  opened  a  grocery  in  North  Main 
Avenue,  Hyde  Park,  but  one  year  later  sold  out 
and  turned  his  attention  to  mining.  He  was 
made  inside  foreman  and  then  promoted  to  be 
superintendent  of  the  Jermyn  mines,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  his  death,  in  June,  1892.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  resided  in  Scran- 
ton, but  continued  to  work  in  Jermyn.  While 
interested  in  public  affairs,  he  at  no  time  aspired 
to  official  position,  but  from  principle  gave  his 
allegiance  to  the  Prohibition  cause,  though  it 
then  had  little  hope  of  even  ultimate  victory.  In 
early  life  he  was  associated  with  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows. He  was  an  elder  in  the  Christian  Church, 
to  which  his  widow  belongs. 

During  the  reign  of  the  Molly  Maguires,  Mr. 
Green  was  the  victim  of  a  dastardly  attempt  at  as- 
.sassination.  One  morning,  while  walking  from 
Jermyn  to  the  mines,  and  taking  a  short  cut  by 
the  railroad,  he  heard  the  noise  of  footsteps  be- 
hind him,  and  looking  around  saw  three  men 
coming  toward  him.  One  advanced  and  asked 
him  for  work,  to  which  he  replied  that  he  had  no 
work  for  any  extra  men  that  morning.  He 
started  on,  but  soon  heard  them  coming  again. 
1  le  turned  and  saw  three  revolvers  pointing  at 
him.  The  men  began  shooting  alternately,  until 
nine  shots  were  fired,  he  meantime  backing  away 
from  them.  Providence  preserved  him,  for  of 
the  nine  shots,  one  lodged  in  his  left  shoulder, 


JOHN   P..   SHANNON. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


337 


another  passed  through  his  coat  and  vest,  and  a 
third  through  his  whiskers.  Robert  Pearce,  at  a 
mine  near  by,  heard  the  firing  and  recognized 
Mr.  Green's  voice,  and  called  out  to  Mr.  Mc- 
Cracken,  who  was  in  the  office,  that  some  one 
was  attacking  Mr.  Green.  McCracken  at  once 
seized  a  revolver  and  started  to  run  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  firing,  Pearce  following  him.  On  see- 
ing the  men  he  shot,  but  missed;  then  Pearce 
took  the  revolver,  shot  one  man  dead,  wounded 
another  in  the  ankle,  while  the  third  made  his 
escape.  The  wounded  man  was  captured  and 
sent  to  the  penitentiary.  The  wound  Mr.  Green 
received  was  not  serious,  and  he  soon  recovered 
from  it. 

In  Blakcly  Township,  this  county,  in  1849,  Mr. 
Green  married  Miss  Lena  Moore,  who  was  born 
near  Scranton,  a  daughter  of  Peter  W.  and 
Eleanor  (Rossman)  Moore.  Her  mother,  who 
was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  September 
12,  1797,  united  with  the  Christian  Church  in 
1830,  and  continued  a  faithful  member  until  her 
death,  December  13,  1875.  The  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Green,  William  Moore,  was  born  in  New 
York  State,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  farming 
in  Dutchess  County,  later  becoming  an  early  set- 
tler of  Lackawanna  Township,  this  county.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  on  coming 
to  America  settled  on  the  Hudson  River  in  New 
York  State. 

Born  in  Dutchess  County,  October  10,  1783, 
Peter  W.  Moore  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  being 
stationed  on  Long  Island.  For  some  years  he 
was  a  farmer  in  Blakely  Township,  near  what  is 
now  Dickson,  but  afterward  settled  in  Madi- 
son Township,  where  he  died  at  sixty-four  years 
of  age.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Christian  Church.  His  children  were  named 
as  follows:  Lavina,  Mrs.  Steward,  who  died  in 
Dunmore;  Jonathan,  who  died  in  Providence 
when  young;  Lena,  Mrs.  Green;  William,  late 
of  Scranton,  deceased  in  February,  i8g6;  Delos 
R.,  a  retired  business  man  of  Scranton;  Aaron, 
Amy,  Clarissa  and  Parna,  who  died  in  early  life; 
Thomas  G.  and  John  H.,  who  reside  in  Scranton. 

The  only  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green,  John  D., 
was  for  several  years  manager  of  the  Pittston 
stove  works,  but  went  west,  and  is  now  traveling 
12 


salesman  for  stove  works  in  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 
The  only  daughter,  Ida  Bell,  is  an  accomplished 
lady  and  is  recognized  as  a  talented  musician 
and  efficient  music  teacher.  In  religious  con- 
nections she  is  identified  with  the  Church  of  the 
Good  Shepherd.  Mrs.  Green  and  Miss  Ida  reside 
at  No.  415  West  Market  Street,  where  they  en- 
tertain their  many  friends  with  pleasing  hospi- 
tality. 


JOHN  B.  SHANNON,  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
this  city  February  28,  1865,  and  is  of  Scotch 
parentage  and  ancestry.  His  father,  the  late 
Alexander  Shannon,  was  born  in  Dumfries,  Scot- 
land, July  12,  1825,  grew  to  manhood  upon  the 
home  farm  and  followed  the  occupation  of  an 
agriculturist  in  his  native  country  until  1850, 
when  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  at  once  settled 
in  Carbondale.  His  first  employment  was  upon 
the  farm  of  Hon.  G.  A.  Grow,  but  after  a  short 
time  there,  lie  secured  work  in  the  railroad  de- 
partment of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany and  continued  with  this  organization  until 
1870.  Meantime  he  was  under  the  Wurts  Broth- 
ers, who  were  largely  interested  in  the  company 
and  under  whose  direction  he  planted  the  trees 
in  Hendricks  Park,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  val- 
ley. 

In  1870  Alexander  Shannon  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Joseph  B.  Van  Bergen  &  Co.  (now  the 
Van  Bergen  Company,  Limited),  the  extensive 
manufacturers  of  Carbondale.  With  them  he  re- 
mained, occupying  various  positions,  for  twenty- 
three  years,  resigning  in  1893  and  retiring  to 
private  life.  Soon  afterward,  on  the  loth  of  May, 
he  died  very  suddenly.  For  many  years  he  was 
a  silent  partner  in  the  mercantile  house  of  which 
our  subject  is  now  the  head.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent worker  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
and  was  respected  as  a  conscientious  Christian 
gentleman.  He  was  one  of  those  sturdy,  thrifty 
Scotchmen,  who  come  to  America  to  better  their 
condition  and  at  the  same  time  make  the  country 
better  for  their  having  come.  Economical  and 
prudent  in  expenditures,  he  left  a  competency 
for  his  widow. 


338 


PORTRAI  r   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Of  the  Shannon  tainil\  in  Scotland  compara- 
tively little  is  known,  lliree  brothers  of  Alex- 
ander came  to  America,  of  whom  two,  James  and 
David,  were  sea  captains  on  the  Pacific  Ocean 
and  were  in  California  during  the  early  history 
of  that  state;  one  was  lost  at  sea  with  his  ship 
and  the  other  was  killed  in  the  gold  mines  of 
Australia.  The  third  brother,  William,  came  to 
America  in  1857  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  he  entered  the  United  States  navy  ami 
served  under  Commodores  Farragut  and  Foote. 
At  the  Battle  of  Island  No.  10,  his  boat  was 
blown  up  by  the  Confederates  and  all  on  board 
killed  except  himself  and  two  others.  He  re- 
mained in  the  navy  until  the  close  of  the  Rebel 
lion  and  from  the  effects  of  his  service  therein 
he  died  in  Carbondale  in  1869.  A  sister,  Mrs. 
Mary  Galone,  is  living  in  Scotland  at  Gateshouse 
of  Fleet,  county  of  Kirkcudbright. 

Our  subject's  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elizabeth  Black,  was  bom  in  the 
county  of  Dumfries,  Scotland,  October  27,  1828, 
being  the  daughter  of  Theodore  Edgar  and  Mary 
(Wilson)  Black.  From  childhood  she  had  been 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Shannon  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  able  to  establish  a  home  in  this  country,  he 
sent  for  her  to  join  him,  which  she  did,  crossing 
the  ocean  alone.  They  were  married  by  Squire 
Root,  in  Carbondale,  July  2,  1852,  and  for  forty- 
one  years  they  lived  together  in  peace  and  con- 
tentment, sharing  each  other's  burdens  and  joys, 
until  his  death  separated  them  for  this  life.  Soon 
after  he  passed  away,  she  accompanied  her  son, 
John  I'..,  on  a  trip  to  her  native  heath,  and  while 
he  visited  the  places  of  interest  to  tourists  for 
two  months  she  renewed  the  associations  of 
her  girlhood.  While  there  was  pleasure  in  visit- 
ing the  old  home,  it  was  a  melancholy  pleasure, 
for  few  of  her  kinspeople  or  friends  remained; 
some  had  sought  new  homes  and  some  had  gone 
to  their  long  home,  while  she,  too,  returned  in 
sorrow,  mourning  the  loss  of  her  husband.  In 
religious  belief,  like  the  majority  of  Scotch  peo- 
]3le,  she  is  identified  with  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  is  of  a  beautiful  Christian  character.  She 
liad  a  brother  and  a  half-brother;  the  former, 
John  Black,  came  to  America  about  1857,  and 
is  the  owner  of  a  gold  mine  near  Salt  Lake  Citv, 


where  he  lives;  the  latter,  Theodore  E.,  who 
came  to  America  in  1885,  is  superintendent  of  a 
granite  quarry  at  Xiantic,  R.  I.  A  brother, 
Samuel  Black,  is  a  large  and  wealthy  farmer  at 
New  Galloway,  Scotland,  and  a  sister,  the  widow 
of  Samuel  W^alker,  resides  at  the  same  place. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
originally  consisted  of  seven  children,  but  four 
(lied  in  1865,  of  an  epidemic  that  raged  in  this 
community.  The  eldest  living  son,  David  A., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  quarry  business  in  Rhode 
Island,  is  married  and  has  one  child.  William, 
who  was  born  Alay  10,  1863,  was  for  several 
years  connected  with  the  freight  department  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  Company  at 
Carbondale,  but  since  1889' has  been  a  ineinber 
of  the  firm  of  John  B.  Shannon  &  Co.  He  mar- 
ried Caroline,  daughter  of  Philander  and  Lucy 
Foster,  of  Carbondale,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  two  children,  Frank  F.  and  Helen.  While 
not  connected  with  any  denomination,  he  at- 
tends the  Methodist  Church,  of  which  his  wife 
is  a  member.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
encampment  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Prior  to  tht  age  of  fifteen  our  subject  attended 
the  public  schools.  At  eighteen  years  of  age, 
after  having  worked  as  clerk  for  three  years,  his 
father,  having  full  confidence  in  his  business 
ability  and  integrity,  purchased  a  half-interest  in 
the  business  of  William  Miller,  established  five 
years  before.  The  firm  then  became  Miller  & 
Shannon,  with  his  father  as  a  silent  partner  and 
himself  the  active  meinber.  Though  so  young, 
he  succeeded  from  the  first  and  finally  became 
the  head  of  the  house.  Since  1889  the  firm  has 
been  J.  B.  Shannon  &  Co.,  with  his  brother  Will- 
iam as  the  company.  In  addition  to  the  mercan- 
tile business,  he  has  also  been  interested  largely 
in  real  estate,  his  investments  on  Belmont  Street 
and  also  the  firm  investment  in  the  Egerton 
property,  adjoining  the  handsome  new  Hotel 
American,  having  proved  wise  investments.  Air. 
Shannon,  in  partnership  with  Hon.  J.  F.  Rey- 
nolds, ])urchased  of  the  Johnson  estate,  a  tract 
of  land  adjacent  to  the  city  and  added  it  to  our 
city,  which  they  called  Reynshanhurst,  selecting 
that  name  from  eight  hundred  names  suggested, 
in  answer  to  an  advertisement  in  our  local  papers, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


339 


offering  a  prize  to  the  person  giving  the  most 
appropriate  name  to  the  plot.  "Reyn-Shan- 
Hurst,"  combining  the  first  half  of  the  names 
of  the  owners,  was  chosen  and  John  H.  Reese  of 
our  city  received  the  prize.  The  plot  was  laid 
out  in  avenues  and  lots,  one  avenue  being  named 
Shannon  Avenue  after  our  subject.  Reynshan- 
hurst  is  now  one  of  our  prettiest  suburbs  and  in 
it  are  being  rapidly  built  some  of  the  handsomest 
residences  in  the  city,  and  the  proprietors  are 
reaping  the  benefit  of  their  wisdom  in  buying 
the  plot,  by  the  handsome  returns  from  the  sale 
of  the  lots. 

Mr.  Shannon  has  been  largely  engaged  in  the 
life  insurance  business,  being  district  agent  for 
the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company  and  one 
of  the  heaviest  writers  in  the  country,  and  ex- 
hibits a  gold  medal  presented  by  President  John 
A.  McCall,  for  his  able  work  as  solicitor  for  that 
company.  Other  enterprises  have  received  his 
active  support  and  warm  interest.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Electric  Light,  Heat  and  Power 
Company,  Klots  Bros.  Silk  Mill,  Pendleton 
Manufacturing  Company  and  the  Sperl  Heater 
Company,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
thorough  and  enterprising  business  men  in  Car- 
bondale. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Shannon  is  a  Knights  Templar 
Mason,  a  noble  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  an  encamp- 
ment Odd  Fellow  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and 
in  religious  belief  is  connected  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  In  December,  1886,  he  married 
Marietta  Miller,  of  Clifford,  Pa.,  daughter  of  a 
farmer  of  that  place.  They  have  a  pleasant  home 
on  Wyoming  Street,  where  the  winter  months 
are  spent,  while  their  summer  home  is  at  Crys- 
tal Lake,  situated  four  and  one-half  miles  west 
of  Carbondale.  This  lovely  body,  so  named 
from  its  clear  spring  water,  is  the  highest  lake 
in  the  state.  It  has  a  fine  bathing  beach  and  af- 
fords excellent  fishing.  At  its  high  elevation 
with  its  bracing  atmosphere  and  inherent  charms, 
commanding  a  lovely  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  there  stretches  out  from  it  a  panorama 
of  unexcelled  loveliness,  extending  for  many 
miles.  Elk  Mountain,  the  highest  in  the  state, 
in  adjacent  proximity  and  the  Blueridge  Moun- 
tains looming  up  in  the  distance,  add  to  the  al- 


ready indescribable  charms  of  its  surroundings. 
Here  at  Lake  View  cottage,  on  the  western  shore 
of  the  lake,  situated  on  the  broad  boulevard  that 
runs  around  the  lake  making  a  lovely  drive  of 
three  miles,  Mr.  Shannon  spends  his  summers. 
His  cottage  commands  a  view  also  of  Newton 
lake,  one-eighth  of  a  mile  from  its  sister  body, 
but  nearly  one  hundred  feet  lower.  The  cottage, 
with  its  lovely  lawns,  fountain,  windmill  and  stor- 
age tank  for  supplying  the  cottage  with  water  and 
his  spacious  stables,  is  met  on  the  drive  from  the 
delightful  resort  "Fern  Hall  Hotel,"  owned  by 
R.  W.  and  J.  W.  Johnson  of  New  Brunswick, 
N.  J.,  and  is  one  of  the  most  pleasantly  situated 
at  this  delightful  resort.  Mr.  Shannon  has  done 
much  toward  making  this  resort  wiiat  it  is,  and 
is  interested  in  the  Crystal  Lake  Improvement 
Company,  which  owns  the  Sharpless  tract,  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  lake.  This  company  has 
made  extensive  improvements  on  their  tract  and 
it  is  sewered  on  the  latest  improved  sanitary 
plans,  lotted  off  into  desirable  sites,  for  building 
purposes,  with  wide  avenues,  reserving  a  plot  for 
a  park  along  the  lake  front,  and  has  recently  been 
placed  on  the  market. 


HON.  DANIEL  WARD  CONNOLLY. 
In  the  death  of  this  gentleman,  Decem- 
ber 4,  1894,  Scranton  lost  one  of  its  pub- 
lic-spirited and  high-minded  citizens,  while  from 
the  bereaved  family  circle  a  devoted  husband  and 
father  was  removed,  leaving  a  void  in  their  lives 
that  even  his  honored  memory  cannot  fill.  A 
resident  of  this  city  throughout  almost  his  entire 
life,  he  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  his  training  at  home  and  in  school 
was  such  as  to  instill  in  his  mind  the  firm  princi- 
ples that  characterized  him  in  after  years.  He 
was  an  able  attorney,  keen  in  mental  analysis  and 
logical  in  reasoning,  and  the  legal  profession 
throughout  the  state  was  honored  by  his  ability 
and  talent. 

The  Connolly  family  originated  in  Ireland, 
whence  our  subject's  father,  John  Connolly,  was 
brought  to  America  by  his  parents  at  the  age  of 
seven  years,  growing  to  manhood  in  New  York 
Citv,  where  he  remained  until  twenty-one  years 


34° 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  age.  When  the  Albany  &  Boston  Railroad 
Company  began  the  building  of  their  road  in 
Massachusetts,  he  became  foreman  for  Mr. 
O'Neill,  his  brother-in-law,  and  while  w^orking 
near  Montgomery,  that  state,  he  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  and  married  Miss  Ann  Allyn, 
daughter  of  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Montgomery, 
and  granddaughter  of  David  Allyn,  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier.  Her  grandmother  was  a  Miss  Tyler, 
a  near  relative  of  John  Tyler,  former  President 
of  the  United  States.  The  Allyn  family  came 
from  England  early  in  the  seventeenth  century 
and  settled  at  Allyn's  Point,  in  Connecticut. 
Their  descendants  were  among  the  best  people 
of  New  England. 

From  Cochecton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born 
April  24,  1847,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was 
brought  to  Scranton  in  1849,  ^"d  here  he  after- 
ward resided.  Cherishing  from  an  early  age  the 
ambition  of  becoming  an  attorney,  he  studied 
law  w^ith  A.  A.  Chase,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  May,  1870,  after  which  he  opened  an  office 
here.  Two  years  later  he  was  the  candidate  of 
the  citizens'  ticket  for  district  attorney.  After 
the  erection  of  the  new  county,  he  was  elected 
law  judge  by  the  Democratic  and  Greenback- 
Labor  parties,  but  the  supreme  court  decided 
that  the  election  had  been  held  too  soon  and  was, 
therefore,  void.  In  1880  he  was  nominated  for 
congress  by  the  Democratic  and  Labor  parties, 
but  H.  B.  Wright,  who  was  defeated  in  the  con- 
vention, became  an  independent  candidate,  thus 
dividing  the  Democratic  votes,  and  the  conse- 
quence was  that  the  Republican  nominee  was 
elected.  In  1882  he  was  again  a  candidate  for 
congress  and  defeated  Mr.  Scranton,  but  was  in 
turn  defeated  by  the  latter  for  re-election.  While 
a  member  of  congress  he  served  on  the  com- 
mittees on  pension,  bounty  and  back  pay,  ex- 
penditures in  the  treasury  department,  and  mili- 
tary afifairs. 

The  recognized  value  of  Mr.  Connolly  in  his 
party  caused  his  appointment,  in  1885,  by  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  to  the  position  of  postmaster  of 
Scranton,  in  which  responsible  office  he  served 
w'ith  the  greatest  efficiency  and  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all,  of  whatever  party.  In  1888  he  was  a  dele- 
gate from  Pennsylvania  to  the  national  conven- 


tion at  St.  Louis  and  cast  his  vote  for  Cleveland 
and  Thurman.  In  all  places  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances he  was  faithful  to  his  party,  mindful 
of  its  highest  interests,  and  interested  in  its  pro- 
gress and  success.  In  fact,  without  saying  any- 
thing to  the  disparagement  of  others,  it  may  be 
stated  with  truth  that  the  Democratic  party  has 
at  no  time  had  a  champion  more  enthusiastic, 
more  aljle  and  more  intelligent  than  he. 

In  1874  Mr.  Connolly  formed  a  law  partner- 
ship with  the  late  Judge  John  F.  Connolly,  and 
several  years  later,  on  dissolving  that  connection, 
he  continued  alone,  but  in  1888  he  became  asso- 
ciated with  J.  Alton  Davis.  The  two  were  to- 
gether until  the  death  of  Mr.  Connolly.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  law  practice,  he  was  the  prime  factor 
in  the  organization  of  the  Scranton  Fire  Brick 
Company,  and  was  its  president  until  his  death. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Connolly,  which 
took  place  in  1873,  united  him  with  Miss  Maggie 
Corneilison,  of  Danville,  Pa.,  but  she  and  her 
two  children  died  in  1879.  I"  1882  he  married 
Miss  Alma,  daughter  of  William  Price,  an  hon- 
ored resident  of  the  west  side,  of  whom  mention 
is  elsewhere  made.  Mrs.  Connolly  was  born  in 
Pittston,  and  in  girlhood  attended  the  schools  of 
Hyde  Park.  Soon  after  her  marriage,  the  family 
residence  at  No.  1509  North  Washington  Avenue 
was  erected,  and  here  she  and  her  six  children 
make  their  home,  the  latter  being  named  J. 
Harry,  Marie  Louise,  Frederick  William, 
Eleanor,  Robert  Allyn,  and  Daniel  Ward.  For 
two  years  before  his  death  Mr.  Connolly  was  in 
ill  health,  but  continued  to  look  after  his  business 
and  professional  interests  as  long  as  it  was  pos- 
sible. November  8  he  was  stricken  by  paralysis 
of  the  side  and  suffered  continually  from  that 
time  until  he  passed  away,  December  4,  1894. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  upright  and 
honorable  in  all  relations  of  life,  and  his  ability 
was  recognized  by  all  who  knew  him. 


ARTHUR  H.  LEE,  A.  B.  Since  1890  Mr. 
Lee  has  held  the  position  of  superintend- 
ent of  the  blast  furnaces  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  Company  at  Scranton,  a 
responsible  place,  in  which  his  efficiency  and  re- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


341 


liability  have  been  thoroughly  proved.  The  ore 
roasters  near  the  tunnel,  built  in  1896,  for  reduc- 
ing the  amount  of  sulphur  in  the  Cornwall  ore, 
belong  to  the  furnace  department,  and  have  a 
capacity  of  five  hundred  tons  per  day.  When  the 
furnaces  are  operated  at  their  full  capacity,  em- 
ployment is  given  to  five  hundred  men. 

The  Lee  family  originated  in  England,  but  has 
been  represented  in  New  England  since  the  early 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  John  C,  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Massachusetts 
and  resided  in  Salem  during  most  of  his  life, 
being  engaged  as  a  merchant  in  the  East  India 
trade.  Our  subject's  father,  John  R.  Lee,  was 
born  in  Boston  and  carried  on  a  merchant  trade 
with  East  India  for  many  years,  until  the  busi- 
ness ceased  to  be  remunerative.  At  the  opening 
of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  the 
first  regiment  of  infantry  from  Massachusetts, 
and  served  as  quartermaster,  taking  part  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  subsequent  engage- 
ments with  the  enemy.  During  the  latter  part 
of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  in  Bombay,  India,  set- 
tling up  some  business  interests  there.  After  the 
war  he  engaged  in  the  general  brokerage  busi- 
ness until  his  retirement  to  private  life.  He  has 
made  his  home  in  Brookline,  a  suburb  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  for  many  years. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ben- 
jamin Howard,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  en- 
gaged in  the  shipping  business  in  South  America 
as  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  B.  Howard  & 
Sons,  but  was  unfortunate  in  losing  several  ves- 
sels at  the  hands  of  the  Confederate  cruiser,  "Ala- 
bama." His  daughter,  Lucy,  was  born  in  Boston, 
and  has  had  five  children,  all  living,  Arthur  H. 
being  the  eldest  and  the  only  one  in  Pennsylvania. 
His  childhood  years  were  passed  in  Roxbury  and 
Salem,  Mass.,  and  he  prepared  for  college  in  the 
Roxbury  Latin  School.  In  1875  he  entered  Har- 
vard L^niversity,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
June,  1879,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  In  October 
of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Scranton  and  en- 
tered the  shops  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  with  the  intention  of  learning 
the  railroad  business,  but  the  steel  industry  soon 
became  so  prominent  that  he  determined  to  fol- 
low it  instead  of  the   other.     His  first  position 


with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  was 
that  of  outside  foreman  in  the  converting  works, 
and  in  1886  he  was  made  assistant  superintendent 
of  the  blast  furnaces  under  Mr.  Mofifat.  In  1890, 
when  that  gentleman  was  made  general  manager, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  superintendency  of  the 
blast  furnaces. 

Mr.  Lee  owns  a  comfortable  residence.  No.  323 
Clay  Avenue.  He  was  married  in  Scranton  to 
Miss  Marie  L.  Foster,  who  was  born  in  Carbon- 
dale,  but  has  spent  her  life  principally  in  Scran- 
ton. She  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Maria 
(Bennett)  Foster,  the  former  a  native  of  South- 
ampton, L.  I.,  and  the  latter  a  member  of  an  old 
family  of  Brattleboro,  Vt. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  have  had  four  children,  Ar- 
thur H.  (deceased),  Harry  F.,  Lilian  H.  and 
John  R.  Politically  Mr.  Lee  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. He  is  a  member  of  the  Alumni  Society  of 
Harvard  University  and  the  Scranton  Engineers' 
Club.  In  1880  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Thir- 
teenth Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  and  served 
for  fourteen  years.  From  the  ranks  he  was  pro- 
moted to  be  corporal,  then  first  sergeant,  later 
second  lieutenant,  and,  after  three  weeks,  in 
1889,  was  made  first  lieutenant,  serving  in  that 
office  until  1894,  when  he  retired  from  the  guard. 
He  was  a  sharpshooter  and,  with  other  members 
of  his  company,  was  stationed  at  Homestead  dur- 
ing the  strikes  there. 


CHARLES  G.  ELLIS,  of  the  firm  of  C.  G. 
Ellis  &  Co.,  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
York  County,  this  state,  October  9,  1868, 
and  is  of  Welsh  parentage  and  descent.  His 
father,  Griffith  G.,  who  was  born  in  Wales  in 
1837,  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  company  with  his 
parents  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  and  made 
settlement  in  York  County,  Pa.,  where  the  prin- 
cipal portion  of  his  life  was  passed.  He  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  slate  splitter  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  the  prime  of  manhood. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  also  named  Griffith, 
spent  his  last  years  in  York  County,  where  he 
cultivated  a  farm  and  operated  a  quarry.  He 
was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his  community 
and  served  for  ten  years  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
filling  the  position  satisfactorily  and  efficiently. 


342 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Tlie  mother  of  our  subject,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Margaret  Lloj'd,  was  born  in 
Wales,  and  at  an  early  age  was  brought  to  Amer- 
ica by  her  father,  Thomas  Lloyd,  who  settled  in 
Jermyn,  Pa.,  and  secured  work  in  the  mines. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband,  she  remained  a 
widow  until  her  death  in  1886.  Of  her  family 
of  five  children,  all  but  one  attained  years  of 
maturity.  Aiuia  and  Thomas  reside  in  Jermyn, 
where  he  is  employed  in  the  mines.  (irifTith,  who 
was  a  marble  and  stone  cutter,  died  in  July,  1896, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  Our  subject, 
wIhj  was  the  eldest  of  the  children,  made  his 
licinu-  with  his  paternal  grandfather  after  the 
death  of  his  father.  Though  not  able  to  secure 
many  educational  advantages,  by  observation 
and  e.xperience  he  has  gained  broad  general  in- 
formation. In  his  youth  he  learned  the  slate 
splitter's  trade  and  later  served  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 

Coming  to  Carbondale  in  i8qo,  Mr.  Ellis  en- 
gaged in  the  marble  and  granite  business  and 
has  since  carried  on  a  large  trade  in  that  line, 
under  the  firm  title  of  C.  G.  Ellis  &  Co.  He  is 
active  and  energetic  and  has  already  attained  a 
degree  of  success  commendable  in  one  scarcely 
yet  in  his  prime.  In  October,  1893,  he  married 
Miss  Ada  M.  Martyn,  of  Jermyn,  who  died 
Febniary  20,  1896,  leaving  one  child.  Emer- 
son \\'. 


JAMES  J.  PADDEX,  proprietor  of  the  Pad- 
den  Hotel  in  Washington  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton,  was  born  in  this  city  April  17,  1866,  a 
s(jn  of  Cornelius  and  Mary  (Davitt)  Padden. 
His  father,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  Scranton, 
was  a  practical  miner  in  the  employ  of  the  Lack- 
awanna Iron  &  Coal  Company  and  retained  his 
connection  with  that  concern  until  his  death  in 
1882.  Me  married  a  sister  of  Michael  Davitt, 
M.  P.,  who  attained  a  worldwide  reputation 
through  his  services  as  the  representative  of  the 
East  Mayo  (Ireland)  district  in  parliament  and 
was  known  as  an  eloquent  speaker  and  a  warm 
supporter  of  Gladstone's  home  rule  policy.  Mrs. 
Mary  Padden  was  born  in  County  Mayo,  and 
now  makes  her  home  with  our  subject. 


The  parental  famih'  consisted  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  James  J.  is  the  eldest.  He  was 
reared  in  Scranton  and  received  a  common 
school  education  here.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  printer's  trade  in  the 
office  of  the  "Scranton  Times,''  where  he  re- 
mained about  six  years.  For  ten  years  following 
he  was  a  compositor  in  the  printing  office  of  the 
''Scranton  Truth,"  but  finally  gave  up  the  trade 
to  engage  in  the  hotel  business.  In  1891  he  be- 
gan in  the  hotel  business  at  his  present  location, 
but  in  an  old  building.  In  the  spring  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  erected  a  substantial  three-story 
hotel  on  the  same  site,  Washington  Avenue  and 
Phelps  Street,  where  he  has  a  building  40x65  feet 
in  dimensions,  and  fitted  with  all  the  modern 
conveniences  for  carrying  on  a  successful  hotel 
business. 

Mr.  Padden  has  always  been  a  firm  supporter 
of  tlic  principles  for  which  the  Democratic  party 
stands  and  has  served  as  delegate  to  local  con- 
ventions. 


WILLIAM  LOVE,  one  of  the  veterans  of 
the  Civil  War  and  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton since  1853,  was  born  in  West  Pitts- 
ton,  Pa.,  March  15,  1831.  The  family  of  which 
he  is  a  member  has  been  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  this  country  for  many  generations,  and 
prior  to  coming  to  Pennsylvania  its  members 
were  residents  of  Connecticut.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam, was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  whither  his 
father  had  come  from  New  England.  At  an 
early  age  he  shouldered  his  gun  and  started  out 
for  service  in  the  War  of  1812,  where  he  made  an 
honoral)le  record.  During  the  early  days  of  the 
century,  wild  animals  were  still  to  be  found  in 
some  parts  of  the  state,  and  around  his  log  house 
the  wolves  often  howled  at  night.  From  an  un- 
cleared tract  he  evolved  a  fine  farm,  and  there, 
surrounded  by  every  comfort,  his  last  days  were 
passed.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  and 
was  burierl  in  Wyoming. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Eunice  La 
France,  whose  sister,  Kate,  became  the  mother 
of  Col.  Tra  Tripp.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Peter 
La  France,  a  native  of  France  and  an  earlv  set- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


343 


tier  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  engaged  in  farm 
pursuits.  One  of  his  sons,  Samuel,  served  in  the 
War  of  1812.  Mrs.  Eunice  Love  died  at  sixty- 
five  years  of  age.  Of  her  six  sons  and  five 
daughters  that  attained  mature  years,  two  sons 
and  one  daughter  are  living.  Joseph  T.,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  cavalry  in  the  Mexican  War 
and  also  served  in  the  Civil  War,  died  in  Kansas 
in  1894.    John  is  now  living  in  Omaha,  Neb. 

The  youngest  son  of  the  family,  William,  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  gained  his  educa- 
tion in  a  school  taught  in  a  log  building,  pro- 
vided with  few  of  the  furnishings  now  considered 
indispensable  in  every  school.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's 
trade  under  James  Knapp  in  Pittston,  with  whom 
he  served  for  three  years.  For  more  than  two 
years  he  was  employed  as  tool  sharpener  at  the 
Narrows,  where  men  were  quarrying  stone  for 
the  erection  of  the  first  bridge  at  Pittston.  Next 
he  went  to  Honesdale  and  opened  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  but  after  five  years  sold  out.  In  1853  he 
opened  a  shop  in  North  Main  Avenue,  Provi- 
dence, where  he  soon  became  known  as  a  black- 
smith and  practical  horse-shoer.  For  years  he 
has  shod  the  track  horses  here,  including  J.  I.  C. 
and  others  famous  on  the  turf,  and  his  opinion  is 
regarded  as  authority  in  all  ailments  of  horses' 
feet. 

In  Mt.  Pleasant,  Wayne  County,  Mr.  Love 
married  ]Miss  Martha  B.  Spafiford,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  daughter  of  John  Spafiford,  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  They  became  the  parents 
of  four  daughters,  namely:  Nettie,  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Lord,  of  Chicago;  Janie,  Mrs.  Griffin,  deceased: 
Mrs.  Nellie  Huffman,  of  Scranton:  and  Mrs. 
Mamie  Raub,  also  of  this  city.  In  the  Provi- 
dence Presbyterian  Church  Mr.  Love  has  been 
a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees.  More  than 
thirty-two  years  ago  he  was  a  charter  member  of 
Celestial  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in  former  years 
was  also  identified  with  the  encampment  and  con- 
clave. Politically  he  favors  Republican  princi- 
ples. 

During  the  progress  of  the  war,  Mr.  Love's 
patriotic  spirit  was  aroused.  He  locked  his 
shop,  gave  the  key  to  his  wife,  and  started  out  to 
serve   his  country.     In   March   of  that  vear  his 


name  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
Third  Pennsylvania  Heavy  Artillery,  and  he 
was  mustered  into  service  at  Philadelphia.  He 
was  present  at  Petersburg,  Ft.  Fisher  and  the  va- 
rious engagements  along  the  James  under  Gen- 
eral Terry.  He  was  never  off  duty  until  after  the 
surrender  of  Lee.  In  November,  1865,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Philadelphia,  and  re- 
turned home  to  resume  business  matters  that  had 
been  neglected  during  his  long  absence.  He  is 
a  member  of  Lieut.  Ezra  .S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139, 
G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has  been  a  trustee. 


JOHN  J.  SULLIVAN,  M.  D.  The  science 
of  medicine  has,  within  comparatively  re- 
cent years,  reached  so  high  a  state  of  de- 
velopment that  those  who  enter  it  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  reaping  success  must  be  men  of 
broad  intellectual  acumen  and  liberal  education. 
Only  such  can  hope  to  gain  high  rank  in  the  pro- 
fession, but  to  such  it  offers  a  splendid  field  of 
work.  A  physician  of  keen  intelligence,  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  human  system  and  its 
needs,  and  skill  in  diagnosis,  may  reasonably 
expect  to  achieve  success  in  his  practice,  even  in 
the  face  of  opposing  environments. 

Realizing  the  need  of  a  broad  and  solid  found- 
ation for  his  medical  work,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  determined  to  acquire  a  thorough  educa- 
tion in  the  science,  and  with  this  end  in  view,  in 
1877  he  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  where  he  took  the  regu- 
lar course  of  lectures  and  graduated  in  1880,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  Returning  to  Scranton. 
where  he  had  established  his  home  in  1874.  he  at 
once  opened  an  office  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  Since  that  time  he  has  gradually 
worked  his  way  up  from  a  position  of  little  prom- 
inence to  rank  among  the  influential  and  success- 
ful physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  city.  As  a 
surgeon  he  has  met  with  especial  success,  his 
calmness,  coolness  of  nerve  and  steady  equipoise 
of  mind  even  in  the  midst  of  excitement  and  dan- 
ger, having  contributed  to  secure  success  in  diffi- 
cult operations. 

Lender  Mayor  Beamish  Dr.  Sullivan  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  position  of  health  officer  and  con- 


344 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tinued  in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the 
administration.  For  a  time  he  also  served  as 
outside  physician  for  the  city  poor  department, 
having  under  his  charge  a  district  to  which  five 
physicians  are  now  assigned.  At  the  close  of  his 
term  he  relinquished  all  official  duties  and  has 
since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  private 
practice,  his  office  being  at  No.  1838  North  Main 
Avenue,  Providence.  He  is  physician  in  charge 
of  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd  in  Provi- 
dence, one  of  the  largest  institutions  of  the  kind 
in  the  county.  In  the  Irish  Military  Union  he  is 
surgeon,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  on  the  stafT 
of  the  general  in  New  York  City. 

At  Scranton,  in  1877,  Dr.  Sullivan  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mary  E..  daughter  of  Michael 
Burke,  a  retired  citizen  and  old  settler  of  this 
place.  They  are  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  the  eldest,  John  J.,  Jr.,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  academy  and  St.  Thomas  Classical  School  at 
Scranton,  having  been  a  student  in  the  latter  for 
four  years;  on  completing  his  literary  studies  he 
entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
at  Baltimore,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1897.  The  other  children  are  Thomas,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  high  school ;  Norman,  who  is  attend- 
ing St.  Mary's  Academy;  Karl,  Eva,  Kate  and 
Mary.  While  not  maintaining  a  partisan  inter- 
est in  politics,  Dr.  Sullivan  is  well  informed  upon 
the  national  issues  and  favors  Republican  princi- 
ples. Professional  organizations  receive  his  cor- 
dial support,  and  he  is  actively  connected  with 
the  Lackawanna  County,  State  and  American 
Medical  Societies. 


ALEXANDER  L.  FRANCOIS,  member 
of  the  Scranton  Beef  Company  and  man- 
ager of  the  branch  of  Swift's  packing 
house  in  Scranton,  was  born  in  Forty-second 
street.  New  York  City,  in  1850,  of  French  parent- 
age and  descent.  His  father,  Alexander,  who 
was  born  in  Paris,  came  to  America,  an  orphan, 
at  the  age  of  seven,  and  when  about  twenty  went 
to  New  York  City,  where  he  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising. Later  he  settled  in  Norwich,  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  thence  removed  to  Bing- 
hamton,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven. 
His   two   sons,   Alexander   L.   and    Louis,   both 


residents  of  Scranton,  were  born  of  his  union 
with  Victorine  Villemane,  a  native  of  Alsace, 
France,  who  died  in  New  York  State  at  the  age 
of  forty-seven.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Francis 
Villemane,  who  was  a  member  of  Napoleon's 
army,  crossing  the  Alps  under  the  leadership  of 
that  famous  general  and  afterward  coming  to 
America  and  settling  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen. His  constitution  was  one  of  unusual 
strength  and  robustness,  and  he  retained  his  vi- 
tality up  to  a  short  time  before  his  death. 

At  the  time  the  family  removed  from  New 
York  City  to  Norwich,  Chenango  County,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  boy  of  ten  years,  and 
his  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  place.  In  1872  he  came  to  Scranton  and 
engaged  in  the  hide  and  tallow  business  with  a 
Air.  Beers  until  1874,  when  he  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Bell  &  Francois.  Four  vears  later 
the  cattle  business  was  added.  In  March,  1885, 
he  became  the  representative  for  Swift  &  Co., 
and  organized  the  Scranton  Beef  Company,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Bell.  The  latter  gentle- 
man, in  1892,  when  Swift  started  the  Carbondale 
Beef  Company,  was  appointed  its  manager,  and 
has  since  had  charge  of  that  business,  though  re- 
taining an  interest  in  the  Scranton  concern. 

The  Scranton  Beef  Company  has  built  up  a 
large  trade  and  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Wy- 
oming Avenue  and  Pine  Street,  transportation 
facilities  being  furnished  b)'  a  switch  from  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad.  Tiie  building  is 
well  adapted  for  its  intended  purpose  and  con- 
tains the  most  modern  improvements,  including 
the  best  refrigerator  made  for  the  keeping  of 
beef.  In  addition  to  other  interests,  Mr.  Fran- 
cois aided  in  organizing  the  Dime  Deposit 
&  Discount  Bank,  in  which  he  has  been  a  direc- 
tor from  its  establishment.  He  was  also  con- 
nected with  the  organization  of  the  Paragon 
Plaster  &  Supply  Company,  a  successful  corpor- 
ation, in  which  he  has  been  a  director  from  the 
first.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Suburban 
Building  &  Loan  Association,  he  has  been  its 
treasurer,  and  has  also  been  a  director  in  the 
Suburban  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company 
from  the  start. 


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JAS.  J.   H.   HAMILTON. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


347 


In  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Francois  married  JMiss 
Mary,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Lewis)  Has- 
kins,  natives  respectively  of  England  and  Coop- 
erstown,  N.  Y.  Her  father  on  coming  to  Amer- 
ica settled  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  pursuits  until  his  death.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  was  a  member  of  a  New- 
York  regiment.  Mrs.  Francois  was  born  and 
reared  in  Chenango  County,  where  she  was  edu- 
cated and  trained  for  social  and  domestic  life. 
Over  the  home,  situated  at  No.  502  East  Market 
Street,  she  presides  wuth  hospitality  and  grace. 

In  the  spring  of  1896  Mr.  Francois  was  nom- 
inated on  the  Democratic  ticket  for  the  position 
of  member  of  the  board  of  school  control  from 
the  second  ward  and  was  elected  by  a  majority 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight,  though  the  ward 
usually  gave  a  Republican  majority  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  Immediately  after  his  election  he 
took  his  seat  for  four  years.  He  has  served  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  rules  and  member 
of  the  building,  finance,  high  and  training  school 
committees.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M.;  Lackawanna 
Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.;  Coeur  de  Lion 
Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. ;  and  Scranton  Con- 
sistory, thirty-second  degree  Masonry;  and  is  a 
member  of  Scranton  Lodge,  B.  P.  O.  E. 


J  AS.  J.  H.  HAMILTON.  One  of  the  cul- 
tured citizens  of  Scranton,  who  has  added 
to  professional  knowledge  a  broad  fund  of 
information  upon  all  topics  of  current  importance, 
is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  successful  attomey- 
at-law  with  office  in  the  Commonwealth  Build- 
ing. While  his  attention  has  been  given  princi- 
pally to  his  legal  business,  he  possesses  the  versa- 
tility of  disposition  that  enables  him  to  appre- 
ciate and  enjoy  the  intricacies  of  science,  the  re- 
finements of  art  and  the  educative  influences  of 
travel.  As  a  speaker  he  is  forceful,  concise  and 
logical,  and  his  services  are  in  demand  during 
local  and  national  campaigns. 

The  Hamilton  family  has  long  been  resident  in 
America,  and  its  history  is  closely  identified  with 
that  of  both  church  and  state.  In  the  veins  of 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  ran  the 


blood  of  not  only  the  Hamiltons,  but  of  the  Jack- 
sons,  the  Armstrongs  and  the  Reeds,  all  of  whom 
have  been  prominent  actors  in  our  country's  his- 
tory. During  the  last  century  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton, our  subject's  great-grandfather,  removed 
from  New  York  to  Pennsylvania  and  became  a 
pioneer  in  what  is  now  Clinton  County.  During 
the  Revolutionary  War  he  and  a  brother  entered 
the  service  and  the  latter  was  killed  at  Ft.  North- 
umberland. Robert,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  on  the  Hudson  River  in  New  York, 
but  grew  to  manhood  in  Pennsylvania,  where  his 
entire  life  was  passed  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
Robert  married  Anna  Jackson,  a  cousin  of  Gen. 
Andrew  Jackson.  One  of  our  subject's  great- 
grandmothers  on  his  father's  side  was  Elcy  Arm- 
strong, a  sister  of  Gen.  John  Armstrong,  Madi- 
son's secretary  of  war,  twice  senator  of  the  United 
States  and  minister  to  France. 

To  Robert  and  Anna  Hamilton  were  born 
eleven  children,  all  of  whom,  except  one  who 
died  in  infancy,  acted  well  their  part  in  life  and 
were  people  of  prominence  in  their  respective 
communities.  Two  of  them,  James  and  Will- 
iam, were  clergymen  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
the  latter  having  been  for  nearly  sixty  years 
a  missionary  among  the  Indians  of  the  great 
west,  exerting  a  powerful  influence  over  them, 
and  on  more  occasions  than  one  preventing 
a  rupture  between  the  red  men  and  the  na- 
tional government.  The  last  occasion  of  this 
kind,  not  long  before  his  death,  is  still  fresh  upon 
the  memory  of  men,  for  it  is  only  a  few  years 
since.  The  Indians  of  the  Platte  had  left  their 
reservation,  being  invited  by  Sitting  Bull  and 
his  Sioux  braves  to  join  in  a  general  Indian  war. 
The  United  States  troops  were  sent  to  bring  them 
in.  The  question  of  peace  or  war  hung  in  the 
balance.  For  days  no  communication  was  re- 
ceived from  the  troops  and  the  whole  nation  was 
in  suspense.  Red  Cloud  had  remained  inactive, 
refusing  to  take  part  either  way.  How  would 
he  decide  at  the  crisis?  His  decision  meant 
peace  or  war.  He  was  one  of  Mr.  Hamilton's 
Christian  Indians,  and  the  influence  of  the  mis- 
sionary over  the  Indian  chief  prevailed  in  behalf 
of  peace,  and  the  Indians  rettirned  peaceably  to 
the  reservation. 


348 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGR.\PIIICAL    RFXT)R[J. 


Rev.  James  J.  Hamilton,  next  to  the  youngest 
son  of  Robert  and  Anna  Hamilton,  was  born  in 
what  is  now  Clinton  County,  Pa.,  in  1809. 
In  1835  he  graduated  from  Washington  Col- 
lege. He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  versatil- 
ity. He  studied  law,  medicine  and  theology.  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Northumberland 
Presbytery  about  1841,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  life 
devoted  himself  to  home  missionary  work  in 
Pennsylvania,  resolutely  declining  repeated  calls 
to  prominent  churches  in  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia, Washington  and  other  cities,  preferring  to 
devote  himself  to  the  work  to  which  he  had  given 
his  life.  Had  he,  as  he  at  one  time  intended,  de- 
voted his  life  to  the  law,  he  would  without  doubt 
have  risen  to  the  front  rank  of  American  law- 
yers. As  it  is,  in  a  single  case  which,  as  a  young 
man,  he  carried  to  the  supreme  court,  he  has  left 
our  people  and  our  bar  indebted  to  him  for  brush- 
ing aside  the  cobwebs  of  the  English  law  which 
were  gathering  over  the  eyes  of  our  jurists,  and 
placing  our  jurisprudence  fifty  years  in  advance 
nf  that  of  I'ritain.  This  case,  Hamilton  v.  The 
Lycoming  County  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
is  reported  in  3  I'enn.  St.  399,  and  is  a  leading 
case.  It  first  authoritatively  decided  in  this  state 
that  a  corporation  may  contract  by  parol;  that 
the  writing  is  not  the  contract,  but  merely  the 
evidence  of  it,  and  that  in  the  absence  of  the 
writing  or  the  failure  to  execute  it,  the  contract 
may  be  proved  by  parol ;  that  a  contract  is  com- 
plete at  the  meeting  of  the  minds  of  the  parties 
thereto  and  their  agreement,  and  may  be  en- 
forced. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  perhaps  the  most  widely 
known  clergyman  of  southern  Pennsylvania.  As 
a  preacher  he  was  a  man  of  wonderful  power. 
His  logic  was  faultless;  his  thought  clear  as 
crystal;  his  conclusion  irresistible.  He  spoke 
clearly  because  he  thought  clearly,  and  he  had 
the  faculty  of  making  the  most  abstruse  subjects 
plain  and  simple.  He  impressed  one  as  having 
compassed  his  subject  in  all  its  breadth  and  depth. 
"What  a  profound  sermon!"  exclaimed  a  great 
lawyer  and  theologian,  after  listening  to  one  of 
Mr.  Hamilton's  discourses.  "Why,  papa,  how 
simple  it  all  was;  I  understood  every  word  of  it," 
said    the    lawyer's    little    son.     Neither    a    more 


accurate  criticism  nor  a  higher  commendation 
could  be  paid  in  a  whole  volume.  About  1875 
a  stroke  of  apoplexy  caused  him  to  retire  from 
the  active  ministry,  and  thenceforward  he  lived 
quietly  at  his  home  in  Perry  County,  where  he 
died  in  February,  1886.  During  this  period  of 
his  life  he  preached,  as  his  health  permitted,  in 
the  Juniata  and  Cumberland  \'alleys.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton was  one  of  the  earliest  advocates  of  aboli- 
tion in  Pennsylvania,  and  was  all  his  life  an 
earnest  temperance  advocate. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Kate  G.,  was  born 
in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
L.  Hoffmeier,  a  native  of  Northampton  County 
and  long  prominently  identified  with  the  histor_\' 
of  Lancaster  County.  Her  grandfather,  who  was 
a  native  of  Germany,  emigrated  to  this  country, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  Gertrude  von  Assen, 
daughter  of  Baron  von  Assen,  and,  settling  in 
Northampton  County,  became  a  minister  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church  there.  Mrs.  Kate  G. 
Hamilton  resides  in  Easton,  Pa.  Of  her  family 
of  four  sons  and  two  daughters  all  are  living  ex- 
cept one  son. 

The  eldest  living  son  of  the  family  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article,  who  was  born  in  Juniata 
County,  Pa.,  November  9,  1863.  He  prepared 
for  college  at  the  Orangeville  Academy,  but  prior 
to  taking  his  collegiate  course,  and  in  order  to 
secure  funds  for  the  defraying  of  expenses  con- 
nected with  the  same,  he  engaged  in  teaching. 
In  1884  he  entered  Lafayette  College  at  Easton, 
Pa.,  and  took  high  rank  as  a  student.  Compelled, 
from  lack  of  funds,  to  drop  out  of  college,  he 
again  took  up  his  old  profession  of  teaching, 
keeping  up  his  college  studies.  His  father's 
death  prevented  his  return  to  college  so  as  to 
graduate  with  his  class,  and  he  did  not  take  liis 
degree  until  1891,  when  his  alma  mater  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
As  teacher  he  was  very  successful,  his  students 
taking  high  rank  in  our  leading  colleges.  He 
was  principal  of  the  Tuscarora  Academy,  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  noted  college-fitting  schools 
in  this  state ;  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Kins- 
man, Oiiio,  ;ni(l  principal  of  public  schools  at 
Bedford,  Pa.  In  the  meantime  he  had  taken 
up  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1892  entered  the  law 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


349 


department  of  the  Indiana  University,  at  Bloom- 
ington,  Ind.,  entering  the  senior  class,  and  grad- 
uated the  following  year  at  the  head  of  his  class 
with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He  was  admitted  to 
practice  at  the  bar  of  Indiana  and  before  the 
supreme  court  of  that  state.  Tlie  fall  of  1893  was 
spent  in  special  law  studies  and  in  lecturing,  and 
in  January,  1894,  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he 
opened  an  office,  and  has  since  practiced  his  pro- 
fession with  success. 

A  firm  believer  in  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  Mr.  Hamilton  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  local  campaign  work,  and  is  a  popular 
speaker,  both  on  political  and  other  topics.  He 
is  not  only  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  prom- 
inent law  journals,  but  has  written  extensively 
for  the  leading  educational  papers  of  the  country 
and  his  articles  are  always  worthy  of  careful 
study,  presenting,  as  they  do,  opinions  born  of 
ripe  experience  and  sound  judgment. 


REESE  HUGHES.  It  is  .said  by  those 
qualified  to  know  that  Air.  Hughes  is  the 
best-posted  man  in  this  part  of  the  country 
on  the  subject  of  minerals  and  mining.  His 
ideas  are  practical,  not  theoretical.  His  broad 
knowledge  has  been  gained  by  personal  work 
and  e.xtended  observation  covering  a  wide  field 
of  territory  and  comprising  coal,  lead.  tin.  zinc, 
silver,  gold,  graphite,  etc.  It  was  in  1833  that  he 
first  came  to  Carbondale,  his  present  home,  but 
the  depression  in  business  soon  afterward  was  the 
occasion  of  his  father  purchasing  a  farm  in  Sus- 
quehanna County,  and  there  the  family  lived  for 
a  time. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  Hughes, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Swansea,  South  Wales, 
and  there  married  Sarah  Jenkins.  He  followed 
his  trade,  that  of  a  copper  worker,  in  his  native 
place,  but  after  coming  to  America  was  engaged 
principally  in  mining  coal,  though  for  about 
seven  months  he  was  employed  in  openin'g  cop- 
per works  in  Baltimore.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-eight  and  his  wife  when  fifty-six.  Their  six 
children  were  named  as  follows:  Edward,  Jo- 
seph and  Martha,  Mrs.  Isaac  Morgan,  all  de- 
ceased;  William,  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  but 


now  deceased;  Reese,  of  this  sketch;  and  Mary 
Ann,  wife  of  John  Johns,  of  LaCrosse,  Wis. 

Bom  near  Swansea,  South  Wales,  May  9, 
1827,  the  subject  of  this  article  was  six  years  of 
age  when,  in  1833,  the  family  took  passage  on  a 
sailing  vessel.  After  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks 
the  ship  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 
Immediately  afterward  the  family  came  to  Car- 
bondale, but  in  a  short  time  removed  to  Susque- 
hanna County.  Our  subject  had  limited  educa- 
tional advantages,  and  for  a  short  time  attended 
the  old-fashioned  subscription  schools,  where  the 
teacher  instructed  more  by  force  than  by  friend- 
ship. At  the  age  of  nine  he  began  driving  a 
mule  at  the  mines,  and  for  several  years  followed 
some  work  in  connection  with  mining.  In  1848 
he  was  a  member  of  a  military  organization 
known  as  the  "Washington  Grays,"  and  they 
enlisted  for  the  Mexican  War,  but  before  getting 
to  the  field  they  were  ordered  home. 

In  1852  Mr.  Hughes  married  Margaret  Will- 
iams of  South  Wales,  and  soon  afterward  they 
took  a  pleasure  trip  to  Europe.  His  grandfather 
was  then  living  and  desired,  before  his  death, 
to  see  some  member  of  the  family  again,  a  wish 
that  was  gratified.  On  his  return  to  America  Mr. 
Hughes  mined  in  various  places.  For  a  time  he 
was  foreman  of  mines  at  Summit  Hill,  but  re- 
signed this  position  on  account  of  the  formation 
of  a  labor  organization,  which  he  was  not  in- 
clined to  join.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  me- 
tallic mining  in  Lehigh  County  and  was  manager 
of  the  zinc  mines  there  for  twenty-two  years. 
He  was  well  informed  in  mining  matters,  par- 
ticularly as  to  prospecting  and  determining, 
from  indications,  the  presence  of  minerals.  In 
fact,  in  his  chosen  line,  he  long  ago  became  rec- 
ognized as  an  expert.  The  business  which  he 
followed  caused  him  to  be  thrown  in  company 
with  the  best  scientific  men  of  the  day,  to  whom 
his  services  were  very  valuable.  Accompanying 
them  to  Mexico  and  Colorado,  he  made  discov- 
eries of  valuable  mining  sections  and  many  mines 
were  opened  as  a  result  of  his  investigations. 

For  the  purpose  of  opening  up  a  quartz  ledge, 
Mr.  Hughes  was  sent  to  California  in  i860. 
From  there  he  went  to  Mexico  in  the  employ  of 
the  United  States  Express  Company.     Acting  on 


35° 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  advice  of  scientists  and  capitalists  who 
wished  his  counsel,  he  opened  an  office  in  New 
York  City,  to  more  readily  transact  his  large 
business.  However,  the  office  proved  of  little 
use  to  him,  as  he  was  obliged  to  be  away  on  im- 
portant investigations  the  most  of  the  time.  He 
found  the  graphite  mines  of  Ticonderoga,  dis- 
covered zinc, ore  in  Blair  County,  Pa.,  and  zinc, 
lead  and  silver  in  North  Carolina.  After  the  lat- 
ter discovery  had  been  allowed  to  lie  dormant 
for  some  years,  he  was  sent  to  North  Carolina 
to  open  up  mines,  but  before  they  were  in  run- 
ning order,  the  Civil  War  broke  out;  the  Con- 
federacy confiscated  the  whole  concern,  and 
from  the  mines  took  lead  to  make  bullets  with 
which  to  shoot  northern  soldiers.  Besides  these 
he  also  found  the  gold  mine  at  Gold  Hill,  N.  C. 

A  man  of  patriotic  spirit,  at  the  first  call  for 
troops  in  1861,  Mr.  Hughes  determined  to  fight 
for  his  country,  but  the  men  who  recognized  his 
special  ability  objected  strongly,  as  they  had 
other  views  in  regard  to  him.  The  result  was 
that  they  paid  $900  for  a  substitute  to  take  his 
place  and  prevailed  upon  him  to  continue  work 
for  them.  He  has  always  been  a  firm  ally  of  the 
Republican  party  and  has  steadfastly  upheld  its 
principles.  Formerly  he  was  actively  connected 
with  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  but  for  some 
years  he  has  not  been  identified  with  either  or- 
der. His  personal  preference,  in  religious  mat- 
ters, inclines  him  to  the  faith  of  the  Baptist 
church,  but  he  is  not  a  member  of  that  denom- 
ination. His  father  was  a  Congregationalist  for 
many  years,  but  in  late  life  was  a  Baptist. 

The  five  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hughes 
are  named  as  follows:  Thomas  R.,  who  lives  in 
Portage  City,  Wis.,  and  is  employed  as  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad; 
W^illiam,  who  resides  in  Carbondale;  Sarah  Ann, 
wife  of  James  Bell,  also  of  this  city;  George,  a 
contractor  and  builder  here;  and  Mrs.  Mattie 
Brown,  a  widow,  who  for  some  years  has  been 
an  instructor  in  Raymond  Conservatory,  New- 
York,  and  is  at  present  perfecting  her  education 
in  Boston.  The  wife  and  mother,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  she  is  now  seventy-one,  is  quite 
strong  physically,  and  is  able  to  attend  person- 
ally to  her  household  duties.     Mr.  Hughes  has  a 


fine  collection  of  specimens  from  Pennsylvania, 
Colorado,  Maryland,  the  Carolinas,  England, 
and  other  places  where  he  has  opened  mines  and 
done  expert  work.  His  ability  in  his  chosen  oc- 
cupation is  remarkable,  and  has  brought  him 
recognition  among  the  most  gifted  scientists  of 
the  age,  who  have  utilized  his  discoveries  and  in- 
vestigations to  assist  them  in  their  work. 


•»'•».      nnr 


.ACHI  L.  COYNE,  outside  foreman 
William  Council  &  Co.,  in  the  Na- 
tional and  jNIeadow  Brook  mines,  and 
for  some  years  past  a  resident  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  County  Roscommon,  Ireland,  in  1847,  ^ 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Lally)  Coyne.  His  father, 
who  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  died 
in  County  Roscommon,  and  afterward  his  widow 
came  to  America  and  made  her  home  with  our 
subject  in  Scranton.  Here  she  died  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  one  hundred  and  two  years,  hav- 
ing been  in  full  possession  of  her  faculties  until 
shortly  before  her  death.  Of  her  nine  sons  and 
two  daughters,  all  but  three  came  to  the  United 
States. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  young- 
est of  the  family,  was  reared  on  the  home  farm 
and  attended  the  common  schools  in  boyhood 
days.  Having  resolved  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
New  World,  in  1864  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and 
here  met  older  brothers,  who  had  come  to  this 
country  prior  to  his  birth,  and  whom  he  had 
never  seen.  The  oldest  of  the  family,  Martin,  is 
still  living,  his  home  being  in  iMassachusetts, 
and  is  now  ninety  years  of  age.  The  year  of  his 
arrival  in  America  found  him  located  in  Pitts- 
ton,  Pa.,  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company,  with  whom  he  remained  for  eighteen 
months.  Later  he  was  employed  on  a  farm  in 
Wyoming  for  two  years,  and  then  took  a  posi- 
tion in  the  Greenwood  mine  of  the  Lackawanna 
&  Susquehanna  Coal  Company  (later  known  as 
the  Pennsylvania  Anthracite  Coal  Company)  at 
Scranton.  In  1868  he  became  an  assistant  foreman 
and  two  years  afterward  was  made  outside  fore- 
man, remaining  in  that  capacity  until  1886.  Since 
that  year  he  has  been  outside  foreman  for  Will- 
iam Connell  &  Co.,  at  the  Aleadow  Brook  and 
National  mines. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


351 


These  two  mines  are  operated  by  one  breaker, 
with  a  capacity  of  fifteen  hundred  tons  per  day, 
and  are  among  the  most  successful  in  the  an- 
thracite coal  region.  The  duties  of  his  position 
consume  almost  all  of  Mr.  Coyne's  time,  but  he 
has  a  number  of  other  interests  in  the  citv,  being 
a  stockholder  in  the  Scranton  axle  works,  and 
for  some  time  a  director  in  the  Meadow  Brook 
Building  &  Loan  Association.  He  has  been  inter- 
ested in  introducing  a  slate  picker  into  the  mines, 
which  is  as  good  as  any  in  the  valley  and  will 
do  the  work  of  forty  boys.  Politically  he  is  in- 
dependent, supporting-  the  men  whom  he  believes 
will  best  represent  the  people.  He  is  identified 
with  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Association 
Branch  No.  85,  in  which  he  was  formerly  vice- 
president.  While  he  resided  in  Lackawanna 
Township,  he  was  for  some  time  a  member  of 
the  school  board,  and  served  for  one  term  as  its 
secretarv'  and  treasurer,  but  on  coming  to  Scran- 
ton resigned  the  position,  and  has  not  sought  of- 
ficial position  here. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Coyne  is  at  No.  1803 
Cedar  Avenue.  He  was  married  in  this  city  to 
Miss  Catherine  Sullivan,  a  native  of  New  York 
City,  and  daughter  of  Michael  Sullivan,  who  was 
formerly  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  here. 
They  are  parents  of  nine  children,  namely:  P.  H., 
bookkeeper  for  the  Scranton  Brewing  Company; 
James,  a  machinist  in  the  employ  of  the  Scran- 
ton axle  works;  John,  assistant  blacksmith  with 
William  Connell  &  Co. ;  Mary,  Kate,  Annie, 
Bridget,  Malachi  L.,  Jr.,  and  Joseph. 


HENRY  CHAPPELL,  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Bridgend,  Wales,  March  14,  1851, 
and  is  a  member  of  a  family  at  one  time 
prominent  in  South  Wales.  Reference  to  the  his- 
tory of  his  parents  will  be  found  in  the  sketch 
of  his  brother,  William,  upon  another  page.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Bridgend, 
and  at  an  early  age  began  to  assist  his  father  in 
the  store.  In  1868  he  went  to  the  coal  fields  of 
Wales,  and  gaining  employment  soon  became  a 
practical  miner.  From  an  early  age  it  was  his 
intention  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America  and  as 
soon  as  the  way  was  made  clear  he  carried  out 


this  resolve,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  November 
of  1873,  and  locating  in  Jermyn,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  mining  in  the  employ  of  John  Jermyn. 

The  year  1878  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Chappell  in  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  For  a  time  he  was  employed  in  the 
Jermyn  (now  the  Manville)  mine,  but  in  March  of 
1888  he  retired  from  the  mining  business  and  the 
following  month  bought  from  A.  F.  O'Boyle  the 
Castle  Hotel  in  West  Market  Street.  After  hav- 
ing conducted  it  for  three  years,  he  bought  Cen- 
tral Hotel,  No.  116  West  Market  Street,  from 
Charles  Lowry,  and  was  "mine  host"  there  until 
April  I,  1896,  when  he  sold  out.  It  is  his  inten- 
tion to  again  enter  the  hotel  business  in  West 
Market  Street  April  i,  1897. 

After  having  been  in  America  a  number  of 
years,  Mr.  Chappell  visited  his  old  home  in  1882, 
and  spent  three  months  in  Wales  and  England. 
Two  year.=:  later  his  wife  returned  to  her  old 
Welsh  home  for  a  visit.  In  1896  he  again  vis- 
ited his  parents  and  friends  in  Wales,  sailing  May 
1,  and  returning  September  2,  after  having  en- 
joyed a  delightful  trip  in  Wales,  England,  Ire- 
land and  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  owns  some  val- 
uable property  in  Scranton,  including  several 
residences  in  Ferdinand  Street,  Providence.  In 
politics  he  is  a  strong  Republican,  but  not  radical 
in  his  opinions.  While  in  Jermyn  he  was  active- 
ly connected  with  the  Ivorites,  and  now  holds 
membership  in  Celestial  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  at 
Scranton. 

In  Wales,  March  i,  1873,  Mr.  Chappell  mar- 
ried Miss  Ann  Jenkins,  who  was  born  in  Glamor- 
ganshire, and  is  a  lady  of  amiable  disposition 
and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Puritan  Congre- 
gational Church.  They  are  the  parents  of  one 
child  now  living,  a  daughter  Nellie.  The  father 
of  Mrs.  Chappell  was  John  Jenkins,  a  native  of 
Carmarthenshire,  and  a  son  of  William  Jenkins, 
who  was  a  miner  by  occupation.  He  was  em- 
ployed as  fire  boss  in  Wales  until  his  death  in 
1874.  Twice  married,  by  his  first  union  he  had 
four  children,  all  but  one  of  whom  are  living. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  EHzabeth  Williams, 
who  was  born  in  Glamorganshire,  the  daughter 
of  Thomas  Williams,  a  farmer  and  dealer  in  coal 


352 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL    RECORD. 


there.  She  became  the  mother  of  four  children 
and  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  Wales. 
Mrs.  Chappell.  who  was  next  to  the  eldest  of  the 
children  born  to  her  father's  second  marriage, 
was  reared  in  Glamorganshire  and  continued  to 
make  her  home  in  Wales  until  her  marriage. 


BARNARD  McTIGHE,  formerly  one  of 
the  foremost  citizens  of  Carbondale,  was 
born  in  Lakeland,  County  Mayo,  Ireland, 
in  1825,  and  received  an  excellent  education  at 
Castlebar,  capital  of  the  county  of  Mayo.  A 
thoughtful  reader  and  thorough  student,  he  was 
particularly  interested  in  works  published  in  the 
Gaelic  language,  and  many  of  the  books  brought 
with  him  from  his  native  heath  are  found  in  the 
library  of  his  widow  at  this  time. 

When  a  young  man,  Mr.  McTighe  came  to 
America  and  settled  at  Carbondale,  where  he  be- 
came an  influential  citizen.  After  teaching 
school  for  a  time,  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile 
business  and  continued  thus  engaged  during  the 
remainder  of  his  Hfe.  While  he  met  with  numer- 
ous and  heavy  losses  by  fire,  yet  he  achieved  fair 
success  in  the  end,  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise 
was  well-to-do.  He  was  elected  clerk  of  the 
mayor's  court,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
twelve  years,  meantime  giving  naturalization  pa- 
pers to  more  men  than  any  other  person  had  ever 
done  in  the  locality  in  the  same  length  of  time. 
He  was  a  school  director  for  several  years  and 
was  one  of  the  board  at  the  time  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  present  elegant  high  school  building. 
He  was  a  genial,  good-natured  man,  endowed 
with  a  large  stock  of  native  Irish  wit  that  made 
him  a  favorite  with  all  classes  of  people.  On  one 
occasion,  when  he  had  administered  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  a  fellow  countryman,  he  closed  with 
the  words,  "And  vote  the  Democratic  ticket," 
sajdng  this  without  an  e.x-pression  of  humor  on 
his  face.  The  candidate  was  about  to  refuse  to 
agree  to  this,  when  his  countenance  broadened 
into  one  of  his  bland  smiles,  and  he  added,  "If 
you  want  to." 

His  genial  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  his  true 
sterling  worth,  and  his  large  benevolent  spirit, 
brought  to  Mr.  McTighe  the  respect  of  all  who 


knew  him.  His  unbounded  stock  of  humor 
made  him  a  most  companionable  man.  When 
he  died,  March  21,  1869,  in  the  prime  of  life,  he 
was  de«ply  mourned,  and  it  is  said  that  his 
funeral  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  held  in  Car- 
bondale. He  was  united  in  marriage,  November 
26,  1854,  with  Miss  Catherine  Nealon,  sister  of 
the  present  postmaster,  John  Nealon,  and  a 
member  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  this 
city.  She  is  a  modest,  unassuming  woman,  but 
possesses  the  courage  of  her  convictions,  and  is 
well  informed  in  literature,  being,  like  her  hus- 
band, a  close  student  of  the  Gaelic  language. 
Some  years  ago  she  gained  some  prominence  by 
being  declared  a  legal  voter  and  is  the  only 
woman  in  Pennsylvania  entitled  by  law  to  a  bal- 
lot. The  right  of  franchise,  however,  she  has  but 
once  exercised.  She  had  taken  out  regular  nat- 
uralization papers  and  was  the  owner  of  consid- 
erable real  estate,  which  caused  her  to  demand 
the  right  to  vote,  and  this  the  courts  accorded 
to  her.  She  is  proud  of  this  fact,  as  she  is  also  of 
her  husband's  prominence. 

The  family  consists  of  the  following  named 
children:  John  B.,  who  was  born  April  12,  1856, 
and  is  now  in  the  west;  Matilda  A.,  born  Decem- 
ber 15,  1858,  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  F.  Welsh, 
of  Green  Ridge,  Scranton;  \\'illiani  P.,  born  Jan- 
uary 25,  i860,  and  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight;  Thomas  M.,  born  December  17, 
1862,  at  present  a  salesman  in  Carbondale; 
Mary,  who  was  born  November  4,  1864,  and  died 
August  21,  1889;  and  James  B.,  now  an  enter- 
prising business  man  of  Carbondale. 


ST1':PHEN  CHAPPELL.  After  having 
acquired  a  thorough  business  education  in 
the  employ  of  others,  Mr.  Chappell  deter- 
mined to  utilize  his  knowledge  for  his  own  finan- 
cial benefit,  and  accordingly  embarked  in  busi- 
ness for  himself.  For  three  years  he  was  pro- 
prietor of  a  general  mercantile  store  in  Hagers- 
town,  Md.,  where  he  carried  on  business  under 
tlie  firm  name  of  Stephen  Chappell  &  Co.  From 
there,  in  the  l-'el)ruar\-  of  1896,  he  returned  to 
Scranton  with  the  intention  of  beginning  in  busi- 
ness here.     At  No.   1840  North   Main  Avenue, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGR.A.PHICAL   RECORD. 


353 


Providence,  lie  opened  the  only  exclusive  cloth- 
ing store  in  this  part  of  Scranton,  and  here  he 
carries  a  full  line  of  ready-made  clothing  manu- 
factured especially  for  him,  also  a  complete  as- 
sortment of  hats  and  caps  and  gents"  furnishing 
goods. 

Reference  to  the  history  of  the  Chappell  family 
may  be  found  in  the  biography  of  William  Chap- 
pell, upon  another  page.  Stephen  was  born  in 
Bridgend,  County  of  Glamorganshire,  South 
Wales,  in  1862,  and  was  the  sixth  among  eleven 
children,  of  whom  three  sons  are  in  the  United 
States.  In  1877  he  went  to  Maesteg,  the  same 
county,  where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  in  the 
dry  goods  and  clothing  business,  gaining  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  this  occupation.  On  the 
25th  of  October,  1881,  he  arrived  in  New  York 
City,  and  the  following  month  came  to  Scran- 
ton, where  for  a  short  time  he  held  a  clerkship 
in  the  Boston  Store.  At  two  different  times  he 
was  employed  as  a  clerk  at  Finlay's,  each  time 
remaining  three  years,  and  in  the  meantime 
clerked  for  Fenner  &  Chappell  for  two  years. 
In  February,  1893,  he  went  to  Hagerstown,  Md., 
where  lie  believed  he  would  find  a  favorable 
opening  for  a  mercantile  business,  but  after  three 
years  in  that  place  he  came  back  to  Scranton, 
which  he  expects  to  make  his  permanent  home. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Chappell  is  identified  with  Ce- 
lestial Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Scranton.  In 
this  city  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Cora,  daughter  of  the  late  W.  G.  Thomas.  She 
was  born  in  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  received  an 
excellent  education  in  Keystone  Academy,  and 
afterward  became  a  teacher  in  the  Scranton 
schools.  One  child,  Stephen  Leroy,  blesses  the 
union. 


JOHN  W.  McLEAN,  who  for  many  years 
was  a  member  of  the  common  council  and 
the  board  of  school  control  from  the  sev- 
enth ward  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  Carbondale, 
Lackawanna  (then  Luzerne)  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 27,  1847.  He  is  a  son  of  Owen  McLean, 
a  pioneer  of  Wayne  County,  where  he  bought 
and  improved  a  farm  and  also  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.     For  a  short  time  he  was  em- 


ployed by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany at  Carbondale,  but  throughout  most  of  his 
life  resided  near  Waymart  in  Wayne  County.  His 
last  days  were  spent  in  our  subject's  home,  and 
here  he  died  at  eighty  years.  His  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Ann  Timon,  died  in  1848. 

Of  the  family  of  four  children  John  W.  was 
next  to  the  youngest,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the 
three  survivors.  Reared  near  Waymart,  he  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools.  In 
i86i  he  enlisted  as  a  drummer  boy  under  Major 
Bradford  of  Waymart,  but  the  interposition  of 
his  parents  prevented  him  from  going  to  the 
front.  The  following  year  he  came  to  Scranton 
and  was  employed  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  road.  While  here,  in  1864,  he  en- 
listed again,  but  Major  Bradford  was  the  provost 
marshal,  and  reported  the  matter  to  his  father, 
who  took  him  out.  In  1866  he  went  to  Pittston 
and  was  apprenticed  to  the  tinsmith's  trade  un- 
der Thomas  F.  Barrett,  remaining  there  for  two 
years  and  six  months.  C)n  his  return  to  Scran- 
ton he  took  a  position  with  Leonard  Brothers, 
with  whom  he  remained  about  nine  years,  and 
afterward  was  in  the  employ  of  Martin  Maloney 
for  some  six  years.  About  1883  he  took  a  posi- 
tion as  foreman  of  the  tinner's  department  witJi 
Hawley  Brothers,  corner  of  Penn  Avenue  and 
Linden  Street,  and  has  since  remained  with  this 
firm.  He  has  lived  in  Pine  Brook  most  of  the 
time  since  1862,  and  occupies  a  residence  at  No. 
^22  New  Street. 

In  this  city  Mr.  McLean  married  Miss  Cather- 
ine McCann,  daughter  of  Martin  McCann,  de- 
ceased, formerly  a  merchant  tailor  here.  Mrs. 
McLean  was  born  in  Carbondale,  and  is  the 
mother  of  six  children,  namely:  William  F.,  a 
graduate  of  Wood's  Business  College,  and  now 
employetl  as  bookkeeper  with  Hawley  Brothers; 
lohn,  deceased:  Mary,  Robert,  Annie  and  Mar- 
tin. 

Soon  after  the  incorporation  of  Scranton, 
about  1871,  Mr.  McLean  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  seventh  ward  in  the  common  council, 
which  had  but  twelve  members  at  that  time.  He 
was  re-elected  the  next  year  and  served  two  terms 
of  one  year  each.  Some  years  afterward  he  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  board  of  school  con- 


354 


PORTRAIT   AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


trol  from  wliat  was  tlu'ii  the  foiirtli  district,  beiiifj 
chosen  at  first  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  afterward 
elected  rejjularly.  In  the  spring;  of  1889  he  was 
elected  to  the  common  council  on  the  Democrat- 
ic ticket,  and  was  re-elected  in  1891,  and  1893, 
serving  vmtil  April  i,  1895,  when  he  refnsed  fur- 
ther election.  While  in  the  council  he  served  as 
chairman  of  the  sewers  and  drain  committee,  the 
connnittee  on  railroads  and  the  auditing  commit- 
tee. During  his  term  the  new  bridge  was  built 
across  the  Lackawanna  River  in  Carbon  Street. 
He  also  introduced  a  bill  which  secured  bridges 
across  Linden  Street  and  Roaring  Brook.  About 
the  same  time  the  electric  streets  cars  were 
introduced,  the  heat  and  power  company  was  or- 
ganized, electric  lights  more  generally  distributed 
and  sewers  put  in,  and  all  these  advance  move- 
ments received  his  support.  He  has  served  on 
Democratic  county  and  city  committees  and  has 
been  delegate  to  different  conventions.  In  the 
organization  of  the  Rescue  Hose  Company  he 
took  an  active  part  and  was  first  assistant.  A 
Catholic  in  religious  belief,  he  is  identified  with 
the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Association  and 
with  other  movements  connected  with  his  church. 


EDWIN  E.  MILLER,  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton  since  1856,  was  born  in  Cortland 
County,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1828,  and  is  a  de- 
scendant of  English  ancestors  wdio  w'ere  among 
the  early  Puritan  settlers  of  Massachusetts.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  the  Bay  State 
and  engaged  in  agricidtural  ])ursuits  there  un- 
til his  death;  his  wife  died  when  lacking  only  a 
half  year  of  rounding  out  a  full  century.  Lon- 
gevity is  one  of  the  family  characteristics,  and 
several  of  the  name  attained  the  age  of  one  hun- 
dred years  or  more. 

The  father  of  f)ur  subject,  Zenas  Miller,  was 
born  in  Haydenville,  Hampshire  County,  Mass., 
and  when  about  twenty  years  of  age  removed  to 
Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  bought  two 
hundred  acres  of  wild  land.  This  he  cleared  and 
inij)roved,  making  of  it  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  neighborhood.  In  the  early  days  he  engaged 
in  wholesale'  peddling  between  New-  York  and 
Buffalo,  and  sold  his  wares  to  the  merchants  in 


villages  along  the  way.  He  died  in  Cortland  Coun- 
ty at  eighty-three  years  of  age.  His  wife,  Nancy, 
was  born  near  New  London,  Conn.,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Daniel  Partridge,  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812.  In  early  life  he  engaged  as  a  farmer  in 
Connecticut,  and  there  died  at  eighty-eight  years; 
his  wife  died  when  ninety-six  and  one-half  years 
of 'age.  After  the  death  of  Zenas  Miller,  his 
widow  made  her  home  w-ith  a  son  in  Weedsport, 
N.  Y.,  and  there  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight 
years  and  nine  months. 

The  eight  children  in  the  family  of  Zenas  Mil- 
ler were  Annie  W.,  Mrs.  Babcock,  of  Allegany 
County,  N.  Y. ;  Mrs.  Lucretia  C.  Stevens,  also  of 
that  county;  Celestia  S.,  deceased;  Cornelia  L., 
deceased;  Seymour  P.,  who  died  at  Port  Byron, 
N.  Y.,  in  1895:  Edwin  E. :  Charles  F.,  a  farmer 
and  manufacturer  of  sugar  in  Rice  County, 
Minn.;  and  Harriet  L.,  who  died  in  girlhood. 
Reared  on  the  home  farm,  our  subject  purchased 
the  place  in  1850,  and  during  the  same  year  mar- 
ried Miss  Matilda  Brown,  of  Cortland  County. 
In  1836  he  came  to  Scranton  and  began  to  ship 
produce  from  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  into  this 
city.  He  also  erected  the  St.  Charles  Hotel, 
which  he  leased  for  ten  years  and  then  sold.  In 
1838  he  began  in  the  real  estate  business  and 
also  took  contracts  for  the  building  of  houses, 
many  of  those  still  standing  in  Scranton  being 
his  workmanship.  When  there  were  only  seven 
families  in  Park  Place,  he  built  the  first  brick 
block  here,  it  being  four  stories  high  and  eighty- 
seven  feet  long.  During  the  war  he  was  very 
successful  in  the  wholesale  business  with  mer- 
chants between  Scranton  and  Lake  Erie. 

In  1801  Mr.  Miller  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  the  Pennsylvania  Roofing  Company, 
w'hich  position  he  held  four  vears.  In  1896  he 
was  offered  and  accepted  the  position  of  super- 
intendent of  the  National  Roofing  Company, 
which  he  represents  throughout  the  valley,  selling 
the  ebonite  varnish  for  roofing  purposes.  In 
Carbondale  Township  he  owns  four  hundred 
acres  of  land;  upon  it  there  are  two  flowing  wells, 
three  himdrcd  and  eighty-seven  and  one-half  feet 
below  the  surface,  fmm  which  the  water  spouts 
up  eighty  feet  above  the  surface  with  a  loud  noise. 
Gold  has  been  discovered  on  the  adjoining  tract. 


CORKINC.TON    S.   VON   STORCII. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


357 


In  addition,  he  owns  other  property  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Glass  Pipe  & 
Conduit  Company. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Miller  was  a  daughter  of 
Amos  Brown,  a  farmer  who  went  to  Cortland 
County,  N.  Y.,  from  Massachusetts.  This  lady 
died  in  Scranton,  and  of  her  seven  children  only 
two  are  living:  lona  A.,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  B. 
Sweet,  of  the  Simpson  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church ;  and  Charles  Theodore,  a  merchant  in 
Park  Place.  A  son,  Dana  E.,  formerly  a  mer- 
chant in  Park  Place,  died  in  1888.  The  second 
marriage  of  Mr.  Miller  united  him  with  Miss 
Anna  G.  Huff,  who  was  born  near  Towanda,  Pa., 
Politically  a  Republican,  he  was  elected  on  that 
ticket  to  represent  the  second  ward  in  the  com- 
mon Council,  but  on  the  expiration  of  his  term 
refused  renomination.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Park  Place  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Court 
Street,  and  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school. In  the  erection  of  the  first  church 
in  Park  Place  he  took  an  active  part,  and  the 
first  Sundav-school   was  held  in   his  house. 


C  ORPINGTON  S.  VON  STORCH. 
The  record  of  the  von  Storch  family 
discloses  a  creditable  history,  both 
in  Europe  and  America,  and  the  present  repre- 
sentatives possess  in  a  marked  degree  those  hon- 
est and  substantial  qualities  which  gave  their  an- 
cestors prestige  and  brought  them  success.  The 
gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
and  who  ha?  been  a  life  long  resident  of  Scran- 
ton. was  born  here  December  4.  1833,  and  is  a 
grandson  of  the  founder  of  the  famil\'  in  Amer- 
ica, Heinrich  Ludvig  Christopher  von  Storch, 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Ferdinand,  son  of  Heinrich,  was  born  in  a  log 
house  in  Providence,  December  4,  1810.  and  af- 
ter the  death  of  his  father  assisted  his  mother  in 
caring  for  the  younger  children.  He  owned  one 
hundred  acres,  comprising  a  portion  of  his  fath- 
er's estate,  and  this  place  he  improved  by  the 
erection  of  a  hotise  on  the  west  side  of  North 
Main  Avenue.  Much  of  his  time  was  given  to 
a.griculture,  but  in  addition  he  engaged  in  lum- 
bering and  coal  mining.  He  organized  the  von 
13 


Storch  Coal  Company,  which  sank  the  shaft  now 
owned  by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Companv. 
In  early  life  he  affiliated  with  the  Whigs  and  upon 
the  disintegration  of  that  party  became  a  Repub- 
lican. While  in  the  main  he  was  successful,  vet 
he  had  his  share  of  reverses.  At  one  time  he  was 
obliged  to  pay  a  security  note  of  $30,000  given 
by  Herman  Brothers;  there  had  been  two  other 
endorsers  besides  himself,  but  they  swore  out  of 
their  obligation,  throwing  the  entire  burden  upon 
him. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Caroline  Jane  Slo- 
cum,  was  born  in  Providence,  April  29,  1814,  and 
died  here  February  21.  1855.  Her  father,  Sidney, 
a  native  of  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  was 
a  farmer,  owning  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Scott  Township,  now  the  property  of  Leander 
von  Storch.  In  addition  he  was  a  millwright  and 
built  a  grist  mill  near  his  home.  He  was  acci- 
dentally killed  there  by  falling  through  a  trap 
door  that  had  been  carelessly  left  open  in  the 
mill. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  eleven  chil- 
dren who  attained  mature  years,  namely:  Ellen, 
Mrs.  E.  \^  Sawyer,  of  Yonkers  N.  Y. ;  Corring- 
ton  S. ;  l.eander,  a  farmer  of  Scott  Township ; 
George,  who  engaged  in  farming  in  Scott  Town- 
ship until  his  death ;  Henry  Ferdinand,  a  jeweler, 
who  died  in  Yonkers;  Alexander  J.,  member  of 
Company  K,  Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry, 
serving  for  three  years  and  eight  months,  until 
in  a  raid  he  received  injuries  which  finally  re- 
sulted in  his  death,  at  Yonkers,  in  1880;  Robert, 
also  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  responding  to  the 
emergency  call;  Cassius  M.,  who  is  Hving  re- 
tired in  Providence,  R.  I.;  Mrs.  Caroline  J.  Dow- 
ling,  of  Yonkers;  Frederick,  a  retired  citizen  of 
Yonkers;  and  Hannah  M.,  Mrs.  George  Wright, 
of  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.  The  eldest  child,  Henry, 
died  when  one  year  old. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  our  subject  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  machinist's  trade  at  Whitehaven  with 
the  Lehigh  Coal  &  Navigation  Company,  and  for 
some  time  was  stationary  engineer  in  a  sawmill. 
Returning  to  Scranton  in  1856,  he  became  out- 
side foreman  for  the  Luzerne  Coal  Company, 
and  in  1859  began  to  work  for  the  New  York  & 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  after  which  he  was 


358 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


engineer  (or  a  sash  and  door  company.  Decem- 
ber 2,  1861,  he  became  a  member  of  Company  II, 
One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry jr  Second  Artillery.  Three  months  were 
spent  at  Ft.  Delaware,  after  which  he  was  or- 
dered to  Ft.  Thayer,  and  assisted  in  building  forts 
until  an  attack  of  fever  obliged  him  to  leave  the 
service.  In  spite  of  his  remonstrance,  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  physical  disability.  Soon 
after  his  return  home,  he  recruited  sixty-nine  men 
for  a  construction  corps  and  was  sent  southwest 
to  Chattanooga,  where  he  assisted  in  building- 
bridges  and  railroads.  He  had  in  charge  the  con- 
struction of  the  fortifications  that  the  rebel  forces 
attempted  to  storm  with  such  disastrous  results. 
While  in  charge  of  the  corps  he  drew  the  pay  of 
captain  and  ranked  as  such.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  time  he  returned  home,  in  March,  1865. 

For  two  years  Mr.  von  Storch  was  an  engineer 
for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  and  after- 
ward had  charge  of  the  erection  of  breaker  ma- 
chinery. Failing  health  forced  him  to  give  up 
active  work  and  he  resigned  his  position  in  1873, 
since  which  he  has  lived  quietly  at  his  home,  No. 
1812  North  Main  Avenue.  In  Providence,  De- 
cember 28,  1858,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  M. 
Rogers,  who  was  born  in  Walton,  Delaware 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  fifth  among  eight  chil- 
dren that  attained  maturity,  but  all  of  whom  are 
now  deceased  excepting  herself  and  E.  W.  He 
was  reared  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
a  teacher  there,  also  followed  that  occupation  in 
Scranton  after  coming  here  in  1856. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  von  Storch,  William  C.  Rog- 
ers, was  l)orn  in  Guilford,  Conn.,  and  engaged 
in  farming  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  until  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  His  mother,  Cath- 
erine, was  a  relative  of  the  illustrious  Alexander 
Hamilton.  Grandfather  Asa  l-iogcrs,  a  native 
and  mercliani  of  Guilford,  was  a  pioneer  in  the 
wilds  of  Delaware  County,  where  he  cultivated  a 
farm.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  von  Storch,  Elizabeth 
Felter,  was  born  in  .\'ew  Jersey,  but  spent  her 
girlhood  years  principally  in  New  York  City,  and 
died  in  Scranton  in  .March,  1889,  aged  eighty- 
four  and  one-half  years.  Her  father,  Henry  Fel- 
ter, was  an  early  settler  of  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  oi  a  farmer 


together  with  the  shoemaker's  trade.  Mr.  and 
^Irs.  von  Storch  attend  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
of  which  she  is  a  member.  They  are  the  parents 
of  a  daughter,  Ida.  Fraternally  our  subject  is 
identified  with  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T.,  also 
Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grififin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R. 
In  political  faith  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  served 
I  in  city  and  county  committees,  rendering  effi- 
cient service  in  every  responsibility  which  he  has 
assumed. 


CHARLES  H.  NORTON,  manager  of  the 
retail  department  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Coal  Company,  was  born  No- 
vember 27,  1863,  in  the  city  of  Carbondale, 
where  he  still  resides.  His  father,  James,  was 
born  in  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America,  where  he 
became  an  employe  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Company  at  Carbondale,  and  retained  his  con- 
nection with  that  organization  throughout  his 
entire  business  life,  holding  the  position  of  gen- 
eral coal  inspector.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
served  in  the  city  council.  He  assisted  in  or- 
ganizing the  Father  Matthew  Society,  in  which 
he  was  an  active  worker  and  treasurer  for  many 
years.  In  the  Catholic  Church  he  was  well  and 
prominently  known,  and  in  that  faith  he  passed 
away  in  April,  1889. 

Mary  Conner,  our  subject's  mother,  was  born 
in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Pa.,  daughter  of  Patrick  Con- 
ner, a  farmer  who  died  in  early  life.  She  is  still 
living,  and  makes  her  home  in  Carbondale.  Her 
family  consists  of  three  sons,  Charles  H.,  Mat- 
thew and  James.  Alatthew  is  a  clerk  for  the 
New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad  in 
Carbondale,  is  treasurer  of  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, secretary  of  the  Hospital  Society  and  treas- 
urer of  the  .  Father  Matthew  Society.  James  is 
general  coal  inspector  for  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son. The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Carbondale.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  became  a  breaker  boy  in  the  employ 
(jf  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Coal  Company,  after- 
ward was  promoted  to  be  weighmaster  at  shaft 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


359 


No.  3,  later  was  made  assistant  of  the  retail  coal 
department,  and  in  1888  was  made  manager  of 
the  retail  department,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
since  been  employed. 

In  addition  to  the  duties  connected  with  this 
position,  ]\Ir.  Norton  is  serving  as  collector  for 
the  Fall  Brook  Water  Company.  In  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Catholic  and  a  generous  contributor 
to  the  work  of  the  denomination.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  been  actively  interested  in  and  a 
member  of  the  Father  Matthew  Society.  He 
makes  his  home  with  his  mother  at  the  family 
residence   in   Carbondale. 


GEORGE  R.  CLARK.  In  the  spring  of 
1879  the  firm  of  George  R.  Clark  &  Co.. 
embarked  in  the  florist's  business  in 
Scranton,  at  first  occupying  rented  quarters,  but 
afterward  building  on  the  corner  of  North  Main 
Avenue  and  Wood  Street.  Here  he  has  twenty 
greenhouses,  containing  forty  thousand  square 
feet  of  glass,  and  with  twenty-three  departments. 
The  buildings  are  heated  by  steam,  two  boilers  of 
sixty-horse  power  each  being  used  for  this  pur- 
pose. Later  the  seed  and  nursery  business  was 
added,  and  in  the  former  department  everything 
may  be  found  that  can  be  grown  here.  Opposite 
the  greenhouses,  at  No.  1350  North  Main  Ave- 
nue, stands  the  family  residence. 

Air.  Clark  was  born  in  Waverly,  this  county, 
September  7,  1854,  and  is  a  descendant  of  En- 
glish ancestors,  who  settled  first  in  Rhode  Island, 
but  later  removed  to  Connecticut.  His  grand- 
father, George  Clark,  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  in  1798,  and  in  childhood  was  brought  to 
Clarks  Green,  where  he  married  Huldah  Rice, 
a  native  of  New  York.  The  great-grandfather, 
William  Clark,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  being  present 
at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  In  1800  he  settled 
in  Clarks  Green,  where  he  was  a  pioneer  farmer, 
and  in  this  place  he  died  at  seventy  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  James  R.  Clark, 
was  bom  in  Abington  Township,  this  county, 
and  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Waverly.  In  1879 
he  left  the  farm,  came  to  Scranton  and  joined  his 
son  in  the  florist's  business,  and  is  still  thus  en- 


gaged. While  in  Waverly  he  served  as  a  school 
director  for  twelve  years,  and  for  a  time  was  pres- 
ident of  the  board.  In  this  county  he  married 
Miss  Parma  LaBar,  who  was  born  in  Plainsville, 
Luzerne  County,  a  daughter  of  William  and  sis- 
ter of  John  A.  LaBar  (see  sketch  upon  another 
page).  They  became  the  parents  of  six  children, 
named  as  follows:  Giles  L. ;  Eno  W.,  who  died 
at  thirty  years;  George  R.,  Carrie  M.,  Myra,  and 
Herbert,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  months. 

Reared  in  Abington  Township,  our  subject 
received  a  public  school  education  and  later  at- 
tended Wyoming  Seminary.  In  1876  he  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  in  Scott,  this  county. 
The  following  year  he  went  to  Wilkesbarre,  where 
he  was  employed  for  a  short  time.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1878,  the  centennial  of  the  Wyoming  mas- 
sacre, he  came  to  Scranton  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Tinkham  &  Clark  in  Hyde 
Park,  their  place  of  business  being  on  the  present 
site  of  the  Jersey  Central  depot.  Soon,  however, 
he  bought  out  his  partner's  interest,  and  in  1879 
his  father  joined  him,  the  two  still  remaining  to- 
gether. 

Besides  the  florist's  business,  Mr.  Clark  is  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business.  He  is  one  of 
the  owners  of  White  Birch  Park,  comprising 
seventy  acres  nine  miles  north  of  Scranton,  and 
platted  in  large  lots  for  summer  homes.  In 
Wood-Lawn  Park  he  also  owns  an  interest.  This 
is  situated  in  Green  Ridge,  and  contains  seven- 
teen acres,  with  sixty-seven  of  the  finest  build- 
ing lots  in  that  locality.  The  park  has  been  ac- 
cepted by  the  city  and  is  maintained  by  appro- 
priations under  the  supervision  of  the  park  com- 
missioners. In  addition,  he  also  has  an  interest 
in  Prospect  Park,  in  North  Main  Avenue,  com- 
prising ten  acres.  His  office  is  on  the  corner  of 
Washington  and  Spruce  Streets. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Clark  married  Miss  Clara  K. 
Kennedy,  daughter  of  James  S.  and  Pauline 
(Jayne)  Kennedy.  She  was  born  in  this  city  and 
died  here,  leaving  two  children,  Ethel  G.  and  G. 
Ronald.  She  was  next  to  the  youngest  of  twelve 
children,  of  whom  ten  are  living;  one  of  the  sons, 
James  T.,  was  a  soldier  in  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment during  the  war.  Her  father,  who  was  a  son 
of  Thom-is  Kennedv,  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre 


36o 


PORTRAI'l'    A\])    Hit  XiRAl'llU  AI.    RECORH. 


Township,  and  became  a  carpenter  ami  Iniilder  in 
Lackawanna  Township,  but  in  1851  removed  to 
Providence  and  engaged  in  merchandising.  His 
death  occurred  in  (jreen  Ridge  in  1885.  His 
widow,  who  resides  with  her  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Clark,  was  born  in  Xicholson,  Wyoming  County, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elsie  (Stevens) 
Jayne,  natives  of  N'ew  York  state.  Samuel  Jayne 
was  a  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (DeWitt) 
J.iync,  also  of  New  York.  In  the  Court  Street 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Clark  has  been 
president  and  is  now  treasurer  of  the  board  of 
trustees,  and  has  also  rendered  efficient  service 
as  superintendent  of  the  Siuulay-school. 


JOSERH  L.  MEDWAY,  of  Scranton,  is  a 
prominent  and  representative  citizen,  and 
takes  the  greatest  interest  in  all  progressive 
movements  tending  toward  the  betterment  of  af- 
fairs in  this  vicinity.  He  is  a  worker  along  the 
lines  of  advancement  and  higher  civilization  and, 
in  short,  is  a  man  of  liberal  public  spirit.  A  very 
active  Republican,  he  served  us  well  when  a 
member  of  the  select  council  for  two  term.s  or 
six  years.  At  all  times  he  was  to  be  found  as- 
sisting new  systems  for  enlarging  the  city  bound- 
aries and  giving  greater  advantages  to  the  inhab- 
itants. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  suljject,  J(jlin 
Medway,  was  a  farmer  near  Xewton  Abbot,  Dev- 
onshire, England.  John,  father  of  J.  L.,  was  born 
in  1804  on  the  old  homestead  and  became  a  ma- 
chinist. ]"(»rty  years  he  was  connected  with  the 
Great  Western  Railway,  as  foreman  in  the  ma- 
chine shops  at  \ewton,  and  when  he  received 
the  summons  to  leave  the  scene  of  his  earthly 
labors,  he  was  eighty-eight  years  old.  His  wife, 
a  native  of  Corfe  Castle,  Dorsetshire,  England, 
was  Miss  Jane  Luther.  She  was  born  in  1810 
and  died  in  1889.  There  were  nine  children  born 
to  this  worthy  cou])le.  but  only  five  are  living. 
James,  an  expert  electrician,  now  retired  from 
business,  and  residing  in  Newton,  was  in  the  En- 
glish navy.  A  sister,  Mrs.  Paddon,  formerly 
lived  here,  but  after  her  husband's  death  returned 
to  the  old  home  in  England.  John  is  superin- 
tendent of  motive-power,  Eitchburg  Railroad,  in 


r.oston.  (k'orge  is  foreman  in  the  blacksmith's 
shop  of  till'  Delaware.  Lackawanna  &  Western 
at  lUiffalo. 

J.  L.  Medway  was  born  May  20,  1840,  in  New- 
ton Abbot,  England,  and  in  the  usual  manner  of 
happy  childhood  spent  his  early  years.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  until  he  was  in  his  six- 
teenth year,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
machinist's  trade,  tmder  his  father,  in  the  shops  of 
the  Great  Western  Railroad.  Ele  remained  there 
eight  years,  and  then  set  sail  for  America  in  the 
steamer  "Glasgow,"  bound  from  Liverpool  to 
.  New  York  City,  where  they  duly  arrived  four- 
teen days  later.  Going  to  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y., 
he  found  eni])loyment  in  the  Silsby  Fire  En- 
gine Manufacturing  Company,  and  at  the  end  of 
a  vear  he  went  into  the  Susquehamia  (Pa.)  Erie 
railway  sliops,  the  main  shops  of  the  road.  It 
was  in  July.  1866,  that  he  reached  Scranton,  en- 
tering the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
machine  shops,  and  when  but  two  years  had 
elapsed  he  was  promoted  to  the  posititin  which 
he  has  so  successfully  filled  up  to  the  present 
time,  that  of  master  mechanic  of  the  machine 
dejjarlnient  of  the  car  shops. 

j\Ir.  Medway  was  elected  from  the  ninth  ward 
to  serve  in  the  select  council,  in  which  he  was 
very  active,  and  was  chairman  of  the  building 
committee  which  selected  the  site  and  ap])roved 
the  plans  of  the  present  city  hall.  A\'hen  he  had 
nearlv  completed  his  second  term  he  removed 
to  the  thirteenth  ward.  Green  Ridge,  and  later  he 
moved  into  Dunmore.  locating  in  Adams  Ave- 
nue. In  1806  he  was  elected  to  the  borough  coun- 
cil of  Dunmore,  quite  a  victory,  as  the  Dem- 
ocrats had  usually  had  things  their  own  way  and 
a  majority  of  from  eight  to  ten  hundred  votes, 
but  on  this  occasion  the  Republicans  won  by 
a  majority  c)f  three  hundred  and  eighty-seven 
votes.  Mr.  Medway  organized  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Sound  Money  Club, 
and  is  its  president.  For  years  he  has  been  in- 
terested in  (iermania  Building  Association  No.  7, 
is  president  of  it,  and  also  holds  the  vice-presi- 
tlencv  of  the  Germania  Building  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation No.  8.  He  is  strongly  in  favor  of  incor- 
porating the  ^ixth  ward  of  Dunmore  with  Scran- 
ton proper. 


PORTRAIT    AND   BIOGRAPHJCAL    RMCORD. 


361 


111  this  city  was  celebrated,  in  1868,  the  mar- 
riage of  J\Ir.  Medway  and  Mary  E.,  daughter  of 
David  Dale,  of  Daleville,  Pa.,  which  place  was 
named  in  honor  of  one  of  their  family  at  a  remote 
period.  Two  sons  and  a  daughter  comprise  the 
children  of  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Medway.  The  elder 
son,  Herbert,  is  a  promising  young  man,  and  is 
now  in  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1900,  and  the 
}ounger,  David  D.,  is  at  home  attending  school. 
Josephine,  the  eldest  child,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
School  of  the  Lackawanna  and  of  Bradford  Acad- 
emy, near  Boston,  Mass.  Fraternally  Mr.  Med- 
way is  identified  with  Green  Ridge  Lodge  No. 
597,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  past  grand  of  Lackawan- 
na Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O.  O.  F.  For  twenty  years 
he  was  a  trustee  and  official  member  of  the  old 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  or  until  he 
went  to  live  in  Green  Ridge,  and  at  the  present 
time  he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Green  Ridge. 


THOMAS  ORCHARD.  As  that  of  a  man 
who  rose  superior  to  adversity  and  nobly 
conquered  the  difficulties  lying  in  his 
patli,  the  life  of  the  late  Thomas  Orchard  of  Car- 
bondale  is  well  worthy  of  emulation  by  the  youth 
of  the  rising  generation.  Guided  by  principles 
of  the  highest  honor,  he  was  a  man  of  unspotted 
character,  well  dowered  with  firmness  and  stabil- 
ity. In  the  growth  of  Carbondale  he  maintained 
the  deepest  interest  and  for  its  future  good  lie 
made  many  sacrifices  of  his  time  and  means.  He 
is  spoken  of  by  tjie  people  among  whom  he  lived 
for  many  years  as  one  of  their  most  praiseworthy 
citizens,  and  one  to  whom  credit  is  due  for  his 
labors  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  various  interests 
of  the  community. 

In  Stratton,  Cornwall,  England,  the  subject  of 
this  memoir  was  born,  February  27,  1820,  the  son 
of  joliii  and  Mary  (Yeo)  Orchard,  of  Stratton. 
Fie  was  reared  in  the  strict  honesty  and  integrity 
of  purpose  that  remained  his  principal  charac- 
teristic throughout  life.  His  early  educational 
advantages  were  meager,  for  his  parents  were 
poor  and  unable  to  give  him  the  opportunities 
they  desired.  In  youth  he  became  an  architect 
and   builder,    which  occujjation    he   followed   in- 


dustriously. Longing,  however,  for  a  wider 
field  in  which  to  gain  a  name  and  fortune,  he  left 
his  native  land  in  1840,  setting  sail  for  America, 
and  landing  in  Montreal,  Canada.  After  a  short 
time  he  came  to  the  States  and  remained  for  a 
brief  period  in  Honesdale,  Pa.  He  removed 
from  there  to  Carbondale  about  1841  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  as  pattern  maker  and  builder.  He  be- 
came a  warm  friend  of  C.  P.  Wurts,  then  superin- 
tendent of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad, 
who  soon  acknowledged  his  worth  and  superior 
ability  by  making  him  superintendent  for  the 
building  of  the  many  structures  erected  under  the 
direction  of  the  company  in  those  early  days. 
Among  the  buildings  still  standing  for  which  he 
had  the  contract  are  the  residences  of  J.  B.  Van 
Bergen,  T.  R.  Durfee  and  E.  E.  Hendrick,  the 
first  Catholic  Church  in  Carbondale,  Graded 
School  No.  I,  the  residence  of  the  late  Captain 
Brcnnan,  now  a  part  of  the  Catholic  convent, 
also  the  city  hall  and  residence  of  James  Arch- 
bald  of  Scranton. 

In  1862  Mr.  Orchard  was  given  charge  of  the 
car  department  of  the  company.  When  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson  commenced  tl\e  building  of  pas- 
senger cars,  he  was  selected  as  the  master  car 
builder,  and  the  splendid  equipment  of  the  grav- 
ity and  locomotive  roads  of  the  Pennsylvania 
division  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  bespeaks 
his  excellent  qualifications  for  the  responsible  po- 
sition. It  was  largely  due  to  his  efforts  and  effi- 
ciency that  in  this  city  there  are  still  manufac- 
tured passenger  cars,  which  indeed  forms  no 
small  part  of  the  business  of  the  place.  The  de- 
signs for  tlie  different  cars  were  either  planned  by 
him  or  under  his  immediate  direction,  and  the 
responsibility  of  the  work  rested  upon  him. 

In  April,  1869,  Mr.  Orchard  was  elected 
a  memljer  of  the  vestry  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the  sec- 
ond oldest  vestryman  in  the  congregation.  Fra- 
ternally he  l)elonged  to  Palestine  Commandery, 
K.  T.  In  185 1  he  returned  to  his  native  land 
and  also  visited  the  great  World's  Exposition  in 
the  Crystal  Palace,  London,  being  of  a  party  of 
eleven  made  up  in  Carbondale  the  only  one  who 
made  the  voyage.     His  first  marriage  united  him 


362 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


with  Miss  Martha,  sister  of  Col.  William  N. 
Monies.  She  died  in  i860,  leaving  two  sons, 
John  H.,  and  William,  who  died  in  1865.  In  1862 
he  was  united  with  Mrs.  Mary  (Griffin)  Smith, 
widow  of  Asa  D.  Smith,  and  mother  of  T.  Grif- 
fin ."^niith,  the  freight  agent  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad  at  Carbondale.  By  this  mar- 
riage three  children  were  born,  namely:  Charles, 
freight  agent  at  .Scranton;  Frank,  who  is  a  pat- 
tern-maker in  the  works  of  the  Hendrick  Manu- 
facturing Company,  Carbondale;  and  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  N.  L.  Moon,  who  is  private  secretary  to 
C.  R.  Manville,  superintendent  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson. 

In  addition  to  his  connection  with  the  car 
shops,  Mr.  Orchard  was  interested  in  many  local 
enterprises,  and  was  also  vice-president  of  the 
Pittston  Stove  Works.  Pittston,  Pa.  He  was 
thoroughly  identified  with  every  good  work  in 
his  adopted  city,  ever  willing  to  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  an.xious  to  pro- 
mote morality  and  temperance.  He  was  well 
know-n  beyond  the  limits  of  Carbondale  and  was 
respected  by  every  acquaintance.  Through  hon- 
est and  untiring  efforts  he  rose  from  a  humble 
station  to  prominence. 

The  life  which  has  here  been  sketched  closed 
December  30,  1895.  The  sympathies  of  all  who 
knew  him  well  and  of  the  many  who  knew  him 
chiefly  by  the  kind  words  and  thoughtful  cour- 
tesy which  marked  his  intercourse  with  all  men, 
were  extended  to  the  bereaved  relatives  who  for 
years  had  regarded  him  as  their  central  figure. 
His  noble  career  was  achieved  by  perseverance 
and  was  marked  from  the  first  by  a  generous 
philanthropy  and  most  exemplary  devotion  to 
justice,  truth  and  honor.  He  possessed  a  clear 
mind,  sound  business  judgment  and  unswerving 
integrity,  from  the  principles  of  which  no  hope 
of  reward  or  fear  of  giving  offense  could  swerve 
him.  His  whole  life  demonstrated  more  clearly 
than  mere  words  that  strict  integrity  is  the  chief 
element  of  success  and  that  honorable  deeds  win 
friends  and  respect. 

John  H.  Orchard,  the  only  surviving  son 
of  the  first  marriage  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Carbondale  April  2,  1854,  and  was  six 
years  of  age  when   his  mother  died.     On   the 


completion  of  a  public  school  education  here, 
he  went  abroad  and  spent  a  year  and  si.x  months 
in  the  schools  of  Dumfries,  Scotland.  Upon  his 
return  in  October,  1872,  he  went  into  his  father's 
office,  and  April  i,  1886,  was  made  general  car 
inspector.  January  i,  1893,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  office  of  assistant  master  car  builder.  On  the 
death  of  his  father  he  succeeded  him  as  master 
car  builder,  which  position  he  has  since  filled.  He 
also  succeeded  bis  father  as  vestryman  in  Trinity 
Church  and  director  in  the  Pittston  Stove  Works, 
of  which  company  he  is  secretary.  In  1889  he 
married  Miss  Frances  Clark,  who  died  the  fol- 
lowing year.  He  again  married  in  1896,  his  wife 
being  Mrs.  Jennie  F.  Price  of  Scranton. 


PROF.  HAYDN  EVANS  has  won  for  him- 
self not  only  a  local,  but  a  national  reputa- 
tion in  musical  circles,  and  stands  second 
to  none  in  the  city  of  Scranton  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. As  is  well  know^i  he  was  the  director 
of  the  Scranton  Choral  Union,  comprising  over 
two  hundred  and  fifty  members  who  took  part 
in  the  great  competitive  contest  at  the  World's 
F"air  in  Chicago,  in  September,  1893.  Under 
the  leadership  of  Professor  Evans,  the  club  won 
the  highest  honors,  carrying  off  in  triumph  the 
first  prize,  a  gold  medal  and  $5,000. 

William  Evans,  father  of  our  subject,  w-as  born 
in  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  and  in  his  early  man- 
hood was  employed  in  iron  works  there.  In 
1869  he  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  fam- 
ily, taking  up  his  abode  in  Scranton.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western  at  the  Continental  mines.  Like 
his  son  of  whom  we  write,  he  has  always  taken 
a  great  interest  in  musical  affairs,  and  has  no 
small  ability  himself  in  that  direction.  For  thir- 
teen years  he  was  leader  of  the  Welsh  Baptist 
Church  choir  and  in  many  trials  of  skill  has  led 
them  on  to  victory.  In  his  native  land  he  mar- 
ried Margaret  Davis  of  the  same  country.  Her 
father,  James  Davis,  settled  in  America  some 
years  ago  and  attained  a  good  old  age,  dying  in 
July,  1896. 

Professor  Evans  was  born  in  the  pretty  town 
of  Abcrman,  Glamorganshire,  and  is  one  of  the 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


363 


four  living  children  of  William  and  Margaret 
Evans.  When  he  was  but  a  year  old  the  family 
removed  to  the  New  World  and  his  boyhood 
was  passed  in  this  city.  He  manifested  unusual 
fondness  for  music  at  a  very  early  age  and  his 
parents  did  all  in  their  power  to  foster  his  evi- 
dent talent.  When  eleven  years  old  he  went  to 
reside  in  the  home  of  D.  J.  J.  Mason  of  Wilkes- 
barre,  Pa.,  there  to  better  pursue  his  musical 
studies.  At  the  end  of  two  years  of  unremitting 
efifort,  during  which  time  his  progress  was 
marked,  he  returned  to  the  parental  roof  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools.  In  1884  and  the  year 
tollowing  it  was  the  ambitious  youth's  great  priv- 
ilege to  study  under  the  instruction  of  several 
leading  musicians  of  London.  Soon  afterward 
he  established  himself  as  a  permanent  resident 
of  Scranton,  and  has  since  conducted  classes  and 
given  individual  lessons  in  his  art. 

For  about  a  year  the  Professor  served  as  or- 
ganist of  St.  Luke's  Church,  after  which  he  held 
a  similar  position  several  years  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  The  officials  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church  then  invited  him  to  become  organist  for 
them,  and  he  eventually  consenting,  has  held 
this  place  during  a  period  of  four  years.  He  has 
pupils  in  both  piano  and  organ  here  and  in  the 
neighboring  city  of  Carbondale,  where  he  goes 
one  day  every  week.  His  office  in  Scranton  is  at 
No.  134  Wyoming  Avenue.  In  the  spring  of 
1896  the  Choral  Union  gave  "The  Messiah,"  and 
at  another  time  -St.  Patrick's  Church  choir  ren- 
dered "Saint  Cecelia's  Mass,"  winning  the  high- 
est praise  from  the  critics  and  press.  The  Pro- 
fessor has  been  very  successful  in  giving  the 
music-loving  public  numerous  fine  concerts,  and 
in  1894  he  started  with  a  company  to  Europe. 
They  traveled  in  Wales  four  months,  and  gave 
entertainments  almost  every  night.  At  one  time 
he  received  a  gratifying  and  wholly  unexpected 
testimonial  from  Governor  Pattison.  Though 
he  has  not  yet  published  any  of  his  works,  he  has 
composed  several  songs  of  true  merit.  He  is  now 
occupying  the  position  of  organist  and  director 
of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church;  however, 
he  still  retains  the  position  of  director  at  St.  Pat- 
rick's Church. 

The   marriage   of   Professor   Evans   and   Miss 


Minnie  iVlarshall,  daughter  of  Lucius  Marshall, 
an  old  and  favorably  known  business  man  of 
Carbondale,  occurred  in  that  city  October  16, 
1889.  Mrs.  Evans  is  a  lady  of  artistic  tastes  and 
is  proficient  in  both  music  and  painting.  The 
union  of  the  young  couple  has  been  blessed  by 
iMie  child,  Leslie  Evans.  On  the  subject  of  pol- 
itics our  subject  is  ever  to  be  found  on  the  Re- 
publican side  of  questions.  In  his  fraternal  rela- 
tions he  is  a  member  of  Green  Ridge  Lodge  No. 
597,  F.  &  A.  M. 


ALEXANDER  BARROWMAN.  The 
value  in  any  community  of  a  citizen  is 
not  marked  merely  by  his  knowledge  or 
the  success  that  has  attended  his  efforts  in  busi- 
ness or  professional  undertakings,  but  also  by 
his  character  in  public  and  private  life,  his  hon- 
orable adherence  to  all  that  is  upright,  his  per- 
sonal integrity  and  the  interest  he  has  taken  in 
the  w^elfare  of  fellow-citizens.  Judged  by  this 
standard  Mr.  Barrowman  may  be  classed  among 
the  influential  and  valued  citizens  of  Scranton. 

The  Barrowman  family  originated  in  Scotland. 
William,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Glas- 
gow in  1807,  and  in  1849,  with  his  family,  took 
passage  on  the  sailing  vessel,  "Cora  Linn," 
which  anchored  in  New  York,  after  a  voyage  of 
fifty-four  days.  He  then  proceeded  up  the  Hud- 
son to  Albany,  and  from  there  via  Erie  Canal  to 
Buffalo,  a  trip  that  required  eight  days.  Leav- 
ing the  family  in  Buffalo,  he  went  west  in  search 
of  a  suitable  location.  Afterward,  however,  he 
decided  to  go  to  Blossburg,  Pa.,  and  journeying 
to  Elmira  by  canal,  he  chanced  to  meet  there 
James  Archbald.  chief  engineer  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company.  Acting  on  his  ad- 
vice, he  came  to  Carbondale.  The  journey  was 
made  by  stage  and  wagon  to  Razorville  (now 
Providence)  and  with  his  family  he  settled  in 
Dunmore. 

For  a  time  William  Barrowman  was  employed 
as  a  foreman  on  the  gravity  road,  but  afterward 
took  the  contract  for  sinking  Pittston  shaft  No.  i 
and  prospected  for  coal  from  Wilkesbarre  to  Car- 
bondale. He  sank  the  Diamond  shaft,  the  larg- 
est in  the  world  at  that  time,  having  space  for 


364 


roRTRAlT    AXn    BIOGRi.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


two  carriages  to  go  down  and  two  to  conic  up 
at  the  «amc  time,  besides  ten  feet  of  space  for 
the  pumps.  This  was  first  called  the  IJarrowman 
shaft,  but  the  name  was  afterward  changfed  to 
the  Diamond.  In  all  matters  connected  with 
the  sinking  of  shafts  he  was  considered  an  au- 
thorit}-.  For  many  years  he  operated  a  tannery 
in  .'Spring  I '.rook  or  Moosic,  on  the  present  site 
of  the  waterworks  from  Taylor  to  Xanticoke.  In 
1856  he  built  a  l)rick  residence  at  the  head  oi 
West  Lackawanna  Aveinie.  Where  then  was  an 
irregular  path  down  the  hill,  he  predicted  would 
be  a  street  some  day.  and  that  prediction  has  been 
verified,  for  his  son,  Alexander,  in  i86g  opened 
and  excavated  the  street,  securing  the  funds  by 
donations  and  jirivate  subscriptions.  In  1865  he 
was  killed  by  being  accidentally  thrown  from  his 
carriage.  His  wife,  .Mary  (McDonald)  Barrow- 
man,  died  in  .^^cranton  Xovember  9,  1887. 

Among  ten  children  Alexander  Barrowman 
was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  born  in 
Glasgow  in  1835  and  was  al^out  fourteen  years 
of  age  when  the  family  came  to  the  United  States. 
After  attending  school  for  a  time  in  Pittston,  he 
was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's  trade  under 
William  Price,  now  of  Hyde  Park.  Two  years 
later  he  came  from  Pittston  to  Scranton,  where 
he  assisted  his  father  for  three  years.  He  then 
began  fr)r  himself  as  a  stair  builder  and  contrac- 
tor, and  has  built  the  majority  of  the  spiral  stairs 
in  this  locality.  He  completed  a  stairway  in  the 
Episcopal  Church  of  Wyoming  that  others 
thought  could  not  be  done  and  that  is  considered 
the  finest  wi)rk  of  the  kind  in  the  locality.  At 
different  times  he  has  built  for  himself,  including 
business  property  in  Xorth  Main  Avenue  and 
Seventh  Street  and  also  residence  property  here. 
About  1892  he  retired  from  business  and  has 
since  lived  quietly  at  the  old  homestead  at  the 
head   of  West  Lackawanna  Avenue. 

Jn  August,  1862,  Mr.  Barrowman  volunteered 
in  a  pontoon  train  and  was  one  of  twelve  me- 
chanics in  charge  of  the  corps  that  constructed 
the  pontoon  bridge  across  the  Rappahannock 
River  at  Chancellorsville.  He  w-as  faithful  in  the 
discharge  of  every  duty  and  it  is  said  of  him 
that  he  was  the  first  to  arrive  on  the  field  and  the 
last  to  leave.    His  period  of  service  covered  two 


years.  ]'>om  1869  to  1873  'le  represented  the 
fourth  ward  as  select  councilman,  and  was  also 
clerk  of  the  board  of  city  commissioners.  ( )ne 
of  the  oldest  Masons  here  and  a  member  of  the 
\'eteran"s  organization,  he  belongs  to  Hyde  Park 
Lodge  Xo.  330.  1"".  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chap- 
ter, R.  A.  M.,  and  C\)eur  de  Lion  Commandery 
X'o.  17,  K.  T.  I'olitically  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  West  Side  Board  of  Trade 
and  actively  assists  all  progressive  enterprises. 
His  memliership  is  in  the  Washburn  Presbyterian 
Church  and  he  is  one  of  the  elders  of  the  con- 
gregation. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Barrowman  married  Miss 
Jennie  Kintz,  who  was  born  in  Stroudsburg, 
Monroe  County,  Pa.,  and  died  m  Scranton  in 
April,  1893,  leaving  an  only  child.  Gertrude,  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1900,  Scranton  high 
school.  Mrs.  Barrowman  was  a  daughter  of 
John  Kintz,  a  farmer  of  ^lonroe  County  and  a 
member  of  a  family  that  was  represented  among 
the   earlv   settlers  of  this  state. 


JOSEPH  CHURCH,  who  has  spent  much 
of  his  life  in  Scranton.  was  born  in  Hvde 
Park,  this  city.  June  i,  1827,  and  has  the 
distinction  of  being  one  of  the  oldest  living  na- 
tive-born citizens  of  the  place.  The  familv  of 
which  he  is  a  member  formerly  resided  in  Con- 
necticut, whence  his  father,  Samuel,  came  to 
Hyde  Park  and  here  taught  school,  served  as 
overseer  of  roads,  poor  director  and  constable. 
Before  the  war  he  removed  to  W^isconsin  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  Janesville,  Rock  County, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-seven. 
After  coming  to  Scranton  he  married  Harriet, 
daughter  of  Stephen  Tripp,  an  extensive  farmer 
of  this  vicinity,  and  granddaughter  of  Isaac 
Tripp,  an  early  settler  here.  She  was  a  niece  of 
Isaac  Tripp,  the  father  of  Col.  Ira  Tripp.  Her 
death  occurred  in  Wisconsin  when  she  was  sev- 
enty-three years  of  age. 

Of  ten  children  comprising  the  family  of  Sam- 
uel Church,  our  subject  was  second  in  order  of 
birth  and  is  the  only  one  residing  in  Scranton. 
In  Hyde  Park  he  carried  on  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools.     At  the  age  of  nineteen,  in  1846, 


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WII.MAM    VRACKR 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRi.\PHICAL    RECORD. 


367 


he  went  west,  being  the  first  of  tlie  family  to  leave 
Scranton.  The  trip  was  made  by  team  to  Bing- 
haniton,  then  by  Erie  Canal  to  Bufifalo,  from 
there  via  the  lakes  to  Milwaukee,  and  lastly  by 
stage  to  Janesville.  Purchasing  land  six  miles 
south  of  that  city,  on  the  Rock  River,  he  began 
to  clear  and  improve  a  farm,  and  of  his  sixteen 
hundred  acres,  in  time  had  six  hundred  under 
the  plow,  lie  laid  out  the  town  of  Afton,  Wis., 
of  which  his  brother  was  the  first  postmaster, 
and  in  that  place  he  manufactured  agricultural 
implements,  making  a  specialty  of  the  Weber 
mower.  In  1858  he  was  chosen  surveyor  of 
Rock  County,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
four  years.  Prior  to  that,  he  was  for  two  years 
employed  as  surveyor  of  government  land  in 
the  pineries  of  Wisconsin. 

Returning  to  Scranton  in  1863,  Mr.  Church 
began  the  improvement  of  the  Thomas  Griffin 
property,  comprising  forty  acres.  Here  he 
erected  what  has  since  been  known  as  Bulfs 
Head  Hotel,  still  his  property,  but  now  leased  to 
other  parties.  For  some  years  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  developing  the  land,  laying  out  streets, 
selling  lots  and  building  up  the  locality,  which 
now  contains  many  substantial  residences.  How- 
ever, it  is  perhaps  as  a  cattle  dealer  that  he  has 
Ijecome  best  known,  and  in  that  line  he  did  a 
business  ranging  from  $100,000  to  $200,000  per 
annum.  In  order  to  properly  carrv  on  the  busi- 
ness, he  was  obliged  to  travel  considerably,  and 
made  frequent  journeys  to  Bufifalo  and  Chicago, 
also  took  two  trips  to  California,  has  been  in  the 
tamarack  swamps  and  cranberry  marshes,  and 
in  fact  throughout  the  entire  country.  In  addi- 
tion to  other  enterprises,  he  engaged  in  mining 
for  domestic  uses,  and  was  the  first  to  open  what 
is  now  known  in  the  valley  as  the  Church  vein 
of  coal.  The  drover"s  business  v.as  rendered  un- 
remunerative  when  the  shipment  of  beef  was  in- 
troduced, Inu  he  continued  afterward  in  the  coal 
business  for  a  number  of  years  and  then  retired. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Church  married  Miss  Char- 
lotte, daughter  of  Josephine  Stevens,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Thomas  Grififin,  the  founder  of  the 
family  here,  and  a  large  land  owner.  She  died 
in  1880,  having  been  the  mother  of  two  children, 
one  of  whom  survives,  Charles  Joseph,  a  resident 


of  Scranton.  Politically  a  Republican,  Mr. 
Church  was  elected  on  that  ticket  to  represent  the 
second  ward  in  the  common  council  and  served 
efficiently  for  one  term.  Fraternally  a  Mason, 
he  holds  membership  in  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261. 


WILLIAM  YEAGER  has  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  oldest  surviving  set- 
tler of  Madison  Township.  He  was 
only  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Lack- 
awanna County,  and  began  to  clear  land  and  work 
at  odd  jobs.  The  first  winter  was  spent  in  Green 
Ridge,  after  which  he  came  to  Madison  Township. 
About  a  year  later  he  was  joined  by  liis  father  and 
the  other  members  of  the  family,  all  of  whom  be- 
gan to  labor  industriously  and  perseveringly  in 
order  to  develop  a  farm.  The  country  was  then 
in  an  incipient  stage  of  cultivation.  Improve- 
ments were  meager,  comforts  were  few,  and  the 
youthful  pioneer  received  many  hard  knocks  in 
his  struggle  with  the  rude  forces  of  nature.  How- 
ever, he  was  brave  and  possessed  the  true  courage 
that  fears  no  obstacle.  As  the  years  passed,  he 
saw  the  fruit  of  his  labors  and  rejoiced  in  the  in- 
creasing prosperity  of  the  people.  Though  bowed 
by  the  burden  of  more  than  four  score  years,  he 
is  still  active  and  vigorous,  and  takes  an  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood. 

For  reference  to  the  Yeager  family,  the  reader 
may  turn  to  the  sketch  of  Peter  Yeager,  presented 
upon  another  page.  William  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington County,  N.  Y.,  April  3,  1816,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years  came  from  his  native  place  to 
Lackawanna  County,  settling  in  Green  Ridge, 
where  he  remained  a  few  months.  Coming  to 
Moscow  about  1828,  there  was  only  one  little 
shanty  in  what  is  now  a  thriving  village,  and  the 
surroundings  gave  few  indications  of  the  present 
prosperity  of  the  place.  He  worked  for  his  father 
until  h'_-  was  twenty-three,  when  he  purchased  a 
small  farm  near  ^loscow,  and  this  he  partly  im- 
proved. A  few  years  later  he  traded  the  property 
for  a  farm  al>f>ut  three  miles  from  Moscow,  which 
he  improved  and  has  since  made  his  iiome,  with 
the  exception  of  fifteen  years  spent  in  the  village 
of  Moscow.  To  the  original  acreage  he  has  added 
from  time  to  time,  and  has  bought  other  places 


368 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


until  lie  iKnv  o\\  ns  several  farms  and  considerable 
city  property,  being  one  of  the  largest  land  own- 
ers in  the  township. 

October  lo,  1835,  Mr.  Yeager  married  Miss 
Susan  Biesecker,  who  was  born  in  Northampton 
County,  Pa.,  October  i.  1816.  and  died  in  this 
county,  May  22,  1894.  Five  children  were  born 
to  the  union,  namely:  ^\'illiam  Henry,  who  died 
young;  John  Adam,  who  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship March  17,  1840,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life 
here;  Sarah  Ann.  born  July  2,  1843;  Reuben, 
who  was  born  September  4,  1843,  ^""^  died  in 
1893;  and  William  W.,  born  August  20,  1850, 
a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

In  his  active  years  Mr.  Yeager  took  an  interest 
in  local  politics  and  served  as  supervisor  of  the 
township  and  school  director,  also  was  overseer 
of  the  ])oor  for  twenty-five  years,  when  he  re- 
signed, refusing  to  serve  longer.  He  has  always 
kept  himself  informed  regarding  political  and 
other  issues,  and  votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  For 
fifteen  years  he  made  his  home  in  Moscow,  but 
after  the  death  of  his  wife  returned  to  the  home 
of  his  son.  John  Adam.  The  success  which  he 
has  met  is  remarkable  when  we  consider  that  in 
youth  he  had  no  advantages,  and  that  in  all  his 
life  he  never  attended  school  a  day,  so  that  he  is 
deserving  of  especial  praise  for  what  he  has  ac- 
complished in  life. 


PROF.  H.  J.  HOCKENBERRY,  principal 
of  the  Carbondale  High  School,  was  born 
in  Orrstown,  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  No- 
vember 15,  1849,  'ind  is  a  son  of  James  H.  and 
Mary  (Burrows)  Hockenberry.  Both  his  pater- 
nal and  maternal  ancestors  have  been  residents 
of  the  Cumberland  Valley  for  six  generations, 
and  among  them  were  some  who  took  a  promi- 
nent jjart  in  all  the  stirring  events  of  the  valley, 
participating  in  the  Revolution,  the  War  of  1812 
and  the  Mexican  War.  They  have  always  been 
noted  for  patriotic  love  of  coiuitry  and  loyal  de- 
votion to  its  welfare. 

Now  a  resident  of  Indiana,  James  H.  Hocken- 
berry has  for  years  been  a  well-known  mill- 
wright, and  at  one  time  was  an  extensive  builder 


of  mills  in  the  west.  During  the  Rebellion  he 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  but  meeting  with  a 
serious  accident  saw  no  active  service.  His  wife 
was  born  just  across  the  Cumberland  Mountains 
in  Bloomfield,  whither  her  parents  had  removed 
from  the  valley.  She  died  in  1883.  The  early 
education  of  our  subject  was  obtained  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  he  was  preparing 
to  enter  college  when  his  father  met  with  re- 
verses that  caused  the  loss  of  his  fortune.  In 
1866  the  family  moved  to  Martinsburg,  W.  Va., 
and  there  the  youth  began  his  chosen  lifework, 
that  of  teacher.  At  Wellsville  he  taught  the  first 
public  school  in  that  locality.  He  continued  for 
some  years,  thus  earning  the  money  needed  to 
complete  his  higher  education,  and  when  a  suf- 
ficient amotmt  had  been  saved,  he  entered  the 
Millersville  (Pa.)  Normal  School,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1873,  carrying  off  the  honors  of  his 
class  as  valedictorian. 

After  the  completion  of  his  professional  edu- 
cation, our  subject  taught  in  the  high  school  of 
Martinsburg  for  one  year,  then  became  a  teacher 
in  the  Methodist  Seminary  at  Smyrna,  Del.,  and 
later  taught  in  Berrysburg  Seminary  in  Dauphin 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  until  1883. 
Since  that  year  he  has  filled  the  position  of  prin- 
cipal of  the  high  school  of  Carbondale.  During 
his  fifteen  years  of  administration  of  this  school, 
it  has  been  brought  to  a  high  standard  by  his  un- 
tiring efforts  and  indomitable  will.  As  a  teacher 
he  commands  the  respect  of  pupils  and  people. 
While  strict  in  enforcing  discipline,  he  is  by  no 
means  severe,  but  aims  to  encourage  the  chil- 
dren in  their  sttidies  by  inculcating  a  love  of 
knowledge  in  their  minds.  During  his  adminis- 
tration the  old-time  buildings  have  given  away 
to  new  structures  of  modern  style,  and  the  high 
school  building  is  a  credit  to  the  thriving  town 
in  which  it  is  situated. 

In  addition  to  his  duties  in  the  school  room. 
Professor  Flockenberry  has  taken  a  warm  inter- 
est in  public  afifairs.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  "Daily  Herald,"  and  is  vice-president  and 
a  prominent  member  of  the  board  of  trade.  In 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  he  is  an  influen- 
tial worker  and  liberal  giver.  He  believes  that 
the  suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  the  object 


PORTRAIT   AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3^') 


most  to  be  desired  by  Christian  people,  for  its 
evil  results  threaten  to  undermine  the  perpetuity 
of  the  goven:ment  and  the  prosperity  of  the  na- 
tion. He  was  the  candidate  of  the  Prohibition 
party  for  congress  in  1896,  and  was  frequently 
called  upon  to  deliver  addresses  during  the  cam- 
paign. Kind,  energetic  and  forcible,  he  is  a  pub- 
lic-spirited man  and  devotes  his  best  interests  to 
elevate  the  condition  of  his  fellow-men.  In  1875 
he  married  Miss  Minnie  Hofifman,  of  Martins- 
burg,  W.  Va.,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Raymond 
M.  and  Mvron  B. 


JOHN  W.  CURE.  How  frequently  it  is  the 
case  that  ability  and  energy  combined  ac- 
complish truly  wonderful  results,  raising  a 
man  from  the  obscurity  of  poverty  to  the  promi- 
nence and  influence  that  success  brings.  To  such 
men  as  Mr.  Cure  this  country  owes  her  present 
stability  in  commercial,  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial circles, — men  who,  not  afraid  of  personal 
hardships  and  tiie  trials  that  in  an  active  career 
without  financial  assistance  toO'  often  come  to 
each  life,  are  strong  and  brave  enough  to  carry 
out  Hamlet's  advice  and  "by  opposing  troubles, 
end  them." 

A  lifelong  resident  of  Greenfield  Township, 
Mr.  Cure  was  born  here  April  24,  1846.  The 
family  of  which  he  is  a  member  originated  in 
England  and  Germany  and  was  first  represented 
in  this  country  by  three  brothers,  a  doctor  lo- 
cating in  Philadelphia,  a  lawyer  in  New  York 
City,  and  his  grandfather,  John,  who  became  a 
pioneer  of  Luzerne  County,  settling  there  when 
it  was  a  dense  forest  with  few  habitations.  Look- 
ing at  the  present  advanced  condition  of  that 
county,  it  is  impossible  to  realize  the  struggles 
through  which  he,  with  other  pioneers,  passed  in 
opening  up  what  is  now  a  wealthy  county,  capa- 
ble of  supplying  the  wants  of  its  numerous  in- 
habitants and  thousands  of  dwellers  in  other 
parts  of  the  world.  The  picture  presented  by  our 
imagination  bears  but  a  faint  resemblance  to  the 
reality,  yet  even  this  suffices  to  thrill  our  hearts 
with  gratitude  to  all  those  who  bore  a  part  in 
work  on  what  was  then  the  frontier.  It  was  the 
privilege  of  John  Cure  to  live  to  see  the  develop- 


ment of  the  county  and  to  enjoy  the  comforts  for 
which  he  had  labored  in  early  manhood.  He  died 
there  at  the  age  of  seventy. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  Cure,  was 
born  in  Luzerne  County  in  181 5  and  always  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  spending  much 
of  his  life  in  Greenfield  Township,  where  he  died 
in  December,  1893.  He  married  Celinda  June,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-two,  leaving  six  children:  Mortimer,  a 
farmer  of  Scott  Township;  Rachael,  wife  of  A. 
O.  Smith,  of  Greenfield  Township;  John  W. ; 
Z.  T.,  of  Benton  Township ;  George,  who  gradu- 
ated from  Dickinson  College  (Pa.),  in  the  class 
of  '80  and  is  now  a  Methodist  minister  holding 
a  pastorate  at  Athens,  this  state;  and  Mary,  wife 
of  Frank  Carey,  of  Scott  Township. 

The  fact  that  he  had  to  begin  to  work  at  an 
early  age  prevented  our  subject  from  gaining  a 
thorough  education.  He  attended  the  district 
schools  three  months  in  the  year,  also  was  a  stu- 
dent in  Madison  Academy  for  a  short  time.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  commenced  to  teach 
school  and  continued  until  twenty,  when,  having 
saved  a  small  amount  of  money,  he  bought  his 
time  fr(3m  his  father  for  $75.  During  his  ex- 
perience as  a  teacher  he  "boarded  around."  The 
settlers  generally  gave  teachers  the  best  accomo- 
dations they  had,  while  serving  their  tums  in 
boarding  and  lodging  them.  Sometimes  they 
kept  an  extra  bed,  w'hich  was  used  only  on  par- 
ticular occasions.  The  presence  of  the  teacher 
being  considered  a  "particular"  occasion,  he  fre- 
quently occupied  a  bed  which  had  not  been  used 
for  months,  an  experience  which,  in  winter,  one 
does  not  care  to  repeat  often,  and  anyone  who 
has  been  similarly  entertained  will  give  him  their 
sympathy. 

Ambitious  to  make  a  success  of  life,  Mr.  Cure 
speculated  a  little,  and  as  he  invariably  used  good 
judgment,  his  ventures  were  successful.  Though 
without  capital,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  for  which  he  agreed  to  pay  $4,500. 
A  portion  of  the  property  was  covered  with  a 
good  maple  forest,  which  was  growing  from 
year  to  year.  As  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  get 
some  money,  he  concluded  to  cut  down  the  trees 
and  convert  them  into  lumber.    Before  he  did  so. 


370 


PORTRAIT   AND   P.I' )GRA1'HRAL    RECORD. 


liowc'ver,  he  consulted  tile  advice  of  older  per- 
sons, but  was  told  it  was  foolish  to  think  of  such 
a  thing  and  that  he  should  let  the  timber  stand 
for  twenty  years.  He  figured  and  thought  upon 
the  subject  and  finally  decided  to  follow  his  own 
judgment.  He  hired  men  to  cut  down  the  trees, 
contracted  at  a  mill  to  have  the  timber  sawed 
and  contracted  the  product  when  in  lumber,  clear- 
ing a  handsome  margin  above  cost.  A  few 
months  afterward  he  sold  the  farm  for  $1,700 
more  than  he  paid,  besides  having  the  profit  of 
the  sale  of  lumber.  He  then  bought  a  place  in 
Greenfield  Township,  which  he  sold  in  thirty 
days  for  $400  advance.  Finally  he  bought  his 
present  farm  for  $60  per  acre  and  has  added  so 
many  improvements  here  that  he  has  doubled  its 
actual  value.  As  the  farming  industry-  declined 
he  turned  liis  attention  to  Lackawanna  \'alley 
and  now  has  property  in  Forest  City,  Blakely 
and  Scranton. 

January  12,  1869,  Mr.  Cure  married  Aliss 
Emma  Worth,  daughter  of  John  Worth,  of 
(jrecnfield  Township,  but  she  died  fifteen  months 
afterward.  Subsequently  he  married  her  sister, 
Agnes,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  daugh- 
ters, Emma,  Anna  and  Stella,  who  have  been 
given  excellent  educations  and  are  accomplished 
and  popular.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  blue  lodge  of  Masons.  For  thirty  years  or 
more  he  has  been  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Church  and  Sunday-school,  much  of  the  time 
its  superintendent,  and  his  life  has  been  that  of  a 
Christian  gentleman,  than  which  no  higher  praise 
could  be  given  any  one.  Christianity  he  believes 
to  be  the  redeeming  force  of  humanity  and  looks 
forward  to  the  day  when  the  world  shall  have 
accepted  the  Gospel  of  Christ  and  every  nation 
shall  be  a  Ch.ristian  nation. 

The  adherence  of  Mr.  Cure  to  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party  commenced  during  the 
canij)aign  of  Fremont  against  Buchanan.  His 
father  v.as  always  a  stanch  Democrat  and  the 
son  was  supposed  to  follow  his  tea'-hings.  but  in 
this,  as  in  everything  else,  he  acted  upon  his  own 
judgment.  About  the  time  of  that  cani])aign.  he 
chanced  to  read  "L'ncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  and  it 
had  the  efifect  of  setting  him  to  thinking  and  in- 
vestigating.    Although   then   only   ten   years   of 


age,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  be  a  Republican  be- 
cause it  was  right.  Such  confidence  had  he  in 
the  righteousness  of  the  cause  that  on  election 
morning  he  asked  his  father  to  vote  for  Fremont, 
giving  his  reasons  for  the  request.  His  father, 
who  was  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  with 
opinions  bred  in  the  bone,  was  so  astonished  at 
his  son's  position  that  his  comment  was,  not  an 
answering  argument,  but  the  observation.  "Is  it 
possible  that  I  am  bringing  up  a  Republican?" 
Since  arriving  at  mature  years  Mr.  Cure  has  been 
one  of  the  local  leaders  of  the  party  and  has 
filled  many  positions  of  trust  in  town  and  county, 
also  attended  conventions  both  as  delegate  and 
otherwise. 

While  it  has  always  l)een  a  matter  of  regret 
with  yir.  Cure  that  he  did  not  in  youth  secure 
a  better  education,  yet  he  is  better  informed  in 
matters  of  general  importance  than  most  men  of 
fine  classical  attainments.  His  education  is 
]iractical,  his  mind  methodical,  his  conclusions 
sincere,  and  while  he  does  not  believe  that  con- 
science is  an  infallible  guide,  yet  he  believes  that 
the  conscience,  when  educated,  should  be  fol- 
lowed. A  close  student  of  political  economy  and 
kindred  subjects,  he  is  warmly  interested  in  every 
enterprise  or  movement  calculated  to  advance  the 
intellectual,  social  or  moral  well-being  of  the 
conimunitv. 


A 


\  XEL  J.  XORRMAN.  The  biography  of 
Mr.  Xorrnian  furnishes  a  record  of  energy 
and  perseverance  in  the  face  of  difficulties. 
Thniugli  the  fifty  years  of  his  useful  life,  some  of 
it  in  shadow,  some  of  it  in  sunshine,  he  retained 
his  simplicity  of  habits,  his  cheerfulness  of  dis- 
])(isition  and  his  belief  in  human  nature.  Like 
the  majority  of  Swedes,  he  was  energetic,  honest 
and  persevering.  In  business  circles  of  Scranton 
he  stood  high,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent judgment  and  ability.  His  personal  ap- 
pearance was  prepossessing,  for  he  was  a  broad- 
shouldered,  fine-looking  man,  and  his  mental  en- 
dowments were  not  inferior  to  his  physical. 

In  his  native  country,  Sweden.  Mr.  Norrnian 
s])ent  his  bovhood  years,  and  while  the  death  of 
his  father  deprived  him  of  many  advantages  he 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


37  ■ 


might  otlierwise  have  enjoyed,  nevertheless  he 
was  the  recipient  of  a  college  education  ami 
studied  music,  for  which  he  had  considerahle 
talent.  Soon  after  the  war  he  came  to  America 
and  in  New  York  City  acquired  a  better  knowl- 
edge of  our  language  than  he  had  gained  in  the 
schools  at  home.  Prior  to  crossing  the  ocean  he 
had  been  civil  engineer  and  bookkeeper  for  iron 
works  and  shortly  after  reaching  the  United 
States  he  became  mining  and  civil  engineer  at 
Dunmore  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company.  He  finally  left  that  position, 
later  taking  up  the  lumber  trade,  and  finalh' 
starting  an  insurance  business  in  Wyoming  Ave- 
nue. He  died  in  June,  i88g,  in  the  fiftieth  year  of 
his  age.  Though  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  he 
usually  attended  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Scranton.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican,  fra- 
ternally identified  with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  AT.,  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trade,  also  of  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
N.  G.  P. 

In  1868  Mr.  Norrman  married  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Hannah  (Gardner)  Saylor,  the  latter 
a  sister  of  a  long-time  resident  of  Carbondale, 
whose  wife,  Anna,  was  a  sister  of  Samuel  Saylor. 
After  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norrman, 
they  resided  nearly  six  years  in  Dunmore  and 
then  moved  to  Scranton,  where  the  widow  still 
lives.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Scccjud  Presby- 
terian Church  of  this  citv. 


M' 


ISS  BLANCHE  ARNOLD  resides  in 
Main  Street.  Carbondale,  where  she  has 
a  paying  property,  and  her  attention  is 
given  to  the  collection  of  rents  and  other  details 
connected  with  the  management  of  her  business 
affairs.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William  N.  Ar- 
nold, a  native  of  North  Kingston,  R.  I.,  who  was 
brought  to  Pennsylvania  by  his  parents  at  the 
age  of  seven  years,  settling  in  Sus(|uehanna  Coun- 
ty, but  in  1840  removing  to  Carbondale.  Here 
he  made  judicious  real  estate  investments  and  was 
among  the  active  business  men  of  the  place, 
owning  the  property  and  conducting  a  store  on 
the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Israel  Crane  Com- 
pany.   In  later  years  he  bought  a  farm  in  Wayne 


County,  iouv  and  one-iialf  miles  from  Carbon- 
dale, and  on  that  place  his  widow  is  now  resid- 
ing. He  passed  away  in  i8()i  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five. 

Joseph,  father  of  William  N.  Arnold,  was  a 
pioneer  of  Pennsylvania  and  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two;  his  wife,  who  came  to  this  state 
from  Rhode  Island  in  1823  and  was  of  English 
extraction,  died  at  the  same  age.  He  was  a  son 
of  John  Arnold,  a  well-todo  farmer  of  Rhode 
Island  and  the  owner  of  twelve  imdred  acres  of 
land  there.  The  father  of  John  was  Edmund,  a 
native  of  England  and  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  America.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  in 
maidenhoofl  Juliet  Palmer  and  was  born  in 
Northampton  County,  Pa.,  of  English  ancestry: 
she  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Palmer  and  grand- 
daughter of  George  Palmer,  who  died  March  6, 
1831,  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  his  age,  at  his 
home  called  "Federal  Seat,"  Aloore  Township, 
near  the  present  village  of  Beeraville,  Northamp- 
ton County.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  David 
Rittenhouse,  the  celebrated  astronomer,  and  a 
nephew  of  John  Lukens,  Esq.,  who  from  1761 
to  1789  was  surveyor-general  of  Pennyslvania. 
Upon  the  death  of  James  Scull,  deputy-surveyor 
of  Northampton  County,  in  1773,  George  Palmer 
was  appointed  his  successor  by  a  commission 
bearing  date  August  4,  1773,  and  he  filled  the 
office  for  fifty-one  years  in  succession. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  next  to  the  young- 
est of  five  children,  the  others  being  Thomas, 
who  died  at  eighteen  months:  Mortimer,  of  Car- 
bondale: Adelaide,  who  lives  with  her  mother 
in  Wayne  County;  and  Frank  P.,  of  whom  men- 
tion is  elsewhere  made.  In  April.  1864,  the 
family  moved  from  Carbondale  to  the  fami  in 
Wa3'ne  County,  where  the  widowed  mother  is 
now  living,  but  Miss  Blanche  returned  to  this 
city  in  1881  and  took  up  her  residence  here,  with 
her  great-aunt  and  uncle,  in  Main  Street.  With 
them  she  remained  until  their  death,  the  aunt 
dying  in  February,  1886,  and  the  uncle  in  April. 
1888,  each  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-eight.  The 
valuable  property  now  owned  by  Miss  Arnold  in 
Main  Street,  Carbondale,  was  willed  to  her  by 
her  aunt  prior  to  her  death. 

Aliss  Arnold  was    reared    in    a  home    where 


372 


PORTRAIT    AX'i)    P.loCRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


honesty,  truthfulness  and  industry  were  thor- 
oughly instilled  into  her  nature.  Her  family  be- 
ing of  that  substantial  class  which  is  equally  re- 
moved from  the  rich  and  the  poor,  she  has  been 
happy  in  comparative  exemption  from  the  hard- 
ships incident  to  poverty  and  the  alluring  vani- 
ties that  too  often  tempt  the  wealthy.  Under 
the  careful  instruction  of  her  parents,  she  grew 
to  womanhood  in  the  possession  of  most  desirable 
qualities  of  character.  Although  reared  in  the 
faith  of  the  Baptist  Church,  to  which  her  mother 
belongs,  she  finds  her  religious  ho.ne  in  the 
Episcopal  Church  and  is  in  sympathy  with  the 
doctrines  taught  by  that  denomination.  Her  fath- 
er, who  was  a  Democrat,  took  a  lively  interest  in 
political  affairs  and  was  a  man  of  prominence 
in  his  community.  For  forty  years  he  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  lofty 
tenets  of  that  order  expressed  his  views  of  life, 
duty  and  destiny,  and  these  he  made  his  religion. 
In  early  life  he  was  identified  with  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  but  did  not  retain  his 
membership  in  the  society.  He  was  a  prosperous 
man,  and  was  well  liked  for  his  sterling  worth 
and  integrity  of  character. 


HERBERT  B.  COX,  master  mechanic  with 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company 
at  Scranton,  was  born  in  Pittston,  Ken- 
nebec County,  Me.,  August  lo,  i860.  The  family 
of  which  he  is  a  member  has  been  identified  with 
American  history  from  an  early  period.  His  pa- 
ternal great-grandfather,  who  was  a  pioneer 
farmer  at  Hallowell,  Me.,  was  the  son  of  Capt. 
James  Cox,  who  lived  in  Boston  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolution  and  according  to  tradition  was 
a  member  of  the  famous  Boston  tea  party,  after 
which  he  was  captain  of  a  company  of  militia;  he 
was  the  father  of  Rev.  Melville  B.  Cox,  who 
was  the  fir.^t  American  missionary  to  Liberia, 
Africa. 

Capt.  Smith  Cox,  our  subject's  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Kennebec  Comity  and  was  one  of 
five  brothers,  all  commanders  of  whaling  ves- 
sels in  the  early  days  when  tl'at  business  was  at 
the  height  of  its  prosperity.  They,  having  met 
with   success,   retired  from  the  business.     Capt. 


Smith  Cox  entered  the  merchant  marine  service 
and  at  various  times  commanded  thirteen  differ- 
ent vessels,  crossing  the  Atlantic  and  visiting 
India  and  all  the  ports  of  the  world.  Retiring  in 
old  age,  he  returned  to  Hallowell,  ]\Ie.,  and  there 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-si.x. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Capt.  Barrett  A. 
Cox,  was  born  at  Hallowell,  Me.,  and  in  early 
manhood  was  captain  in  the  merchant  marine 
service,  visiting  all  the  ports  of  the  world.  When 
about  thirty-five  he  retired  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  at  Pittston,  where  he  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  time.  In  1896, 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  he  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent his  district  in  the  state  legislature,  and  is 
now  filling  that  responsible  position  satisfactori- 
ly. Two  children,  Herbert  B.,  and  Mrs.  Nellie 
Laird  of  Montpelier,  Vt.,  were  born  of  his  mar- 
riage to  Victoria  L.  Bailey,  a  native  of  Pittston, 
and  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  C.  Bailey,  for  years 
a  captain  in  the  coasting  trade. 

Reared  in  Pittston  and  Hallowell,  Me.,  Herbert  - 
B.  Cox  received  his  education  in  Hallowell 
Classical  and  Scientific  Academy  when  James  G. 
Blaine  was  its  president,  and  the  diploma  given 
him  at  graduation,  in  1879,  bears  the  name  of 
that  illustrious  statesman.  On  the  completion  of 
his  education  he  took  up  the  study  of  engineer- 
ing, beginning  his  trade  at  the  Charles  River 
iron  works  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  making  a 
specialty  of  steam  engineering.  While  living  in 
Cambridge  he  took  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
Institute  of  Technology  under  Professor  Whit- 
taker.  After  completing  his  trade  he  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  for  two  years  was  with  the  D. 
P.  Morris  Company,  celebrated  throughout  the 
country  as  expert  engine  builders.  While  living 
at  Philadelphia  he  enjoyed  a  course  in  steam 
engineering  at  the  Spring  Garden  Institute. 

Coming  to  Scranton  in  1885,  Mr.  Cox  was  with 
the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company,  first  in 
their  shops,  then  as  superintendent  of  the  gas 
engine  department.  About  1889  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Scranton  Passenger  Railway 
Company  as  superintendent  and  manager,  ex- 
Governor  ^^'atres  being  the  president.  When 
the  comjiany  was  merged  into  a  syndicate,  he  took 
a  position  as  master  mechanic  with  the  Lacka- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


?,75 


wanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  and  has  remained 
in  the  same  capacity  since  the  consolidation  as 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  New  England  Society,  a  director 
in  the  Engineers  Club,  a  Republican  in  politics, 
in  religious  connections  identified  with  the  Sec- 
ond Presbyterian  Church  of  Scranton  and  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Soon  after  coming  to  this  city  he  joined 
the  Thirteenth  F.egiment  and  was  a  member  of 
Company  A,  of  which  he  was  first  lieutenant  for 
two  years.  In  1895  he  was  appointed  by  Colonel 
Coursen  as  inspector  of  rifle  practice  for  the 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  which  position  he  has  since 
held. 


TBANIEL  C.  SNOVER.  There  are  many 
citizens  of  Scranton  whose  unaided  exer- 
tions have  resulted  in  prosperity,  and  an 
excellent  representative  of  this  class  may  be  found 
inMr.Snover.  His  life  affords  an  illustration  ofthe 
power  of  courage  and  industry  in  enabhng  a  man 
to  overcome  the  difficulties  he  may  meet.  Early 
years  of  labor  on  the  home  farm  and  the  hard- 
ships of  army  life  during  the  late  war,  combined 
to  develop  in  his  character  sturdy  traits  of  self- 
denial  and  self-reliance,  which  too  often  in  the 
wealthy  lie  dormant. 

The  Snover  family  was  founded  in  America 
by  two  brothers  from  Holland  whO'  came  here  in 
the  sixteenth  century  and  settled  in  the  northern 
part  of  Warren  County,  N.  J.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Henry  K.,  and  grandfather,  George, 
were  bom  there  and  engaged  in  farming,  the  lat- 
ter dying  on  the  homestead  at  the  age  of  sixty, 
December  5,  1857.  The  mother  of  our  subject, 
Marie  Kishbaugh,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Sus- 
sex County,  N.  J.,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two;  she  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Kishbaugh,  a 
farmer,  and  a  descendant  of  a  family  that  emi- 
grated from  Holland  to  New  Jersey. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  seven  attained  years  of  maturity,  and 
four  daughters  and  two  sons  are  now  living, 
namely:  Sarah,  Martha.  Electa  and  Marietta, 
all  residing  in  Scranton;  Joseph  H.,  whose  home 
is   in   the    Maple    River   \'alley    in     Iowa;    and 


Thaniel  C,  the  youngest  son.  Elijah  S.,  who 
enlisted  in  the  late  war  as  sergeant  of  Company 
G,  Thirty-first  New  Jersey  Infantry,  resided  in 
Scranton  from  the  close  of  the  war  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  forty.  Reared  on  the  home  farm  in 
Warren  County,  our  subject  received  public 
school  advantages  and  after  eighteen  taught 
school  four  succeeding  winters.  In  August, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Thirty-first  \ew 
Jersey  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Fleming-  • 
ton,  as  a  private,  for  nine  months  of  service.  At 
Belleplaine  he  was  on  fatigue  duty,  but  after 
Burnside's  march  and  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  the  regiment  moved  to  the  north,  entered 
Washington  and  was  mustered  out  and  honorably 
discharged  at  Flemington  in  July,  1863.  He 
with  others  of  the  regiment  voted  to  return  to  the 
field  of  action,  but  the  majority  opposed  the  meas- 
ure. 

Coming  to  Scranton  in  the  spring  of  1864,  Mr. 
Snover  was  for  one  year  employed  as  a  carpenter 
in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  car- 
shops,  after  which,  in  1865,  he  opened  a  grocery 
on  the  corner  of  Linden  Street  and  Penn  Avenue. 
One  year .  later  he  sold  out  to  his  partner  and 
embarked  in  the  sale  of  tobacco  and  smokers' 
supplies  in  South  Main  Avenue,  Hyde  Park.  In 
1867  he  purchased  J.  D.  Clark's  interest  in  the 
firm  of  Gregory  &  Clark,  corner  of  Penn  and 
Lackawanna  Avenues,  where  the  Coyne  House 
now  stands,  and,  under  the  title  of  Gregory  & 
Snover,  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  to- 
bacco business.  In  February,  1872,  he  bought 
his  partner's  interest  and  removed  to  the  Pauli 
Building,  in  Lackawanna  Avenue,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  same  business  as  before.  The  title 
became  Clark  &  .Snover  in  June,  1873,  ^"d  the 
business  was  transferred  to  the  corner  of  Adams 
and  Lackawanna  Avenues,  where  as  manufactur- 
ers and  wholesale  dealers  the  firm  gained  a  place 
among  substantial  business  men.  The  business 
was,  in  June  of  1891,  sold  to  a  syndicate  that  in- 
corporated the  Clark  &  Snover  Tobacco  Com- 
pany and  erected  the  present  building  in  Adams 
Avenue.  Mr.  Snover  was  an  original  stockhold- 
er in  the  corporation  and  a  director  from  the  first, 
but  has  retired  from  its  management,  and  de- 
votes his  attention  to  his  numerous  real  estate 


374 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


and  financial  interests.  At  the  establishment  of 
the  Scranton  axle  works  lie  became  vice-presi- 
dent and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity  and  as 
director.  lie  was  one  of  the  first  stockholders  in 
the  Scranton  Lace  Curtain  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, in  wliich  he  is  vice-president  and  a  director. 
Besides  this,  he  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in 
the  Lackawanna  Trust  &  Safe  Deposit  Com- 
pany, a  director  and  stockholder  in  other  con- 
cerns. He  has  erected  numerous  buildings  here, 
including  a  fine  brick  block  in  Penn  Avenue  and 
several  residences. 

In  Scranton.  where  Motel  Jermyn  now  stands, 
was  solenmized  the  marriage  of  T.  C.  Snover 
and  Miss  Mary  A.  Gregory,  who  was  born  in 
Clinton,  \.  Y.,  and  is  a  refined  and  cultured  lady. 
Their  four  children  are  Marie  Sophia,  who  re- 
ceived an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of 
Scranton  and  Rochester;  Welcome  C,  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College  and  now 
engaged  in  practice  in  Scranton ;  Elizabeth  and 
Jesse  A.  Mrs.  Snover  is  a  daughter  of  John  W. 
Gregory,  who  came  to  Scranton  from  Connecti- 
cut, engaged  in  business  here  as  a  partner  of  Mr. 
Snover  and  was  the  last  burgess  of  Scranton;  he 
died  in  Washington,  D.  C.  about  1881.  Politi- 
cally Mr.  Snover  is  a  firm  Republican,  but  has 
never  desired  official  position.  Fraternally  he  is 
associated  with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323, 

F.  &  A.  M.,  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grifilin  Post  No.  139, 

G.  A.  R.,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Benevo- 
lent Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


WILLIAM  IT.  HISTED,  conductor  on 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad, 
with  residence  at  No.  14  Wyoming 
Street,  Carbondale,  has  been  in  the  employ  of 
this  company  since  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and 
through  his  long  and  efficient  ser\'ice  has  won  a 
high  place  in  the  regard  of  superior  officials.  He 
was  born  in  Waymart,  Wayne  County,  I'a.. 
February  14,  1851,  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Adelia 
(Bunnell)  Histed,  of  whom  the  latter  died  at 
the  age  of  about  thirty-five.  Stephen  Histed  was 
born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  later  lived  on  a 
farm  near  Honesdale,  Pa.,  and  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 


jjany,  wiili  wlioni  he  has  since  remained,  making 
more  than  a  half  century  of  w(jrk  with  the  same 
concern.  I"or  forty-five  years  he  has  resided  at 
Waymart  and  has  operated  a  stationary  engine 
on  the  Gravity  road. 

The  children  born  to  the  union  of  Ste[)!ien  and 
Adelia  Histed  are  named  as  follows:  William 
Horace,  of  this  sketch;  Oscar  E.,  who  is  em- 
ployed as  engineer  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad;  Andrew,  formerly  an  engineer,  wtio 
was  killed  on  the  same  road;  Sarah,  wife  of  Boyd 
Case,  a  freight  conductor  residing  in  Carbon- 
dale;  and  Hortense,  wife  of  Thomas  Cooper, 
who  is  connected  "with  the  gravity  road  at  this 
point.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Stephen 
Histed  was  married  to  Charlotte  Oliver,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  two  children,  one 
deceased,  and  the  other,  Edward,  in  the  employ  of 
the  Peck   Lumber  Company  at  Peckville. 

The  first  work  in  which  our  subject  engaged 
was  on  the  cars  at  the  foot  of  Gravity  Plane  and 
after  a  time  he  secured  a  position  as  brakeman 
on  a  gravity  coal  train.  Later  he  was  transferred 
to  a  construction  train,  during  the  building  of 
what  was  then  called  the  \'alley  road,  a  part  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson.  On  the  completion  of 
the  road  he  became  brakeman  on  a  coal  train, 
then  conductor,  afterwards  was  made  conduc- 
tor on  freight  and  accommodation  trains,  and 
finally  was  promoted  to  be  conductor  of  pas- 
senger trains  in  November,  1886.  This  position 
he  has  since  held.  He  gained  it  by  merit  and  has 
held  it  by  fidelity  to  its  duties.  Known  to  be 
competent  and  trustworthy,  he  has  the  regard  of 
the  officials  of  the  road  and  of  the  traveling  ]nib- 
lic. 

Septemlier  5,  1877,  Mr.  Histed  was  united  in 
marriage  witli  Sarah,  daughter  of  the  late  George 
and  Olive  (Starkweather)  Hubbard,  natives  of 
Connecticut,  but  residents  near  Waymart.  Pa., 
for  many  years  prior  to  their  death.  Her  father, 
w  iio  was  a  poor  man  in  early  life,  by  energy  and 
perseverance  gained  a  large  measure  of  success 
and  ranked  among  the  well-to-do  men  of  his  lo- 
cality. The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Histed  are 
hVank  Hubbard,  \'aii  Allen  and  Ruth.  While 
Mr.  Histed  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in 
politics,  he  has  decided  opinions  on  the  subject 


JOSKl'II  P..    VAN   lU'.ROKN. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


377 


and  is  a  stanch  Republican.  In  youth  he  akernat- 
ed  with  his  brother,  attending  school  for  three 
months  and  then  working  for  a  similar  period, 
and  in  this  w-ay  the  foundation  of  his  education 
was  laid.  Subsequent  reading  has  broadened  hi? 
fund  of  knowledge  and  rfiade  of  him  one  of  the 
well  informed  men  of  his  city. 


JOSEPH  B.  VAN  BERGEN,  the  head  of 
the  Van  Bergen  Company,  Limited,  one 
of  the  leading  manufacturing  enterprises 
of  Carbondale,  was  born  in  Bainbridge,  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  February  28,  1828.  His 
father,  who  was  born  in  Catskill,  Greene  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  July,  1800,  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  Bainbridge  until  1832,  when  he  came 
to  Carbondale  and  began  as  a  merchant  and  in 
the  lumber  business.  After  four  years,  however, 
he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
interested  in  the  lumber  trade  until  1858.  From 
that  place  he  went  to  New  York  City,  af- 
terward to  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  until  his  death, 
in  1877,  was  connected  with  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company  as  sales  agent.  He 
was  a  man  of  business  ability,  strict  integrity  and 
firm  religious  belief,  and  for  many  years  was  a 
ruling  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

As  the  name  indicates,  the  Van  Bergen  family 
originated  in  Holland.  Its  representatives  were 
among  the  earliest  settlers  along  the  Hudson 
River  in  New  York,  and  from  that  day  to  this 
they  have  been  known  as  honorable,  energetic 
people,  a  credit  to  any  community  in  which  they 
may  reside.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
William  Van  Bergen,  was  a  native  of  Catskill, 
N.  Y.,  and  kept  the  first  hotel  in  the  now  famous 
Catskill  Mountain  region,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death.  He  was  a  regular  attendant  at 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  His  two  sons 
were  Henry,  our  subject's  father,  and  J.  Champ- 
lin,  who  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  hotel 
business,  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Catskill 
region. 

The   mother   of    our    subject,    wliose    maiden 

name   was   Emma    L.   Benjamin,   was    born    in 

South   Egremont,    Berkshire   County,   Mass.,   in 

1800,  and  died  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1839.   Her 

14 


brother,  Joseph  Benjamin,  for  whom  our  sub- 
ject was  named,  engaged  in  the  foundry  and 
mercantile  business  in  Carbondale  for  many 
years,  and  after  retiring  from  active  labors  went 
to  New  York  City,  where  he  died.  At  the  time 
of  his  demise  he  had  interests  in  Carbondale  and 
Scranton.  Our  subject  and  his  sister,  Catherine, 
are  the  only  survivors  of  five  children  by  their 
father's  first  marriage.  By  the  second  marriage 
there  were  four  children,  of  whom  the  sole  sur- 
vivor is  the  wife  of  George  H.  Newell,  a  lumber 
merchant  in  New  York  City. 

In  the  schools  of  Cincinnati  and  at  Marietta 
College,  Ohio,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
a  good  education.  From  1846  until  1850  he  was 
a  clerk  in  Laurel,  Ind.,  where  his  father  had  busi- 
ness interests,  but  in  the  latter  year  he  returned  to 
Cincinnati  and  entered  the  insurance  business 
with  Samuel  E.  Mack.  In  1856  he  went  to  Dav- 
enport, Iowa,  and  was  engaged  in  business  for 
two  years,  but  returned  to  Cincinnati  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  tendered  him  in  the  Ohio  Val- 
ley Bank.  January  i,  i860,  he  became  a  partner 
in  the  foundry  and  machine  works  with  J.  Benja- 
min &  Co.  in  Carbondale.  Out  of  that  then  small 
business  the  great  establishment  that  bears  his 
name  has  grown,  and  for  thirty-six  years  he  has 
been  the  leading  factor  in  its  management. 

Aside  from  business  afifairs,  Mr.  Van  Bergen 
is  interested  in  matters  afifecting  the  welfare  of 
the  city,  and  has  filled  many  positions  of  trust. 
For  eleven  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education,  for  some  time  served  as  a  member 
of  the  city  council  and  for  four  years  was  mayor. 
In  1863,  1864  and  1865  he  was  deputy  collector 
of  L^nited  States  Internal  Revenue  for  the  Twelfth 
Congressional  District  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1876 
he  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  Republican 
convention  that  nominated  Hayes  for  the  pres- 
idency. He  was  elected  treasurer  of  Lackawanna 
County  in  1886,  and  served  for  one  term.  In  the 
Republican  party  he  is  an  active  worker.  He  is  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason,  was  master  of  the  blue 
lodge,  high  priest  of  the  chapter  and  commander 
of  the  Knights  Templar.  In  the  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  he  is  a  past  chief  patriarch.  In  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian. 

In   October,    185 1,   Mr.   \^an   Bergen   married 


378 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Miss  Mary  F.  Boal,  daughter  of  a  retired  mer- 
chant of  Cincinnati.  They  had  live  children,  but 
three  died  in  infancy,  and  two  sons  are  now- 
living.  Robert  B.,  who  is  married  and  has  one 
child,  is  interested  with  his  father  in  business. 
Henry  graduated  from  Hackettstown  Collegi- 
ate Institute  and  the  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 
lege of  New  Vork.  The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren died  in  June,  1888,  and  in  August,  1800, 
Mr.  \"an  P)ergen  married  Mary  Helen,  daughter 
of  James  and  jMary  Dickson,  and  widow  of  the 
late  Andrew  Watt.  In  addition  to  his  business. 
Mr.  Van  Bergen  is  interested  in  many  of  the 
local  enterprises,  being  president  of  the  Crystal 
Lake  Water  Company  that  furnishes  the  citv 
with  its  fine  system  of  water  works,  and  was  one 
of  its  organizers.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Car- 
bondale  Gas  Company,  and  was  treasurer  of  the 
Providence  &  Carbondale  Plank  Road  Com- 
pany for  fourteen  years. 


WILLIAM  BRIGHT.  From  a  perusal 
of  the  life  records  of  prosperous  men 
may  be  gleaned  much  that  is  interest- 
ing to  readers  of  mature  years  as  well  as  many 
lessons  worthy  of  emulation  by  the  young,  Mr. 
Bright  deserves  especial  credit  in  that  from  an 
early  age  he  has  been  self-supporting  and  while 
he  has  met  with  his  share  of  reverses,  he  has 
never  grown  discouraged,  but  has  worked  steadi- 
ly and  energetically  toward  tlie  fruition  of  his 
hopes!  He  has  proved  what  it  is  in  the  power  of 
an  industrious  and  determined  man  to  accom- 
plish, though  unaided  by  wjiat  we  call  "luck"  or 
by  influential  friends. 

Now  a  business  man  of  .Scranton,  Air.  Bright 
was  born  near  Budehaven,  Cornwall,  England, 
in  April,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Har- 
riet (Hill)  Bright,  natives  of  Devonshire.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  William,  was  a  carpenter 
and  builder  in  Devonshire,  his  native  place:  and 
his  maternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Hill,  was  a 
stone  cutter  in  the  same  shire,  where  he  died  in 
1 87 1,  aged  eighty-four  years.  Our  subject's 
father,  who  was  a  carpenter  and  wagonmaker  and 
a  skillful  mechanic,  settled  at  Marham  Church, 
near  Budehaven,  after  his  marriage  and  was  em- 


ployed in  tlie  works  of  the  liude  Canal  Com- 
pany. He  died  in  England  at  the  age  of  forty- 
six;  his  wife  survived  him  a  few  years,  passing 
away  in   1880,  when  fifty-four  years  of  age. 

'{"here  were  twelve  children  in  the  parental 
family,  of  whom  nine  attained  manhood  and  wo- 
manhood, and  five  are  living.  Two  brothers, 
Robert  and  Thomas,  died  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  and 
a  sister,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Denniston,  died  in  War- 
ren County,  Pa.  John  is  an  oil  operator  in 
Warren  (.'< unity;  Henry  resides  in  Wisconsin, 
where  he  is  employed  as  a  millwright.  Mrs.  Ann 
\'an  Gorden  lives  in  Kentucky:  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Wilhams  remains  in  England,  her  home  being  in 
Chester.  William,  who  was  third  in  order  of 
birth,  was  etlucated  in  Cornwall.  England,  and 
there  at  ihe  age  of  fifteen  he  began  an  apprentice- 
ship to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  com- 
pleted in  Devonshire.  After  working  in  liis  na- 
tive village  for  six  months,  in  1868  he  came  to 
America  on  the  steamer  "Nebraska"  from 
Queenstow-n  to  New  York  City,  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  Bethany,  Wayne  County,  where  he  was 
employed  for  four  months.  In  the  latter  part  of 
1868  he  came  to  Carbondale  and  secured  work  in 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  shops,  but  after  the 
strike  of  1869  he  was  employed  by  Isaac  Bun- 
nell, patentee  of  the  Bunnell  bed  sprmgs.  Both 
there  and  in  Hawley  he  worked  at  wagon  mak- 
ing, and  then  went  to  White  Mills,  where  for 
three  years  he  was  engaged  at  the  blacksmith  and 
mechanic's  trade  in  the  Darklinger  works. 

Coming  to  Scranton  in  1873,  ^or  a  short  time 
Mr.  Bright  worked  for  Oliver  Brothers,  but  in 
1874  embarked  in  business  for  himself,  opening 
a  blacksmith's  and  wagon  shop  in  Dickson  Ave- 
nue. Removing  from  there  to  Providence  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Alexander  Dunbar 
and  for  three  years  was  in  the  wagon  business 
in  Oak  Street.  In  1878  he  rented  the  old  street 
car  barn  and  at  end  of  five  years  purchased  the 
same,  which  he  rebuilt  at  an  expense  of  $4,000. 
Just  as  everything  seemed  favorable  and  indica- 
tions pointed  to  a  successful  business  career,  the 
wagon  shop  of  Andrew  D.  Lord,  adjoining, 
caught  on  fire,  and  his  place  also  burned  down, 
entailing  a  total  loss.  In  spite  of  this  discourag- 
ing catastrophe,  he  at  once  rebuilt,  and  now  has 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


379 


a  substantial  building,  with  a  frontage  of  sixty- 
eight  and  one-half  feet,  Nos.  1716-1718  North 
Main  Avenue,  and  a  depth  of  seventy-nine  feet. 
One-half  of  the  building  is  used  for  a  repository, 
while  the  remainder  is  devoted  to  the  manufac- 
ture of  vehicles,  and  on  the  second  floor,  which 
is  reached  by  elevator  service,  are  the  painting 
and  trimming  departments.  In  the  rear  of  the 
building  stands  the  wood  shop.  Vehicles  of  every 
description  are  manufactured,  from  heavy  trucks 
to  light  surreys,  and  the  business  is  carried  on  in 
a  most  efficient  manner. 

In  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Bright  mar- 
ried Miss  lAicy  A.  Titus,  daughter  of  Isaac  B. 
Titus,  a  farmer  of  that  county,  where  she  was 
born.  Two  children  blessed  the  union,  of  whom 
one  is  living,  William,  Jr.  The  family  residence 
is  pleasantly  situated  at  No.  607  Breaker  Street. 
While  Mr.  Bright  has  never  actively  identified 
himself  with  politics,  he  has  decided  opinions 
along  that  line,  always  giving  his  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  New  York  Mutual  Building  &  Loan  Associa- 
tion, and  fraternally  is  associated  with  the  Hep- 
tasophs  and  Celestial  Lodge  No.  833,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
at  Providence,  in  which  he  has  been  an  officer. 
His  membership  is  in  the  Providence  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  he  has  served  as  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  congregation. 


FRANK  V.  BORCHER.S,  a  representative 
young  business  man  of  Scranton,  has  been 
very  rapidly  making  his  way  to  the  front 
ranks  of  those  in  his  line  of  trade  in  the  past  few 
years,  and  judging  from  this  fact  we  venture  to 
predict  for  him  a  most  successful  future.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  taking  contracts  for  decorat- 
ing interiors  of  residences  and  public  buildings 
and  for  painting,  paper-hanging,  etc.  His  well 
stocked  store,  at  No.  713  Cedar  Avenue,  is  sup- 
plied with  a  fine  line  of  artistic  wall  papers  and 
all  kinds  of  paints  and  oils. 

August,  father  of  F.  V.  Borchers,  was  born 
in  Germany,  and  upon  attaining  mature  years 
married  Henrietta  Ulrich.  He  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  trade  and  followed  some  branch  of  his 
calling  all  his  days.     Nearly  fifty  years  ago  he 


crossed  the  ocean,  to  become  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  and  with  his  family  first  located  in 
Reading,  Pa.,  and  tlicnce  removed  to  Danville, 
Pa.  There  he  engaged  in  the  furniture  business 
until  1870,  when  he  went  to  Pittston,  and  a  year 
later  he  came  to  Scranton,  settling  on  the  south 
.side.  Securing  a  position  as  pattern-maker  for 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  carshops, 
he  was  a  most  faithful  and  reliable  workman 
there  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  was  sunmioned  to 
his  last  rest  in  1889,  heing  si.xty-three  years  old. 
The  wife  and  mother  departed  this  life  May  30, 
1895.  Of  her  eleven  children  eight  survived  to 
mature  years:  Mrs.  Sarah  Lescher,  of  Mauch- 
chunk:  Mrs.  Mary  Maus,  of  Danville;  Maria, 
Mrs.  J.  J.  Schneider;  William,  of  Washington, 
Pa.;  Mrs.  Amelia  Pfahler,  of  Petersburg:  Mrs. 
Maggie  Schautz,  of  Scranton :  Mrs.  Annie  Long- 
cor,  of  Peckville;   and  Frank  V. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Danville,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 24,  1863,  and  was  brought  to  Scran- 
ton when  a  mere  infant.  A  good  education 
was  given  him  in  our  excellent  public  schools, 
and  when  he  was  only  eleven  years  or  so  he 
secured  a  clerkship  in  a  dry-goods  store  in 
Lackawanna  Avenue.  Then  he  w'as  employ- 
ed by  Hill  &  Connell,  learning  furniture  finish- 
ing during  his  five  years'  stay  with  that  firm. 
The  succeeding  twelve  months  he  was  in  the  car- 
shops  and  next  he  went  to  Little  Washington, 
Pa.,  where  he  assisted  his  brother  in  oil  opera- 
tions. In  a  few  months,  however,  he  returned  to 
this  city  and  started  in  business  for  himself  in 
a  very  humble  way,  in  a  poor  building  in  Willow- 
Street.  After  a  while,  he  moved  into  a  base- 
ment under  John  Armbrust's  place  of  business 
and  subsequently  he  came  to  the  building  in 
which  we  find  him  located  to-day.  At  first  he 
only  had  the  basement,  but  now  he  occupies  the 
two  floors,  the  ground  floor  being  used  as  a 
show-room  for  goods.  The  business  has  grown 
remarkably  from  year  to  year  and  in  the  busy 
season  six  or  more  men  are  employed.  In  1896 
a  stock  of  toys  and  novelty-goods  were  added  to 
the  regular  line  of  wall-paper,  etc.  Many  of  the 
best  houses  in  Scranton  have  been  decorated  and 
painted  by  Mr.  Borchers,  among  these  being 
David  Powell's  home  in  Linden  Street,  William 


38o 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Borcher's  residence  in  Madison  Avenue  and  also 
part  of  the  court-house. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  wife,  Hat- 
tie,  was  celeJ^rated  in  Scranton  in  1892.  The 
lady  is  a  daughter  of  Hertz  Lowen.stein,  who  was 
a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  and  who,  after  com- 
ing to  America,  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness until  his  death.  The  Iavo  sons  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Borchers  are  called  respectively  Paul  Fred- 
rick and  I71rich  William. 

The  only  society  with  which  Mr.  Borchers  is 
identified  is  the  Odd  Fellows,  he  belonging  to 
James  Council  Lodge  No.  170.  Religiously,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


JACOB  K.  SMITH,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  business  at  No.  215 
West  Market  Street,  Scranton,  was  born  in 
New  Milage,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  March  4, 
1849,  3nd  is  a  son  of  John  K.  and  ]\Iargaret  (Kin- 
ney) Smith,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  Through  his 
maternal  ancestors  he  is  of  Scotch  Irish  descent. 
His  father,  v.'ho  was  at  one  time  a  captain  of  the 
old  militia  in  New  Jersey,  was  for  some  years  a 
drover  and  an  extensive  dealer  in  cattle  and 
horses,  but  afterward  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness at  New  Village,  where  he  died  in  i860.  His 
widow  is  living,  and  is  now  seventy-four  years  of 
age. 

In  the  family  of  John  K.  Smith  there  were  six 
children,  namely:  Mary,  Mrs.  James  Bell,  of 
Dover,  N.  J.;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Clugston,  who  died  in 
Trenton;  Adam  R.,  who  served  in  a  New  Jersey 
regiment  for  nine  months  prior  to  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  died  in  Washington,  that 
state;  Jacob  Kinney,  of  this  sketch;  James  K., 
who  is  a  resident  of  New  Village;  and  Maria, 
Mrs.  John  Hawks,  of  Washington,  N.  J.  Our 
subject  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  Bryant  &  'Stratton's  Commercial 
College,  graduating  from  the  latter  institution  in 
April,  1870.  In  August  of  the  same  year  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  entered  the  employ  of  Am- 
brose MuUey  as  a  clerk,  a  year  later  becoming 
head  clerk  and  bookkeeper.  For  eighteen  years 
he  remained  with  the  same  employer,  after  which 


he  spent  one  year  in  recuperating  his  health.  In 
1889  he  opened  the  store  at  No.  215  West  Mar- 
ket Street,  where  he  has  since  carried  on  a  gro- 
cery and  provision  business. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Sm.ith  is  identified  with  Celes- 
tial Lodge  No.  833,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  he  is 
past  grand ;  he  was  chosen  to  represent  his  lodge 
in  the  grand  lodge  at  Williamsport  in  May,  1897. 
Politically  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  was  elected  on 
that  ticket  to  the  office  of  assessor,  which  he  held 
for  one  year.  Since  1871  he  has  been  a  member 
of  Liberty  Hose  Company  No.  20  of  the  Scran- 
ton fire  department,  and  has  served  as  chief  of 
the  First  Fire  District.  In  religious  connections 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Presbyterian 
Church.  January  21,  1874,  in  this  city,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Em.ma  A.  Pearce, 
who  was  born  near  Honesdale,  Wayne  County, 
and  prior  to  her  marriage  taught  school  here 
and  in  Alilford,  Susquehanna  County.  They  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Harry  A.  and  Jennie 
Belle,  the  former  of  whom  graduated  from  Scran- 
ton Business  College  in  December,  1896,  and  is 
also  a  graduate  from  the  stenographic  depart- 
ment. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Smith,  William  Pearce,  was 
born  January  23,  1818,  and  was  a  grandson  of 
William  Pearce,  who  came  from  Devon  or  Liv- 
erpool, and  was  for  a  time  a  soldier  in  the  Brit- 
ish army.  The  latter  died  at  seventy-two  years. 
William's  father,  who  was  a  butcher  by  trade,  was 
married  in  Davenport,  and  two  days  afterward 
took  passage  on  the  sailer  "Philadelphia,"  reach- 
ing America  after  a  voyage  of  eighteen  days. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Smith  went  by  canal  boat  from 
Rondout  to  Honesdale,  the  trip  requiring  three 
days  and  two  nights,  and  he  reached  the  latter 
city  May  28,  1841.  Shortly  afterward  he  was 
joined  by  a  brother,  Edmund,  and  another 
brother,  John,  became  a  farmer  near  that  city. 

In  1854  William  Pearce  came  to  Scranton  and 
opened  a  meat  market  in  Providence.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  sank  a  shaft  and  assisted  in  build- 
ing a  breaker.  The  first  car  that  came  out  of 
the  slope  was  hauled  by  horses  and  a  road  was 
opened  to  where  the  von  Storch  shaft  was  after- 
ward sunk.  The  latter  shaft  was  then  sunk  and 
a  breaker  built  in  Ferdinand  Street.     Later,  how- 


JAMES  M.  RHODES. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


3S3 


ever,  the  breaker  was  removed  to  the  slope  in 
Nay-Aug  Avenue,  and  jNIr.  Pearce  hoisted  the 
first  car  out  of  this  slope.  He  dug  all  the  founda- 
tions for  the  Man-in  breaker  and  did  other  im- 
portant work.  On  completing  the  von  Storch 
shaft,  he  was  ordered  by  the  president,  Charles 
Pierson,  to  take  a  load  of  tools  to  the  sand  banks; 
he  did  so  and  this  was  the  starting  of  the  Dickson 
works.  For  a  time  he  was  coal  inspector,  also 
held  the  positions  of  outside  foreman  and  dock- 
ing boss  at  Leggett's  Creek.  In  1893  he  retired 
from  active  labors  and  is  now  living  quietly  at 
his  home  in  Providence.  By  his  marriage  he  was 
six  children,  namely:  William  H.,  a  contractor 
and  builder  in  Milford,  N.  Y.;  Capt.  E.  W.;  Jen- 
nie E.,  ]\Irs.  Leander  Tripp,  of  Scranton;  Rich- 
ard C,  a  member  of  the  engineers'  corps  during 
the  war  and  now  an  engineer  on  the  Lehigh  Val- 
ley Railroad;  Mamie,  Mrs.  E.  H.  White,  of  New- 
York  City;  and  Emma  A.,  wife  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 


JAMES  MADISON  RHODES,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  farmers  and  lumbermen 
of  the  county,  resides  in  Roaring  Brook 
Township,  in  the  borough  of  Elmhurst,  where  he 
owns  a  beautiful  home  and  well  improved  place. 
During  the  days  when  the  lumbering  business 
was  at  its  height,  he  operated  several  mills  here 
and  employed  many  men.  He  now  owns  an  in- 
terest in  lumber  lands. in  the  south,  and  among 
other  enterprises  is  engaged  in  that  of  manufac- 
turing vitrified  brick.  An  active  business  man, 
reliable  and  honorable  in  his  dealings  with  all, 
and  possessing  financial  ability,  he  has  by  ju- 
dicious management  acquired  a  valuable  prop- 
erty and  ranks  among  the  wealthy  men  of  the 
township. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Adam  Rhodes,  was 
bom  in  Bucks  County,  and  in  1840  came  from 
Cherry  Valley,  Monroe  County,  to  Covington 
Township,  Luzerne  County.  At  that  time  the  only 
road  in  the  whole  vicinity  was  the  old  Philadelphia 
and  Great  Bend  turnpike.  An  acquaintance  had 
told  him  of  the  beauties  of  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  persuaded  him  to  come  to  the  "beech  woods." 
Being  very  poor  and  having  nothing  w-ith  which 
to  commence  in  a  new  country,  he  was  poorly  pre- 


pared for  such  a  change,  but  the  story  of  plenty  of 
land,  plenty  of  wood,  etc.,  enticed  him  and  he 
came.  The  hardships  of  pioneer  life  he  endured 
in  his  efforts  to  establish  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness. The  only  way  to  obtain  the  necessities  of 
life  was  to  work  industriously  at  his  trade — that 
of  a  cooper, — making  barrels  which  he  carried  to 
Slocum's  Hollow  and  exchanged  for  flour  and 
other  necessities.  Later  he  manufactured  nail 
kegs,  for  which  he  found  a  market.  The  flour 
barrels  found  their  way  to  Carbondale  and  other 
distant  places  where  there  were  mills.  He  cleared 
a  farm  and  resided  here  for  some  time,  but  finally 
removed  to  Bradford  County,  where  he  died  at 
seventy-seven  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Rebecca  Harmon,  and  was  born  in  Clear- 
field, Monroe  County.  She  died  at  seventy-six 
years.  Her  six  sons  and  one  daughter  were 
named  as  follows:  Stephen  and  Elizabeth,  de- 
ceased; John  C,  of  Towanda;  Harrison  W.,  who 
was  killed  in  1894;  James  M.;  Maurice  H.,  of 
Waverly;  and  Peter  D.,  who  lives  in  Hyde  Park. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Monroe 
County  on  New  Year's  day  of  1831,  and  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  the  midst  of  primitive  sur- 
roundings. With  his  father's  assistance  he  learned 
the  cooper's  trade,  and  helped  in  the  manufacture 
of  nail  kegs  for  some  years.  His  education  was 
necessarily  limited,  as  from  early  boyhood  he  was 
obliged  to  work  unceasingly  for  a  livelihood. 
However,  by  experience  and  observation  he 
gained  a  practical  education,  that  makes  him  to- 
day a  well  informed  man. 

When  twenty  years  of  age  Mr.  Rhodes  began 
to  seriously  consider  the  grave  questions  relating 
to  the  welfare  of  the  family.  He  found  the  land 
they  called  home  had  been  contracted  for  by  his 
father,  who  for  years  had  kept  up  the  interest,  but 
could  do  no  more.  The  time  had  arrived  when 
something  must  be  done  or  the  place  w-ould  be 
lost.  Going  to  the  owner,  he  made  an  agreement 
with  him  that  if  paid  $100,  a  new  contract  would 
be  entered  into  and  another  chance  given  the 
family.  With  the  characteristic  zeal  that  has  so 
frequently  manifested  itself  since,  he  secured  a 
loan  of  $100  and  paid  the  amount  agreed  upon, 
taking  a  new  contract.    This  point  may  be  said 


384 


POR'l'RAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  have  !)(cii  ihc  Ijeginnint;-  of  the  young'  man's 
career.  It  is  ©ften  said  of  successful  men  that 
they  bepan  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  but  of 
Mr.  Rhodes  it  may  be  remarked  that  he  began 
$ioo  below  the  bottom.  Undiscouraged  by  the 
debt  he  at  once  set  to  work  to  meet  his  obliga- 
tions, getting  out  timber  for  the  Gravity  road  and 
later  doing  teaming  for  the  railroad.  He  was 
always  planning  and  working,  and  finally  success 
crowned  his  efforts,  for  the  land  was  cleared  of 
debt. 

The  experiences  of  our  subject  in  this  locality 
during  his  early  years  were  not  pleasant,  and  his 
lot  seemeii  one  of  constant  toil  and  hardship. 
\Mien  twelve  years  of  age  he  was  accustomed  to 
carry  flour  on  his  back  from  Scranton,  following 
the  blazed  trees  that  marked  the  way.  These  and 
similar  experiences  did  not  have  a  tendency  to 
make  the  bov  enthusiastic  aljout  this  county,  but 
from  the  time  he  was  twenty  and  took  charge  of 
things  himself,  he  was  courageous  and  confident 
of  ultimate  success.  His  mother,  too,  was  a  hard 
worker,  and  patiently  toiled  from  day  to  day, 
spinning  fla:<  and  wool,  making  clothes,  and  per- 
forming the  many  duties  that  fell  to  a  woman's 
lilt  in  pioneer  times. 

Adding  to  the  land  from  time  to  time  and  build- 
ing mills,  Mr.  Rhodes  became  the  largest  limiber 
dealer  in  the  vicinity,  employed  many  men  and 
built  up  a  comfortable  home.  His  subsequent 
career,  while  successful,  has  not  been  without 
its  discouragements.  Always  ready  to  help  those 
in  need,  he  signed  notes  for  a  large  amount  for 
others:  hard  times  came  on  and  the  bankrupt 
act  was  taken  advantage  of  b\  almost  everyone. 
He  was  advised  to  do  it,  and  not  to  pay  other 
men's  debts.  His  high  sense  of  honor  would  not 
permit  this,  and  he  made  a  peculiar  endeavor  to 
pull  through.  He  bornnved  $15,000  and  jiaid  up 
everything.  Lumber  was  selling  for  $6  per  thou- 
sand and  was  a  source  of  some  profit.  He  pushed 
the  business.  The  next  year  it  was  worth  $14 
per  thousand.  He  continued  to  push  the  enter- 
prise. Later  disaster  came  by  fire  that  destroyed 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of 
his  property.  In  sjiite  of  reverses,  he  continued 
steadfastly  onward,  and  is  now  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  competence  honestly  gained. 


In  1855  Mr.  Rhodes  married  Mary  Ann  Swarts, 
whose  father  antl  mother  settled  near  Providence 
and  died  at  the  ages  of  seventy-two  and  si.xty-five. 
She  was  one  of  seven  children,  the  others  being 
Halsey,  of  Scranton;  Susanna,  whose  home  is  in 
Madison  Townshiji ;  Martha  Jane,  also  of  that 
township;  Merritt  E.  and  Harriet  E.  (twins),  the 
latter  deceased:  and  Elwood  P., of  Chicopee,Mass. 
Of  the  children  of  \lr.  and  Mrs.  Rhodes  we  note 
the  following:  Milton,  who  lives  near  his  par- 
ents and  married  Ella  Conklin,  is  superintendent 
of  the  turnpike,  and  owns  a  number  of  teams 
and  takes  contracts  for  hauling;  Chaimcey  W., 
manager  of  the  vitrified  brick  works,  married 
Myra  J.  Clark  and  has  three  children.  Ralph 
Ray,  Edna  M.,  and  Clark  I. ;  Rose  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Hardenberg,  a  merchant  near  here,  and 
mother  of  one  child,  Jessie  M.;  Hattie  M.,  Mrs. 
Fred  J.  Peck,  of  Scranton,  has  three  chil- 
dren. Orrin  C,  Willard  R.,  and  Mildred:  Mary 
M. ;  Blanche  ]\I.,  deceased;  Friend  F.  and  Percv 
W.,  at  home.  Parents  and  children  are  identified 
with  the   Methodist   Episcopal   Church. 

Politically  Mr.  Rhodes  is  a  Republican,  and 
fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Masons.  In 
the  spring  of  1894  he  leased  land  of  John  B. 
Smith  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  vitri- 
fied brick,  organizing  and  obtaining  a  charter 
for  a  company  called  the  Scranton  Brick  &  Tile 
Companx-.  with  plant  at  Nay-Aug.  In  this  en- 
terprise he  was  the  prime^  mover  and  was  made 
president  of  the  company.  He  also  organized 
and  is  president  of  the  Scranton  Land  &  Lumber 
Companv,  owning  lands  in  North  Carolina. 
With  local  enterprises  his  name  is  indissolubly 
associated.  He  is  president  of  the  Roaring 
Brook  Turnpike  Company,  that  built  a  road  to 
Dimmore.  Noting  the  need  of  a  permanent  cem- 
etery, he  bought  a  farm  to  secure  a  proper  loca- 
tion and  platted  twelve  acres  into  "Fairview  Cem- 
etery," of  which  he  is  the  sole  owner.  (  )ne  hun- 
dred acres  lying  near  his  home  he  sold  to  the 
Scranton  Water  Company,  who  built  a  fine  dam, 
impounding  a  large  amount  of  water  and  mak- 
ing a  beautifid  lake.  He  sold  the  water  privilege 
of  .Maple  Lake  to  the  Spring  Brook  Water  Com- 
pany; also  sold  Scranton  the  headwaters  of 
Meadow  Brook. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


385 


The  record  of  the  Hfe  of  Mr.  Rhodes  may  be 
read  with  profit,  for  it  illustrates  the  power  of 
self-help  and  untiring  perseverance.  Hampered 
in  youth  by  debt  and  without  the  aid  of  influ- 
ential friends  at  the  beginning  of  his  career,  meet- 
ing with  his  share  of  reverses  in  business,  he 
has  yet  worked  his  way  to  a  position  of  promi- 
nence in  liis  locality,  and  his  residence  and  farm 
mark   the   prosperous   man. 


M- 


ARION  W.  FINN.  In  the  list  of  old  and 
established  business  houses  of  Scranton 
belongs  the  firm  of  Ezra  Finn  &  Sons, 
of  which  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  senior 
member.  Organized  by  the  gentleman  whose 
name  it  bears  and  by  him  carried  on  for  years, 
since  his  death  it  has  been  in  charge  of  his  sons. 
Marion  W.,  Sidney  PL,  and  George  W.  They 
own  about  one-half  block  in  Ash,  corner  of  Penn 
Avenue,  where  they  have  ofifice,  shop  and  lumber 
yard.  Besides  carrying  on  a  large  trade  in  the 
sale  of  lumber,  they  take  contracts  for  the  erec- 
tion of  houses  and  public  buildings  and  have 
built  some  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city. 

The  founder  of  this  business  was  born  in  Clif- 
ford, Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  November  20, 
1826,  and  was  the  son  of  James  Finn,  a  farmer 
of  that  place.  Forty  years  of  his  life  were  spent 
there,  but  in  1866  he  came  to  Scranton  and  with 
a  brother  engaged  in  the  meat  business  for  a  year, 
after  which  he  was  employed  in  the  carpenter  de- 
partment of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany, and  then  worked  for  Woolsey  two  years. 
It  was  after  this  that  he  began  contracting  with 
his  sons,  thus  establishing  the  firm  of  Ezra  Finn 
&  Sons,  with  which  he  was  connected  until  May 
10,  1888,  when  he  was  accidentally  killed  by 
being  run  over  at  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  de- 
pot, Scranton.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  Coleman, 
was  born  in  Clififord  Township,  Susquehanna 
County,  and  died  in  Scranton  in  1890,  aged  six- 
ty-four. Their  five  children  are  Marion  W., 
Jane  C,  Sidney  H.,  George  W.,  and  Hannah  E., 
wife  of  O.  B.  Partridge,  attorney,  of  this  city. 

The  youthful  years  of  our  subject  were  passed 
in  Susquehanna  County,  where  he  was  born  De- 
cember 7,  1S47.     He  accompanied  the  family  to 


Scranton  in  1866,  and  after  a  connnercial  course 
in  Gardner's  Business  College,  began  to  learn 
the  carpenter's  trade  under  his  father's  su])ervis- 
ion.  In  this  way  he  soon  gainefl  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  occupation  and  was  fitted  to 
engage  in  it  successfully.  In  1885  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm,  and  three  years  later  suc- 
ceeded his  father  as  the  head  of  the  l)usiness. 
When  Capouse  Avenue  was  still  in  grass,  he 
bought  property  here  and  in  1876  built  a  number 
of  residences  in  this  locality,  making  his  home  at 
No.  1634.  At  that  time  there  were  few  residents 
in  this  part  of  the  city,  and  the  surrounding  coun- 
try was  almost  entirely  in  conmions,  but  as  the 
years  went  by  people  were  attracted  hither, 
houses  were  built,  streets  opened,  lands  platted 
and  improvements  introduced.  In  this  growth 
he  has  been  an  active  factor,  contributing  of  his 
time,  means,  ability  and  influence  to  the  develop- 
ment of  local  resources.  In  addition  to  his  many 
other  interests,  he  is  financially  connected  with 
the  Lackawanna  Hardware  Company. 

In  this  city,  in  February,  187 1,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Finn  to  Miss  Jennie  R.  Burdick, 
who  was  born  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  but  was 
reared  principally  in  Susquehanna  County.  Pa., 
receiving  a  thorough  education  in  public  schools 
and  Harford  Academy.  For  thirteen  terms  she 
engaged  in  teaching  in  what  is  now  Lackawanna 
County,  remaining  in  one  place  for  four  years, 
and  meeting  with  the  greatest  success  in  her 
work.  In  those  days  it  was  customary  for  the 
teacher  to  "board  around"  and  also  to  teach  one- 
half  day  on  Saturday.  In  one  place  she  was  suc- 
cessful in  controlling  the  children  and  instructing 
them,  when  others  had  failed  completely,  so  that 
for  five  years  no  school  had  been  held.  She  is 
a  lady  of  intelHgence  and  keen  mental  faculties, 
with  a  taste  for  the  beautiful  and  for  the  social 
amenities  of  life.  Her  only  daughter,  Clara,  is 
gifted  as  an  artist,  and  many  of  her  works  adorn 
the  walls  of  the  home. 

Elias  Burdick,  Mrs.  Finn's  father,  was  born  in 
Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  a  son  of  Kendall  Burdick, 
who  was  a  pioneer  of  Clifford,  Susquehanna 
County,  and  died  there  at  ninety-three  years.  The 
former  was  engaged  as  a  locksmith  in  Woon- 
socket, and  died  in  middle  life;  his  wife,   Eliza 


386 


PORTRAIT   AXn    BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


Wilcox,  was  a  daughter  of  Gideon  Wilcox;  she 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  died  in  Pennsyl- 
vania at  fifty-four  years,  having  removed  to  Sus- 
quehanna County,  this  state,  shortly  after  her 
husband's  death,  and  thence  a  year  later  came 
to  Scranton.  Of  her  six  children  all  but  one  are 
living,  and  three  make  their  home  in  this  city. 


JA:MES  MERRILL  came  to  Scranton  in  Oc- 
tober of  185 1,  and  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroad  Company  as  fireman,  but  in  March  of 
the  following  year  he  was  made  locomotive  en- 
gineer between  Scranton  and  Great  Bend,  and 
fifteen  months  later  was  transferred  to  the  pas- 
senger train  between  the  same  points.  In  1859 
he  was  appointed  engine  dispatcher  and  has  since 
held  the  position,  being,  in  point  of  years  of  serv- 
ice, the  oldest  engineer  on  the  road.  That  he  is 
faithful,  efficient  and  capable,  his  long  years  of 
service  with  the  same  company  abundantly 
proves. 

The  home  where  James  Merrill  was  born  stood 
nine  miles  from  the  head  of  Cayuga  Lake,  in  Car- 
oline, Tompkins  County,  N.  Y..  and  there  his 
birth  occurred  in  September,  1828.  The  fam- 
ily was  founded  in  this  country  by  his  great- 
grandfather, who  came  from  France  and  settled 
in  Connecticut.  The  grandfather  removed  from 
there  to  New  York  and  established  his  home  near 
Oxford,  where  he  died.  Martin,  father  of  James, 
was  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  in  an  early 
day  settled  upon  an  unimproved  farm  in  Tomp- 
kins County,  N.  Y.,  where  his  first  home  was  a 
log  cabin.  Through  his  labors  the  place  was 
cultivated  and  improved,  and  there  he  remained 
until  his  death  at  eighty-eight  years.  His  wife, 
Eunice  Stevens,  was  born  and  married  in  Stam- 
ford, Conn.,  and  died  at  her  home  near  Ithaca, 
when  seventy-three  years  of  age.  They  had  five 
children,  namely:  Alvin,  of  Ithaca;  James;  Ira, 
also  a  resident  of  Ithaca;  Nelson,  deceased,  and 
Mrs.  Maria  Bogardus,  who  died  in  Ithaca 

Until  fifteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Merrill  lived  on 
the  home  farm,  but  at  that  age  he  began  to  work 
on  the  Cayuga  &  Ithaca  Railroad,  the  first  in 
the  United  States,  and  remained  with  it  in  the 


shop  until  steam  was  introduced.  Later  he  was 
baggage  master  and  express  agent  for  three 
years.  In  185 1  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  has 
since  been  an  honored  resident  of  this  city.  His 
marriage  in  Bedford,  N.  Y..  united  him  with 
Miss  Anna  Augusta  Miller,  who  was  born  at 
Sing  Sing.  N.  Y.,  the  daughter  of  John  Miller,  a 
business  man  of  that  city.  They  reside  at  No. 
127  Adams  Avenue,  and  have  one  son,  James  A., 
a  graduate  of  Wyoming  Seminary. 

Shortly  after  settling  in  Scranton,  Mr.  Merrill 
was  one  of  ten  who  applied  for  a  charter  and 
opened  LTnion  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  Eight  years 
later,  the  society  having  become  very  large,  he 
and  nine  others  withdrew  and  applied  for  char- 
ter and  started  Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  a  member,  he  and 
George  Kingsbury  being  the  only  survivors  of 
the  charter  members.  He  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  oldest  Mason  connected  with  any  lodge  in 
the  city,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Veteran  Association.  He  is  identified  with  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  the  services  of  which 
he  has  attended  since  coming  to  the  city.  In  1856 
he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  for  president,  and 
has  since  been  strictly  Republican  in  his  views, 
and  he  has  done  effective  work  on  county  and 
citv  committees. 


FRANK  P.  ARNOLD,  one  of  the  enter- 
prising young  business  men  of  Carbon- 
dale,  and  proprietor  of  a  grocery  in  Bel- 
mont Street,  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  pioneer 
families  of  this  section  of  the  state.  His  grand- 
father, Joseph  Arnold,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
migrated  to  this  state  and  settled  in  Dundaff 
when  that  place  was  the  trading  point  for  this 
whole  vicinity.  The  long  journey  was  made 
with  ox  teams,  along  a  route  that  was  marked 
by  blazed  trees,  and  through  a  trackless  forest 
that  bore  no  indications  of  its  present  highly  cul- 
tivated condition. 

The  experience  of  a  pioneer  in  a  new  country 
is  fraught  with  many  hardships  and  privations. 
To  see  on  every  side  a  long,  unbroken  stretch  of 
land  covered  with  heavy  timber,  is  not  a  charm- 
ing sight  when  one  must  perforce  dwell  in    the 


JAMES  JORDAN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


389 


midst  of  such  a  wilderness.  However,  such  a 
condition  of  things  develops  all  ones  energies,  in 
order  that  the  land  may  be  cleared  and  cultivated. 
Such  was  the  experience  of  Joseph  Arnold,  whose 
early  life  of  hardship  was  rewarded  by  the  suc- 
cess of  later  years.  Engaging  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Dundaff,  he  assisted  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  place,  but  later  came  to  Carbondale, 
the  discovery  of  coal  convincing  him  that  this 
would  become  an  important  business  center — an 
opinion  tlie  truth  of  which  was  proved  by  the 
progress  of  later  years.  P"or  a  time  he  and  a 
son,  Solomon,  were  in  partnership,  and  our  sub- 
ject's father,  William  N.,  was  a  clerk,  but  after- 
ward the  latter  carried  on  the  business,  first  with 
his  brother  Solomon,  and  then  alone. 

Until  i860  William  N.  Arnold  engaged  in 
merchandising.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Wayne 
County  and  settled  on  a  farm  he  had  purchased. 
There  was  a  log  house  on  the  farm  into  which 
he  moved,  while  the  timber  was  still  standing 
close  to  the  walls  on  three  sides  of  the  building. 
To  the  clearing  and  cultivation  of  the  land  he 
devoted  the  remaining  years  of  his  life.  He  died 
in  Carbondale  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  By  his 
first  marriage,  which  was  to  Charlotte  Joslin,  he 
had  no  children.  His  second  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Juliet  Palmer,  and  was  born  in 
Northampton  County  of  Dutch  ancestry.  She  is 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Wayne  Coun- 
ty. That  place  has  recently  been  brought  into 
prominence,  owing  to  the  discovery  of  gold  on 
it,  and  a  company  is  now  investigating  and  bor- 
ing, with  prospects  of  success.  Five  children 
were  born  of  the  second  marriage  of  William  N. 
Arnold,  the  others  beside  our  subject  being: 
Thomas,  deceased;  Mortimer,  who  lives  in  Car- 
bondale; Adelaide,  who  is  with  her  mother  on 
the  farm;  and  Blanche,  who  resides  in  Carbon- 
dale. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Carbon- 
dale, January  8,  1858,  and  there  spent  the  first 
six  years  of  his  life,  but  in  the  spring  of  1864  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  South  Canaan,  settling 
upon  a  farm.  His  schooling  was  obtained  during 
the  three  winter  months  when  it  was  impossible 
to  do  anything  on  the  farm,  and  in  order  to  reach 
the  school  he  was  obliged  to  walk  one  and  one- 


half  miles,  often  through  deep  snows,  and  in  the 
face  of  heavy  storms.  He  subsequently  attended 
Eastman's  College  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
where  he  graduated  in  1888.  Remaining  at  home 
until  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  he  then  came 
back  to  Carbondale,  and  shortly  afterward  em- 
barked in  the  grocery  business  in  Main  Street, 
later  moving  to  Belmont  Street.  His  home  is  at 
No.  30  1-2  Belmont  Street.  He  has  always  been 
in  sympathy  with  the  Prohibition  movement,  and 
has  usually  voted  the  ticket  of  that  party,  but  in 
the  campaign  of  1896,  the  gravity  of  the  issues 
at  stake,  in  the  contest  between  free  coinage  and 
"sound"  money,  led  him  to  vote  the  Republican 
ticket.  In  1890  he  married  Isabella,  daughter 
of  Andrew  Wyllie,  whose  sketch  is  presented  else- 
where.    They  are  the  parents  of  two  children. 


JAMES  JORDAN  was  born  in  County 
Mayo,  Ireland,  January  i,  1835.  His  pa- 
rents, Patrick  and  Elizabeth  (Dempsey)  Jor- 
dan, emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1838  and 
settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  fifty.  Afterward  his  wife  made  her  home  with 
our  subject  until  her  death,  which  occurred  when 
she  was  seventy-four.  James  spent  the  first  six- 
teen years  of  his  life  as  a  fanner's  boy.  He  then 
took  his  pick  and  shovel  and  began  to  work  on 
a  railroad.  Later  he  drove  a  team  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  North  Branch  Canal.  In  the 
fall  of  1856  he  secured  a  railroad  contract  orig- 
inally given  to  his  uncle,  but  the  death  of  the  lat- 
ter caused  its  transfer  to  him. 

The  establishment  of  himself  in  business  marks 
an  era  in  Mr.  Jordan's  life,  as  from  that  time  on- 
ward his  success  was  rapid.  The  self-reliance  he 
was  called  upon  to  exercise  in  his  new  capacity 
developed  his  character  and  put  him  on  his  met- 
tle. May  8,  1859,  he  opened  a  store  in  Olyphant, 
in  which  he  invested  $1,000  he  had  saved  while 
railroading.  The  building  was  20x30  feet,  but 
after  two  years,  feehng  the  need  of  enlarged  quar- 
ters, he  built  an  addition  that  almost  doubled  its 
capacity.  In  1868  he  rented  that  building  and 
moved  to  his  present  location,  where  he  has  since 
increased  the  size  of  the  store  from  30x72  to  48X 
72.     In    1895   he  built  a  residence  that  is  con- 


390 


PORTRAIT   AND    I'.IOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


nected  with  the  store.  The  stock  which  he  car- 
ries and  buildings  are  vakied  at  $50,000,  and  he 
has  a  large  trade  among  the  people  of  Olyphant 
and  the  surrounding  country. 

During  the  more  than  forty  years  of  his  resi- 
dence in  America,  Mr.  Jordan  has  worked  his 
way  to  a  position  of  prominence,  and  is  now  num- 
bered among  the  wealthy  men  of  Olyphant  and 
tlie  county.  It  was  in  1852  that  he  left  his  na- 
tive land,  taking  passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  that 
landed  him  in  New  York  in  August  of  that  year. 
He  vvas  young  and  inexperienced,  but  energetic 
and  industrious,  determined  to  make  a  success 
of  life.  Fidelity  to  little  duties  brought  him  in- 
creased responsibilities  and  opportunities,  and  to 
these  he  was  equally  faithful.  He  was  reared  in 
the  Catholic  faith  and  is  connected  with  that 
church  in  Olyphant. 

-August  28,  1859,  ^Ir.  Jordan  married  Miss  Ann 
Monahan,  a  native  of  County  Mayo,  Ireland. 
Their  family  consists  of  five  children:  Patrick 
M.,  manager  and  general  buyer  of  his  father's 
store:  Thomas  F..  who  is  employed  as  book- 
keeper; James  F.,  a  clerk  in  the  store,  and  Anna 
and  Elizabeth,  who  are  at  home.  Wishing  that 
his  children  might  have  better  advantages  than 
had  been  his  privilege,  Mr.  Jordan  sent  his  sons 
and  daughters  to  school  and  gave  them  every  op- 
jjortunity  to  fit  themselves  for  useful  and  honora- 
ble positions  in  the  world.  The  sons  are  now  re- 
lieving him  of  much  of  the  detail  work  connected 
with  the  management  of  the  store,  while  the 
daughters  are  brightening  the  home  by  their 
presence  and  taking  a  prominent  place  in  the  so- 
cial circles  of  Olyphant. 


MILTOX  McFARLAND,  gener; 
man  of  the  carpenter  departmen 
Lackawanna    Iron    &    Steel    Cc 


;neral  fore- 
?nt  of  the 
Company, 

Scranton,  is  one  of  their  most  trusted  employes, 
and  has  served  them  faithfully  many  long  years. 
I  )uring  the  Civil  War  he  was  one  of  the  first  to 
enlist  in  the  defense  of  the  grand  old  stars  and 
stripes.  All  honor  to  those  who  suffered  un- 
told hardships  of  famine,  sickness,  exposure  and 
worst  of  all  that  can  be  imagined  or  described, 
imprisonment  in  the  rebel  "ante-rooms  of  hell," 


as  the\  were  justly  termed,  to  save  our  united 
nation. 

Our  subject  was  born  March  12,  1837,  in  Hem- 
lock Hollow,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and  is  of 
sturdy  old  Scotch  ancestry.  His  paternal  grand- 
father came  from  the  land  of  heather  to  make 
his  future  abode  in  Maine,  and  in  that  state  our 
subject's  father,  Daniel,  was  born  and  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  banks  of  the  Penobscot  River. 
H^e  operated  sawmills  in  his  native  state  and  also 
after  he  came  to  Pennsylvania,  owning  several 
plants  in  Pike  and  Wayne  Counties.  For  some 
years  his  home  was  in  Hawley,  Wayne  County, 
at  which  period  he  worked  for  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company.  He  died  in  the  faith 
of  the  L^niversalist  Church,  when  in  his  seventy- 
second  year.  His  wife  was  formerly  Catherine 
Amerman,  and  was  a  descendant  of  an  old 
Stroudsburg  (Pa.)  family:  she  died  when  in  her 
seventy-seventh  year. 

Only  two  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  Milton 
McFarland  are  now  living.  A  brother,  Frank, 
was  in  the  same  company  during  the  war,  and  is 
now  a  foreman  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  in  Scranton.  When  our  subject  was 
young  he  did  not  have  exceptional  educational 
advantages,  for  after  he  was  ten  he  attended 
school  but  three  months  in  the  year.  From  boy- 
hood he  worked  in  his  father's  sawmills  and  when 
the  family  removed  to  Hawley  he  was  employed 
on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  during  a 
season.  Some  time  later  he  became  lock-tender, 
but  upon  arriving  at  a  suitable  age  he  was  reg- 
ularly apprenticed  to  learn  the  mill-wright's 
trade,  with  William  Williams.  Three  years 
passed  in  this  manner,  and  then  he  continued  to 
work  at  the  business  until  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion commenced. 

In  May,  1861,  Mr.  McFarland  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  C,  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Re- 
serves, and  was  mustered  in  for  three  years  at 
Harrisburg,  being  assigned  to  the  state  service. 
After  taking  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run 
he  was  transferred  to  the  L^nited  States  service 
and  acted  as  a  sergeant.  He  was  in  all  the  engage- 
ments of  the  Potomac  and  veteranized  in  De- 
cember, 1863,  taking  a  thirty-days  furlough. 
Then  he  re-enlisted  and  served  until  the  close  of 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


391 


the  war.  At  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  he  was 
hit  in  the  face  by  a  shell,  but  returned  to  active 
work  in  his  regiment,  and  at  Fredericksburg  was 
struck  by  a  minie-ball  and  knocked  down,  but 
was  saved  injury  by  his  haversack.  June  7,  1864. 
the  old  Pennsylvania  Reserves  having  been  re- 
organized into  the  two  regiments  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Nineteenth,  and  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-first,  he  was  placed  in  the  last-named,  and 
commissioned  first  lieutenant  of  Company  B, 
and  was  in  command  of  the  same,  because  his 
captain  was  in  the  hospital  all  of  the  time.  Thus 
he  lead  his  forces  all  through  that  fearful  cam- 
paign, from  Cold  Harbor  to  Petersburg.  In 
June,  1864,  he  was  sent  to  the  left  flank  of  the 
army  to  take  possession  of  the  Weldon  Railroad, 
and  had  successfully  completed  this  maneouver, 
when  they  were  surrounded  by  the  enemv  and 
their  entire  skirmish-line,  about  twenty-five 
hundred  soldiers,  were  sent  to  Libby  Prison. 
For  eight  weeks  they  were  held  there,  and  thence 
transferred  to  the  prisons  in  Salisbury,  N.  C, 
where  they  languished  two  months  or  more  and 
were  ne.xt  conveyed  to  Danville,  and  held  there 
until  February  2,  1865.  Returned  to  Libby, 
they  were  let  off  on  parole  a  week  or  two  later, 
and  sent  through  the  lines  to  Annapolis.  No 
language  can  aptly  describe  what  our  brave  sol- 
diers endured  at  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  but  we 
will  only  say,  that  in  common  with  his  fellows, 
Mr.  Mcl-'arland  was  almost  reduced  to  starvation 
point  and  was  too  weak  to  stand  alone,  so  he  was 
placed  in  the  naval  hospital.  After  he  was  ex- 
changed he  went  home  on  a  thirty-days  furlough 
and  recuperating  somewhat,  reported  to  his  com- 
pany at  Appomattox,  just  after  Lee's  surrender. 
He  was  duly  mustered  out  April  27,  1865. 

Resuming  his  former  occupation  our  subject 
worked  steadily  two  years  or  so  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  old  home  and  then  went  west,  re- 
maining eight  months  there,  and  visiting  various 
parts  of  Illinois,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin.  In 
1873  ^ic  finally  settled  in  Scranton,  finding  em- 
ployment as  a  carpenter  in  the  carshops  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  for  seven 
years,  when  he  was  placed  at  work  on  a  new 
bridge  and  station-house.  This  took  about  a 
year,  and  then  he  began  work  on  the  south  mill 


of  the  Scranton,  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Com- 
pany. From  the  commencement  to  the  comple- 
tion of  this  structure  he  was  retained  at  steady 
employment,  and  was  then  made  foreman  of  the 
carpenter  department. 

Mr.  McFarland  was  first  married,  in  Hawley, 
to  Miss  Hannah  Gerhard,  a  native  of  that  place 
and  daughter  of  Philip  Gerhard.  She  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  while  the  family  were  still  res- 
idents of  that  town.  The  present  wife  of  our 
subject  was  formerly  Miss  Lottie,  daughter  of 
John  Meyer,  a  painter  by  occupation.  She  was 
born  in  Scranton.  and  here  grew  to  womanhood. 
Five  of  the  six  children  remain  under  the  paren- 
tal roof,  viz.:  Flora,  Louie,  Kittie,  Carl  and 
Ruth,  while  Bessie  is  now  in  Denver.  Mr.  Mc- 
Farland is  greatly  interested  in  the  many  pa- 
triotic societies  that  have  been  formed  in  this 
country  since  the  day  when  men  laid  down  their 
lives  so  freely  in  support  of  her  liberty  and  pros- 
perity, and  at  present  he  is  major  of  f!olonel 
Oakford  Precinct  No.  25,  N.  V.  U.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
and  to  '■he  Ex-Prisoner  of  War  Association,  of 
Lackawanna  County.  In  matters  relating  to  pol- 
itics, he  always  is  to  be  found  supporting  the  can- 
didates of  the  Republican  party. 


FELIX  DEVANEY.  In  1850,  when  the 
now  prosperous  city  of  Carbondale  gave 
few  indications  of  its  present  importance, 
Mr.  Devaney  came  to  this  place  and  here  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  For  aljout  forty-three 
years  he  was  employed  in  the  mines,  where  he 
worked  with  the  utmost  diligence  in  order  to  pro- 
vide his  family  with  the  comforts  of  life.  For 
some  years  past,  however,  he  has  lived  in  retire- 
ment from  active  labors,  spending  his  time  quiet- 
ly in  his  home  at  No.  153  Brooklyn  Street. 

A  native  of  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  born  in 
1828,  Mr.  Devaney  spent  his  boyhood  years  in 
the  land  of  his  birth,  having  but  limited  educa- 
tional advantages,  as  from  an  early  age  he  was 
obliged  to  be  self-supporting.  Just  before  at- 
taining his  majority  he  sailed  for  America,  with 
the  intention  of  making  this  country  his  perma- 
nent home.     His  first  location  was  at  Duimiore, 


392 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


Pa.,  where  he  was  employed  in  tlie  mines  for  two 
years,  and  thence,  in  1850,  he  removed  to  Car- 
bondale,  his  home  since  that  time.  While  na- 
ture endowed  him  with  a  splendid  constitution 
and  rugged  frame,  yet  constant  hard  work 
through  so  many  years  impaired  his  health,  and 
especially  his  sense  of  hearing,  which  he  has  lost 
in  some  measure. 

After  coming  to  Carbondalc,  Mr.  Uevaney  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Collins, 
and  ten  children  were  born  of  their  union.  Of 
this  family  eight  are  living,  all  married  and  scat- 
tered, except  a  son,  the  only  one  left  at  home. 
They  were  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith,  of  which 
their  parents  are  adherents.  Politically  Mr. 
Devaney  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  is 
emphatic  in  his  preference  for  that  party.  His 
industry  and  economy  have  enabled  him  to  ac- 
cumulate a  competency  that  will  give  to  his  de- 
clining years  every  comfort.  He  is  interested  in 
the  progress  of  Carbondale,  to  which  he  came 
when  it  was  a  small  village,  and  is  well  known 
by  the  early  settlers  of  the  place. 


HENRY  J.  ZIEGLER  is  one  of  the  worthy 
German-American  citizens  of  Scranton 
now  living  a  retired  life  after  long  years 
of  active  and  arduous  toil.  He  has  helped  to 
foster  many  of  our  local  enterprises  and  has  ever 
taken  his  part  in  all  moves  having  in  view  the 
betterment  of  his  city  and  fellow-citizens.  For 
two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  common  coun- 
cil from  the  eleventh  ward,  after  which  he  was 
elected  to  represent  the  same  ward  in  the  select 
council  and  served  for  three  years  in  that  capa- 
city. About  1886  he  was  honored  by  Mayor  E.  H. 
Ripple  in  being  appointed  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  health  and  has  since  held  that  impor- 
tant position,  being  the  oldest  member  of  the 
board  in  years  of  service. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  at  Grossall- 
merode,  Kur-Hessen,  Germany,  March  17,  1846. 
His  father,  Franz  Zicgler,  brought  his  family  to 
the  United  States  in  October,  1854,  and  in  this 
vicinity  the  lad's  early  years  were  passed.  Such 
education  as  he  managed  to  obtain  in  school  was 
derived  from  the  schools  of  Scranton  and  Dun- 


more,  but  his  privileges  in  this  line  were  limited, 
for  when  he  was  only  ten  years  old  he  had  to 
assist  in  making  his  own  living.  Two  years  or 
more  he  was  employed  as  a  slate  picker  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  at  Dunmore,  then 
went  to  the  von  Storch  mines.  Not  liking  the 
outlook  very  well,  he  determined  to  become  a 
shoemaker,  but  he  did  not  follow  this  branch 
very  long,  as  his  natural  bent  was  not  in  that 
direction.  A  good  place  was  offered  him  as 
weigh-master  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  at 
Archbald,  and  from  there  he  went  to  Jermyn  and 
later  to  Olyphant,  in  the  same  position  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Company. 

In  1867  Mr.  Ziegler  married  Miss  Charlotte 
Pfefifer,  of  Scranton,  a  native  of  Germany.  Her 
father,  George  Pfefifer,  had  come  to  this  city  a  few 
years  before  and  started  in  the  hardware  business 
on  the  south  side.  In  1867  Mr.  Ziegler  became  a 
partner  in  the  concern  under  the  firm  name  of 
Pfeffer  &  Ziegler.  Only  a  year  elapsed  when  the 
senior  partner  died  and  from  that  time  Mr.  Zieg- 
ler has  carried  on  the  business  alone,  until  1893 
at  the  eld  location.  In  1888  he  purchased  prop- 
erty at  the  corner  of  Cedar  Avenue  and  Hickory 
Street,  next  door  to  the  old  establishment.  Here 
he  has  a  sub.stantial  three-story  building,  with  a 
frontage  of  forty  feet,  and  the  stores  are  thor- 
oughly equipped  and  fitted  out  with  a  large  stock 
of  hardware,  tools,  etc.,  commonly  carried  by  the 
trade  and  also  a  full  line  of  plumbers'  supplies. 
In  1893  he  turned  the  whole  business  over  to 
his  son,  Henr}'  F.,  and  son-in-law,  Louis  Schu- 
macher, who  are  now  carrying  on  the  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Ziegler  &  Schumacher. 

Mr.  Ziegler  is  quite  an  inventive  genius  and 
to  the  most  casual  observer  is  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  ability.  He  has  money  in- 
vested in  the  Anthracite  Building  &  Loan  As- 
sociation, of  which  he  is  treasurer.  He  holds  a 
similar  ofiUce  with  the  Industrial  Building  & 
Loan  Association  and  is  president  of  the  Citizens 
Building  &  Loan  Association.  These  companies 
arc  all  located  on  the  south  side  and  each  one 
of  them  has  received  his  earnest  support. 

Two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  were 
born  to  Mr.  Ziegler  and  his  wife,  and  they  were 
named  in  honor  of  their    parents,    Henry    and 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


393 


Charlotte.  The  latter  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Schu- 
macher, mentioned  above  as  a  member  of  the 
present  firm  of  Ziegler  &  Schumacher.  Mr. 
Ziegler  has  long  been  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  trustee.  Socially,  he  belongs  to  Freili- 
grath  Lodge  No.  481,  D.  O.  H.,  and  was  grand 
bard  of  the  state  for  one  year.  In  political 
matters  one  always  finds  him  a  strong  Demo- 
crat. He  is  a  Mason,  being  identified  with 
Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Nay- 
Aug  Tribe  of  Red  Men,  Lodge  No.  140. 


JOHN  P.  RINK,  ex-county  auditor  of  Lack- 
awanna County,  is  prominent  in  both  the 
commercial  and  political  circles  of  Scran- 
ton  and  has  a  name  for  reliability,  honesty  and 
square  dealing  which  any  one  might  envy.  He  is 
truly  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  in  more 
senses  of  the  word  than  one,  as  he  has  been  a 
master  of  his  trade  of  stone-mason  for  years  and 
takes  contracts  for  large  structures.  He  comes 
of  an  old  French  family,  and  is-  the  only  child  of 
his  parents,  John  and  Susanna  (Adler)  Rink. 
The  latter,  who  died  when  her  boy  was  in  in- 
fancy, was  a  native  of  Kell,  and  daughter  of  John 
P.  Adler,  a  stonemason  and  contractor.  John 
Rink  was  born  in  Alsace,  and  settling  in  the  old 
city  of  Kell,  engaged  in  contracting  for  mar- 
ble-cutting, until  shortly  before  his  death. 

The  date  of  our  subject's  birth  is  October  20, 
1853,  that  event  occurring  in  the  village  of  Kell, 
province  of  Kreis-Treir.  Germany.  He  at- 
tended the  common  schools  of  his  native  town 
until  about  twelve  years  old,  when  he  began 
learning  the  trade  of  his  grandfather,  Adler,  but 
was  cut  short  in  this  undertaking  by  the  death 
of  that  relative  two  years  later.  He  was  obliged 
to  stand  an  examination  to  show  his  proficiency 
in  his  trade.  When  in  his  seventeenth  year  he 
left  the  friends  and  scenes  of  his  boyhood  days 
and  going  to  Liverpool,  took  a  steamer  for  New 
York,  and  upon  the  termination  of  his  twelve 
days'  trip,  proceeded  to  Scranton.  Two  years 
he  was  in  the  employ  of  Kreilich  &  Shield,  and 
then  the  next  three  years  he  worked  as  a  puddler 


in  the  new  puddling  mills.  His  next  move  was 
to  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  but  in  about  twelve  months  he 
was  back  in  Scranton  driving  a  delivery  wagon 
for  Charles  I-'ischer  of  Lackawanna  Avenue. 
Three  years  elapsed  and  we  find  him  pursuing 
his  trade  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  Hot 
Springs,  Ark.,  six  months  in  each  place,  after 
whicli  he  did  masonry  work  on  tiie  two  court- 
houses and  two  jails  of  Henrietta  and  Montague 
Counties,  Texas.  His  travel  did  not  cease  until 
he  had  visited  nuich  of  Missouri,  Wisconsin  and 
Illinois,  and  then  he  returned  to  Scranton.  He 
became  an  employe  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company  in  his  old  trade  of  a  stonemason. 
About  1RS7  he  embarked  in  the  new  venture  of 
carrying  on  a  grocery,  and  built  a  store  and  res- 
idence at  No.  913  Stone  Avenue.  At  the  same 
time  he  Ijecame  a  contractor  for  masonry  and  has 
laid  the  foundations  of  many  of  the  finest  public 
and  private  buildings  in  the  valley.  Among 
others  we  might  mention  the  Jermyn  Hotel,  the 
Anthracite  Hotel  at  Carbondale,  the  residence  of 
William  Connell,  the  Lackawanna  Brewing  Com- 
pany's brewery,  Casey  &  Kelley's  old  brew- 
ery, the  Robinson  power-house,  etc.,  and  the 
contract  work  of  Conrad  Schroeder. 

In  1879  Mr.  Rink  and  Miss  Catherine  Miller 
were  married  in  Scranton,  the  lady  being  a  native 
of  this  city.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Mil- 
ler, who  was  born  in  Bavaria,  but  settled  in  this 
locality  in  the  '50s,  and  was  a  stone-cutter  for  the 
Dickson  Company  for  over  thirty  years,  and  when 
he  retired  from  the  active  cares  of  life  went  to 
reside  in  Pittston.  His  wife  was  Miss  Barbara 
Scharf  in  lier  maidenhood.  The  seven  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rink  are  Elizabeth.  John,  Wil'- 
iam,  Anna,  Joseph,  Freda,  and  Frank.  The  eld- 
est son  is  now  attending  Wood's  Business  Col- 
lege. 

One  of  the  standard-bearers  of  the  Republican 
party,  Mr.  Rink  has  often  served  on  county  and 
city  committees  and  was  on  the  executive  com- 
mittee in  1896.  Three  years  he  acted  most  effi- 
ciently as  tax  collector  for  the  nineteenth  ward 
and  in  1892  was  elected  to  the  common  council 
from  the  same  ward,  winning  an  unusual  vic- 
tory, as  he  was  elected  in  a  Democratic  ward. 
Though  his  majority  w-as  only  sixty-six   votes. 


394 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


this  was  a  ixinarkabie  event,  as  ik)  itprcsentativc 
of  his  i)arty  had  ever  triumphed  in  this  ward 
before.  During  his  year's  service  he  was  chair- 
man of  tlie  committee  on  taxes,  etc.,  and  when 
lie  resigned  his  position  it  was  in  order  to  take 
up  the  new  duties  of  county  auditor.  It  was  in 
the  fall  of  1893  that  his  name  was  placed  in  nom- 
ination for  that  office,  and  when  the  election  was 
over  it  was  found  that  he  had  received  the  largest 
majority  of  any  man  on  his  ticket.  In  Januarv 
he  took  the  oath  of  office,  his  tenure  being  for 
three  years.  The  highest  commendation  for  the 
manner  in  which  he  has  met  his  responsibilities 
and  dif^cult  duties  is  freely  bestowed  upon  him 
by  all  those  who  know-  of  his  work  and  who  are 
posted  on  the  question.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Scranton  south  side  board  of  trade.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Liederkranz,  is  a  member  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church,  and  of  the  Benevolent 
Society  of  St.  Peter's  German  Catholic  Church. 


JOHN  REGAX.  Many  of  the  citizens  of 
Scranton  are  native  of  lands  across  the 
sea,  but  though  foreigners  by  birth,  they 
are  yet  true  .Americans  in  their  love  for  the  coun- 
try of  their  adoption  and  in  their  devotion  to  her 
welfare.  One  of  these  is  Mr.  Regan,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  and  undertaking  business  at 
No.  1803  Brick  Avenue,  having  in  this  enter- 
])rise  the  assistance  of  his  three  sons,  Thomas  P., 
a  graduate  embalmer;  Francis  H.  and  Anthony 
J.  His  property  holdings  are  valuable,  consist- 
ing of  "nisiness  establishment  and  residence,  a 
nunil)er  of  houses  in  Providence  and  a  farm  of 
more  than  one  hundred  acres,  watered  jjy  a  brook 
near  the  borougii  of  Dickson  City. 

From  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  where  he  was 
born  in  1839,  our  subject  came  to  America  in 
1852  in  company  with  his  father,  Patrick  Regan, 
a  wheelwright  and  farmer,  the  family  taking 
l^assage  on  the  sailer  "Richard  Moss,"'  at  Liver- 
pool, and  reaching  New  York  after  a  voyage  of 
eleven  weeks.  During  three  days  the  ship  was 
in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  storm,  which  imperiled 
the  lives  of  the  passengers,  but  finally  subsided 
without  entailing  loss  of  life.  Proceeding  direct 
to  Factoryville,  Pa.,  Patrick   Regan  worked  on 


the  Leggett  Gap  Railroad  (now  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western)  which  was  building  at 
that  time.  The  following  year  he  settled  in  what 
is  now  Scranton,  and  was  employed  in  the  Saw- 
yer and  Clark  breakers  until  he  retired.  At  the 
age  of  eighty-seven  he  departed  this  life.  His 
wife,  Elizabeth  Gallagher,  was  also  a  native  of 
County  Alayo,  and  died  at  the  age  of  about  six- 
ty-five. Of  their  three  daughters  and  two  sons, 
two  daughters  and  one  son  are  now  living. 

The  first  work  secured  by  our  subject  was  that 
of  water-carrier  for  a  construction  corps.  He 
laid  two  spikes  on  every  tie  from  the  old  rolling 
mill  in  Scranton  to  the  Delaware  water  gap. 
With  the  return  of  winter  he  entered  the  public 
school,  remaining  there  until  spring  of  the  fol- 
lowing year.  His  next  work  was  as  driver  boy 
in  the  Sawder  mine,  and  later  he  was  employed 
in  loading  coal,  then  became  a  practical  miner, 
working  in  the  mines  about  eighteen  years  alto- 
gether. His  last  position  was  in  Leggett's 
Creek  mine.  After  a  short  time  engaged  hi 
teannng,  in  1884  he  started  the  livery  business 
which  he  still  conducts.  For  twenty-eight  years, 
in  addition  to  other  enterprises,  he  was  engaged 
in  the  hotel  business  on  the  corner  of  Brick  Ave- 
nue and  Oak  Street,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time 
retired.  In  Providence  he  married  Miss  Mary 
AIcGuire,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  three  sons. 

As  a  Democrat  Mr.  Regan  takes  an  active  part 
in  connnittee  and  convention  work  and  is  inter- 
ested in  everything  that  promises  party  success. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Rosary.  In  June,  1892,  in  company  with  a  small 
party,  he  returned  to  Ireland,  but  the  death  of 
one  of  the  number,  John  Flynn,  caused  him  to 
return  to  America,  after  having  spent  only  sev- 
enteen days  in  his  native  land.  The  trips,  going 
and  returning,  were  made  on  the  "City  of  Paris,'' 
and  tlie  latter  time  he  brought  with  him  the  re- 
mains of  his  friend. 


Rh:V.  B.  DEMBINSKI,  B.  A.,  the  brilliant 
young    pastor     of     the     Church     of     the 
Sacred    Heart   in    .Scranton,   has   been    in 
charge  of  this  parish  only  a  short  time,  but  has 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


395 


already  endeared  himself  to  his  people.  On  both 
sides  of  his  family  he  comes  of  noble  ancestry 
in  Poland,  his  native  country,  and  from  them  he 
inherits  marked  traits  of  character.  A  g-rcat 
student  and  thinker,  he  is  devoted  to  his  work 
and  has  at  present  the  weight  of  many  projects 
for  the  benefit  of  the  congregation  upon  his 
mind. 

During  the  Hungarian  Revolution  the  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  was  one  of  the  great 
and  leading  Polish  generals,  who  fought  for  the 
freedom  of  Hungary,  and  was  e.xiled  to  Switzer- 
land afterward,  on  account  of  the  part  he  had 
taken;  his  death  occurred  in  France.  Grand- 
father Dembinski  was  also  an  ofificer  in  the  Rev- 
olutions of  1846  and  1863,  and  was  sentenced  to 
six  months'  imprisonment,  but  finally  was  par- 
doned. Michael  Dembinski,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  in  the  Polish  government  employ  as 
the  government  architect,  and  died  about  1889. 
His  wife,  who  was  Mary  Janiszewska  before  her 
marriage,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Posen,  capital 
of  Poland.  Her  ancestors,  of  a  ncjble  line,  were 
participants  in  the  revolution  of  Poland.  She 
died  in  1872  and  of  her  seven  sons  but  three  now 
survive.  Martzen  is  studying  medicine  in  the 
University  of  Weitzburg,  and  Martin  is  a  student 
completing  his  architectural  studies  in  Berlin. 

Father  Dembinski  was  born  in  Posen,  Poland, 
January  26,  1866,  and  received  superior  educa- 
tional advantages  in  his  native  city.  After  fin- 
ishing the  required  course  of  study  in  tiie  gym- 
nasium he  graduated  from  the  classical  depart- 
ment. In  1888  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  en- 
tered the  Polish  Seminary  at  Detroit,  Mich., 
completing  the  philosophical  course  in  a  year  and 
then  became  enrolled  as  a  student  of  St.  Vin- 
cent's Seminary  in  Beatty,  Westmoreland  Count- 
ty,  Pa.  Then  passing  the  examinations  he  was 
given  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  de- 
voted himself  to  theological  studies. 

January  26,  1892.  Father  Dembinski  was  or- 
dained in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral  in  Scranton  by 
the  Rt.-Rev.  Bishop  O'Hara.  The  young  priest's 
first  charge  v.'as  as  assistant  at  St.  Stanislaus 
Church  in  Nanticoke,  Pa.,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
j'ear  he  was  promoted  to  be  pastor  of  St.  Stan- 
islaus Church  at  Hazleton,  Pa.     During  his  stav 


there  of  over  three  years  he  stiniulati<l  tiie  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  to  build  a  fine,  new 
house  of  worshi]!,  the  structure  costing  $12,600. 
A  school-house  and  parsonage  were  also  erected, 
the  whole  property  being  estimated  at  $25,000. 

The  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  to  which 
r'ather  Dembinski  was  transferred  in  September, 
1896,  was  organized  about  1883  by  Father  Sni- 
gurski,  who  was  in  charge  for  some  seven  or 
eight  years.  Then  going  to  Brazil,  .South  Amer- 
ica, he  died  there  of  yellow  fever  in  1896.  In 
1892  Father  Aust  assumed  the  pastorate  of  this 
church  and  remained  here  until  the  present  in- 
cumbent came.  There  are  nearly  five  hundred 
families  numbered  in  the  congregation,  these 
comprising  most  of  those  speaking  the  Polish 
language  in  this  vicinity,  though  a  mission  has 
been  built  at  Stroudsburg,  and  here,  also,  the 
father  holds  services.  There  are  six  beneficial 
societies  for  men  and  three  women  and  girls' 
sodalities  c(jnnected  with  the  church.  The  ad- 
joining parochial  school  is  regularly  attended  by 
about  three  hundred  and  sixty  children.  On  the 
same  grounds  are  the  parsonage  and  the  convent 
of  tlie  sisterhood  of  the  Holy  Family  of  Xaza- 
reth.  In  the  spring  of  1897  it  is  intended  to  have 
a  new  parsonage  erected  on  the  three  lots  front- 
ing in  Prospect  Avenue.  It  will  be  a  credit  to 
the  community,  built  on  a  modern  plan,  with 
l-'rench  roof,  and  will  cost  in  the  neighborhood 
of  $6,000. 


ANTHONY  HUGHES.  In  the  hst  of  the 
residents  of  Carbondale  who  prosecuted 
their  life  work- successfully,  and  have  laid 
aside  their  earthly  toils,  we  place  the  name  of 
Anthony  Hughes.  A  pioneer  of  this  city,  he 
came  here  about  1850,  and  witnessed  its  develop- 
ment from  an  insignificant  village  of  small  pro- 
portions to  a  thriving,  prosperous  business  cen- 
ter. To  this  success  he  himself  contributed  ma- 
terially. Coming  here  direct  from  his  native 
county.  Mayo,  Ireland,  he  at  once  began  work 
in  the  mines,  first  being  associated  with  an  older 
brother  and  later  alone.  He  became  one  of  the 
best  miners  that  ever  settled  in  this  valley,  and 
as    he    was    judicious    in  his    investments    and 


396 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


economical  in  cx])enclitiires,  he  was  well-to-do  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  1880.  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
one  years. 

The  lady  who.  in  1857,  became  the  wife  of  An- 
thony Hug-hes,  was  Bridget  F"lannery,  a  native 
of  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  who  emigrated  to  this 
country  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  was 
married  about  two  years  afterward.  The  voyage 
across  the  ocean  was  made  in  a  sailing  vessel  and 
consumed  eight  weeks.  When  she  reached  Car- 
bondalc,  she  found  the  place  small  and  with  few 
prospects  of  future  development.  However,  she 
has  lived  to  see  its  increase  in  population  and 
importance,  and  has  gained  many  friends  here. 
Of  the  nine  children  that  were  born  of  her  mar- 
riage, five  are  living,  namely:  Beatrice,  who  is 
in  Philadelphia;  Patrick,  William  J.,  Annie  and 
Anthony  \\,  all  of  this  city.  The  family  resi- 
dence stands  in  Gordon  Avenue,  and  is  the  cen- 
ter of  domestic  and  social  joys,  being  presided 
over  by  the  widowed  mother  and  brightened  by 
the  presence  of  her  children. 

For  fifteen  years  Mrs.  Hughes  carried  on  a 
grocery  business  in  Carbondale,  and  proved  her- 
self to  be  possessed  of  ability  that  fitted  her  for 
the  management  of  the  store.  Ill  health  finally 
caused  her  to  dispose  of  the  stock  and  retire  from 
business,  since  which  time  she  has  rented  the 
store  property.  She  has  led  a  busy  useful  life. 
The  qualities  of  her  mind  and  heart  h^ave  won  for 
her  many  friends,  and  lier  influence  for  good  is 
felt  beyond  the  limits  of  her  own  home. 


LORENZ  HABERSTROH,  a  representa- 
tive German-American  citizen,  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  finest  harness  establishment 
on  the  south  side  of  Scranton.  He  is  also  a  mu- 
sician of  ability,  seeming  to  have  inherited  the 
native  talent  of  the  sons  of  the  Fatherland,  and 
he  has  a  great  many  pupils  on  the  guitar  and 
zither.  Though  his  residence  in  the  New  World 
has  not  been  of  long  duration,  he  has  made  an 
enviable  place  for  himself  in  both  the  business 
and  social  circles  of  our  citv  and  we  are  glad  to 
give  a  sketch  of  his  life. 

The  young  man    was  born    in    Neustadt,    an 
Culm,  Bavaria,  Germany,  August  20,  1869,  being 


a  son  of  Lorenz  and  Barbara  (Porsch)  Haber- 
stroh.  The  father  was  a  baker  by  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  business  all  his  life,  his  death  taking 
place  when  he  was  about  fifty-five  years  old. 
Grandfather  John  Haberstroh  was  a  brewer  and 
a  very  successful  business  man.  Mrs.  Barbara 
Haberstroh  was  a  native  of  Goebmansbill,  Ba- 
varia, and  is  now  deceased. 

Lorenz  Haberstroh  is  the  youngest  in  a  fam- 
ily comprising  seven  children,  and  a  brother  and 
sister  are  now  living  in  Scranton.  Until  he  was 
fourteen  years  old  he  remained  in  his  native 
town,  attending  the  national  schools  and  then 
went  to  Bayreuth,  where  he  was  apprenticed  to 
a  harness-maker  for  three  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  concluded  to  work  another  year 
for  the  same  man  and  had  then  thoroughly  mas- 
tered the  business.  When  he  was  seventeen  and 
a  half  years  old  he  entered  the  German  army, 
being  assigned  to  Company  Twelve,  Seventh  In- 
fantry. He  served  three  years  and  rose  to  be 
sergeant,  before  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

After  spending  another  seven  months  with  his 
former  employer,  he  came  to  America  to  seek 
a  home  and  fortune.  In  the  spring  of  1891  he 
left  Hamburg  in  the  steamship  "Columbia"  and 
at  the  close  of  six  days'  voyage  landed  in  New 
York  City.  From  there  he  came  direct  to  Scran- 
ton. where  he  entered  into  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Fritz,  and  was  thus  occupied  for  some  four 
months.  Three  years  he  was  next  a  workman 
for  Mr.  Detweiler.  and  after  an  interval  in  \yhich 
he  visited  his  Fatherland  he  returned  to  the 
same  place,  continuing  there  until  December, 
1893.  In  April,  1896,  he  opened  a  harness-shop 
of  his  own  at  No.  422  Cedar  Avenue,  and  suc- 
ceeded so  well  that  in  the  following  November 
he  removed  into  larger  quarters,  at  No.  510 
Cedar,  his  residence  and  shop  both  being  here. 
He  manufactures  the  very  finest  lines  of  har- 
ness, at  all  prices,  varying  from  the  ordinary, 
plain,  but  durable  kind,  to  the  silver,  or  nickel- 
trinmied  affairs  that  so  proudly  bedeck  the  thor- 
oughbred pets  of  wealth  and  fashion.  In  addi- 
tion to  harness,  saddles,  nets,  pads,  etc.,  are 
made  here,  and  a  full  stock  from  wliicli  to  select 
is  constantly  on  hand. 

In  1894  it  was  the  privilege  of  our  subject  to 


'^^mm 


''««-^-^-  - 


MAJ.  JOHN  B.   I-ISH. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


399 


make  a  trip  to  the  continent,  through  which  he 
traveled  considerably,  and  then  gave  himself  up 
to  special  study  of  the  guitar  and  zither  in  a 
music-school  in  Munich,  staying  there  some  five 
months.  In  all  musical  afifairs  that  take  place  in 
this  community  he  is  greatly  interested,  and  on 
several  occasions  he  has  been  called  to  take  a 
leading  pare  on  the  program,  either  in  a  vocal 
selection  or  on  the  zither.  He  belongs  to  the 
Sangerunde  and  to  the  Arion  Society,  and  is 
considered  to  have  a  very  strong  and  good  bass 
voice. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Haberstroh  and  Emma 
Forckel  was  celebrated  in  this  city  in  1896.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  William  Forckel,  who  is  with  the 
Dickson  Company.  They  attend  the  Evangel- 
ical Lutheran  Church  of  Peace,  of  which  the 
young  man  is  an  active  and  earnest  member,  and 
at  present  on  the  board  of  trustees.  He  belongs 
to  James  Connell  Lodge  No.  170,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
to  the  Order  of  Red  Men.  In  national  politics 
he  is  a  Republican. 


M 


AJ.  JOHN  B.  FISH.  The  founders  of 
the  Fish  family  in  America  came  here 
from  Wales  or  England  in  an  early  day 
and  became  identified  with  the  pioneers  of  Con- 
necticut. From  the  Stonington  church  records 
the  following  information  is  gleaned  concerning 
the  genealogy:  Page  40,  Febniary  2,  1668,  cen- 
sus of  inhabitants  show^ed  forty^ihree,  one  of 
whom  was  John  Fish.  Page  66,  Capt.  Daniel 
Fish,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Union  party, 
joined  by  some  of  his  friends,  drew  a  memorial 
to  the  general  assembly,  which  was  read  at  a 
society  meeting  May  12,  1772.  Page  86,  Capt. 
Daniel  Fish  died  in  1788.  Page  189,  December 
5,  1680,  John  Fish  was  admitted  to  the  church. 
Page  194,  April  18,  1689,  Samuel  Fish  owned 
the  covenant.  Page  196,  March  13.  1680,  Sam- 
uel, son  of  John  Fish,  was  baptized.  August  26, 
1686,  Sarah,  wife  of  Samuel  Fish,  and  her  two 
sons,  Samuel  and  John.  June  24,  1688,  Moses, 
son  of  Samuel  Fish.  July  17,  1692,  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Fish.  October  29,  1693, 
Aaron,  son  of  Samuel  Fish.    April  18,  1695,  Da- 


vid  and  Margaret,  children  of  John  Fish.  No- 
vember 8,  1698,  John,  son  of  John  Fish.  August 
19,  1699,  Nathan,  son  of  Samuel  Fish.  July  12, 
1702,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Samuel  Fish.  August 
16,  1741,  David  Fish,  Jr.,  an  adult  person.  No- 
vember I,  1 741,  Grace,  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
Fish.  Page  230,  November  18,  1733,  Grace  Fish. 
November  17,  1757,  married.  Titus  Fish  and  Lu- 
cretia  Williams.  Page  241,  April  22,  1739,  Mr. 
Fish  baptized  John  Darin;  October  9,  1743, 
baptized  Tliankful  Minor;  May  i,  1748,  baptized 
Abigail  Stanton,  and  in  May,  1757,.  Mary  Dem- 
son.  Page  252,  February  17,  1743,  married,  Dan- 
iel Fish,  of  Preston,  and  Rebecca  Palmer. 

Daniel  Fish,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  but  was  reared  near  Bennington. 
Vt.  From  there  he  removed  in  early  manhood 
to  New  York,  journeying  through  the  woods  of 
Ulster  County  with  no  guide  but  blazed  trees, 
and  encountering  many  wild  animals,  one  of 
which,  a  panther,  fell  a  victim  to  his  unerring 
shot.  He  settled  in  Liberty,  Sullivan  County,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  residents,  and 
there  had  a  blacksmith's  shop.  During  the  War 
of  1812  he  went  to  the  front  and  was  stationed  at 
Brooklyn  Heights,  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  the  close  of  the  war.  After  many  years  of 
close  application  to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  failing 
health  induced  him  to  retire  from  business  labors. 
In  old  age  he  removed  to  Damascus,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  and  there  died  at  ninety-two  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  and  an  earnest  advo- 
cate of  the  abolition  movement.  His  father,  Ed- 
mund, was  a  member  of  a  Connecticut  regiment 
during  the  Revolution,  after  which  he  settled  in 
Vermont  and  engaged  in  farming;  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  he  joined  his  children  in  Sullivan 
County  and  there  life  for  him  was  ended.  While 
living  in  New  London,  Conn.,  he  married  an 
English  lady  there  named  Billings. 

The  first  wife  of  Daniel  Fish  was  Margaret 
Harmes,  who  was  born  on  the  Hudson,  of  Hol- 
land-Dutch descent,  and  died  in  Sullivan  County 
in  1 83 1.  Four  children  were  born  of  this  mar- 
riage, of  whom  John  B.  is  the  only  survivor.  A 
brother,  William  Penn,  was  a  non-commissioned 
officer  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth 
New  York  Regiment  during  the  Civil  War  and 


400 


PORTRAIT   AND    lUOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


was  killed  on  Morris  Island.  (  >f  thu  second  mar- 
riage of  Daniel  I'ish  was  born  a  son,  Edninnd. 
who  was  a  member  of  a  New  York  regiment  in 
the  war  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Livingston 
Manor. 

The  first  twenty  years  of  the  life  of  our  sub- 
ject were  passed  in  Liberty,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
born  in  1829.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  ap- 
prenticed there  to  the  tin  sheet  and  iron  business, 
serving  five  years.  His  former  boss  sold  out  to 
a  man  who  wisihed  the  youthful  apprentice  to 
become  his  partner  and  this  he  reluctantly  con- 
sented to  do,  but  in  a  few  months  the  Erie  Rail- 
road came  through  and  killed  the  trade.  In  the 
fall  of  1849  he  removed  to  Hancock  and  began 
in  business  with  his  former  boss,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Jones  &  Fish.  One  year  later  he  sold 
out  and  went  to  Bainbridge,  Chenango  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years. 
One  year  was  then  spent  at  Deposit,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  received  $1.50  per  day.  The  ofifer  of  $1.75 
from  a  man  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  induced  him  in  1854 
to  remove  to  that  growing  town.  The  following 
year  he  removed  to  Scranton,  but  after  a  short 
time  returned  to  Pittston,  and  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Ensign  &  Fish.  He  volunteered  on 
the  police  force  and  for  two  years  was  chief  of 
police,  rendering  the  most  efficient  service  in  that 
capacity.  He  was  also  chief  burgess  of  Pittston 
for  one  year  immediately  prior  to  the  war. 

At  the  first  call  for  volunteers  in  1861,  our  sub- 
ject went  to  Pittston  and  soon  began  to  assist  in 
raising  Company  C,  of  the  Eleventh  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  which  was  to  serve  for  three  months 
from  April  20.  While  he  held  the  rank  of  first  lieu- 
tenant, he  was  acting  captain,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  after  a  service  of  four  months.  Of  all 
the  Pennsylvania  regiments  his  was  the  first  to 
engage  in  active  service  and  to  suffer  wounds 
and  death.  The  enemy  was  first  met  under 
"Stonewall"  Jackson  at  Falling  Waters,  Va.,  July 
2,  w^hen  two  men  of  the  com])any  were  shot,  one 
of  whom  died.  (  )n  being  mustered  oul  at  Harris- 
burg  in  August,  1861,  he  returned  home  and  be- 
gan to  raise  another  company  in  Pittston  and 
vicinity,  with  which,  as  Company  H,  I'ifty-second 
Penns_\lvania    Infantry,    he   was   mustered    in    at 


i  larrislnng  October  4,  1861,  as  first  lieutenant. 
.\t  Hilton  Head  in  April,  1863,  he  was  commis- 
sioned captain  by  Governor  Curtin.  Among  the 
Ijattles  in  which  he  bore  a  valiant  part  were  those 
at  Williamsburg,  Seven  Pines,  Fair  Oaks,  the 
seven  days"  fight,  Botton  Bridge,  White  Oak 
Swamp,  ]\Ialvern  Hill  and  Yorktown.  By  order 
of  the  war  department  he  was  sent  to  South  Car- 
olina and  after  the  Beaufort  expedition  began  the 
siege  of  Charleston  from  Morris  Island.  During 
the  two  years  that  followed  the  regiment  was  un- 
der constant  fire  and  the  cessation  of  cannonad- 
ing for  an  hour  would  have  been  a  surprise.  For- 
tunately he  was  not  seriously  wounded  at  any 
time,  though  often  in  great  peril.  He  was  given 
a  major's  command  and  had  command  of  three 
companies  on  Block  Island  until  mustered  out, 
after  three  and  one-half  years  of  active  service, 
in  March,  1865.  When  the  troops  were  landed 
on  James  Island,  the  intense  heat  caused  him  to 
suffer  from  sunstroke,  the  effects  of  which  he 
still  feels. 

April  I,  1865,  Major  Fish  came  to  Scranton 
and  for  nearly  two  years  worked  at  his  trade, 
after  which  he  opened  a  tin  and  stove  establish- 
ment in  Alarket  Street,  Providence,  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Fish.  Eighteen  months 
later  he  was  tendered  the  position  of  superintend- 
ent of  the  Providence  Gas  &  Water  Company, 
which  he  accepted  and  has  since  held.  At  the 
time  he  became  connected  therewith,  the  organi- 
zation was  in  its  infancy  and  had  a  capital  stock 
of  only  $28,000.  This  lias  since  been  increased 
to  $300,000,  and  under  his  capable  supervision 
the  concern  has  been  placed  upon  a  sound  finan- 
cial basis.  Altogether  there  are  sixty  miles  of 
l)il)ing  and  the  amount  is  being  constantly  in- 
creased. Usually  fifty  men  are  employed,  but 
there  have  been  times  when  as  high  as  four  hun- 
dred were  given  work  for  a  short  time.  From  the 
reservoirs,  located  beyond  West  Mountain,  Prov- 
idence and  Green  Ridge  are  supplied  with  water 
in  i|nantitics  fully  equal  to  the  demand.  In  atlcH- 
tion  to  this  work  Major  Fish  is  a  director  in  the 
Paragon  Plaster  Works  and  was  one  of  its  origi- 
nal stockholders. 

In  llainbridge,  N.  Y.,  Majnr  f'ish  married  Miss 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


401 


Sarah  A.  Turner,  who  was  born  in  Deposit,  that 
state.  Her  great-grandfather,  a  native  of  England, 
liad  an  interest  in  thousands  of  acres  of  land  there, 
and  her  grandfather  was  the  only  heir.  There 
was  a  rupture  between  them,  however,  and  the 
latter  left  home  and  did  not  assert  his  claim  to 
the  property.  It  was  done  by  his  heirs,  but  too 
late  to  secure  what  was  rightfully  theirs.  Major 
and  Mrs.  Fish  had  two  children  who  attained  ma- 
turity, but  Laura  alone  survives.  James,  who  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  died  in  1886.  leaving  a  wife  and  son, 
Robert  AI.  The  family  residence  is  in  North 
Main  Avenue.  They  attend  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Providence,  in  which  ?iIajor  Fish  is  a 
ruling  elder.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  he  has  been  one  of  its  stanch 
members  and  voted  in  1856  for  Fremont.  He  has 
served  on  county  and  state  committees  and  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  school  control  a  part 
of  one  term.  A  Grand  Army  man,  he  is  identi- 
fied with  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post,  No.  139,  and 
was  commander  of  the  first  post.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United 
States,  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
the  Survivors  of  the  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania 
Infantry.  In  1880  he  was  unanimously  elected 
captain  of  Company  H,  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
N.  G.  P.,  and  after  eight  years  in  that  capacity 
he  was  commissioned  major  by  Governor  Beaver. 
With  his  regiment  he  was  present  at  the  scene 
of  the  Homestead  riot  in  order  to  secure  peace 
and  restore  order.  Soon  afterward  he  resigned 
and  retired.  In  Liberty  Hose  Company,  of  which 
he  was  formerly  a  member,  he  has  been  president, 
treasurer,  foreman  and  assistant  chief.  As  a  citi- 
zen he  favors  all  enterprises  for  the  advancement 
of  the  city  and  is  justly  numbered  among  its  most 
public-spirited  citizens. 


JAMES  R.  BELL,  a  member  of  the  police 
force  of  Carbondale,  has  resided  in  this  city 
since  1890,  having  come  here  from  Clifford 
Township,  Susquehanna  County.  Of  Scotch  and 
Welsh  parentage,  he  combines  the  sturdy  perse- 
verance of  one  nation  with  the  thrift  character- 
istic of  the  other,  and  to  these  qualities  he  has 


added  the  American  trait  of  "push."  Deprived 
in  boyhood  of  advantages  that  fall  to  the  lot  of 
most  boys,  and  forced  to  begin  the  battle  for  ex- 
istence at  an  early  age,  his  schooling  was  lim- 
ited and  his  opportunities  few,  but  of  these  he 
has  made  the  most  possible,  and  the  consequence 
is  that  he  has  gained  the  respect  of  the  people 
with  whom  he  associates. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Richard  Bell,  was 
born  in  Scotland,  and  there  in  early  manhood 
was  employed  as  a  shepherd  and  farmer.  At  the 
age  of  thirty  years  he  came  to  America.  A  man 
of  considerable  executive  ability,  he  was  here 
in  charge  of  various  farm  enterprises.  After  a 
time  he  bought  a  farm  in  Susquehanna  County, 
but  soon  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Dunmore, 
where  he  worked  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  forty-two,  when  his  son,  James  R.,  was  a  child 
of  only  six  months.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Sarah  Davis,  was  born  in  Wales 
and  attained  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  They  had 
four  children  and  all  but  one  are  living,  namely: 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Watkins,  of  Clifford  Town- 
ship; Jane,  of  Carbondale;  and  James  R.,  who 
was  born  near  Dunmore,  Alarch  21,  1852. 

In  the  common  schools  of  this  county  our  sub- 
ject laid  the  foundation  of  his  education.  Sub- 
sequently he  attended  one  year  in  Wyoming  and 
one  term  in  Harford,  Susquehanna  County.  His 
mother  had  meantime  married  again,  and  he  as- 
sisted his  step-father  in  farming  and  carpenter 
work.  In  1884  he  was  elected  constable  at  Clif- 
ford, and  afterward  did  all  the  work  of  the  sheriff 
in  that  part  of  the  county,  dem.onstrating  his  abil- 
ity in  that  line.  For  one  summer  he  had  charge 
of  construction  on  the  Ontario  Railroad.  Soon 
after  moving  to  Carbondale,  he  was  appointed 
on  the  police  force,  and  has  discharged  the  du- 
ties of  the  position  so  efificiently  as  to  suggest  his 
merited  promotion  to  more  remunerative  work. 

March  25,  1879,  ^^^-  ^^^1'  ^^'^^  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sarah  Hughes,  a  daughter  of 
Reese  Hughes,  whose  biography  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  daughters,  Mary,  Ruth,  and  Gertrude,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  years.  The  two  liv- 
ing daughters   are  being   given   all   the   advan- 


402 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tages  of  school  and  society,  and  attend  the  Pres- 
byterian Sunday-school.  Like  so  many  Scotch- 
men, Mr.  Pell's  father  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  strict  in  his  adher- 
ence to  all  of  its  doctrines.  While  our  subject  is 
not  actively  identified  with  this  denomination, 
he  is  interested  in  its  work  and  contributes  to 
its  maintenance.  Fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  the  Ileptasophs,  and  in  political  belief  is  a 
pronounced  Republican. 


EARL  M.  PECK,  superuitcndent  of  the 
lumber  department  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad  at  Carbondale,  was  born 
in  Aldcnvillc,  Clinton  Township,  Wayne  County, 
Pa.,  June  24,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  and 
Sallie  Ann  (King)  Peck,  natives  of  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, that  county.  The  Peck  family  was  repre- 
sented among  the  early  settlers  of  Connecticut, 
whence  our  subject's  grandfather,  Rev.  Elijah 
Peck,  a  native  of  Litchfield  County,  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  and  became  a  pioneer  preacher  of 
the  Baptist  Cliurch  in  Wayne  County  and  vicin- 
ity. The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Benjamin  King,  a  man  of  prominence  in  his 
day,  and  the  incumbent  of  a  number  of  local  of- 
fices, among  them  that  of  justice  of  the  peace. 

Born  in  1799,  Reuben  Peck  grew  to  manhood 
in  Wayne  County,  where  he  gave  his  attention 
to  farming  throughout  his  entire  active  life.  Like 
his  father,  he  was  a  believer  in  Baptist  doctrines 
and  an  earnest  worker  in  that  denomination.  For 
many  years  he  served  his  church  as  deacon  and 
took  the  lead  in  religious  work.  After  a  long 
and  useful  life,  he  died  at  the  home  farm  in  1870. 
From  that  time  his  widow  made  her  home  in 
Carbondale,  until  her  demise  in  1875.  Like  him, 
she  was  an  exemplary  mendier  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  Of  their  four  children,  one  died  in  in- 
fancy and  another  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years; 
Albert  R.  is  a  farmer  residing  at  Aldenville. 

The  early  years  of  our  subject's  life  were  passed 
on  the  home  farm,,  and  his  education  was  such 
as  the  common  schools  afiforded.  At  different 
times  while  a  boy  he  was  employed  in  various 
positions  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad. 
In  1865  he  came  to  Carbondale  to  accept  the  po- 


sition of  assistant  to  Emons  Eaton,  who  was  then 
in  charge  of  the  lumber  department,  and  a  feu- 
years  later  ^\as  promoted  to  be  superintendent  of 
that  department,  a  position  he  has  filled  ever  since 
with  marked  ability.  He  is  a  careful,  conserv- 
ative business  man,  and  guards  well  the  inter- 
ests of  the  company. 

In  1867  Mr.  Peck  married  Miss  Emeline  M. 
Ledyard,  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Pa.  They  are  the 
parents  of  an  only  son,  Emons  L.,  who  is  pre- 
paring for  the  medical  profession  in  Bucknel! 
l^niversity,  at  Lewisburg,  Pa.  Mrs.  Peck  is  a 
daughter  of  Hiram  Ledyard,  who  was  bom  in 
1802  and  is  still  living.  In  spite  of  his  advanced 
age  he  retains  the  use  of  all  his  faculties  except 
his  eyesight,  and  can  relate  many  interesting  in- 
cidents dating  back  to  the  War  of  1812.  For 
years  he  was  a  prominent  farmer  and  stockman  of 
Mount  Pleasant  and  held  a  number  of  local  of- 
fices there.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peck  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  has  been 
an  active  worker  and  a  deacon  for  many  years. 
In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat  and  is 
a  firm  believer  in  sound  money.  Outside  of  his 
connection  with  the  railroad  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  business  affairs  and  is  the  owner  of 
much  valuable  property-,  including  one  of  the 
finest  homes  in  the  citv. 


GEORGE  B.  BEACH,  M.  D.,  physician, 
at  No.  232  South  Main  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton,  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  has 
furnished  a  number  of  physicians  to  the  state, 
and  the  undoubted  talent  which  he  possesses  is 
his  by  inheritance.  His  father,  Dr.  W.  T.  Beach, 
was  formerly  a  practicing  physician  of  Scranton, 
and  is  still  engaged  in  professional  duties  at  Min- 
ersville.  Pa.  His  maternal  grandfather.  Dr.  G. 
W^.  Brown,  was  also  a  physician  of  superior  abil- 
ity and  skill,  and  had  an  office  for  many  years  in 
Port  Carbon,  this  state.  As  one  family  will  fur- 
nish generations  of  iron-workers,  another  of 
business  men,  so  the  Brown  and  Beach  families 
have  been  known  for  professional  ability,  and  na- 
ture has  given  their  members  a  predilection  for 
the  medical  science.  The  boyhood  years  of  George 
B.  Beach  were  spent  in  Port  Carbon,  Schuylkill 


rH'MMKR  S.   I'AGE. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


405 


County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  April  7,  1865. 
The  foundation  of  his  education  was  laid  in  the 
common  schools,  and  afterward  he  was  a  student 
in  Pottsville  high  school.  When  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  entered  the  office  of  his  grand- 
father in  Port  Carbon  and  under  his  careful  su- 
pervision gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
basis  of  medical  work.  Later  he  carried  on  his 
readings  in  Jefferson  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  April  5,  1886.  Some  years 
later,  wishing  to  perfect  himself  in  the  profession, 
he  took  a  post-graduate  course  of  lectures  in  the 
Philadelphia  School  of  Medicine. 

For  two  years  Dr.  Beach  held  the  position  of 
assistant  surgeon  in  the  state  hospital  at  Ashland, 
Pa.,  after  which  he  opened  an  office  at  Gordon 
and  remained  there  until  1893.  He  then  came 
to  Scranton  and  has  since  engaged  in  profession- 
al work  in  this  city.  In  1889,  while  in  Gordon, 
he  married  Miss  Carolyn  V.  Uhler,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Marie  K.  and  William  B.  He 
became  a  Mason  while  in  Ashland,  joining  Ash- 
land Lodge  No.  294,  F.  &  A.  M.  All  matters 
pertaining  to  his  profession  receive  earnest  con- 
sideration and  careful  thought.  His  period  of 
service  as  member  of  the  board  of  health  in  Gor- 
don was  instrumental  in  advancing  the  interests 
of  that  place.  He  is  identified  with  the  Schuyl- 
kill County  and  Pennsylvania  Medical  Associa- 
tions, and  by  the  perusal  of  medical  literature 
keeps  abreast  with  all  the  developments  in  the 
science. 


PLUMMER  S.  PAGE,  a  public-spirited  citi- 
zen of  Scranton,  has  made  his  mark  as  a 
railroad  contractor,  and  of  late  years  has 
given  his  attention  to  bettering  the  systems  of 
street-car  lines.  The  architect  of  his  own  for- 
tunes, he  has  also  found  time  to  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  many  of  his  fellowmen,  and  from  all  who 
know  him  he  ever  receives  the  highest  testimo- 
nials of  esteem  and  wishes  for  his  success. 

Our  subject's  father,  Augustus  Page,  was  born 
in  England,  and  when  a  young  man  he  emigrated 
to  Orange  Cotmty,  Vt.,  where  his  son  was  born 
on  the  old  farm,  near  Fairlie.  When  a  lad  of  only 
ten  years,  Plummer  Page  went  to  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  worked  at  farming  until  he 


was  seven  years  older,  at  the  same  time  attend- 
ing the  district  schools.  In  the  winter  of  1859- 
60  he  took  a  commercial  course  in  Eastman's 
Business  College  on  the  Hudson.  Afterwards  he 
went  to  Alexandria,  Va.,  and  from  there  to  the 
oil  regions  in  this  state.  In  1865  he  obtained  a 
position  as  general  manager  for  the  contractor  in 
the  construction  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad,  then  building  a  line  from  Scranton  to 
Wilkesbarrc.  With  that  company  he  stayed  for 
more  than  a  year,  then  going  into  business  for 
himself  as  a  contractor  of  grading  and  paving 
and  turnpike  work.  About  1869  he  took  a  con- 
tract on  the  Boonton  branch  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  when  that  was  com- 
pleted went  to  various  points  as  his  work  re- 
quired. The  elevated  roads  in  New  York  City 
next  claimed  his  attention.  Next  he  built  the 
road  connecting  the  elevated  road  with  the  New 
York  City  &  Northern  at  High  Bridge ;  then  the 
Binghamton  extension  from  that  city  to  Buffalo; 
and  the  Erie  and  Wyoming  branch  between  Pitts- 
ton  and  Hawley. 

With  his  wide  experience  Mr.  Page  now  sought 
to  interest  capital  in  the  Wilkesbarre  &  Western 
road.  Tn  company  with  R.  T.  McCabe  he  bought 
the  People's  Street  Railroad  of  Luzerne  County, 
and  afterwards  absorbed  the  Scranton  passenger 
railway  and  the  suburban  street  railway,  putting 
in  the  latest  system  of  electricity.  After  about 
thirty  miles  of  track  had  been  laid  and  everything 
was  in  fine  order,  they  sold  out  to  the  Scranton 
Traction  Company.  At  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  Mr. 
Page  built,  in  connection  with  C.  D.  Simpson, 
the  Cortland  and  Homer  Traction  Company's 
line,  of  which  he  is  the  vice-president.  He  was 
president  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley  Traction 
Company,  whose  tracks  extend  from  Winton  to 
Dunmore,  and  held  a  like  position  in  the  Scran- 
ton Suburban  Company,  which  was  merged  in 
the  Scranton  Traction  lines  under  the  name  of 
the  Scranton  Railway  Company.  Besides  these 
he  assisted  in  building  the  Scranton  and  Pittston 
Traction,  which  is  Hearing  completion. 

In  this  city,  in  1867,  Mr.  Page  married  Miss 
Louise  A.  Whitaker,  formerly  of  Waverly,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  sons,  William  A.  and  James  W., 
both  residents  of  Scranton.     Mrs.  Page   is  the 


4o6 


PO 1 


Air    A\I)    lUOGRAI'llKAl,    Rl'.CORI). 


daughter  of  jaiiics  ami  Liiciiula  W'hiiakcr,  who 
were  natives  of  New  York.  Mr.  Page  is  a  member 
of  the  Scranton  board  of  trade,  and  has  his  busi- 
ness office  in  the  Mears  building.  He  may  well  be 
congratulated  for  the  grand  success  he  has  made 
of  his  great  scheme  for  the  improvement  of  our 
city  railways,  which  were  far  behind  those  of 
progressive  t(3\\ns  until  he  became  interested  in 
them.  He  is  a  member  of  the  P>enevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Politically  he  has  al- 
wa\s  been  a  Republican. 


JC.i.'^I.AIt  D.  CARYL,  proprietor  of  a  res- 
taurant at  \'o.  505  Linden  Street,  Scranton, 
and  sui)erintendent  of  the  Nay-Aug  Coal 
Company  at  Dunmore,  was  born  in  Lewisville, 
St.  Lawrence  County,  X.  ^'.,  June  6,  1843.  The 
familv  was  first  represented  in  St.  Lawrence 
Countv  by  his  grandfather,  Amos  Caryl,  a  na- 
tive of  X'ermont.  whence  he  removed  to  New 
York  and  engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  In  his 
removal  he  was  acconi]ianied  by  his  son.  Jona- 
than D.,  a  native  of  Rutland  County,  Vt..  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  who  spent  his  entire  active 
life  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  dying  there  at  fifty 
years  of  age.  His  wife,  Emily  Claik.  who  was 
born  in  Rutland  County.  Vt.,  the  daughter  of  a 
farmer  there,  dierl  in  Pennsylvania  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five.  (Jf  their  family  four  sons  and  two 
daughters  attained  mature  \ears.  and  all  are  still 
living  except  one  daughter. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  young- 
est member  of  the  family,  was  reared  in  St.  Law- 
rence Comity,  but  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  in  1861, 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  secured  work  as  fore- 
man in  the  track  dejiartment  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  road.  .Shortly  after- 
ward, responding  to  a  call  for  men  in  the  con- 
struction corps,  he  volunteered  under  Col.  E.  N. 
Wentz,  and  was  sent  with  others  to  Alexandria, 
thence  to  L<_nidon,  Teun.,  where  he  remained  for 
four  months.  (  )n  account  of  a  severe  illness  he 
was  l)rought  home,  where  he  was  obliged  to  re- 
main for  a  year,  tmable  to  work.  On  his  recov- 
ery he  went  back  to  New  York  and  stayed  a 
short  time,  then  returning  to  Scranton  he  began 
work  in  the  construction  of  what  is  now  the  Del 
aware  &  Hudson  Railroad.     ( )n  the  completion 


t)f  the  work  he  became  foreman  of  a  section, 
later  was  made  outside  foreman  at  Laurel  Run 
and  soon  afterward  was  transferred  in  the  same 
capacity  to  Baltimore  colliery  No.  3.  After  six 
months  he  resigned  this  position  and  came  with 
Filer,  Alarsh  &  Reilly  to  the  Oak  Hill  breaker, 
near  Moosic. 

Two  years  were  spent  there,  after  which  Mr. 
Caryl  was  transferred  to  .Spring  Brook  collierv 
at  iMoosic,  and  from  there  to  a  new  breaker  oper- 
ated by  the  same  company.  In  1886  he  went  to 
Forest  City,  Pa.,  as  assistant  superintendent  of 
the  I'orest  City  and  Clifford  collieries,  and  re- 
mained tli(!re  for  nine  years,  resigning  in  1894. 
after  having  been  in  the  employ  of  the  same  com- 
pany for  twenty-one  years.  In  the  vear  men- 
tioned he  bought  out  the  restaurant  of  M.  J. 
Mitchell  at  No.  505  Linden  Street,  and  this  he 
remodeled  and  enlarged  and  has  since  conducted. 
In  December,  1805,  he  accepted  the  position  of 
superintendent  of  the  Nay-Aug  Coal  Company 
in  Dunmore,  which  had  been  in  operation  about 
a  year  and  has  a  breaker,  two  slopes  and  one 
tunnel. 

In  Madrid,  .St.  Lawrence  County,  Mr.  Caryl 
married  Miss  Sylvia  E.  .Stearns,  who  was  born 
there,  and  died  in  Moosic,  Pa.  Thev  had  two 
children,  namely:  Ernest,  who  is  with  the  Hill- 
side Coal  il-  Iron  Company ;  and  Harry,  at  home. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Caryl  took  place  in 
Moosic.  his  wife  being  Miss  Florence  E.  Dolj:)!!, 
a  native  of  Spring  I'rook  Township,  Luzerne 
County,  and  a  descendant  of  French  ancestry, 
the  family  name  having  originallv  been  DeWolf. 
Two  daughters  bless  this  union,  Edna  Dolph  and 
Florence  E.  Mrs.  Carxl  was  the  fifth  among  ten 
children,  of  whom  eight  attained  maturity  and 
seven  are  living.  .She  was  reared  in  .Spring 
Brook  Township,  and  is  a  lady  of  good  business 
<|ualifications,  which  fact  is  proved  by  her  effi- 
cient management  of  the  restaurant. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Caryl,  Warren  Dolph,  was 
born  in  lUakely  Township,  this  county,  a  son  of 
Alexander  Dolph,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
a  pioneer  farmer  of  I'lakely  Township.  Warren 
was  in  earl)  life  a  farmer,  later  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Luzerne  County,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Moosic.  where  he  is  now  living,  at  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


407 


age  of  seventy-six.  He  is  an  expert  bee  hunter, 
a  splendid  shot,  and  fond  of  hunting  game.  Hi.s 
wife,  who  is  one  year  his  junior,  was  Betsey  A. 
Aylsworth,  a  native  of  Blakely  Township,  her 
father,  Frankhn  Aylsworth,  having  come  here 
from  Rhode  Island. 


WILLIAM  THOMAS,  master  mechan- 
ic for  William  Connell  &  Co.,  at  No. 
1914  Cedar  Avenue,  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Pontypool,  Monmouthshire,  South 
Wales  (now  England),  May  24.  1836,  the  son  of 
John  and  Jane  (James)  Thomas,  natives  of 
Nant-y-glo,  Glamorganshire,  and  Pontypool, 
Monmouthshire,  respectively.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  William  Thomas,  who  was  a  super- 
intendent of  furnace,  crossed  the  ocean  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one  and  until  his  death  five  years 
later  made  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Margaret  Davis,  who  had  settled  at  Merion  Sta- 
tion, Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  about  1840.  Our 
subject  came  to  this  country  in  June,  1865,  but 
did  not  know  the  exact  whereabouts  of  his  rela- 
tives, and  failed  to  find  them  until  twenty  years 
afterward. 

The  active  life  of  John  Thomas  was  principally 
passed  as  a  master  moulder  in  Pen  Twyn,  Mon- 
mouthshire, England,  and  he  died  in  1848,  at  the 
age  of  about  forty  years.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
daughter  of  William  James,  a  collier  of  Ponty- 
pool, joined  Jier  children  in  America  and  died  at 
Minooka  when  seventy-four  years  old.  Of  her 
five  children,  three  attained  years  of  maturity: 
William;  Mrs.  Margaret  Thomas,  of  Minooka; 
and  Mrs.  Catherine  Seal,  of  Rendham,  this  coun- 
ty. The  childhood  \ears  of  our  subject  were 
passed  in  Pontypool  until  he  was  nine  years  of 
age,  when,  in  1845,  he  accompanied  his  father  to 
Rouen,  T^>ance,  and  remained  there  and  in  Le 
Havre  de  Grace  until  the  Revolution  of  1848.  In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  his  father  died  at  Wat- 
ford near  London,  where  he  had  been  employed 
as  master  moulder. 

The  poverty  of  the  family  obliged  our  subject 
to  begin  to  earn  his  livelihood  at  a  very  earlv 
age,  and  for  six  years  he  was  engaged  as  a  work- 
man in  machine  shops,  where  he  learned  the  en- 
gineer's trade.     In  1865  he  took  passage  on  the 


steamer,  "Kangaroo,"  at  Liverpool  and  arrived 
in  New  York  after  a  voyage  of  fourteen  days, 
proceeding  from  there  to  Danville,  Montour 
County,  Pa.  After  a  year  there,  in  1866  he  went 
to  Minooka  as  an  employe  of  Hon.  William  Con- 
nell, with  whom  he  has  since  remained.  For  fouj 
days  he  was  a  laborer  in  the  old  Stafford  minei 
and  was  there  noticed  by  Mr.  Connell,  who  said 
he  had  a  more  resi)onsible  position  for  an  en- 
gineer and  so  gave  him  employment  in  that  ca- 
pacity at  the  National  mines.  Soon  he  was 
promoted  to  be  outside  foreman  in  the  Stafford 
mines,  afterward  was  made  locomotive  engineer 
between  the  Meadow  Brook  and  National,  and 
in  1887  became  master  mechanic,  with  entire 
charge  of  construction.  He  now  resides  at  the 
William  Connell  homestead  in  Minooka. 

In  Glamorganshire  Mr.  Thomas  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Sullivan,  who  was  boni  in  Rhymney, 
Wales.  Her  father,  Jeremiah  Sullivan,  a  native 
of  Ireland  and  a  mechanic  by  trade,  came  to 
America  and  spent  his  last  days  in  Minooka, 
where  he  and  his  wife  died.  Of  ten  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas,  the  .following  are  living: 
^Nlrs.  Maggie  Keuster,  of  Minooka;  James,  who 
is  with  William  Connell  &  Co.;  Mrs.  Nellie 
Hewitt,  of  Scranton;  Harry,  also  with  William 
Connell  &  Co.;  Gertie;  William,  Jr.;  and  Maude, 
at  home.  Mary  J.,  wife  of  John  R.  Wilson,  died 
in  Minooka. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Thomas  has 
served  on  standing  county  cominittees  very  fre- 
quently and  has  been  delegate  to  county,  district 
and  state  conventions.  For  three  terms  he  was 
school  director  in  Lackawanna  Township  and 
served  as  secretary  of  the  board  most  of  that 
time.  In  Taylor  he  was  past  chancellor  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  past  noble  grand  of 
Taylor  Lodge  No.  668,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  past  officer 
in  the  encampment  at  Hyde  Park,  and  past  ofifi- 
cer  of  the  Order  of  Foresters,  but  retains  his  con- 
nection onlv  with  the  Odd  Fellows. 


H 


ENRY  C.  COMEGYS,  M.  D.  Since  ear- 
ly manhood  Dr.  Comegys  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine,  for 
many  years  in  his  native  town  of  Greensboro, 
Md.,  and  later  in  Scranton,  where  he  has  his  office 


4o8 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


at  Xo.  171  South  Main  Avenue.  Mis  long  years 
of  experience  have  given  him  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  science  and  of  the  varying  forms  of 
disease  to  which  the  human  flesh  is  heir.  In 
every  diagnosis  he  is  careful  and  accurate,  ex- 
pressing his  judgment  only  after  the  most  pains- 
taking study;  his  decisions,  therefore,  are  usually 
correct  in  every  essential. 

Born  April  7,  1833,  the  son  of  Cornelius  and 
Eleanor  M.  Comegys,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Greensboro,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  entered  Dickinson  College,  where  he  car- 
ried on  his  studies  for  some  time.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  his  literary  studies,  he  began  to  read 
medicine  with  Dr.  Goldsborough,  remaining  with 
that  gentleman  one  year.  He  then  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Mary- 
land, from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1854.  During  the  time  he  was  in  the  university 
he  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Miltenberger,  one  of 
the  professors  of  the  university.  Returning  to 
his  home  town,  he  opened  an  office  and  gradually 
built  up  a  profitable  practice,  which  consumed 
his  close  attention  during  the  following  years.  In 
1881  he  removed  to  Scranton  and  has  since  be- 
come well  known  among  the  physicians  of  this 
city.  During  the  late  war  he  was  for  a  year  in 
the  Union  service,  as  assistant  surgeon  of  Ha- 
mon  General  Hospital. 

The  position  of  pension  examiner,  which  Dr. 
Comegys  formerly  held,  was  tendered  him  dur- 
ing the  first  administration  of  President  Cleve- 
land. He  is  interested  in  educational  matters, 
and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
school  commissioners  for  some  time.  In  1858 
he  married  Miss  Helen  A.  Boon,  who  was  born 
in  Maryland,  the  daughter  of  John  Boon.  Thev 
are  the  parents  of  a  son  and  daughter:  Cornel- 
ius, attorney-at-law,  with  ofifice  in  the  Repub- 
lican Building,  Scranton;  and  Mary  G.,  at  home. 


ANDREW  J.  MAHON.  The  Emerald  Isle 
has  given  to  the  New  World  many  of  our 
best  and  most  respected  citizens,  intelli- 
gent business  men,  industrious  farmers  and  ener- 
getic workers  in  every    line  of  human    activity. 


Not  the  least  among  them  was  the  subject  of 
this  article,  for  many  years  a  successful  business 
man  of  Scranton  and  one  of  its  esteemed  citizens. 
ISorn  in  County  Sligo  in  1838,  his  life  from  the 
age  of  thirteen  years  was  spent  in  America,  and 
was  devoted  principally  to  mining  and  merchan- 
dising. Among  the  shafts  which  he  assisted  in 
sinking  were  Bellevue  No.  i,  Barrowman,  Tay- 
lor, Central  and  Oxford.  About  1879  he  opened 
a  store  at  No.  509  Third  Street,  where  he  carried 
on  a  large  mercantile  trade  until  his  death,  May 
15,  1894,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six. 

Thomas  Mahon,  our  subject's  father,  was  a 
freeholder  and  a  wealthy  man;  in  1852  he 
brought  his  family  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  Scranton,  where  he  became  the  owner  of 
much  valuable  real  estate.  By  his  marriage  to 
Ann  Kellian,  a  native  of  County  Sligo,  he  had  six 
children,  and  of  these  Andrew  J.  was  fourth  in 
order  of  birth.  In  the  schools  of  this  city  our 
subject  had  excellent  educational  advantages, 
and  through  study  and  observation  becaine  a 
man  of  broad  culture  and  information.  The  store 
which  he  occupied  was  built  by  himself,  as  were 
also  several  residences  in  the  fifteenth  and  ninth 
wards.  Though  prominent  in  the  Democratic 
party,  lie  never  aspired  to  office,  but  exerted  his 
influence  in  behalf  of  others. 

In  Scranton,  December  14,  1864,  Mr.  Mahon 
married  Miss  Rose  Coggins,  who  was  bora  in 
County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  grew  to  womanhood 
in  this  city,  which  she  has  seen  grow  from  a 
small  place  to  one  of  the  commercial  and  mining 
centers  of  the  state.  In  religious  belief  she  is  a 
Catholic  and  worships  at  St.  Peter's  Cathedral. 
Her  children  are  named  as  follows:  Mary  A., 
Mrs.  O'Malley,  of  Scranton;  John,  a  bookkeeper 
for  (Joldsmith  Brothers;  Mrs.  Catherine  Joyce, 
of  this  city;  Agnes,  James,  Rose  and  Leo,  who 
are  with  their  mother. 

Thomas  Coggins.  father  of  Mrs.  Mahon,  was 
born  in  County  Mayo,  the  son  of  James,  a  farm- 
er there.  In  1848,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
five  children  he  left  Liverpool  on  the  sailer 
"Elizabeth  Hamilton,''  and  after  a  voyage  of 
seven  weeks  and  three  days  landed  in  New  York. 
Thence  he  proceeded  to  Carbondale  and  built  a 
residence  into  which  his  family  moved.    Later  he 


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^^^^^^^^B/ 

^^^^l^j^v ' 

1 

I'KANCIS  S.    I'AI'M, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


411 


entered  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Minooka,  then  engaged  with  the  North 
Branch  Railroad,  afterward  located  in  Dunmore 
and  in  1854  settled  in  Bellevue,  where  he  was 
employed    bv    the    Delaware,    Lackawanna    & 
Western   Company.     He  died  July  4,   1850.  at 
fiftv-six  years  of  age.     His  wife,  Catherine  Ma- 
lonev,   was   born   in    County   Mayo,   where   her 
father,  Thomas  Maloney,  was  a  farmer.    She  died 
in  1874  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.     Their  children 
were  six  in  number:     Mrs.  Mary  Garvey,  who 
died  in  Scranton;    John,  now  a  butcher  in  this 
city,  who  served  through  the  war  as  a  member 
of  the  Sixth  United  States  Infantry;    Michael, 
who  enlisted  at  the  f^rst  tap  of  the  drum  in  1861 
for  three  months,  becoming    a  member    of  the 
Eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  Company  D,  and 
serving  one  hundred   and   ten   days   altogether, 
when  he  was    honorably    discharged;    Thomas, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Second  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry  and  was  quartermaster  sergeant  until  his 
death  at  City  Point,  while  on  the  march;    Rose, 
Mrs.  Mahon;    and  Mrs.  Ann  Gannon.^  who  was 
born  in  Scranton  and  died  here. 

In  1891  Mr.  Mahon  took  a  brief  vacation  from 
business  cares  and  crossed  the  ocean  to  his  old 
home  in  Ireland,  visiting  the  places  and  scenes 
familiar  to  him  in  boyhood.  Before  returning  to 
this  country,  he  had  the  privilege  of  kissing  the 
"blarney  stone."  He  had  many  warm  friends 
among 'the  people  of  Scranton,  to  whom  his 
noble  character  commended  him.  Personally  he 
was  a  man  of  splendid  physique,  large,  slender 
and  well-built.  He  possessed  undaunted  cour- 
age and  while  mining  often  undertook  the  most 
dangerous  jobs,  which  others  refused  to  attempt; 
more  than  once  he  experienced  narrow  escapes 
when  sinking  shafts,  but  even  the  greatest  danger 
did  not  cause  him  to  lose  his  self-reliance  and 
courage. 

FRANCIS  S.  PAULI,  the  oldest  surviving 
resident  of  Green  Ridge,  Scranton,  has 
been  identified  with  the  history  of  this  lo- 
cality since  1857  and  for  years  was  an  energetic 
and  capable  business  man,  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired.   He  attained  his  present  position  by  the  ex- 


ercise of  perseverance  and  economy.    When  he 
began  in  life  for  himself,  it  was  with  a  determina- 
tion to  deny  himself  luxuries  and  save  his  earn- 
ings.   This  he  did,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
his  parents  were  wealthy  and  could  have  assisted 
him  financiallv  if  necessary.     As  a  result  of  his 
economy  and  activity,  he  is  now  the  possessor 
of  an  ample  fortune,  a  large  part  of  which  was 
trained  while  in  the  mercantile  business. 
""  Mr.  Pauli  was  born  in  Reading,  Pa.,  March  28. 
1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  J.  and  Sarah  (Schein- 
felter)  Pauli,  natives  of  the  same  city  as  himself. 
His  grandfather,  Johannes  Pauli,  who  was  bom 
in  Magdeburg.  Germany,  came  to  America  when 
a  young  man  and  settled  in  Philadelphia,  becom- 
ing professor  in  a  college  there.    Later  he  went 
to  Reading,  where  he  died.    In  addition  to  being 
a  f^ne  linguist  and  classical    scholar,    he  was  a 
preacher  in  the  German  Reformed  Church.    Dur- 
ing the  War  of  181 2  he  went  to  the  front  in  de- 
fense of  American  interests. 

When  the  coal  mines  first  began  to  be  devel- 
oped Lewis  Pauli  sold  his  mercantile  business 
and  located  the  present  site  of  Pottsville,  which 
he  and  a  few  others  owned.  There  for  a  time 
he  engaged  in  coal  mining,  thence  went  to  Phila- 
delphia, then  to  Easton,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four.  His  wife,  at  the  time  of  mar- 
riage, received  quite  a  fortune  from  her  father, 
who  had  become  wealthy  through  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  copper  guard.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church;  her  four  children  were  reared 
in  the  German  Reformed  faith.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  Philadelphia  prior  to  the  demise  of  her 

husband. 

The  childhood  days  of  our  subject  were  passed 
in  Reading,  Pottsville  and  Philadelphia,  where 
he  was  educated  in  private  schools.  About 
1843  he  began  in  the  mercantile  business  near 
Pottsville,  where  he  remained  for  some  time. 
From  Pottsville  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
thence  in  1857  came  to  Scranton  and  opened  a 
store  in  Lackawanna  Avenue.  Later  he  built  a 
block  at  Nos.  225-227,  the  same  street,  where 
lie  continued  for  many  years,  closing  out  the 
business  in  1881.  Since  then  he  has  given  his 
attention  to  his  real  estate  interests.  He  bmlt 
his    residence    at  No.  1554    Sanderson    Avenue, 


412 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wliich  was  one  of  the  first  houses  in  Green 
Ridge.  His  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Eas- 
ton,  united  him  with  Miss  Martha  Young,  of  that 
city,  and  the\  are  the  jjarents  of  a  daughter,  Mar- 
garet V.  Tile  family  attend  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Green  Ridge. 

L'ntil  the  war  Mr.  Pauli  affiliated  with  the 
Democrats,  but  since  then  he  has  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  Easton 
he  became  an  Odd  Fellow,  but  did  not  transfer 
his  membership  to  the  lodge  here.  As  a  busi- 
ness man,  he  was  known  as  a  successful  dealer 
in  hats  and  gents'  furnishing  goods  and  furs,  car- 
rying a  heavy  stock  in  each  of  these  lines.  Though 
not  actively  engaged  in  any  enterprise,  it  requires 
a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  to  oversee  his 
various  property  interests,  from  which  he  re- 
ceives a  comj>etency. 


CJ  IARLE.S  ZANG  was  a  capable,  efflcient 
Inisiiiess  man  of  Scranton  from  the  time 
of  his  arrival  in  this  city  until  the  date  of 
liis  deatii.  Of  German  birth  and  parentage,  he 
possessed  the  energy  and  perseverance  charac- 
teristic of  his  nationality,  and  these  qualities, 
backed  by  unwavering  honesty,  were  the  founda- 
tion stones  of  his  business  prosperity.  Through 
his  efforts,  in  conjunction  with  those  of  his  part- 
ner, he  built  u\i  the  firm  of  Zang  &  Kapmeyer, 
his  interest  in  which  is  now  owned  by  his  widow. 
A  native  of  Oberstein,  Germany,  Charles  was 
the  son  of  Carl  Zang,  and  was  one  of  a  family 
of  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  the 
first  of  the  number  to  cross  the  ocean  and  after- 
ward was  joined  Ijy  his  father,  who  died  here  at 
the  age  of  sixty-one.  Having  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade  in  his  native  land,  Charles  emigrated 
to  America  in  1867  and  at  nncc  settled  in  Scran- 
ton, where  he  took  a  position  in  the  steel  mill  of 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company.  Later 
he  was  with  E.  Robinson's  Sons  for  some  time. 
In  February,  1889,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
F.  Kapmeyer  in  the  bottling  business  and  con- 
tinued thus  engaged  until  his  death,  September 
21,  1896,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight.  Fraternally 
he  was    identified  with    the    Heptasophs,   Turn 


\'erein,  .Sangerljunde.  Benevolent  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks,  a  charter  member  and  past  officer  of 
the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  past  offi- 
cer of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
.Shortly  after  coming  to  Scranton  he  identified 
himself  with  the  Hickory  Street  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  remained  an  active  member  of  that 
congregation  until  his  death.  This  religion  had 
also  been  tlic  faith  of  his  forefathers. 

November  5,  1879,  in  this  city,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Air.  Zang  to  Miss  Lena  Weinick, 
who  was  liorn  in  Germany,  the  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Elizabeth  (Wurtz)  Weinick,  natives  of  the 
same  place  as  herself.  Her  father,  who  was  the 
son  of  Philip  Weinick,  a  farmer,  followed  agi-i- 
cultural  pursuits  until  his  death  at  fortv-two  vears. 
In  1857  the  widowed  mother  brought  the  children 
to  this  country,  and  from  New  York  City  came 
to  Scranton.  Of  the  five  children,  only  two  are 
living.  Mrs.  Zang  was  reared  in  this  city  and  re- 
ceived public-school  advantages.  In  religion 
she  is  a  Presbyterian  and  a  member  of  the  Hick- 
ory Street.  Church.  Her  children,  three  in  num- 
ber, are  named  as  follows:  Charles,  who  married 
Miss  Lillie  Bortree  of  this  city,  and  since  his 
father's  death  has  looked  after  his  mother's  inter- 
est in  the  business:  Lena,  who  is  married  and 
lives  in  New  York;    and  Philip,  of  this  city. 


CLAUDE  R.  SMITH,  ticket  agent  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  at  Carbon- 
dale,  was  born  in  Bannerville,  Pa.,  June 
12,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Eleanor 
(Bilger)  Smith,  natives  respectively  of  Beaver 
Springs  and  Middleburg,  Pa.  His  father,  who 
for  some  years  was  engaged  as  a  country  mer- 
chant at  Barnwell,  passed  from  earth  in  March, 
1876,  when  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  and  the 
orphan  lad  afterward  made  his  home  with  his 
maternal  grandfather,  John  Bilger,  who  was  sta- 
tion agent  for  the  Pemis\'lvania  Railroad  at  Mid- 
dleburg, Pa.  Going  in  the  office  witli  him,  he 
learned  telegraphy  and  as  he  was  an  apt  i)U]iil 
he  soon  mastered  the  art.  At  the  age  of  tliirteen 
he  was  given  charge  of  the  telegraph  office  at 
\'ail  Station  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  and 
afterward  worked  in  different  capacities  on  four 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


413 


divisions  of  that  road.  For  a  time  he  was  night 
ticket  agent  at  the  Pine  Street  station,  Williams- 
port,  Pa. 

In  August.  1888,  Mr.  .Smith  made  an  applica- 
tion to  the  superintendent,  Rollin  Manville,  for  a 
position  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad, 
and  the  latter,  becoming  interested  in  the  youth, 
told  him  he  would  give  him  a  trial  and  sent  him, 
as  telegraph  operator,  to  the  little  station  of  Mill 
Creek.  So  satisfactory  was  the  result  that  the 
superintendent  a  few  weeks  later  called  him  to 
Carbondalc  and  made  him  ticket  agent  at  the 
Union  station.  This  position  he  has  held  since 
September  19,  1888.  On  the  ist  of  February, 
1896,  when  the  company  occupied  the  new  city 
station,  he  was  put  in  charge  of  both  stations, 
with  his  headquarters  in  the  new  depot. 

A  thorough  and  faithful  business  man,  and 
well  informed  in  every  department  of  railroad- 
ing, Mr.  Smith  has  the  confidence  of  his  su- 
periors and  guards  well  their  interests.  His  long 
experience  makes  his  services  especially  valuable 
to  the  company,  who  appreciate  his  fidelity  to 
them.  While  he  is  not  a  partisan,  he  always 
votes  the  Republican  ticket  and  upholds  the  prin- 
ciples of  that  party.  In  1892  he  married  Miss 
Isabelle  A.  Andrew,  of  Carbondale,  by  whom  he 
has  two  children,  Cecil  Raymond  and  Eleanor 
Charlotte. 


M 


ICHAEL  J.  LEONARD,  of  Scranton, 
has  passed  his  entire  life  in  this  city, 
where  he  was  born  July  23,  1863.  The 
family  of  wliich  he  was  second  in  order  of  birth 
consists  of  six  children  now  living,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Xora  (Wills)  Leonard.  The 
former,  who  came  to  Scranton  in  early  manhood, 
secured  work  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company,  and  continued  with 
them  throughout  his  entire  active  life,  being  a 
practical  miner.  He  died  in  1894:  his  widow  is 
still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  Providence. 

Reared  to  manhood  in  the  city  where  he  was 
born,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  Providence. 
As  a  boy  he  began  to  work  for  a  livelihood,  se- 
curing a  position  as  slate  picker  in  the  breakers, 


principally  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company.  At  length,  through  experience,  he 
became  a  practical  miner,  but  in  1889  discon- 
tinued work  at  that  occupation  and  began  in  the 
bottling  business  in  Scranton.  In  April,  1892, 
he  opened  the  Leonard  Hotel,  a  three  story  build- 
ing situated  at  No.  113  West  Market  Street,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  the  owner  and  proprie- 
tor. Besides  this,  he  is  interested  m  other  prop- 
erty, principally  the  three-story  building  adjoin- 
ing his  hotel  at  No.  1 1 1  West  Market  Street. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Leonard  took  place  in 
Providence  and  united  him  with  Bridget,  daugh- 
ter of  Patrick  Walsh,  of  Wayne  County.  They 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  daughter,  Mary. 


JAMES  J.  O'MALLEY,  who  for  some  years 
has  been  a  successful  business  man  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city  July  28, 
i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Bridget  (Casey) 
O'Malley.  His  father,  who  came  here  in  1852, 
took  a  position  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  and  remained  in  that  con- 
nection continuously  until  1877.  He  then  went 
to  West  \'irginia  and  for  five  years  engaged  in 
farming  in  that  state,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Scranton  and  has  since  been  an  employe  in  the 
masonry  department  of  the  same  road.  By  his 
marriage  he  had  eight  children,  but  only  three 
are  living,  and  of  these  James  J.  is  the  eldest. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  his  educa- 
tion, in  the  public  schools,  and  when  only  nine 
years  of  age  began  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  Belle- 
vue  breaker.  The  occupation,  while  very  weary- 
ing, was  doubtless  of  advantage  to  him  in  instill- 
ing into  his  life  habits  of  industry  that  were  most 
useful  in  succeeding  years.  After  a  time  he  was 
made  a  driver  in  connection  with  the  mines. 
February  i.:!,  1882,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Thomas  H.  Walsh,  of  Fifth  Avenue,  in 
the  grocery  business,  and  while  acting  in  that  ca- 
pacity gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  business 
methods.  Feeling  sufficiently  familiar  with  the 
work  to  start  for  himself  independently,  in  Janu- 
ary of  1886  he  opened  a  store  at  No.  441  Rail- 
road Avenue,  where  he  has  since  built  up  a  large 
trade  in  groceries.    In  September,  1896,  he  added 


414 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  his  Inisiness  tliat  of  agent  for  Mrs.  ]\lary 
Cusick  in  the  Hvery  and  undertaking  business, 
though  continuing  to  give  his  personal  attention 
to  mercantile  matters.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Peter's  Cathedral  and  the  Catholic  Mutual  Be- 
nevolent Association,  while  in  politics  he  is  firm 
in  his  allegiance  to  Democratic  principles  and 
has  served  on  the  county  committee  of  his  party. 
At  Avoca,  Luzerne  County.  January  6,  1891,  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Walsh,  who  was  born  in 
Moosic,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Martin,  Mary,  Kathleen  and  James. 


SAMUEL  F.  LINGFELTER,  engineer  on 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad,  with 
residence  at  No.  26  Birkett  Street,  Carbon- 
dale,  was  born  in  New  York  City,  June  13,  1845, 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  among  the  children 
of  Samuel  F.  and  Sarah  A.  (Shaw)  Lingfelter. 
For  particulars  in  regard  to  the  family  history, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  biography  of  John  H. 
Lingfelter.  He  was  a  child  of  four  years  when 
the  family  moved  to  Uniondale  and  in  1853  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  settling  on  a  farm  near  Elkdale,  where  his 
childhood  dr.ys  were  passed.  The  death  of  his 
father,  October  13,  i860,  obliged  him  to  become 
self-supp'>rting  at  an  early  age,  though  even 
previous  to  that  he  had  worked  in  the  employ  of 
others.  In  fact,  as  early  as  ten  years  of  age  he 
hired  out  to  a  farmer  by  the  month,  and  for  a 
time  was  paid  $6  for  his  services.  Later  he  tilled 
the  soil  of  the  home  farm  until  his  enlistment  in 
the  Union  army. 

The  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  aroused  Mr. 
Lingfelter,  with  every  loyal  citizen,  to  a  realization 
of  the  danger  threatening  the  Union,  and  he  at 
once  desired  to  enlist,  but  the  fact  that  he  was 
not  yet  of  age  detained  him  for  a  time  and  pre- 
vented him  from  entering  the  service  with  his 
older  brothers.  At  last,  however,  his  desire  was 
gratified  and  he  entered  Company  E,  One  Hun- 
dred and  I'orty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
During  the  battle  of  Gettysliurg  he  was  taken 
very  ill  and  was  sent  to  the  hospital,  but  failing 
to  recover,  was  honorably  discharged  on  account 
of  disability  August  23,   1863,  returning  to  his 


home  at  Elkdale.  In  February,  1864,  he  had 
sufficiently  regained  his  health  to  enable  him  to 
again  enter  the  service  and  this  he  did,  on  the 
14th  of  the  month,  accompanied  by  a  brother, 
and  joining  the  company  of  his  older  brother. 
Among  the  many  engagements  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated were  those  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsyl- 
vania.  North  Ann  River,  Cold  Harbor  and  Peters- 
burg (June  18,  1864).  He  was  in  the  main  line 
formed  in  front  of  Petersburg  and  remained  there 
until  the  battle  of  Weldon  Railroad. 

It  was  a  regulation  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
that  four  soldier  brothers  having  a  widowed 
mother  were  entitled  to  a  fifteen  days  furlough 
for  one  of  the  number.  The  captain,  brother  of 
Samuel  F.,  secured  for  the  latter  a  furlough, 
which  he  used  and  then  returned  for  duty.  Mean- 
time great  changes  had  occurred  in  the  war,  and 
his  company  and  regiment  had  been  ordered  from 
one  place  to  another,  so  that  it  required  consid- 
erable time  for  him  to  find  them,  but  at  last  he 
reached  them  at  Hart's  Island,  where  he  remained 
until  June  10.  Two  days  later  he  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Harrisburg  and  then  went  to 
Wilkesbarre,  where  the  colonel  of  the  regiment 
resided.  The  citizens  received  the  soldiers  with 
the  greatest  warmth,  and  tendered  them  an  ele- 
gant reception  with  accompanying  banquet  and 
other  tokens  of  regard. 

June  13,  ]866,  on  the  twenty-first  anniversary 
of  his  birth,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  married 
Abigail  M.  Cole,  of  Susquehanna  County.  In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Carbondale 
and  secured  work  in  the  carshops  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company.  Later  he  was 
employed  as  mine  carpenter  for  a  year  and  then 
removed  to  Scranton,  where  he  worked  as  fire- 
man for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroad  Company  for  eighteen  months.  Return- 
ing to  this  city,  he  was  similarly  employed  for  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  until  1877,  after  which  he 
worked  on  the  home  farm  for  a  year,  and  then 
went  back  to  the  road.  In  1878  he  went  to  Kan- 
sas, where  he  was  employed  in  building  tanks  for 
the  Santa  Fc  road,  but  after  five  and  one-half 
years  he  came  back  to  Carbondale,  and  resumed 
work  as  a  fireman  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson, 
continuing  in  that  capacity  until  1886,  when  he 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


415 


was  given  an  engine,  and  has  since  rendered  effi- 
cient service  as  an  engineer.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Broth- 
erhood of  Locomotive  Engineers,  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  W.  H.  Davis  Post 
No.  187,  G.  A.  R.,  and  was  formerly  connected 
with  the  encampment  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  of  Kansas. 


PROF.  MICHAEL  J.  KETRICK  is  one  of 
the  leaders  in  the  educational  field  of  effort 
in  our  enterprising  and  progressive  city  of 
Scranton.  To  attain  success  and  prominence  in 
one's  calling  before  reaching  middle  life  falls  to 
the  lot  of  comparatively  few  men.  Many  things 
conspire  to  the  much  desired  end,  but  in  the 
main  they  lie  along  the  line  of  patient,  persever- 
insT  and  faithful  labor.  To  a  student  of  human 
nature  there  is  nothing  more  interesting  than  to 
examine  the  life  history  of  a  successful  man  and 
to  analyze  those  principles  which  have  made  him 
pass  many  on  the  highway  of  life  and  reach  a 
position  of  prominence  in  the  community. 

Professor  Ketrick  is  the  next  to  the  eldest  of 
the  family  of  Lacky  and  Mary  (Lavelle)  Ketrick 
and  has  three  brothers  and  three  sisters  living. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ireland  and  was  engaged 
in  farming  there  until  the  spring  of  1863,  when 
with  his  wife  and  children  he  left  the  old  home  to 
seek  a  new  one  in  America.  Taking  up  his  abode 
in  Scranton,  he  became  an  employe  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company  and  subsequently 
went  to  tlie  Cliff  works.  He  lived  a  very  active 
and  useful  life  and  was  called  to  his  final  rest 
when  about  seventy-two  years  old.  The  faithful 
wife  and  mother  is  still  living. 

The  birth  of  Professor  Ketrick  took  place 
March  22,  1859,  and  he  was  therefore  but  four 
years  of  age  when  he  left  his  native  Ireland. 
They  sailed  from  Liverpool  and  were  upon  the 
great  sea  some  six  weeks,  landing  at  last  safely 
in  New  York.  When  he  had  reached  the  proper 
age  he  was  sent  to  the  public  schools  on  the 
south  side  of  Scranton,  and  afterward  entered 
Gardner's  Business  College,  where  he  completed 
the  commercial  course.  Thus  equipped  for  the 
practical  business  of  life  he  became  an  employe 


of  Swan  &  Price,  and  was  their  efficient  book- 
keeper for  a  period  of  three  years.  In  1879  ^^ 
graduated  from  the  Scranton  high  school  and 
then  entered  St.  Hyacinth's  College,  at  St. 
Hyacinth,  Canada. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Ketrick  contributed  to  the 
magazines  some  excellent  poems,  wliich  have 
since  been  published  in  an  elegant  work  en- 
titled the  "Social  and  Xationa!  Poets  of  America." 
After  a  year's  drill  and  study  in  Canada  he  re- 
turned to  Scranton  and  began  teaching,  at  the 
same  time  keeping  up  his  studies  in  Latin  and 
Greek.  Six  months  passed  and  he  was  then 
made  assistant  principal  of  Scranton  grammar 
school  No.  2,  and  was  transferred  at  the  close  of 
the  year  to  No.  20  school.  Here  his  services 
continued  for  six  years  and  for  a  similar  period 
he  was  next  principal  of  school  No.  6.  In  1894 
he  was  given  the  principalship  of  No.  10,  where 
we  find  him  at  this  writing. 

In  1888  Professor  Ketrick  became  secretary  of 
the  Meadow  Brook  Building  &  Loan  Associa- 
tion. January  I,  1895,  the  South  Scranton 
Building  &  Loan  Association  was  organized  and 
he  was  given  the  secretaryship  of  this  also,  both 
of  which  positions  he  still  holds.  His  office  is  at 
No.  810  Prospect  Avenue.  He  aims  to  keep 
thoroughly  up  to  the  times  in  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  erlucation  and  as  a  means  to  this  end  he 
belongs  to  Teachers'  Association  of  this  city. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum and  in  matters  of  political  moment  he  is 
independent.  At  Providence,  Mr.  Ketrick  and 
Miss  Annie  C.  Lahey  were  m.arried  in  1888.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Pittston  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Richard  Lahey,  a  retired  merchant  of  that  place. 
They  have  four  children:  Clarence,  Alice,  Mary 
and  Tessie,  and  reside  in  a  pleasant  home  in  Pros- 
pect Avenue. 


ROBERT  E.  WHITE,  who  has  been  ticket 
agent  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  at  Scranton  for  twenty-five  years 
or  more,  was  born  in  Prattsville,  Greene  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  February,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  James 
White,  whose  father  was  educated  in  Ireland  and 
became  a  prominent  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Greene  County,  N.  Y.     The  former,  in  youth 


4i6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


k-aniini;-  llio  trade  of  a  tanner  and  currier,  fol- 
lowed that  oceupatioii  in  New  York  State  and 
in  Wayniart.  Pa.,  to  which  jjlace  he  removed  in 
1861.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was  about 
sixty -five  years  of  age. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Julia  L.  \'an- 
denburgh,  a  native  of  Lexington,  N.  Y.,  and 
daughter  of  John  I.  \'andenburgh,  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  The  family  originated  in  Holland, 
and  was  represented  among  the  old  residents  of 
the  Hudson  \'alley.  ^Irs.  Julia  L.  White  died  in 
Adrian,  Mich.,  at  an  advanced  age.  Of  her  three 
sons,  Robert  E.  was  the  youngest.  He  was  a 
boy  of  eleven  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
father  to  Wayniart  in  1861  and  there  he  carried 
on  his  studies  in  the  public  schools.  After  ten 
years  in  that  place,  in  187 1  he  came  to  .Scranton 
and  took  a  position  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company  as  ticket  agent  and  operator  at 
the  \'ine  Street  station.  On  the  completion  of 
the  present  building,  he  was  placed  in  charge, 
and  is  now  ticket  and  baggage  agent  and  manag- 
er of  telegraphy  here,  with  thirteen  employes 
under  his  supervision. 

In  this  cil\-  Mr.  Wiiite  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Tally,  who  was  born  here.  They 
are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Robert  and 
Blythe.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  White  has 
allied  himself  with  the  Republican  party  and  uni- 
formly gives  his  allegiance  to  its  measures  and 
principles.  The  long  period  of  his  service  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  proves 
his  fidelity  to  every  duty,  h.is  integrity,  sound 
common  sense  and  business  qualifications. 


FERDINAND  HAGI-.N,  a  veteran  uf  the 
Eranco-Prussian  war.  is  a  contractor  and 
builder  and  owns  a  planing-mill  and  bo.K 
factory  at.  Nos.  526-528  Alder  .Street,  besides  a 
lumber  yard  at  Nos.  642-644  Prospect  Avenue, 
Scranton.  His  successful  business  has  been  built 
up  in  less  than  fourteen  years,  which  speaks  well 
for  the  diligence  and  untiring  energy  he  has  ever 
exercised  in  the  management  of  his  affairs. 

Our  subject's  father  was  John  P.  and  tlie 
grandfather  bore  the  Christian  name  of  lilazius. 
They  were  natives  of  Baden,  Germany,  the  form- 


er a  butcher  by  trade  and  the  latter  a  farmer. 
John  P.  Hagen  participated  in  the  revolution  of 
1848  and  was  a  valiant  soldier.  He  died  in  the 
Eatherland  at  the  good  old  age  of  seventy-three 
years.  His  wife,  Marie,  who  was  born  in  Gal- 
mansweil,  Baden,  was  a  daughter  of  Nepeniuk 
Foster,  a  very  prominent  man  in  his  locality,  and 
a  magistrate  in  the  town  of  Galmansweil.  Eight 
children  were  Ijorn  to  John  and  Marie  Hagen  and 
all  but  two  of  these  are  yet  living.  Four  of  the 
number  came  to  the  United  States.  Their  mother 
departed  this  life  when  she  had  attained  the  ripe 
age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Ferdinand  Hagen  was  born  in  the  same  prov- 
ince as  were  his  ancestors,  his  birth  occurring  in 
Wornsdorf,  October  16,  1846.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  in  that  village  until  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when  he  was  sent  to 
Worblingen  to  be  apprenticed  to  a  cabinet-mak- 
er, serving  for  three  years.  When  he  had  ac- 
complished the  details  of  the  trade  he  started  on 
his  own  account,  working  as  a  journeyman  in 
various  parts  of  Switzerland  and  Wnrtemberg. 
In  1867  he  entered  the  German  army  and  was  for 
three  years  with  the  Yaeger's  regiment.  At  the 
end  of  this  time  his  services  were  called  into 
requisition  in  the  great  Franco-Prussian  war  and 
in  the  dark  days  that  followed  he  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Weisenburg,  Wert,  Strausburg, 
Eteval  and  Nombardlis.  In  the  engagement  at 
Strausburg  he  was  wounded  three  times  in  forty- 
two  days,  and  October  6,  1870,  he  was  injured  in 
the  left  groin  and  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Eteval.  Then  he  returned  home,  where  it  took 
him  nearly  nine  months  to  recuperate  so  that  he 
might  go  back  to  his  conmiand.  He  was  laid  up 
afterwards  for  three  months  with  typhoid  fever 
and  when  he  reported  again  for  duty  he  was 
found  unfitted  for  the  hardships  of  the  soldier's 
life  and  was  honorably  discharged. 

In  February,  1873,  yoimg  Flagen  decided  to 
seek  his  livelihood  in  America  and  sailed  from 
I'.remen  to  New  York.  He  at  once  proceeded  to 
.'^cranton,  where  he  found  employment  with 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  for  a 
year.  He  next  went  into  the  woodworking  de- 
partment of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern carshops   and  was  considered   one   of  their 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


417 


most  reliable  employes  during  the  eight  years 
that  followed.  About  1883  he  concluded  to  em- 
bark in  business  for  himself  and  accordingly 
opened  a  turning  shop  on  the  south  side  of  Alaplc 
Street,  corner  of  Crown  Avenue.  Two  years 
afterwards  he  had  to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  his 
shop  and  removed  to  his  present  location,  and 
in  1894  he  opened  a  lumber  yard.  The  same 
year  he  took  his  son  into  partnership  with  him 
and  so  remarkably  has  their  trade  increased  that 
it  has  been  necessary  to  add  more  space  and  em- 
ploy more  men,  A  specialty  is  made  of  fine 
saloon  Sxtures,  counters,  cabinet-work  of  differ- 
ent kinds,  etc.  Several  of  the  nice  houses  on  the 
south  side  of  the  city  have  been  put  up  by  the 
firm  and  great  attention  is  devoted  to  furnishing 
interior  woodwork  showing  the  best  of  workman- 
ship. He  has  steam  power  to  run  his  machinery, 
and  work  is  given  from  twenty  to  thirty  hands. 

In  his  early  home  town  Mr.  Hagen  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Theodora  Hagen,  a  native  of 
the  same  place.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Fidel 
Hagen,  a  contractor  and  builder,  who.  though 
bearing  the  same  patronymic  as  our  subject,  was 
not  related  to  him.  A  family  of  seven  children 
came  to  grace  the  happy  home  of  the  worthy 
couple  and  were  named  as  follows;  Charles  A. 
who  is  a  partner  in  his  father's  business;  Katie 
M.,  Louisa,  Lena,  Anna,  William  and  Rosa.  Mr. 
Hagen  is  affiliated  with  several  fraternal  socie- 
ties and  is  well  known  for  his  public  spirit  and 
enterprise  throughout  the  city. 


ROSWELL  P.  PATTERSON,  the  head  of 
the  wholesale  grocery  house  of  R.  P.  Pat- 
terson &  Sons  at  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
H:amden,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  April  6,  1822. 
He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  Patterson,  a  native  of  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  who  came  to  this  country  in  early 
manhood  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  death  in  1837.  The  family  of  which 
he  is  a  member  consisted  of  himself  and  a  brother 
and  sister.  The  brother,  James,  who  was  born 
in  1819,  became  a  farmer  in  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  died  there  in  July,  1895.  The  sister, 
Harriet,  wife  of  Henry  Williams,  died  in  Col- 
chester, Delaware  County,  N.  Y. 


The  only  surviving  memljcr  of  the  family  is 
the  subject  of  this  narrative.  He  spent  his  early 
years  on  the  home  farm  in  Delaware  County, 
and  received  such  advantages  as  were  ofifered  by 
the  neighboring  district  schools.  When  a  young 
man,  in  1843,  l^*^  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  set- 
tled in  the  small  village  of  Prompton,  four  miles 
from  Honesdale,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel 
business.  However,  after  two  years  he  went  to 
Honesdale  and  carried  on  the  same  business  until 
1848.  During  that  year  he  remtjved  to  Waymart, 
and  carried  on  a  hotel  business  in  connection 
with  his  farming  interests  in  that  locality.  Later 
he  became  connected  with  a  tannery  and  also 
engaged  in  merchandising,  metting  with  con- 
tinued success  in  his  enterprises.  In  1874  he 
removed  to  Herrick  Center,  where  he  was  in- 
terested along  similar  lines  as  heretofore,  and  was 
for  several  years  postmaster  of  that  place.  Since 
1885  his  home  has  been  in  Carbondale,  and  in 
1887  he  transferred  his  business  interests  to  this 
place. 

In  1889  Mr.  Patterson  erected  the  large  build- 
ing in  Dundaff  Street,  where,  in  1890,  in  company 
with  his  sons,  he  established  the  wholesale  grocery 
house  that  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  successful 
and  flourishing  concerns  of  the  city.  Notwith- 
standing his  great  misfortune  in  having  almost 
lost  his  eyesight,  he  spends  a  portion  of  each  day 
in  the  oi'ficc  and  gives  careful  attention  to  the  de- 
tails of  the  business.  Besides  this,  he  is  inter- 
ested in  various  other  enterprises,  being  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  Miners  &  ^le- 
chanics  Bank,  a  large  stockholder  in  the 
Anthracite  Hotel  and  the  owner  of  a  val- 
uable farm.  His  success  is  all  the  more  com- 
mendable when  we  consider  that  he  started  in 
life  without  means  and  has  worked  his  way,  un- 
aided, to  a  position  among  the  substantial  men 
of  his  community.  In  early  years  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  since  the  disintegration  of  tb.at  party  has  af- 
filiated with  the  Republicans.  He  has  never  de- 
sired public  office  and  has  never  held  any  civic 
position  save  that  of  school  director. 

In  1848  Mr.  Patterson  married  Miss  Angeline, 
daughter  of  Leonard  Starkweather,  who  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  Waymart,  coming  there  from 
Connecticut.    They  are  the  parents  of  four  sons 


4i8 


PORTI^AIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  tour  (huightcrs.  naiiu-ly:  Matilda,  wife  of 
Charles  Scldager,  a  real  estate  man  in  Scranton; 
Isabel  and  Augustus  L.  (twins);  George  ]M., 
member  of  the  firm  of  R.  P.  Patterson  &  Sons; 
Harriet  K.,  wife  of  C.  E.  Spencer,  cashier  of  the 
Miners  .S;  .Mechanics  Bank,  they  being  the  par- 
ents of  three  living  children,  Malory,  Russell 
and  Margery:  Roswell  H..  a  graduate  of 
the  Philadelphia  Law  School  and  Cornell  Col- 
lege, and  now  a  inenihcr  of  ihc  firm  of  Patterson 
&  Wilcox,  attorneys  at  Scranton;  Nettie  E,  who 
married  Charles  !•".  Walter,  of  the  firm  of  Fow- 
ler. Dick  iK.-  Walter,  at  Wilkesbarre,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Gladys,  Grace  and  Karl; 
and  Levi  A.,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  now  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  R.  P.  Patterson  &  Sons. 
Isabel,  one  of  the  twins,  married  Charles  McMul- 
len,  of  Scranton,  brother  of  S.  A.  and  W.  J.  Mc- 
Mullen,  who  hold  responsible  positions  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  at  Carbondale.  Augustus 
L.,  the  other  twin,  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
R.  P.  Patterson  &  Sons,  married  Laura  Chum- 
ard,  of  Narrf)\vsburg,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and 
they  have  a  daughter,  Mildred.  George  M.  mar- 
ried Emma  L.  Babcock,  of  Illinois,  and  they  have 
had  five  children,  but  two  are  deceased,  the  others 
being  Helen,  Sardis  L.  and  Chester  A. 


M 


ICHAEL  HAND,  president  of  the  Lack- 
awanna Brewing  Company  and  one  of 
the  most  successful  business  men  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Ireland,  the  son  of  Owen 
and  Rose  (Dempsey)  Hand,  natives  of  County 
Monaghan.  His  father,  who  was  a  capable  fann- 
er, was  a  man  of  vigorous  constitution  and  great 
energy,  and  though  he  was  permitted  to  attain  an 
advanced  age  did  not  lose  his  physical  strength 
or  mental  vigor,  continuing  in  the  discharge  oi 
his  daily  duties  until  the  Last,  lie  passed  away  in 
1884,  when  eighty-four  years  of  age.  His  wife, 
who  died  in  middle  age,  was  the  daughter  of  a 
farmer,  and  had  numerous  relatives  that  were 
officers  in  the  English  army.  In  the  family  there 
were  twelve  children,  of  whom  three  remain  in 
Ireland,  three  came  to  Scranton,  a  sister  died  in 
Missouri,  and  a  brother,  John,  is  a  farmer  near 
McGregor,  Iowa. 


The  childhood  years  of  our  subject  were  passed 
on  the  home  farm  where  he  was  born,  in  Countv 
Monaghan,  near  the  Cavan  County  line.  His 
schooling  was  exceedingly  limited,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  he  began  to  "paddle  his  own  canoe." 
Going  to  Scctland,  he  secured  work  as  errand 
boy  under  a  railroad  contractor  near  Glasgow, 
and  continued  with  the  same  man  for  five  years. 
In  1849  he  took  passage  at  Liverpool  on  the  sail- 
er, "Star  of  the  West,"  and  after  a  voyage  of  three 
weeks  and  three  days,  during  which  time  a  severe 
storm  was  encountered,  he  landed  in  New  York. 
From  there  he  proceeded  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and 
secured  work  on  a  farm  for  $5  per  month.  In 
the  fall  be  began  an  apprenticeship  to  the  mason 
and  plasterer's  trade,  and  later  was  appointed  on 
the  police  force  of  Utica,  also  became  private 
watchman,  remaining  nineteen  years  in  the  same 
block.  During  this  time,  one  night  he  saw  a  ' 
burglar  escaping  from  Mr.  Tallman's  residence 
and  proceeded  to  arrest  him,  but  this  was  not  ac- 
complished without  trouble,  for  the  robber  tripped 
him  and  knocked  him  down,  but  after  a  severe 
tussle  the  officer  gained  the  advantage  and  was 
able  to  arrest  his  man,  who  was  afterwards  con- 
victed and  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary. 

Prior  to  his  resignation  from  the  police  force 
in  1874,  Mr.  Hand  became  connected  with  a 
brewery  business  and  was  afterward  made  man- 
ager of  the  Utica  Brewing  Company,  with  which 
he  was  financially  connected  until  1880.  The 
year  1883  witnessed  his  removal  to  .Scranton, 
where,  with  Walter  Van  Dyke,  he  built  a  brew- 
ery on  the  corner  of  Cedar  Avenue  and  Brooks 
Street.  This  has  a  capacity  of  about  fifty  thou- 
sand barrels,  and  is  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
nxanufacture  of  ale  and  porter.  In  1893  the 
firm  of  Hand  &  Van  Dyke  dissolved  partnership, 
and  Mr.  Hand  became  sole  proprietor  of  the 
brewery.  In  1890  he  Imilt  the  Meadow  Brook 
silk  mill  on  Brooks  and  Cedar,  and  with  this  he 
was  connected  until  1893,  when  he  sold  out.  In 
1896  he  organized  the  Lackawanna  Brewing 
Company,  of  which  he  is  the  president  and  prin- 
cipal stockholder.  This  is  a  large  brewery,  with 
modern  improvements,  commodious  cellar,  ice 
machines,  etc.,  and  has  a  capacity  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  barrels  per  year.     In  addition  to 


THKODORE  G.  WOLF. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


421 


the  brewery,  he  owns  real  estate  in  Scranton  and 
Utica. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Hand,  which  took 
place  in  Utica,  united  him  with  Bridget,  daughter 
of  Stephen  Connolly,  a  farmer  in  Ireland.  She 
died  in  Scranton,  leaving  four  children:  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Croghan,  whose  husband  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Lackawanna  Brewing  Company; 
Mrs.  Rose  Glennan,  of  Pittston,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Mary 
Ruthridge,  of  Scranton ;  and  Michael,  Jr.,  who  is 
associated  in  business  with  his  father.  In  1896 
Mr.  Hand  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs. 
Bridget  McCue,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Bridget  (McNemara)  Movies, 
who  resided  upon  a  farm  in  County  Mayo  until 
death,  the  former  passing  away  at  eighty  and  the 
latter  when  sixty-five.  Their  six  children  are 
still  living,  ]\Iichael  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  three 
daughters  in  Scranton,  a  daughter  and  son  in 
Ireland.  In  1873  Mrs.  Hand  came  to  Scranton, 
and  here  was  married  to  Richard  McCue,  a  con- 
tractor and  builder,  who  died  here  in  March,  1891, 
leaving  her  a  valuable  estate.  Their  four  chil- 
dren are  deceased,  Richard,  Mary,  Andrew  and 
John  J.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hand  attend  St.  Paul's 
Catholic  Church,  and  are  generous  contributors 
to  its  benevolences. 


THEODORE  G.  WOLF,  superintendent 
of  north  mills  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company,  and  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton since  1861,  was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  May  26, 
1844,  and  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and 
honored  families  of  the  state.  His  grandfather, 
George  Wolf,  seventh  governor  of  Pennsylvania, 
was  born  in  Allen  Township,  Northampton 
County,  August  12,  1777,  and  grew  to  manhood 
upon  the  farm  of  his  father,  who  had  come  to 
Pennsylvania  from  Germany.  His  education, 
which  was  broad  and  liberal  for  those  days,  was 
principally  obtained  in  the  classical  school  taught 
in  Northampton  County  by  a  graduate  of  Trin- 
ity College,  Dublin.  On  completing  his  studies, 
he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  prothonotary's 
office,  and  meantime  devoted  his  leisure  hours 
to  the  study  of  law  under  Hon.  John  Ross. 
When  Thomas  Jefferson  became  president  of  the 
16 


United  Slates,  lie  was  commissioned  postmaster 
at  Easton,  and  later  was  clerk  of  the  orphans' 
court  of  Northampton  County.  In  1814  he  was 
elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature  and 
ten  years  later  became  a  member  of  the  house  of 
representatives  of  the  United  States,  to  which 
responsible   position    he   was  twice   re-elected. 

In  every  position  to  which  he  was  elected  Mr. 
Wolf  rendered  able  and  distinguished  service, 
and  his  admirable  fitness  for  the  office  of  gov- 
ernor led  to  his  nomination  by  his  party  in  1829. 
This  honor  was  bestowed  upon  him  without  any 
solicitation  on  his  part,  in  fact  without  his  knowl- 
edge, but  when  he  found  he  was  the  choice  of 
the  people,  he  gave  up  his  lucrative  law  practice 
and  took  his  seat  as  chief  executive  of  the  state. 
The  situation  was  such  as  to  daunt  a  man  of  less 
energy.  The  finances  of  the  state  \vere  in  a  des- 
perate condition  and  credit  at  its  lowest  ebb. 
Large  pulilic  works  had  been  inaugurated  which, 
if  abandoned,  would  result  in  permanent  injury 
to  the  state,  yet  it  seemed  impossible  to  go  for- 
ward with  tliem  when  the  treasury  was  empty. 
Here  his  admirable  executive  ability  displayed 
itself.  Through  his  shrewdness  and  business 
management,  credit  was  established  and  the 
financial  condition  put  on  a  solid  basis. 

The  most  enduring  merit  of  Governor  Wolf 
was  evinced  in  his  advocacy  of  the  free  school 
system.  Former  governors  had  called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  legislature  to  the  measure,  but  had 
failed  to  secure  its  passage.  It  remained  for  him 
to  secure  its  adoption,  and  with  Thaddeus  Ste- 
vens and  other  prominent  educators  he  labored 
unweariedly  until  success  was  won.  The  strug- 
gle was  a  s(-vere  oiie,  and  while  present  and  fu- 
ture generations  will  Viless  the  name  of  Governor 
Wolf  for  his  labors  in  this  connection,  it  brought 
him  at  that  time  the  enmity  of  many  persons  and 
defeated  him  for  re-election.  He  was  again  a 
candidate,  but  division  having  arisen  in  the  party, 
the  vote  was  divided  and  he  was  defeated.  In 
1826  General  Jackson  appointed  him  comptroller 
of  the  United  States  treasury,  which  office  he 
held  for  two  years.  Under  President  Van  Buren 
he  received  the  appointment  of  collector  for  the 
port  of  Philadelphia,  and  this  position  he  was  fill- 
ino-  at  the  time   of  his  death,   March   11,   1840. 


422 


PORTRAIT    AND    I'.IOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


His  remains  were  taken  from  Pliiladelphia  to 
Harrisburg,  where  he  resided,  and  there  interred. 
He  married  the  daughter  of  Lawrence  Erb.  a 
patriot  of  the  Revolutionary   War. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Edward  L.  Wolf, 
was  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  November  9,  1819,  and 
in  youth  learned  the  printer's  trade  in  Harris- 
burg, after  which  he  published  the  "Easton  Sen- 
tinel," a  paper  that  still  exists.  Later  he  was  at 
Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  where  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  "Herald"  and  "Democrat,"  and 
then  was  editor  of  the  "Democrat"  and  "Jeffer- 
sonian"  at  Stroudsburg.  In  1871  he  came  to 
Scranton  as  editor  of  the  "Republican,"  remain- 
ing in  that  capacity  until  ill  health  caused  his 
retirement.  His  death  occurred  in  this  city  in 
1881,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  During  the  Rebel- 
lion he  was  a  war  Democrat,  but  afterward  affili- 
ated with  the  Republicans.  Naturally  of  a  retir- 
ing disposition,  yet  when  interested  and  enthused 
he  was  a  brilliant  talker,  drawing  at  will  upon 
the  stores  of  his  remarkable  memory.  As  a  jour- 
nalist and  editorial  writer,  he  was  polished,  eru- 
dite and  pointed,  with  graceful  style  and  ready 
wit. 

Mary  G.,  our  subject's  mother,  was  born  in 
Oxford,  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  and  resides  in 
Scranton,  being  now  (1896)  seventy-four  years 
of  age.  Her  father,  S.  G.  Throop,  an  elder  broth- 
er of  Benjamin  H.  Throop,  studied  law  in  the 
same  office  with  Martin  Van  Buren,  and  became 
an  attorney  in  Oxford.  In  1818  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  assembly,  being  the  young- 
est member  of  the  house  during  that  session. 
The  active  years  of  his  professional  life  were 
passed  in  Honesdale,  where  he  built  up  a  remu- 
nerative practice.  Upon  his  retirement  he  set- 
tled in  Stroudsburg.  where  he  died,  aged  eighty- 
seven  years  and  four  months.  Politicallv  he  was 
a  Republican,  and  for  some  time  he  held  the 
office  of  associate  judge  in  Monroe  County,  Pa. 
He  married  Asenath  Burr,  daughter  of  Theodore 
Burr,  an  expert  bridge  builder,  Benjamin  Burr, 
the  progenitor  of  the  Burr  family,  settled  in  Con- 
necticut in  1635,  and  is  supjiosed  to  have  been 
one  of  the  eight  hundred  who  came  to  the  coun- 
try with  Winthrop's  fleet  in  1630.  Theodore 
Burr  was  born  in  Torringford.  Litchfield  County, 


Conn.,  August  16,  1771,  and  died  at  Aliddletown, 
Pa.,  November  22,  1822.  The  newspapers  of  the 
day  said  Theodore  Burr  was  "celebrated  for  his 
mechanical  talents,  but  most  extensively  known 
as  the  inventor  of  the  Burr  plan  of  bridge  build- 
ing." He  built  the  bridge  at  Harrisburg,  Pa., 
1813-17,  the  first  ever  thrown  across  the  Susque- 
hanna River,  a  portion  of  which  is  still  in  use; 
and  he  also  constnicted  most  of  the  bridges  on 
that  river. 

Of  eleven  children  comprising  the  family,  eight 
attained  mature  years  and  seven  are  living,  all 
in  Scranton.  They  are:  Theodore  G. ;  Edward 
L..  Jr.,  a  printer;  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Kleckler;  George 
E.,  a  moulder;  Burr  T.;  Frederick  W.,  a  ma- 
chinist; and  Richard  B.  D.  Our  subject  accom- 
panied his  parents  from  Easton  to  Honesdale, 
thence  at  the  age  of  eleven  to  Stroudsburg,  and 
in  1861  to  .Scranton.  The  following  year  he  be- 
came a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Company,  but  left  his  place  in  1863.  to 
join  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  in  which  he  was  drum 
major  with  the  rank  of  sergeant.  He  went  to 
Greencastle  with  the  company,  but  after  six 
weeks  was  honorably  discharged,  the  regiment's 
services  being  no  longer  needed.  In  December, 
1865,  he  became  an  assistant  in  the  mill,  where 
he  passed  through  the  different  departments, 
finally  being  made  night  foreman  and  then  day 
foreman.  In  1872  he  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  the  rolling  mill  and  four  years  later 
was  made  superintendent  of  both  the  converting 
and  rolling  departments  of  the  company,  but  in 
1888  gave  up  the  former  department.  At  the  time 
of  the  consolidation  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company  and  the  Scranton  Steel  Company 
as  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  he 
was  made  general  superintendent  of  the  rolling 
mills,  but  two  years  later,  when  a  change  in  the 
management  was  made,  he  took  his  old  position 
as  superintendent  of  rolling  mills  north  works, 
having  two  mills  under  his  charge,  and  being 
now,  in  point  of  years  of  service,  the  oldest  man 
in  cliarge. 

In  Stroudsburg  Mr.  Wolf  married  Miss  Eliza- 
beth E.  Foulke,  who  was  born  in  Monroe  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  a  daughter  of  Charles  M.  Foulke,  an  old 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


423 


farmer  there.  They  and  their  son,  W.  S.,  reside 
at  No.  321  Clay  Avenue.  For  five  years  Mr. 
Wolf  has  been  a  member  of  the  vestrj'  of  St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church  and  is  now  secretary. 
Fraternallv  he  is  associated  with  Peter  William- 
son Lodc^e,  F.  &  A.  M.  Politically  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. The  mill  of  which  he  is  superintend- 
ent is  one  of  the  original  eleven  plants  built  in 
the  United  States  for  the  manufacture  of  steel 
rails.  The  old  mill  is  situated  on  Brook  above 
Webster  Avenue.  Later  a  puddling  mill  was 
built,  and  in  November,  1875,  the  steel  mill  was 
completed.  The  plant  is  first-class  in  every  par- 
ticular, and  is  fitted  out  with  all  modern  improve- 
ments. 


PETER  YEAGER.  Few  of  the  residents 
of  Madison  Township  have  been  identi- 
fied with  its  history  for  so  long  a  period 
as  has  the  gentleman  named,  who  is  a  retired 
farmer  and  lumberman  residing  in  Moscow.  He 
has  witnessed  the  growth  of  the  county  through 
the  greater  portion  of  the  present  century,  and 
has  himself  been  an  important  factor  in  the  de- 
velopment of  its  material  resources.  When  he  was 
a  youth,  a  swamp  and  a  wilderness  alone  marked 
the  present  site  of  Scranton  with  its  hundred 
thousand  people.  His  father's  farm  was  about 
one-half  mile  from  where  Moscow  now  stands, 
but  not  even  a  house  marked  the  spot  of  this 
flourishing  village.  Here  and  there  throughout 
the  county  were  settlers,  but  they  were  few  in 
number,  and  had  as  yet  made  little  improvement 
in  the  face  of  the  land.  Now  all  is  changed  and 
the  man  who  assisted  in  all  this  pioneer  work  is 
surrounded  by  the  comforts  he  labored  so 
energetically  to  secure.  Though  past  four  score 
years  of  age,  he  is  well  preserved,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  he  has  always  worked  hard. 

Near  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Peter  Yeager  was  born  April 
II,  1816.  He  was  one  of  eight  children.  His 
sisters,  Maria,  Betsy  and  Margaret,  are  de- 
ceased; Adam,  a  successful  farmer,  died  at  eighty 
years  of  age;  William  is  a  farmer  in  Madison 
Township;  and  Henry  H.  is  deceased.  His 
father,  Henry,  was  bom  in  New  York  State  Jan- 
uary 5,  1775,  and  in  middle  age  went  to  Whipple 


City,  near  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  a  few 
years,  then  removed  to  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y. 
After  a  number  of  years  there  he  came  to  Lack- 
awanna County  in  1832,  and  settled  one-half  mile 
from  the  present  site  of  Moscow,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  large  tract  of  land  and  built  a  sawmill. 
He  made  his  home  on  the  farm  and  operated  the 
mill  for  a  number  of  years.  His  principal  char- 
acteristics were  industry,  energy,  generosity  and 
perseverance,  and  through  the  exercise  of  these 
qualities  he  became  well-to-do  and  gained  many 
friends.  His  death  occurred  June  16,  1861.  His 
wife,  Mary  Dings,  was  born  in  Sullivan  County, 
N.  Y.,  March  i,  1779,  and  died  March  23,  1829. 
From  the  age  of  sixteen  years  Mr.  Yeager  has 
resided  in  Madison  Township.  When  he  was  a 
boy,  there  were  few  schools  and  he  never  had  an 
opportunity  to  attend  even  the  poorest  of  those 
then  existing,  so  was  denied  the  privileges  en- 
joyed by  the  boys  of  this  generation.  After  his 
marriage  he  purchased  and  settled  upon  a  larm 
adjoining  that  owned  by  his  father.  In  addition 
to  farming,  he  spent  much  time  in  clearing  land 
and  selling  lumber,  usually  spending  the  winter 
m.onths  in  that  occupation.  He  married  Miss 
Polly  Biesecker,  member  of  one  of  the  old  fami- 
lies of  the  county.  They  became  the  parents  of 
six  children:  Spencer,  a  prosperous  farmer  in 
Wisconsin ;  Charles,  a  fanner  in  Madison  Town- 
ship; Susan,  wife  of  Henry  Finton,  a  farmer  in 
this  state;  John,  a  lumber  dealer  of  Towanda, 
Pa.;  Ellen,  wife  of  B.  Swartz,  a  farmer  of  Madi- 
son Township;  and  iXIary,  who  married  Jacob 
Grotzer,  a  blacksmith  living  at  Madisonville,  this 
township.  Politically  Mr.  Yeager  upholds  the 
Democratic  party,  and  votes  that  ticket  at  nation- 
al elections,  but  is  inclined  to  be  mdependent  in 
local  affairs. 


WILLIAM  J.  BAKER,  D.  D.  S.  There 
is  in  the  business  and  professional 
world  only  one  class  of  men  who  can 
successfully  combat  disadvantages  and  obstacles, 
and  that  is  the  man  of  superior  intelligence  and 
force  of  character,  one  who  is  the  possessor  of 
that  energy  and  determination  which  seem  to  be 
a  magic  wand  transforming  even  a  poor  begin- 


424 


PORTRAIT    AM)    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ning  into  a  flattering  ending.  To  this  class  be- 
longs Dr.  Baker,  who,  though  still  quite  young 
in  years,  has  already  built  up  a  good  practice  in 
dcntristy  in  Carbondale. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  P.  11.  and  Mary  J. 
(Mellow)  Raker,  were  born  in  England,  and 
there  grew  to  maturity  and  were  married.  They 
had  five  ch.ildren,  named  as  follows:  Thomas  H., 
deceased:  Elizabeth  A.,  Charles  P.,  Albert  J. 
and  William  J.  In  1872,  accompanied  by  their 
children,  the)  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  estab- 
lished their  home  in  America. 

During  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  the  south 
of  England,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
December  3,  1870,  and  he  was  two  years  of  age 
at  the  time  the  family  came  to  the  United  States. 
His  education  was  obtained  in  the  common  and 
high  schools  of  Jermyn,  Wyoming  Commercial 
College  and  the  University  of  Maryland  at  Balti- 
m(;re.  On  the  completion  of  his  studies  he  spent 
five  years  in  the  general  store  of  C.  D.  Winter  & 
Co.  It  was  not  his  intention,  however,  to  devote 
himself  to  merchandising.  He  had  selected  the 
dental  profession  for  his  life  work  and  studied 
it  thoroughly  under  the  most  efficient  instructors. 
.\pril  I,  1896,  he  graduated  from  the  dental  de- 
])artment  of  the  University  of  Maryland,  after 
which  he  returned  home  and  opened  an  office 
in  Carbondale,  though  continuing  his  residence 
in  Jermyn.  He  has  the  advantage  of  thorough 
tlicijretical  preparation  and  information  concern- 
ing the  latest  flevelopments  in  the  science,  all  of 
which  is  of  practical  assistance  to  him.  Without 
doubt  the  coming  years  will  bring  him  an  ever 
increasing  degree  of  prosjx-rity,  which  he  merits 
by  his  careful  ])re]>aration  and  efficient  work. 


JOPIN  STEN^ENS.  Tn  the  perusal  of  this 
\()lume  the  reader  is  (loul)tk'ss  impressed 
with  fhe  fact  that  it  is  not  accident  that 
helps  a  man  in  the  world,  l)ut  persistent  energy 
and  unceasing  industry.  The  life  of  John  Stevens 
affords  an  illustration  of  the  fact  that  he  who  is 
shrewd  to  discern  opportunities  and  quick  to 
grasp  them  will  attain  a  high  j)lacc  in  the  regard 
of  his  fcllowmen.  A  laborious,  painstaking  man, 
his  has  been  a  life  of  diligence  and  industry.     A 


carpenter  by  trade,  in  1855  he  settleil  at  Craig 
P.  O.,  North  Abington  Township,  and  has  since 
built  not  only  all  the  buildings  on  his  place,  but 
also  all  the  principal  ones  in  this  section.  In 
1882,  under  Postmaster-General  Howe,  he  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  postmaster  at  Craig, 
and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity,  with  his 
wife  and  son  as  assistants. 

The  Stevens  family  originated  in  England,  but 
was  represented  among  the  early  settlers  of  New 
Yorl<.  Our  subject's  grandparents.  Elisha  and 
Rachel  Stevens,  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Or- 
ange County,  and  his  parents,  W'illiam  D.  and 
Zilpha  (Post)  Stevens,  were  also  born  there.  Dur- 
ing the  War  of  1812,  William  D.  entered  the  army 
as  a  substitute  for  a  brother,  who  had  been  draft- 
ed into  the  service.  At  its  close  he  returned  home 
and  resumed  work  as  a  farmer.  He  was  a  mere 
lad  at  the  time  of  enlistment,  having  been  born 
December  22,  1796.  About  1830  he  brought  his 
family  to  this  county  and  settled  upon  an  unim- 
proved farm  that  is  now  occupied  by  his  son, 
William  H.,  devoting  his  time  to  its  clearing  and 
development  until  his  death,  August  9,  1861,  His 
wife,  who  was  born  November  20,  1802,  died 
May  10.  i860.  She  traced  her  ancestry  to  Ger- 
many, and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
Post,  who  died  in  Orange  County. 

One  of  ten  children,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Orange  County,  Octol^er  3,  1823.  On  account  of 
his  parents  being  poor  and  the  size  of  the  family, 
he  was  not  able  to  attend  school,  but  was  early 
obliged  to  become  self-supporting.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  began  an  apprenticeship  of  three 
years  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  has  since 
followed.  In  1848  he  married  Miss  Lovina  Pot- 
ter, who  was  Ijorn  June  16,  1826,  upon  the  place 
which  is  now  their  home.  She  was  one  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  five  are  still  living,  and  it  is 
a  coincidence  that  of  the  ten  children  of  whom 
our  subject  was  one,  five  are  now  living.  Her 
parents,  Robert  K.  and  Sarah  (Pair)  Potter,  were 
natives  of  Rhode  Island,  but  came  to  this  county 
as  early  as  1800,  and  settled  in  the  midst  of  tlie 
woods,  clearing  a  farm  from  the  wilderness.  He 
was  only  forty-two  when  he  died,  but  she  sur- 
vived many  years,  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one.     Bulli   the   paternal    and    maternal 


KAI.l'Il   A.   SOriRE,   M.   1). 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


427 


grandparents  of  Airs.  Stevens,  Hanan  and  Alary 
Potter,  and  Smith  and  Sarah  Fair,  were  natives 
of  Rhode  Island  and  there  died. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  consists 
of  two  children  living  and  one,  Emma,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  twenty  days. 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Walter  .Stone  and  the  mother 
of  five  children.  Horace  S.,  who  married  Ida 
Green  and  has  four  children,  is  a  very  capable, 
efficient  farmer,  and  has  charge  of  the  home 
farm,  upon  which  he  engages  in  raising  cereals 
and  carrying  on  a  dairy  business.  For  seven 
vears  he  held  the  ofSce  of  school  director,  and 
has  also  been  township  supervisor. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Stevens  settled  in 
Wallsville,  and  followed  his  trade  there  and  in 
other  parts  of  the  county  until  1855,  when  he 
came  to  his  present  home.  With  his  wife  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Baptist  Church,  and  takes  a 
warm  interest  in  its  welfare.  In  all  his  undertak- 
ings he  has  had  the  efficient  co-operation  of  his 
excellent  wife,  a  lady  of  great  industry,  who  in 
girlhood  worked  in  a  factory  in  order  to  assist 
her  parents,  and  who  since  her  marriage  has  been 
equally  anxious  to  promote  the  welfare  of  her 
husband.  The  first  ballot  of  Mr.  Stevens  was 
cast  for  James  K.  Polk,  and  he  was  a  Democrat 
until  1856,  but  since  then  has  advocated  Republi- 
can principles.  He  has  filled  a  number  of  local 
offices,  and  throughout  life  has  ever  been  faith- 
ful to  each  dutv. 


RALPH  A.  SQUIRE,  M.  D.  The  life  of 
the  faithful  physician  is  one  of  self-sacri- 
fice. The  citizens  of  Scranton  remember 
the  late  Dr.  Squire  as  a  man  intensely  devoted  to 
his  profession,  one  whose  success  was  due  prin- 
cipally to  his  thoughtful,  painstaking  accuracy  in 
everything  pertaining  to  his  chosen  calling.  In 
his  character  the  element  of  self-forgetfulness 
was  apparent.  He  forgot  himself,  his  pleasures, 
his  need  of  rest,  his  exhaustion,  in  planning  for 
his  patient's  ease  and  restoration  to  health.  He 
was  ever  ready  to  respond  to  the  call  for  help, 
though  it  came  (as  it  often  did)  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  when  sleep  had  just  brought  needed 
rest  to  his  tired  frame.     Such  a  man  is  a  bene- 


factor of  his  race,  and  his  memory  should  be 
cherished  by  all  who  honor  the  noblest  attri- 
butes of  character. 

Let  us  glance  at  the  life  and  lineage  of  Dr. 
-Squire.  Born  in  Lisle,  Broome  County,  N.  Y., 
January  2,  1826,  he  was  a  son  of  Deacon  Harvey 
and  Abigail  (Manning)  Squire,  natives  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. His  grandfather,  Andrew  Squire, 
went  from  Massachusetts  to  New  York  and  be- 
came a  pioneer  farmer  of  Broome  County,  where 
he  was  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Harvey,  who  was  one  of  three  children,  engaged 
in  farming  at  the  old  homestead,  and  by  his  mar- 
riage had  one  son  and  two  daughters,  all  de- 
ceased. His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Col.  David 
Manning,  a  pioneer  and  large  landowner  in 
Broome  County. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm,  our  subject  pre- 
pared for  college  at  Homer  (N.  Y.)  Academy. 
He  had  a  natural  talent  for  mathematics,  and  if 
he  had  a  hobby,  it  was  the  subject  of  higher 
mathematics.  This  led  him  to  take  up  survey- 
ing and  he  was  employed  in  that  capacity  in 
youth.  In  1854  he  graduated  from  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  New  York,  after 
which  he  practiced  two  years  in  Lisle  with  Dr. 
.S.  L.  French,  an  eminent  physician.  In  1855  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  from  that  time  was  active 
in  his  profession,  having  a  large  practice.  Dur- 
ing the  war,  he  accepted,  after  urgent  invitation, 
the  position  of  surgeon  for  the  hospital  estab- 
lished here  and  attended  the  sick  and  wounded 
and  looked  after  the  equipment  of  the  hospital 
until  the  close  of  the  conflict.  For  eighteen  years 
afterward  he  served  as  examining  surgeon  for 
pensions,  but  was  finally  obliged  to  retire  owing 
to  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  He  lived  for  seven  years 
after  his  stroke  and  practiced  six  years  of  the 
time,  but  the  last  months  of  his  life  were  too  full 
of  personal  suffering  to  permit  him  to  attend 
to  professional  or  business  matters.  January  2, 
1890,  on  the  sixty-fourth  anniversary  of  his 
birth,  his  useful  existence  was  brought  to  a  close 
on  earth,  to  be  continued  in  the  life  beyond. 

In  all  things  Dr.  Squire  was  public-spirited. 
However,  he  would  not  accept  office,  though 
solicited  to  be  a  candidate  for  mayor  and  other 
positions.     His  answer  to  these  requests  was  in- 


428 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


variably,  "All  I  desire  is  to  be  a  good  physician."' 
He  was  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna  Valley 
Bank,  a  Republican  in  politics,  fraternally  a  Mas- 
ter Mason,  and  in  religious  connections  a  member 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  At  different 
times  he  was  president  of  the  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty Medical  Society.  His  first  home  in  Scranton 
was  in  Wyoming  Avenue,  adjoining  the  Traders 
Bank,  but  afterward  he  selected  the  location  at 
No.  225  Jefferson  Avenue,  where  he  died  and 
where  his  widow  still  lives.  Among  celebrated 
physicians  his  ac()uaintance  was  large  and  he 
was  frequently  called  by  them  into  consultation 
in  critical  cases.  A  man  of  conservative  views, 
he  was  slow  and  painstaking  in  diagnosing  cases, 
and  the  result  was  that  he  seldom,  if  ever,  made 
a  mistake. 

Near  \\'hitney  Point,  Broome  County,  N.  Y., 
September  23,  1857,  Dr.  Squire  married  Miss 
Mary  C.  Wheeler,  who  was  born  there,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Capt.  Eliphalet  and  Clarissa  (Freeman) 
Wheeler,  natives  of  that  county.  Her  paternal 
grandfather,  Dr.  Daniel  Wheeler,  removed  from 
Boston,  Alass.,  to  Whitney  Point,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  had  a  large  practice  and  owned  a  saw  mill 
and  extensive  tracts  of  land,  dying  there  at 
fifty-two  years.  His  wife  was  a  sister  of  Captain 
Ouiglev,  at  one  time  a  captain  in  the  English 
navy,  later  in  the  American  service,  and  cele- 
brated in  history  through  the  fact  that,  with  five 
men,  he  succeeded  in  taking  possession  of  an 
English  man-of-war  by  knowing  the  costume  of 
the  English  army.  This  ship  he  brought  into 
harbor  with  money  and  ammunition,  and  it  was 
especially  welcome,  as  at  that  time  General  Wash- 
ington's fortunes  were  at  their  lowest  ebb.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Squire,  Stephen 
Freeman,  was  of  English  descent  and  went  from 
Connecticut  to  Lisle,  Broome  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  the  first  merchant,  hauling  his 
stock  of  goods  from  Catskill  by  teams. 

Capt.  Eliphalet  Wheeler  was  a  lumber  mer- 
chant and  had  a  farm  near  Whitney  Point.  His 
title  was  gained  by  service  in  the  old  militia. 
He  died  while  visiting  his  son,  Dwight,  in  Cali- 
fornia, at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  Afterward 
his  widow  came  to  live  with  Mrs.  .Squire  and 
died  at  her  home  when  over  eighty  years  of  age. 


They  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters,  of  whom  Dwight,  Mrs.  G.  L.  Whit- 
more,  of  Scranton,  Mrs.  Squire,  Mrs.  Love  and 
Mrs.  Stevens,  of  New  York  state,  are  the  sur- 
vivors. In  all  charitable  works  Mrs.  Squire  is 
interested,  and  assists  them  financially  where  it 
is  possible.  When  the  Home  for  the  Friendless 
was  established,  she  was  one  of  the  first  directors 
and  served  in  that  capacity  for  three  years,  when 
she  resigned.  She  is  a  lady  of  noble,  generous 
disposition,  kind  to  the  needy,  and  is  respected 
bv  all  who  know  her. 


WILLIAM  BAYLOR.  In  the  pursuit 
of  the  occupation  of  farming  a  large 
number  of  the  progressive  citizens  of 
this  county  have  accumulated  wealth;  others, 
while  not  gaining  fortunes,  have  become  well-to- 
do,  and  among  the  latter  class  we  mention  the 
name  of  William  Bavlor,  the  owner  and  occupant 
of  a  farm  in  Benton  Towmship.  At  present  the 
soil  is  tilled  by  others,  while  he  gives  his  attention 
principally  to  lumbering  and  the  operation  of  his 
saw  mill.  The  most  of  his  property  has  been  ac- 
cumulated by  his  unaided  exertions,  through  the 
constant  exercise  of  industry  and  economy. 

The  Baylor  family  has  always  been  known  for 
its  patriotic  spirit  and  loyalty  to  our  countr\-. 
Peter,  our  subject's  father,  was  a  brave  defender 
of  American  interests  in  the  War  of  1812,  while 
the  grandfather,  George,  served  with  equal  valor 
in  the  Revolution.  Peter  Baylor  died  in  Warren 
County,  N.  J.,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven;  his  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Weller,  and 
died  in  the  same  county  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 
Of  their  five  children,  three  are  still  living.  The 
maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject,  John  and 
Jerusha  ("Burns)  Weller,  were  natives  of  Scot- 
land. 

Reared  on  his  father's"  farm,  William  Baylor  se- 
lected for  his  life  work  the  occupation  with  which 
he  was  most  familiar.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two 
he  settled  in  Benton  Township,  where  he  now 
lives.  His  education  was  limited  to  attendance 
at  the  district  schools  of  Warren  County,  N.  J., 
where  he  was  born  March  18,  1826;  however, 
self-culture  and  habits  of  observation  have  com- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


429 


pensated  to  him  for  lack  of  early  advantages.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-six  he  married  Miss  Margaret 
Weller,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Sarah  (Banghart) 
Weller,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  who  came  to  this 
county  at  the  same  time  with  our  subject;  after 
the  death  of  Mrs.  Weller  here,  her  husband  went 
to  Maryland,  and  died  there.  Six  children  were 
born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mre.  Baylor,  of 
whom  five  are  living,  viz.:  Anna  E.,  wife  of 
Charles  H.  Soper,  and  mother  of  three  children; 
John,  a  business  man  of  Scranton;  William,  also 
living  in  Scranton;  James  P.,  who  lives  near  the 
home  of  his  parents  and  is  engaged  in  farming: 
and  Margaret,  who  has  been  successful  as  a 
school  teacher. 

For  some  years  Mr.  Baylor  was  associated  with 
his  father-in-law  in  business  and  together  they 
bought  three  hundred  acres  of  partly  improved 
land,  also  a  saw  mill  that  is  now  one  hundred  and 
six  years  old.  While  naturally  his  business  mat- 
ters require  the  principal  part  of  his  attention,  he 
Keeps  himself  posted  concerning  politics  and 
public  questions,  and  is  a  well  informed  man.  In 
1S48  he  cast  his  first  ballot  for  Franklin  Pierce 
and  has  voted  at  ever>'  state,  county  and  township 
election  since  twenty-one  years  of  age,  having 
never  missed  an  opportunity  to  vote.  For  two 
years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  also 
filled  other  local  offices  of  trust. 


DAVID  W.  DALE.  The  little  village  of 
Daleville,  lying  in  the  northern  part  of 
Covington  Township,  derives  its  name 
from  the  family  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  a  member.  About  1820  his  grandfather,  David 
Dale,  emigrated  from  Yorkshire,  England,  to 
America  and  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Covington 
Township,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  keeping  a  hotel.  At  the  time  the  family 
came  to  this  country  William,  our  subject's 
father,  was  a  lad  of  ten  years.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood in  this  township  and  devoted  his  entire  life 
to  the  mercantile  business,  in  which  he  was  quite 
successful.  It  was  largely  through  his  instru- 
mentality that  a  postofiEce  was  established  at 
Daleville.  the  village  being  named  in  his  honor, 
and  for  manv  years  he  held  the  position  of  post- 


master. At  various  times  he  held  almost  every 
township  office,  and  doubtless  no  man  of  his  day 
did  more  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  people 
than  did  he.  His  work  in  educational  lines  was 
most  effective,  and  as  school  director  he  accom- 
plished much  in  behalf  of  the  schools  of  the  dis- 
trict. In  early  manhood  he  was  a  Democrat,  but 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 
became  identified  with  it  and  voted  that  ticket  at 
every  election.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Protestant  Church,  and  passed  from  earth 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  full  of  the  Chris- 
tian's bright  hope  for  innnortal  life. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, England,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Susan  Hodgson.  When  three  years  of  age  she 
was  brought  to  America  by  her  parents,  who  set- 
tled in  Coving1:on  Township,  and  here  she  is  still 
living,  being  now  eighty  years  of  age.  Her  life  has 
been  one  of  activity  and  of  devotion  to  her  fami- 
ly, for  whom  she  labored  self-sacrificingly.  In 
religious  belief  she  is  connected  with  the  Metho- 
dist Protestant  Church.  She  has  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  eldest  died  in  infancy,  and  the 
others  are  named  as  follows:  Matthew  Hodg- 
son, a  resident  of  Scranton;  David  W. ;  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Hanks,  whose  husband  is  a  minister  in 
this  township;  Eliza,  who  resides  with  her  moth- 
er; Thomas  H.,  of  Scranton,  treasurer  of  the 
Langclifife  and  Greenwood  Coal  Companies  and 
president  of  the  Pocono  Ice  Company ;  Alice  L., 
wife  of  Myron  Kasson,  of  Scranton;  Frank,  of 
Grand  Junction,  Iowa;  Walter  and  Eleanor,  de- 
ceased; and  Everett  E.,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

In  the  village  of  Daleville  Mr.  Dale  was  born 
December  29,  1839,  and  here  his  entire  life  has 
been  spent  with  the  exception  of  three  years  in 
the  army.  Enlisting  August  27,  1861,  he  was  first 
a  member  of  Company  L,  Twenty-third  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  but  was  soon  transferred  to  Com- 
pany D,  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and 
served  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  he 
was  honorably  discharged,  September  7,  1864. 
on  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment.  Dur- 
ing all  that  time  he  was  off  duty  only  nine  days 
and  escaped  being  wounded,  but  at  the  battle  of 
Malvern  Hill  the  cannonading  seriously  im- 
paired  his    hearing.     The   Sixty-first   made   the 


43° 


PORTKAI 


A\D   BK  )(:K' AI'llirAL   RF.coun. 


charge  on  Fredericksburg,  and   was  ])rcsent  at 
the  l)attlc  of  the  Wilderness. 

Returning  home  from  the  war,  Mr.  Dale  forniLd 
a  partnership  with  his  father,  January  i,  1865.  and 
this  continued  until  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1882. 
Afterward  the  heirs  carried  on  the  business  until 
1889,  wlien  Mr.  Dale  purchased  it  and  has  since 
managed  it  successfully.  The  same  year,  1889, 
he  became  postmaster  of  the  village,  which  he 
has  since  held.  In  1874  he  was  elected  treasurer 
of  the  township  and  has  since  served  in  that 
capacity,  with  the  excei)tion  of  one  year,  lie  has 
also  been  township  auditor  and  treasurer  of  the 
school  district  for  several  years.  Politically  lie 
is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  is  identified  with 
Moscow  Post  Xo.  218,  G.  A.  R.  While  not  con- 
nected with  any  denomination,  he  attends  the 
Methodist  Protestant  Church  of  Daleville,  to 
which  the  family  belong.  March  15,  1865,  he 
married  Miss  Delana  Chumard,  of  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, Pa.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren: Lena:  Susie,  who  died  at  twelve  years; 
Annie;  one  that  died  unnamed  in  infancy;  Jessie, 
a  nurse  in  Philadelphia:  Walter,  who  died  at 
three  years  of  age;  Williain,  a  clerk  in  Scranton; 
and  Marv. 


THOMAS  ARCHER  PURDON.  A  gen- 
tleman of  exemplary  character  and  recog- 
nized ability,  Mr.  Purdon  has  not  only 
built  up  a  good  business  in  Dalton,  but  has  also 
gained  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens,  who  by 
calling  him  to  fill  offices  of  public  trust  have  thus 
certified  to  his  high  standing  as  a  man  of  integri- 
ty. Possessing  great  energy  and  industry,  he  has 
risen  to  a  position  of  influence  solely  by  the  ex- 
ercise of  business  capacity,  and  is  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  active  men  of  the  c(;nnnuiiity. 
To  such  as  he  the  county  is  indebted  for  its  pros- 
perity and  the  advancement  of  its  business  in- 
terests. 

In  the  borough  of  Honesdale,  Wayne  Connty, 
Pa.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  August 
i.l,  1858,  the  oldest  child  of  W.  K.  Purdon,  a  na- 
tive of  Dublin,  Ireland.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Thomas  Purdon,  was  for  over  thirty  years 
governor  of  the  Richmond  penitentiary  of  Dub- 


lin, and  was  a  member  of  a  highly  respected  and 
influential  family.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Trinity 
College,  and  received  the  degree  of  M.  A.  The 
I)Ofition  of  governor  he  held  at  the  time  O'Con- 
nell  was  imprisoned  there  and  his  release,  signed 
b\  the  Queen,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  W.  X. 
Purdon.  He  married  Emily  Archer,  a  daughter 
of  Alderman  Archer,  treasurer  of  the  old  corpo- 
ration of  the  city  of  Dublin  and  member  of  an  old 
family  there. 

In  1851  W.  X.  Purdon  came  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  where  he  entered 
into  the  drug  business.  In  1857  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  S.  Tompkins,  a  niece  of  F.  M.  Crane,  who 
was  a  well  known  lawyer  of  that  place.  They 
are  still  living  and  make  their  home  in.  Hones- 
dale. One  of  the  most  prominent  members  of 
the  Purdon  family  is  our  sul)jecfs  uncle,  Rev. 
Henry  Purdon,  D.  D.,  who  was  born  August  15, 
1835,  and  came  to  America  in  Xovendjer,  1854. 
Having  received  a  fair  education  in  Ireland,  in 
the  fall  of  1855  he  entered  the  junior  class  in 
I'nion  College  and  graduated  in  1857.  Later  he 
entered  the  theological  school  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  situated  not  far  from  Alexandria,  Va., 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  His  first  min- 
isterial work  was  of  a  missionary  nature,  in  China, 
after  whicli,  in  T862,  he  became  pastor  of  St. 
James  Memorial  Church  at  Titusville,  Pa.,  and 
there  he  has  since  remained.  His  life  has  been  a 
very  active  one,  not  given  to  change,  but  steadily 
engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  profession.  He  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  Kenyon  College 
through  the  unsought  for  and  kindh  interfer- 
ence of  the  first  bishop  of  Pittsburg,  the  late  Dr. 
Kerfoot,  formerly  president  of  Trinity  College, 
Hartford. 

The  early  education  of  our  subject  was  ob- 
tained in  the  high  school  of  Easton,  from  which 
he  graduated.  The  knowledge  there  acquired 
has  been  supplemented  by  thoughtful  reading  of 
current  literature,  by  which  means  he  has  become 
the  possessor  of  a  broad  fund  of  valuable  infor- 
mation. In  1882  he  accepted  a  position  with  C.  T. 
White  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  chemical  salts  in 
Xew  York  City,  and  there  he  remained  for  three 
years.  X^j-vj-  ]^q  went  to  Scranton,  where  he  was 
employed  in  the  Lackawanna  Hospital  one  year 


JOSEPH  ALEXANDER. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


433 


and  six  months;  then  went  tO'  Tunkhannock, 
Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  and  took  charge  of  a  drug 
store  owned  by  Dr.  A.  B.  Woodward.  January 
I,  1889,  he  came  to  Dalton  and  opened  the  first 
drug  store  in  this  place,  since  which  time  lie  has 
conducted  an  increasing  trade. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Purdon,  which  was 
solemnized  September  11,  1889,  united  him  with 
Miss  Ella  G.,  youngest  daughter  of  Dr.  A.  B. 
Woodward,  of  Wyoming  County.  She  was  born 
in  Carbondale  March  5,  1868,  and  received  an 
excellent  education  in  local  schools.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Purdon  are  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Pie  is  one  of  the  representative  business 
men  of  the  borough,  and  at  this  writing  holds  a 
position  on  the  board  of  health.  His  first  presi- 
dential ballot  was  cast  for  General  Hancock,  and 
the  campaign  of  i8g6  found  him  on  the  side  of 
the  "sound  money"  Democrats. 


JOSEPH  ALEXANDER,  deceased,  late  of 
Carbondale,  was  born  in  St.  Cyrus,  Kin- 
cardineshire, Scotland,  June  26,  1818.  He 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  Alexander,  Sr.,  a  farmer, 
who  died  at  Montrose  at  the  age  of  more  than 
four  score  years.  The  family  was  highly  re- 
spected, and  its  members  possessed  the  sturdy 
faith  and  manliness  of  the  Scotch  Covenanters. 
In  his  native  land  our  subject  learned  the  mer- 
chant tailor's  trade,  and  this  he  followed  for  a 
time  in  Dundee  and  then  in  Sutherlandshire.  In 
1849  lis  came  in  a  sailing  vessel  to  America  and 
followed  his  trade  in  Boston,  but  soon  went  to 
Thompsonville,  Conn.  Thence,  in  September, 
1853,  he  came  to  Carbondale  and  purchased  the 
merchant  tailoring  establishment  of  Lewis  Pughe, 
who  was  about  to  retire  from  business. 

Though  possessing  limited  means,  Mr.  Alex- 
ander had  all  the  elements  re(|uired  to  make  a 
success  of  any  undertaking,  and  soon  led  all  com- 
petitors in  his  line  of  business.  However,  he 
met  with  his  share  of  reverses.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  suffered  heavy  losses  in  the  business  he 
had  started  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  obliged  to  close 
it  out.  He  applied  himself  diligently  to  the  task 
of  regaining  what  he  had  lost,  and  by  close  ap- 
plication to  business  eventually  became  one  of 


the  most  prosperous  business  men  in  Carbondale. 
Twice  he  was  burned  out,  meeting  with  heavy 
losses  each  time.  Fortunately  he  possessed  a 
hopeful  temperament,  and  always  seemed  to  look 
on  the  bright  side  of  life.  After  the  great  fire  of 
1866,  when  he  lost  heavily,  he  at  once  com- 
menced the  erection  of  the  brick  block  now- 
owned  by  his  estate,  it  being  the  first  brick  build- 
ing built  in  Main  Street.  Many  of  his  warm 
friends  attempted  to  dissuade  him  in  this  great 
undertaking,  but  he  persisted  in  his  determina- 
tion, for  he  had  faith  in  the  future  of  Carbondale. 
His  subsequent  success  proved  that  he  had  looked 
well  into  the  future  and  had  made  no  mistake, 
for  the  years  that  followed  were  the  most  pros- 
perous of  his  life. 

Personally  Mr.  Alexander  was  a  man  of  gener- 
ous impulses.  His  sympathy  for  those  in  need 
was  quickly  aroused,  but  his  charities  were  quiedy 
bestowed  and  not  in  an  ostentatious  spirit.  Un- 
flinching honesty  was  another  characteristic.  In 
all  his  reverses  he  never  asked  a  creditor  to  take 
one  cent  less  than  the  amount  of  his  indebted- 
ness, and  he  had  no  patience  with  men  who  com- 
promised with  their  creditors  by  paying  them  less 
than  they  actually  owed.  Throughout  his  life 
he  retained  a  deep  affection  for  his  native  land, 
and  three  times  he  returned  to  visit  his  old  friends 
there.  While  not  a  member  of  any  denomina- 
tion, he  was  a  believer  in  Christianity  and  a 
thoughtful  student  of  the  Bible.  He  had  a  great 
admiration  for  Spurgeon,  whom  he  often  went 
to  hear  during  his  visits  in  Europe. 

In  Golspie,  Scotland,  in  1846,  Mr.  Alexander 
married  Christina  Ross,  who  was  born  in  Suther- 
landshire, in  the  highlands  of  Scotland.  For 
forty  years  she  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church.  She  was  a  woman  of  true  Christian 
character,  of  deep  sympathetic  disposition  and 
rare  benevolence.  Her  deeds  of  charity  were  in- 
numerable, and,  like  her  husband,  she  was  ever 
ready  to  assist  the  less  fortunate.  They  made 
several  trips  to  Scotland  with  their  children  be- 
tween the  years  1872  and  1875.  Mr.  Alexander 
departed  this  life  in  1893,  aged  seventy-five,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  November  of  1895.  There 
were  seven  children  born  to  them,  viz.:  George 
S.  T.,  a  merchant  tailor  of  Pontiac,  Mich.;    Jo- 


434 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


seph,  a  merchant  tailor  of  Scranton;  Kate  and 
Annie  (twin  sisters),  who  reside  at  the  old  home- 
stead; Christina,  Mrs.  G.  B.  Swift,  of  Carbon- 
dale,  who  died  February  6,  1892;  John,  who  died 
December  31,  1863,  and  William,  who  died  Au- 
gust 23,  1882. 


DELI,  CARPENTER.  The  farm  owned 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Carpenter  consists 
of  one  hundred  and  sixt^^  acres,  situated 
on  the  Waverly  and  Tompkinsville  road  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  in  Scott  Township,  affording 
an  excellent  income  and  an  abundant  field  for  in- 
telligent labor.  The  land  is  kept  in  a  state  of 
fertility  by  the  use  of  the  best  fertilizing  agents 
and  a  jjropcr  rotation  of  crops,  and  upon  it  have 
becii  mac'e  the  improvements  that  mark  it  as  the 
abode  of  an  industrious  family. 

The  first  member  of  the  family  to  settle  upon 
this  farm  was  Joseph  Carpenter,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  who  was  bom  in  Rhode  Island  and 
in  early  manhood  located  in  Scott  Township, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  demise, 
at  ninetv-P.ve  years  of  age.  In  religious  faith  he 
was  a  Baptist,  anrl  carried  his  Christian  principles 
into  every  action  of  life.  Dennis  Carpenter, 
father  oi  our  subject,  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead and  there  passed  his  life,  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  dying  November  16,  1848,  at 
the  age  of  si.xty-eight  years  and  ten  months.  A 
Republican  in  politics,  he  served  as  auditor  of 
his  town  and  took  a  warm  interest  in  local  mat- 
ters. He  was  a  trustee  in  the  Baptist  Church 
and  a  regular  contributor  to  its  maintenance.  By 
his  marriage,  which  united  him  with  Lydia  I. 
Herlehy,  of  Rhode  Island,  he  became  the  father 
of  four  children,  namely:  Dell:  W.  H.,  a  whole- 
sale produce  merchant,  who  died  in  1890:  Gil- 
bert, a  farmer  of  Scott  Township;  and  Nellie, 
wife  of  F.  L.  Taylor,  (jf  Peckville.  Since  the 
death  of  the  father  the  widowed  mother  has  con- 
tinued to  mak-e  her  home  on  the  old  farm  and  is 
in  fair  health  for  one  of  her  seventy-seven  years. 
Here,  where  he  was  bom  February  10,  1845, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a  common- 
school  education  and  gained  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  farm  work  in  youth.     Acting  as  an  as- 


sistant to  his  father,  on  the  death  of  the  latter,  the 
estate  fell  to  his  supervision,  and  he  has  cultivated 
it  in  a  manner  indicating  his  excellent  manage- 
ment. July  2,  1876,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Jennie  Jordan,  and  they  have  two 
daughters:  Blanche,  now  in  school  at  Waverly, 
and  Helen.  The  improvements  made  on  the 
place  are  mainly  his  work  and  are  such  as  tend  to 
promote  general  farming  and  the  dairy  business. 
The  platform  adopted  by  the  Democratic  party 
has  always  seemed  to  him  best  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  the  common  people,  and  he 
has  therefore  given  the  ticket  his  vote  at  local 
and  national  elections.  Realizing  the  immense 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  an  education,  it 
has  always  been  his  aim  to  encourage  and  foster 
the  public-school  system,  and  this  feeling  led  to 
his  service  for  six  years  as  school  director  and 
for  two  years  as  school  treasurer.  During  that 
time  he  handled  the  school  funds  in  a  manner 
satisfactory  to  the  people  and  aided  in  all  move- 
ments for  the  benefit  of  the  local  school.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  Waverly  Lodge  No. 
301,  f".  (1-,  A.  M. 


GEORGE  W.  BIESECKER.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  maintains  a  position 
among  the  intelligent  men  of  Newton 
Township,  and  takes  a  warm  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  its  conunercial.  agricultural 
and  social  development.  He  realizes  the  im- 
portance of  education,  and  accordingly  gives  his 
influence  toward  the  establishment  and  mainten- 
ance of  schools,  setting  the  example  first  to  his 
own  family  by  giving  to  his  children  the  best  ad- 
vantages in  his  power.  The  stimulus  of  his  in- 
fluence has  nut  only  been  felt  in  his  own  neigh- 
borhood, but  throughout  the  township,  where  he 
ranks  among  the  energetic  farmers. 

In  the  township  where  he  now  resides,  our  sub- 
ject was  born. February  2,  1855,  a  son  of  Jacob  H. 
and  Eleanor  (Krotzer)  Biesecker,  natives  of  old 
Luzerne  County.  He  and  his  brother,  Charles,  a 
farmer  of  this  township,  are  the  survivors  of  the 
original  family  of  four  children.  His  father  died 
here  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  and  his  mother  still 
resides   at  the    old    iiome    place.     His  paternal 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


435 


grandparents,  John  and  Elizabeth  Biesecker, 
were  also  residents  of  this  locality,  the  former 
being  a  son  of  Jacob  Biesecker. 

Until  his  marriage  our  subject  remained  on  the 
home  farm  with  his  parents.  March  15,  1877,  he 
married  Ruth  Gertrude  Knapp,  who  was  born  in 
this  township,  a  daughter  of  Truman  and  Mary 
A.  (Swallow)  Knapp.  Her  grandparents  were 
Zephaniah  and  Nancy  (Fellows)  Knapp;  the  lat- 
ter born  in  England  in  1786,  and  died  in  Hyde 
Park,  Scranton,  May  14,  1869;  the  former  born 
March  18,  1779,  and  died  in  Hyde  Park,  Decem- 
ber 30,  1861.  Of  the  Fellows  family,  mention  is 
made  upon  another  page,  in  the  sketch  of  John 
H.  Fellows.  Truman  Knapp  was  bom  in  Hyde 
Park  December  30,  1816,  and  died  in  Newton 
Township  December  29,  1890,  after  having  de- 
voted his  life  to  agricultural  work,  the  occupation 
of  his  forefathers.  In  addition  to  this,  he  also 
operated  a  tannery,  being  one  of  the  first  tanners 
in  Abington  Township.  In  political  belief  he  al- 
lied himself  with  the  Prohibition  party,  and  the 
same  principles  are  supported  by  our  subject,  who 
cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Samuel  J.  Til- 
den,  but  has  since  that  time  voted  the  Prohibition 
ticket. 

The  maternal  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Biesecker 
W'ere  Joseph  and  ]\Iary  (Cooper)  Swallow:  he 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  July  7,  1781,  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Pennsylvania  at  the  age  of 
seven  years  and  here  grew  to  manhood,  making 
his  lifelong  home  in  this  locality  and  dying  in 
Wilkesbarre  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  His  wife 
was  born  near  Wilkesbarre  February  9,  1786,  and 
died  here  at  the  age  of  ninety-three.  Mrs.  Bie- 
secker w-as  one  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  only 
survivors  are  herself  and  a  brother,  Frank  T., 
who  is  sherifif  of  Wyoming  County.  Her  imme- 
diate family  consists  of  four  children:  Arthur  S., 
now  a  student  in  Wyoming  Seminary;  Mary  B., 
also  in  that  institution  of  learning;  Eleanor  K., 
and  Truman  K..  who  attend  the  schools  of  New- 
ton Township.  The  family  worship  at  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Biesecker  has  resided 
at  his  present  home  on  the  Knapp  farm,  and  has 
here  engaged  in  mixed  and  dairy  farming,  work- 
ing industriously  and  perseveringly  to  surround 


his  family  with  the  comforts  of  life  and  to  place 
all  modern  conveniences  upon  his  estate.  Frater- 
nally he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  given  his  attention  al- 
most wholly  to  farm  work  and  in  the  cultivation 
of  his  land  has  availed  himself  of  modem  ma- 
chinery, with  results  that  should  prove  to  him  a 
source  of  satisfaction.  Beginning  life  dependent 
upon  his  own  resources,  he  has  acquired  his  prop- 
erty solely  by  the  exercise  of  industry  and  per- 
severance. His  career  shows  the  possibilities  be- 
fore those  who  are  willing  to  labor  and  to  wait 
for  the  result. 


WILLIAM  ATHERTON.  Occupying 
a  beautiful  country  seat  at  Clarks 
Summit  and  surrounded  by  every 
comfort  which  ample  means  may  provide,  Mr. 
Atherton,  in  the  twilight  of  his  fife,  is  reaping 
tlie  reward  of  his  arduous  and  judicious  labors  in 
manhood's  prime.  Though  he  still  owns  an  in- 
terest in  the  large  dry-goods  house  of  Atherton 
&  Co.,  at  Olyphant,  he  is  not  actively  connected 
with  its  management,  finding  sufficient  to  engross 
his  attention  in  the  supervision  of  his  financial  in- 
terests. For  eighteen  years  he  was  on  the  road, 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  and  thus 
gained  the  funds  that  form  the  basis  of  his  pres- 
ent substantial  fortune. 

Before  presenting  the  life  record  of  our  sub- 
ject, some  words  concerning  his  parents  may  not 
be  amiss.  His  father.  John  M.  Atherton,  was 
born  in  Taylorville,  this  county,  September  12, 
1808,  and  died  in  Waverly  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven,  having  devoted  his  active  years  to  farm 
work.  Politically  he  was  a  Whig  until  the  dis- 
integration of  the  party,  after  which  he  support- 
ed Republican  principles.  In  the  days  when  abo- 
lition was  unpopular  he  believed  in  it,  and  was 
not  afraid  to  say  so;  he  was  connected  with  the 
underground  railroad,  and  many  a  poor  slave  was 
assisted  by  him  to  a  place  of  refuge  and  safety. 
He  was  the  grandson  of  a  pioneer  of  the  valley, 
a  man  who  came  here  prior  to  the  Wyoming 
massacre.  Our  subject's  grandmother,  Martha 
(Kanaan)  Atherton,  was  born,  in  March,  1773, 
and  died  at  Clarks  Green  May  31,  1859. 


436 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


By  his  marriage  to  Rebecca  J.  Skinner,  a  native 
of  Tolland.  Conn..  John  M.  Atherton  had  six 
children,  and  three  of  this  number  arc  still  liv- 
ing. His  wife  passed  away  in  1875,  ^ne  year  and 
one  month  after  his  demise.  In  the  house  where 
his  father  had  been  Ixjrn  twenty-nine  years  be- 
fore, our  subject  first  opened  liis  eyes  to  the  light, 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  February  5,  1837. 
From  a  very  early  age  he  l^egan  to  earn  his  own 
living.  I'ntil  he  was  eighteen  all  his  clothes  were 
spun  and  wo\c  by  his  mother,  who  was  a  very  en- 
ergetic and  industrious  woman.  His  education 
was  obtained  in  district  and  select  schools  here 
and  in  I'alls,  Wyoming  County,  and  in  Newton 
Academy,  where  he  attended  for  two  terms. 
After  his  marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Falls, 
where,  during  his  residence  of  nine  years,  he 
saved  $1,000,  and  later  he  traveled  in  the  insur- 
ance business.  At  his  present  place  he  owns 
about  five  acres,  embellished  with  a  comfortable 
residence  and  all  modern  conveniences. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Atherton  was  twice  draft- 
ed, but  was  rejected  both  times.  His  first  vote 
was  cast  for  J.  C.  Fremont.  For  years  he  has 
been  an  active  Prohibitionist,  being  the  first 
member  of  tlie  party  in  this  locality,  and  was  the 
party  candidate  for  county  treasurer.  At  differ- 
ent times  he  has  been  elected  to  township  offices, 
such  as  school  director,  treasurer,  etc.  Principle 
with  him  he  jints  above  politics,  and  hence  has 
adhered  steadfastly  to  his  Prohibition  belief  in 
campaign  work.  He  and  his  faniilv  attend  the 
]\Iethodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  has  been 
active  in  work  of  the  Sunday-school. 

In  Wyoming  County,  August  24,  1856,  oc- 
curred the  marriage  of  Mr.  Atherton  and  Miss 
Margaret  iSaumgardner,  daughter  of  John  and 
Catherine  (Goodman")  Baumgardncr.  Her  par- 
ents were  born  in  Bavaria,  and  when  she  was 
a  year  of  age,  started  to  America.  During  the 
voyage  the  ship  was  wrecked  between  Liverpool 
and  New  York,  food  and  water  gave  out,  and  the 
passengers  were  obliged  to  subsist  upon  a  gill  of 
water  a  day.  After  one  hundred  and  f(jrtv-three 
days  upon  the  ocean,  land  was  at  last  reacheil. 
They  proceeded  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
upon  a  farm.  Their  last  days  were  spent  in  a 
house  to  w^hich  our  subject  gave  them  a  life  lease. 


Mr.  ISaumgardner  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
and  his  wife  when  eighty-five.  On  first  coming 
to  this  country,  he  was  employed  on  a  canal,  but 
gave  his  attention  mainly  through  life  to  farm- 
ing. Nine  children  were  born  to  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Atherton,  one  of  whom  was 
dnjwned  at  fourteen  \ears.  Those  now  living 
are  Jolm  M..  Elisha  K.  and  Mary,  all  of  whom 
are  married;  A.  M.,  a  merchant  of  Olyphant; 
Gertrude,  v.ho  clerks  for  her  brother;  Catharine, 
Grace  and  I'Yed. 


HOiN  WILLIA:^!  K.  BECK,  a  leading  lum- 
ber manufacturer  and  popular  resident  of 
Covington  Towaiship,  was  born  in  North- 
ampton County.  Pa..  August  13,  1849,  the  son  of 
Thomas  and  Catherine  (Mack)  Beck.  His  father 
was  born  and  reared  in  Northampton  County, 
and  wh.en  a  young  man  embarked  in  the  hotel 
business  in  Lockport.  where  he  continued  to  re- 
side until  death.  In  addition  to  his  hotel  busi- 
ness, he  had  extensive  lumber  and  mercantile 
enterprises,  and  was  a  large  railroad  contractor 
in  several  states  In  his  political  views  he  was  a 
Repuiilican.  but  was  never  an  aspirant  for  official 
honors,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  his 
business  interests,  in  which  he  met  with  good 
success,  leaving  a  large  estate.  He  was  of  Ger- 
man extraction,  and  held  membership  in  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church.  His  death  occurred 
August  18.  1892,  when  he  was  eighty  years  of 
age.  Enterprising  and  public-spirited,  the  best 
interests  of  his  community  found  in  him  a  friend. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  North- 
ampton County  and  died  in  Lockport  in  1888  at 
seventy-nine  years.  Like  her  husband,  she  was 
identified  viith  the  German  Reformed  Church. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children:  Anian- 
dus,  who  lives  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Cecilia, 
-Mrs.  C.  F.  Rover,  deceased;  John  H.,  a  farmer 
and  miller  of  Northampton  County;  Anna  M., 
deceased:  William  K. ;  and  Louisa,  who  resides 
in  Nortliampton  County.  The  education  of  our 
sui:)jcct  was  obtained  in  the  common  schools, 
F^aston  University  and  Wyoming  Seminarv  at 
Kingston,  Pa.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  1869.     Upon  completing  his  education 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


437 


he  assisted  his  father,  keeping-  the  books  for  a 
lUiinber  of  years.  In  tlie  fall  of  1871  he  came  to 
Lackawanna  County  with  his  brotlier-in-law,  15. 
F.  Killani,  and  father-in-law,  H.  A.  Hollister,  and 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  timber  land.  From  his 
partners,  in  the  spring  of  1874,  he  purchased  their 
interests  and  has  since  managed  the  place  alone. 
The  timber  he  converts  into  lumber,  having  the 
largest  mill  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

In  company  with  two  other  gentlemen,  in  the 
spring  of  1888  Mr.  Beck  put  in  the  electric  light 
plant  at  Taylor,  Pa.,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  He  is 
also  engaged  in  the  lath  strip  business,  and  is 
treasurer  of  the  company,  which  has  its  head- 
quarters in  Scranton  and  in  which  he  owns  the 
controlling  stock.  May  23.  1870,  he  married 
Miss  Hannah  M.,  daughter  of  H.  A.  Hollister,  of 
this  county.  The  eight  children  born  of  the 
union  are  named  as  follows:  Mary  Elton,  wife 
of  Byron  Miller,  of  Scranton:  Alberta  May,  an 
accomplished  musician  and  talented  young  lady: 
Daisy;  Nellie  L.,  wife  of  Frank  Rafferty,  of  Mos- 
cow; Thomas,  who  is  a  clerk  in  Scranton;  Carl 
Herbert,  a  student  in  Scranton  Business  College: 
Catherine  and  Gi-ace. 

An  active  and  enthusiastic  Republican,  Mr. 
Beck  was  elected  to  represent  this  district  in  the 
state  legislature  in  1802,  and  during  his  term  oi 
two  years  served  on  the  connnittees  on  banks  and 
banking,  corporations,  manufactories,  mines  and 
mining,  railroads,  iron  and  coal.  He  introduced 
the  bill  for  the  incorporation  and  gcjverning  of 
cities  of  the  third  class,  and  providing  for  the  an- 
nexation thereto  of  adjoining  territory.  When 
the  term  expired,  he  refused  to  become  a  candi- 
date for  re-election.  In  1894  he  was  defeated  in 
the  convention  for  county  treasurer.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Lackawanna  County  Republican 
committee  for  eight  years,  and  during  that  time 
has  served  on  the  executive  committee.  Some 
years  ago  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  but 
refused  to  accept  and  never  took  out  his  com- 
mission. As  were  his  parents,  he  is  connected 
with  the  German  Reformed  Church.  Frater- 
nally he  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Order  of  Elks 
in  Scranton,  belongs  to  Moscow^  Lodge  No.  504, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M., 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commanderv.  K.  T.,  and  Scot- 


tish Rites.  Personally  he  is  genial  and  com- 
panionable, with  a  large  number  of  friends  in  this 
locality.  He  is  a  man  of  firmness,  sagacity  and 
foresight,  liberal  in  his  views,  tenacious  in  opin- 
ions, and  possessing  the  attributes  that  make  a 
man  a  good  citizen  and  sucessful  official. 


J 


AY  KNICKERBOCKER  is  one  of  the 
brave  soldiers  to  whom  our  country  is  in- 
debted for  the  preservation  of  the  old  flag. 
Though  a  mere  lad  at  tlie  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War,  he  determined  to  offer  his  services  in  de- 
fen.se  of  the  Union,  and  this  lie  did.  Assigned 
with  his  regiment  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
he  endured  all  the  hardships  of  long  marches, 
the  tedium  of  camp  life  and  the  peril  of  open 
encounters  with  the  enemy.  Among  the  most 
important  engagements  in  which  he  particijiated 
were  those  at  Gettysburg.  Chancellorsville  and 
the  Wilderness.  After  a  meritorious  service  of 
over  three  years  he  returned  hime,  with  a  record 
for  bravery  of  which  he  and  his  might  well  be 
proud.  Since  1884  he  has  held  the  position  of 
postmaster  at  Elmhurst,  where  he  has  made  his 
home  since  1850. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Jonas  and  Elizabeth 
(Barringer)  Knickerbocker,  were  born  in  Dutch- 
ess County,  N.  Y.,  and  thence,  in  1830,  removed 
to  Scranton.  then  a  new  place,  with  few  houses, 
the  present  site  of  the  city  being  covered  with 
woods  and  swamp.  In  1850  they  removed  to 
what  was  then  Madison  (now  Roaring  Brook) 
Township,  and  here  the  father  followed  the  wag- 
onmaker's  trade  until  his  death  si.x  years  later. 
His  wiife  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  Their  eight 
children  were  named  as  follows:  Edgar,  who 
died  in  Iowa;  Philena  and  Elizabeth,  both  of 
Colorado:  Jay;  Henry,  who  lives  in  Carbon- 
dale;  Mary,  of  Elmhurst;  Helen,  whose  home 
is  in  Scranton;  and  Charles,  residing  in  Elm- 
hurst. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Hyde 
Park,  Scranton,  May  25,  1846,  and  was  a  child 
of  four  years  when  his  parents  settled  upon  a 
farm  near  what  is  now  Elmhurst.  Here  he  grew 
to  manhood,  meantime  attending  the  district 
schools   and   those   in    Kingston    and   Scranton. 


438 


PORTRAIT  AXD   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD, 


At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Agust  15,  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-Fifth 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  remained  at  the  front  in  active 
service  for  more  than  three  years.  He  was  seri- 
ously injured  by  a  shell,  a  part  of  which  struck 
his  spine,  dislocating  it.  He  is  one  of  the  very 
few  who  (lid  not  die  from  the  effects  of  such  a 
wound. 

On  his  return  home,  realizing  the  importance 
of  a  good  education,  Mr.  Knickerbocker  gave 
some  attention  to  study,  after  which  he  began 
railroading.  The  motion  of  the  cars,  however, 
had  a  bad  efifect  on  his  injured  spine,  and  he  was 
obliged  after  a  time  to  abandon  that  employ- 
ment, much  to  his  disappointment.  Knowing 
that  his  injury  would  not  permit  of  manual  labor, 
he  began  to  read  law  with  David  R.  Randall,  at 
W'ilkesbarre,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1870, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  practice  for  ten  years. 
Unfortunately,  his  health  was  not  sufificiently 
good  to  enable  him  to  stand  the  strain  of  active 
practice,  so  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  it  as  a 
business  and  has  since  not  given  it  attention  ex- 
cept in  the  interests  of  some  of  his  friends  and 
neighbors. 

Politically  l\Ir.  Knickerbocker  is  a  Republican 
and  usually  votes  that  ticket,  but  cast  his  ballot 
for  Grover  Cleveland  for  president.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  T.  D.  Swartz  Post  No.  228, 
G.  A.  R.,  at  Moscow.  He  is  not  identified  with 
any  denomination,  but  contributes  to  the  Pres- 
byterian Cliurch,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member. 
His  marriage  united  him  with  Eliza  M.  Shultz, 
of  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  eight  sons,  namely:  Jay,  of  Elmhurst; 
Abram,  deceased;  Milton  and  Jonas,  who  live 
in  Elk  County,  Pa.;  Morris,  who  is  with  his  par- 
ents;   Dana,  Nial  and  George. 


WILLIAM  R.  FINCH.  During  the 
course  of  a  long  and  busy  life,  Mr. 
Finch  has  acquired  the  reputation  of 
an  honorable  and  upright  citizen.  By  industry 
and  temperate  habits  he  has  gained  a  comfortable 
competency,  which  enables  him  to  pass  his  declin- 


ing days  in  case.  Possessing  a  strong  and  ener- 
getic will,  he  steadfastly  worked  his  way,  with- 
out assistance,  to  a  position  among  the  well-to-do 
men  of  Waverly.  About  1890  he  retired  from 
business,  though  he  still  retains  the  supervision 
of  iiis  property  holdings  and  takes  an  interest  in 
puldic  enterprises. 

The  birth  of  William  R.  Finch  occurred  in 
Ithaca,  X.  Y.,  June  29,  1816,  to  Celey  and  Eliza- 
l)eth  (Roej  Finch,  natives  respectively  of  \Vest- 
chester  County  and  New  York  City,  N.  Y.  His 
father,  who  removed  to  Tioga  County  when  in 
the  prime  of  life,  continued  to  reside  there  for 
twelve  years,  until  his  death  at  about  fifty  years 
of  age.  The  wife  and  mother,  who  died  near 
Ithaca  at  the  age  of  fifty,  was  a  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  (Van  Duzen)  Roe,  the  former  of 
whom  resided  in  New  York  at  the  time  the  Brit- 
ish occupied  that  city  during  the  Revolutionary 
War.  His  death  took  place  in  Ithaca,  when  he 
was  ninety-seven  years  of  age;  his  wife,  who 
was  born  in  Kingston,  died  in  Ithaca  at  the  age 
of  ninety.  Both  were  acquainted  with  and  per- 
sonal friends  of  General  Washington. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  four  children,  of  whom  Ira  served 
in  the  War  of  1812.  William  R.,  now  the  sole 
survivor  of  the  family,  was  educated  in  the  Ithaca 
schools  and  remained  with  his  parents  until 
eighteen,  when  he  took  a  position  as  clerk  in  a 
dry-goods  store.  After  a  few  years  he  went  to 
Waverly,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  similarly  employed. 
In  1844  he  removed  to  Pennsylvania  and  began 
a  long  and  successful  career  as  a  teacher  of  vocal 
and  instrumental  music.  For  twenty-five  years 
he  followed  this  occupation,  meantime  gaining 
a  reputation  as  a  gifted  man  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession, 

April  8,  1 84 1,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Finch  to  Miss  Mary  Kirkpatrick,  who  was  born 
near  Blairstown,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  in  1822, 
and  died  at  Waverly  in  1888,  Of  three  children 
born  to  thi,?  union,  two  are  living.  The  son, 
William  H.,  an  employe  in  the  office  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Coal  Company,  is  married  and  has  one 
daughter.  Frances  Emily  is  married  and  has 
one  daughter  living.  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  our 
subject,  died  when  fifty  years  of  age,  leaving  one 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


439 


daughter.    Airs.  Finch  was  related,  on  her  moth- 
er's side,  to  Colonel  Coursen  of  Scranton. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Finch  took  place 
September  12.  1896,  his  wife  being  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Gangwer)  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  what  is  now 
Carbon  (then  Luzerne)  County.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  she  became  the  wife  of  George 
W.  Bailey,  who  was  born  at  Dalton,  a  son  of 
George  and  Elizabeth  (Barnes)  Bailey,  natives  of 
Rhode  Island,  but  residents  of  Pennsylvania 
throughout  most  of  their  lives.  Mr.  Bailey  was 
one  of  the  first  merchants  of  Waverly,  where  he 
was  a  prominent  business  man  for  more  than 
forty  years.  His  death  occurred  here  when  he 
was  sixty-seven.  By  his  marriage  he  had  six 
children,  namely:  Edgar  H.  Bailey,  of  Waverly; 
Frank  H.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness; James  G.,  mayor  of  Scranton;  Sterling, 
who  lives  in  Chicago;  Fred  M.,  also  a  resident 
of  Chicago;  and  Emma,  who  lives  in  Denver, 
Colo.  All  of  the  children  are  married  and  have 
families.  Mrs.  Finch  has  been  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  forty 
years,  and  our  subject  is  also  identified  with 
that  denomination,  with  which  he  united  at  the 
age  of  seventeen.  His  first  vote  was  cast  for 
James  K.  Polk  for  president,  and  since  voting 
for  John  C.  Fremont  he  has  constantly  adhered 
to   Republican   principles. 


GEORGE  W.  CARLTON.  Throughout 
the  United  States  New  Hampshire  is 
noted  for  its  rich  quarries  of  granite,  the 
rarest  and  most  beautiful  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
But  in  the  character  of  the  men  and  women  who 
have  been  reared  within  her  boundaries,  the  state 
has  given  to  the  nation  a  contribution  far  more 
valuable.  Between  the  two  some  resemblance 
might  be  traced,  both  firm,  enduring,  unchang- 
ing and  steadfast,  standing  undaunted  amid  the 
storms  that  assail  and  the  fierce  winds  of  adver- 
sity that  try  the  soul. 

The  Carlton  family  has  long  been  identified 
with  the  history  of  New  Hampshire  and  was 
there  known  for  probity,  industry  and  energy. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Stephen  W.  Carlton, 
was  born  in  Bartlett,  so  long  famous  for  the  iron 


ores  wrought  there.  Reared  on  a  farm,  he  fol- 
lowed agriculture  in  early  life,  but  about  1848 
engaged  in  railroading,  which  he  followed  both 
in  New  Hampshire  and  around  Scranton,  Pa. 
In  1886  he  retired  from  active  labors  and  is  now 
living  quietly  in  Stewartstown,  N.  H.  He  mar- 
ried Betsey  Moore,  who  was  bom  in  Canterbury, 
N.  IL,  and  died  in  Scranton,  Pa.,  at  the  home  of 
our  subject,  when  fifty-eight  years  of  age.  Of 
her  three  children,  two  are  still  living,  one  son 
having  died  at  eighteen  years. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  resident 
of  Bartlett,  N.  H.,  for  many  years,  and  was  reared 
upon  the  farm  owned  by  his  father,  Stephen.  He 
chose  agriculture  as  his  life  work  and  this  occu- 
pation he  followed  until  advanced  years  rendered 
active  manual  labor  an  impossibility.  His  last 
days  were  spent  in  Ccjlebrook,  where  he  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-six.  His  wife  was  Martha  Web- 
ster, a  member  of  an  old  family  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

Born  in  Colebrook,  N.  II.,  July  4,  1844,  the 
subject  of  this  article  was  reared  upon. a  farm 
and  in  youth  gained  a  fair  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools.  L^pon  starting  out  for  himself,  he 
went  to  Waltham,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  in  a 
v.'atch  factory  for  three  years.  Later  he  served 
an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  to  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  receiving  meantime  about  $1  per  day, 
and  afterward  worked  for  himself,  getting  fair 
remuneration.  In  1864  he  married  Miss  Sarah 
Fellows,  sister  of  Hon.  John  H.  Fellows,  of 
Scranton,  to  whose  sketch  upon  another  page  the 
reader  is  referred  for  the  famil)-  history.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Carlton,  of  whom  three  are  living:  Edward,  a 
fine  young  man,  who  was  a  student  in  Wood's 
Business  College,  and  is  now  assisting  his  father 
in  his  business;  Edith  M.  and  Robert  G.,  now 
attending  school. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Carlton  has  worked 
steadily  at  his  trade.  For  two  years  he  was  in 
a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory.  In  May  of  1890 
he  came  to  Dalton,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  builds  principally  residences  and 
churches,  and  during  very  busy  seasons  has  em- 
ployed as  many  as  fifty  men.  The  work  of  this 
large  corps  of  men  he  has  directed  and  super- 


440 


PORTRAIT   AND    P.IOGR,\PHICAL    RECORD. 


inti-iulcd  wilh  uxccllfiit  results,  .since  casting  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  General  Grant  in  1868, 
he  has  invariably  voted  the  Republican  ticket. 
Interested  in  local  matters,  he  has  been  chosen 
to  serve  as  president  of  the  city  council  of  Dal- 
ton  and  for  one  year  was  president  of  the  school 
board,  in  both  of  which  positions  he  rendered 
capable  service  in  the  interests  of  his  fellow- 
citizens. 


ENOS  V.  SLOCUM.  The  Civil  War  gave 
to  our  country  many  men  of  acknowl- 
edged skill,  ability  and  military  skill,  who, 
both  in  the  ranks  and  in  an  official  capacity,  did 
noble  service  toward  assisting  m  perpetuating 
the  Union.  Such  a  one  was  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  whose  record  during  the  Rebellion  was 
one  of  which  he  and  his  may  well  be  proud.  The 
firing  of  the  first  shot  on  Ft.  .^umter  aroused  his 
patriotic  ardor  and  he  determined  to  help  save 
the  nation  from  disruption.  Enlisting  in  a  Penn- 
sxlvania  regiment,  he  particii)ated  in  manv  of 
the  engagements  of  the  war  and  shared  all  the 
hardships,  as  well  as  the  victories,  of  his  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Slocu'm  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  be- 
came v,'ell  known  as  the  founders  and  first  set- 
tlers of  Slocum's  Hollow,  lie  was  born  there 
fauuarv  2,  1835,  the  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sallie 
(.Mills)  Slocum.  At  the  age  of  three  years  he 
was  brought  by  his  jiarents  to  Scott  Township. 
where  he  now  resides.  When  a  small  boy,  he 
was  stolen  one  day  by  some  tramps  and  they 
had  taken  hur.  almost  as  far  as  Wilkesbarre  !  be- 
fore he  WFS  found  and  rescued.  His  eduuacion 
was  obtained  in  the  conunon  schools  of  this  dis- 
trict and  fitted  him  for  .-ictive  business  affairs. 
He  began  to  work  out  u])on  a  farm  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three,  but  after  two  years  in  this  way, 
he  turned  his  attention  in  the  mason's  trade. 

August  26,  1861,  Mr.  Slocum  eidisted  as  a 
])rivate  in  Company  K,  Eleventh  l\Mmsylvania 
Cavalry,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Philadel]3hia  for 
three  years.  Soon  after  his  enlistment  he  was 
made  sergeant.  With  his  company  he  proceeded 
to  Washington  and  b'ortress  Monroe,  and  in 
October,  1862,  took  part  in  thi-  battle  nf  I'"rank- 


lin:  .Xovember  19  was  with  the  regiment  at  Join- 
ers Bridge  and  at  the  capture  of  Rockett's  bat- 
tery. He  assisted  in  the  charge  on  Blackwater 
battery  March  16,  1863.  and  was  present  at  the 
siege  of  Suffolk  from  A])ril  12  to  Mav  4,  1863. 
In  other  skirmishes  and  battles  he  bore  a  valiant 
])art.  At  the  ex])iration  of  his  term  of  service  he 
was  nnistered  out,  in  August,  1864. 

For  several  years  after  his  return  from  war 
Mr.  Slocum  did  not  follow  any  special  line  of 
work.  In  1867  he  settled  upon  the  farm  in  Scott 
Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  The  place 
consists  of  fifty-five  acres,  devoted  to  general 
farming  and  the  dairy  business.  In  politics  a 
Republican,  he  is  interested  in  local  matters  and 
especially  in  the  free  school  system,  which  he 
has  promoted  by  two  years  of  efficient  service  as 
school  director.  He  is  identified  with  the  Bap- 
tist Churcli  and  attends  its  services.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  George  Fell  Post  No.  307, 
G.  A.  R.,  at  Waverly,  in  which  he  held  office  for 
one  year.  In  1871  he  married  Miss  Mary  Chase, 
daughter  of  Elisha  Chase,  and  born  November 
20,  1852,  in  Fleet ville.  They  have  seven  children, 
George  X'ernon,  Lizzie  F.,  Elmer,  Lina  M.,  Ar- 
thur G.,  Boyd  F.,  and  Donald  W.,  who  reside 
W'ith  their  parents  on  the  home  farm. 


HENRY  E.  ARMS,  proprietor  of  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  store  at  Yostville  in 
Spring  Brook  Township  and  the  prin- 
cipal business  man  of  the  place,  was  born  in 
Douglassville,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  March  20, 
1850,  the  second  child  and  only  son  of  William 
W.  and  Elizabeth  (Eagle)  Arms.  His  father,  who 
followed  the  stonemason's  trade  in  Douglassville 
throughout  life,  died  in  November,  1896,  aged 
seventy-eight  years;  the  wife  and  mother  passed 
awav  wdien  seventy-three.  Their  daughters  are 
Ellen,  wife  of  Robert  Taggert,  of  Gilbertsville; 
and  Maud,  Mrs.  Harry  Heilman,  of  Reading. 

The  first  fifteen  years  of  the  life  of  Henry  E. 
Arms  were  spent  in  w'ork  at  hi_)me  and  in  school, 
bm  he  tlieti  started  out  for  himself  by  obtaining 
em]iloynient  as  a  clerk  in  the  general  store  of 
I.  PL  Pile.  After  a  time  he  w-ent  elsewhere,  but 
continued  in  the  same  \\(irk  and  became  familiar 


B!«^ 

V 

»^^^T^^^^^^H 

■1 

HON.    CIIAUIJ'S    RomXSDN 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


443 


with  it  ill  all  its  details.  After  three  years  he  re- 
sumed work  for  J.  H.  Pile,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  some  time.  On  going  to  Pittston, 
he  first  worked  for  others  and  then  for  himself, 
having  accumulated  a  sufficient  sum  to  enable 
him  to  embark  in  business  for  himself.  In  1880 
he  came  to  Yostville  and  took  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness owned  by  his  father-in-law,  who  was  an 
extensive  miller  and  lumberman  here.  For  seven 
years  he  was  Mr.  Yost's  right-hand  man,  super- 
intending all  of  his  work.  In  1887  he  opened  a 
mercantile  store  and  has  since  built  up  a  large 
trade,  his  success  being  due  to  his  genial,  pleas- 
ant manners,  no  less  than  to  his  excellent  stock 
of  goods. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  Yost,  Mr.  Arms 
has  five  children,  Bessie,  Claude,  Alice,  Mattie 
and  Dorothy.  Active  in  local  affairs  he  votes 
the  Republican  ticket  at  local  and  general  elec- 
tions and  is  one  of  its  leaders  in  this  section. 
For  fifteen  years  he  has  been  tax  collector  and 
is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  justice  of  the 
peace.  His  wife  has  been  postmistress,  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  barring  him  from  the 
other  position.  Under  the  recent  Democratic 
administration  the  office  was  removed  from  his 
place  to  a  country  house  near  by.  Though  reared 
in  the  Lutheran  faith,  as  that  denomination  has 
no  house  of  worship  here,  he  has  identified  him- 
self with  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  in 
which  he  and  his  wife  are  active  workers.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  identified  with  the  Masons  and 
Camp  No.  262,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.  In  the  latter  or- 
ganization he  has  been  especially  active  and  dur- 
ing his  three  terms  as  district  deputy  instituted 
and  organized  many  camps,  including  those  at 
Moscow,  Pittston  and  Scranton. 


HON.  CHARLES  ROBINSON.  Identi- 
fietl  with  the  business  interests  of  Scran- 
ton since  1876,  Mr.  Robinson  is  known 
as  one  of  the  successful  and  prominent  men  of  the 
city,  and  also  has  an  excellent  record  as  a  public 
official.  With  his  father  and  brothers,  he  estab- 
lished a  brewery  business,  which,  after  the  death 
of  the  former,  was  carried  on  under  the  name  of 
E.  Robinson  until  1893,  and  since  that  time  has 
17 


been  conducted  vmder  the  title  of  E.  Robinson's 
Sons.  The  firm  occupies  a  four-story  building  at 
Nos.  433-455  North  Seventh  Street,  300x150  feet 
in  dimensions,  with  two  vaults  beneath,  cold  stor- 
age rooms  and  ice  machinery.  The  plant  is  oper- 
ated by  electricity  and  has  a  capacity  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  thousand  barrels  per  an- 
num, being  the  largest  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 
The  offices  are  located  adjacent  to  the  brewery. 

As  already  indicated,  the  name  of  Mr.  Robin- 
son is  connected  not  only  with  business  enter- 
prises, but  is  also  well  known  in  political  circles. 
As  a  leader  of  the  Democracy  of  this  locality, 
he  has  in  the  past  exerted  an  influence  second 
to  none  in  his  party.  It  was  largely  due  to  his  in- 
fluence that  the  state  Democratic  convention  met 
here,  at  the  time  Governor  Pattison  was  nom- 
inated the  second  time.  At  this  convention 
he  was  tendered  the  nomination  for  lieutenant 
governor,  but  owing  to  his  large  personal  inter- 
ests he  was  compelled  to  decline  the  honor.  As 
chairman  of  county,  and  member  of  state  central 
and  executive  committees,  his  labors  have  been 
most  effective  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the 
party.  In  1888  he  was  chosen  state  presidential 
elector  and  the  same  year  was  elected  sheriff  of 
the  county,  taking  the  oath  of  office  January  i, 
1889,  and  serving  for  three  years.  His  popular- 
ity is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  received  a 
majority  of  two  thousand  at  his  election.  To  ac- 
cept this  office,  he  resigned  as  a  member  of  the 
select  council  from  the  fourteenth  ward,  in  which 
capacity  he  had  served  for  two  terms,  meantime 
acting  as  chairman  of  the  street  and  bridge, 
finance  and  school  committees.  During  his  terms 
in  the  council  electric  lights  were  introduced 
and  the  first  move  was  made  toward  the  erection 
of  the  Linden  Street  bridge. 

Born  in  .Scranton  April  12.  1855,  the  subject  of 
this  review  is  a  son  of  Hon.  Jacob,  and  brother 
of  August  Robinson,  who  is  mentioned  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume.  He  was  educated  in 
New  York  and  at  Furst's  Military  College,  at  Col- 
lege Point,  from  which  he  graduated.  For  four 
years  he  Vvas  connected  with  a  wholesale  gro- 
cery business  in  New  York,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  this  city  and  inaugurated  the  business 
in  which  he  has  since  engaged.    After  his  return 


PORTRAIT   AXl)    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


to  Scranton  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Sijiess,  of 
New  York-  City,  and  tliev  are  the  ])aretits  of  three 
sons  and  three  daug'hters. 

Fraternally  j\Ir.  Robinson  is  associated  with 
Schiller  Lodge  Xo.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  consis- 
tory and  Ln-Lu  Temple,  Philadelphia;  also  is 
identified  with  the  Elks  and  other  organizations 
here.  In  1892  he  had  the  honor  of  being  national 
delegate  at  large  to  the  convention  in  Chicago, 
when  Orover  Cleveland  was  renominated  presi- 
dent. He  was  in  close  touch  with  the  adminis- 
tration and  the  chairman  of  the  national  commit- 
tee, William  I".  Harrity,  which  gave  him  control 
of  the  patronage  of  Lackawanna  Comity.  The 
demands  made  upon  his  time  by  his  large  per- 
sonal interests  was  largely  the  reason  for  his 
retirement  from  politics  in  1895.  He  is  a  prime 
factor  in  public  enterprises  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trade.  In  the  organization  of  the  Scran- 
ton Hook  &  Ladder  Company  No.  i  he  took  an 
active  part  and  is  still  connected  with  it. 


HARRISON  H.  COLVIN.  This  sturdy 
veteran  of  more  than  three  score  years 
and  ten  gives  comparatively  little  evi- 
dence of  having  passed  so  many  milestones  on 
the  highway  of  life,  for  he  is  still  active  in  mind 
and  Ixidy,  and  possesses  the  intelligence,  mem- 
ory and  fimd  of  information  that  constitutes  him 
a  congenial  .companion.  Financiallv  he  is  well- 
to-do,  and  is  now  living  somewhat  retired  from 
the  active  duties  of  life,  on  his  pleasant  home- 
stead in  West  Abington.  He  is  known  to  the 
peo]jle  of  the  western  part  of  the  county  as  a 
substantial  citizen,  ])ossessing  the  sterling  quali- 
ties of  character  that  liavc  enable<l  him  to  build 
U|)  a  record  nf  which  his  ]jnsterit\'  will  never  be 
ashamed. 

Born  in  West  Abington,  May  4,  1824.  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article  is  a  son  of  Joali  ami  Esther 
(Corp)  Colvin,  natives  of  .Situate,  R.  1.  .'\bout 
1812  they  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  near 
Glenburn,  four  years  later  removing  to  tlie  iilace 
now  occupied  by  their  son.  11.  li.  Here  they 
s])ent  their  remaining  years,  the  father  dying  at 
the  age  of  sixty-three  and  tlu'  molher  at  seventy. 
Of  their  four  children,    Harrison    H.   alone   sur- 


vives. The  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  Colvin, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  received  a 
pension  in  remuneration  for  his  services.  With 
his  wife,  Marcy,  he  removed  from  Rhode  Island 
to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness  of  Abington  Township,  occupving  a 
place  on  which  no  attempt  at  improvement  had 
been  made.  The  maternal  grandparents  of  our 
subject  lived  and  died  in  Rhode  Island. 

After  attending  the  district  schools  for  some 
time,  our  subject  carried  on  his  studies  in  Wa- 
verly  Academy,  where  his  education  was  com- 
pleted. October  21,  1847,  lie  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Lucretia  Harding,  who  was  born  in 
Exeter,  old  Luzerne  County,  and  died  in  Lack- 
awanna County  in  June,  1892.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  one  daughter 
died  at  two  years  of  age.  The  others  are  Hiram, 
Emory  and  Emma  (twins),  and  George,  all  of 
whom  are  married  and  have  families. 

After  his  marriage  our  subject  built  a  substan- 
tial residence  on  the  site  of  the  old  home,  and 
here  his  declining  days  are  quietly  and  com- 
fortably passing.  In  early  life  a  Whig,  on  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  identi- 
fied himself  with  it  and  has  since  voted  tliis  ticket. 
His  fellow-citizens  recognizing  his  fitness  for  offi- 
cial positions,  have  called  him  to  serve  in  various 
local  offices,  and  in  all  lie  has  discharged  his 
duties  efficiently.  For  nine  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  board  of  agriculture.  In  reli- 
gious belief  he  affiliates  with  the  Baptists.  He 
may  be  classed  among  the  representative  citizens 
of  the  township,  whose  gradual  development  he 
has  witnessed,  and  in  whose  advancement  he  has 
ever  been  deeplv  interested.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  neighl)orhood  afifairs  and  is  looked 
upon  with  respect  by  his  fellow-citizens,  and  with 
a  more  affectionate  regard  by  those  best  ac- 
quainted with  his  life  and  character. 


WILLANDER  A.  DEAN.  It  is  always 
a  pleasant  duty,  as  we  journe\-  through 
life,  to  make  pencilings  by  the  way, 
and  lake  note  of  those  who,  in  every  relation, 
have  left  enduring  footprints  in  the  walks  of 
vears;    but   it  is  even  more  gratifying  when   we 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RI'XORD. 


445 


can  chronicle  the  deeds  of  those  who  seem  actu- 
ated by  an  earnest  desire  to  bestow  sonic  benefit 
upon  their  fellowmen,  in  their  day  and  j^enera- 
tion.  Of  such  character  and  disposition  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  near  Dalton 
March  12,  1846,  and  is  still  a  resident  of  this 
locality. 

The  Dean  family  came  from  Rhode  Island  to 
Pennsylvania.  Our  subject's  grandfather,  James 
Dean,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  May  7,  1780, 
removed  to  this  state  in  1800  and  became  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  North  Abington  Town- 
ship, Lackawanna  County.  December  28,  1802, 
he  married  Catharine  Tripp,  who  was  born 
in  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  April  22,  1784,  and  died 
near  Dalton  April  25,  1861.  He  passed  away  at 
the  family  home  February  26,  1844  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children.  The  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Henry  Heermans, 
was,  according  to  an  unauthentic  tradition,  born 
in  New  York  January  27,  1791.  For  some  time 
he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  merchant,  mill- 
wright and  lumberman  of  Wayne  County,  but 
later  went  to  Scranton  and  became  one  of  the 
first  merchants  of  Providence.  He  was  pros- 
pered in  business  and  accumulated  large  land 
holdings.  July  15,  1810,  he  married  Fandani 
Nicholson,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
August  27,  1791,  and  died  in  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty October  30,  183 1,  having  been  the  mother  of 
ten  children.  By  his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Heer- 
mans had  seven  children. 

Isaac  Dean,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  at 
the  family  homestead  near  Dalton  June  9,  181 1, 
and  made  farming  his  life  occupation.  In  the 
fall  of  1868  he  retired  from  active  labors  and  set- 
tled in  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  married  Polly  S.  Heermans,  who  was  born  in 
Providence,  now  the  first  ward  of  Scranton,  July 
21,  1820,  and  died  July  8,  1868.  Of  her  six  chil- 
dren the  eldest,  Emma,  died  in  1896,  aged  fifty- 
one  years.  The  first  eighteen  years  of  our  sub- 
ject's life  were  passed  on  the  home  farm  near  Dal- 
ton. He  attended  the  common  schools  and  also 
graduated  from  the  business  college  at  Binghani- 
ton,  after  which  he  clerked  for  R.  A.  Henry  in 
a  railroad  office  for  a  short  time.  Later  he 
spent  one  year  in  the  employ  of  O.  P.  Clark  in 


the  general  merchandise  business  at  Hyde  Park 
and  a  similar  period  in  tiie  Providence  National 
Bank.  In  1866  he  opened  a  store  in  Factoryviile 
and  was  also  deputy  postmaster,  having  the  office 
in  his  building. 

After  selling  the  store  in  Factoryviile,  in  1868, 
Mr.  Dean  married  Miss  M.  P..  Northru]),  daugh- 
ter of  Clark  and  Louisa  (Gardner)  Northrup,  and 
a  native  of  this  county.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  sons:  Harr>'  N.,  inspector  of  machinery 
for  the  (Guarantors'  Insurance  Company  of  Phil- 
adelphia; Walter  C,  in  the  Massachusetts  School 
of  Technology;  and  Maurice  B.  For  fifteen 
years  after  his  marriage  our  subject  lived  at  the 
homestead,  Init  afterward  turned  his  attention 
from  agriculture  to  milling,  and  ijought  a  one- 
half  interest  in  a  grist  mill.  The  mill  was  burned 
down  in  1888,  but  he  at  once  rebuilt  it  and  op- 
erated it  alone  until  April,  1895.  when  he  sold. 
In  July  of  1896  he  bought  an  interest  in  the 
lumber  business  of  Mr.  Francis  and  has  since 
aided  in  its  management.  He  is  interested  in  the 
water  company  and  serves  as  president. 

Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Dean  cast  his 
first  ballot  for  General  Grant  in  1868  and  upon 
his  party  ticket  has  been  elected  auditor  and 
to  other  local  offices.  With  his  family  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Baptist  Church  and  aids  in  its 
work.  In  1867  he  was  made  a  Mason  and  now 
holds  membership  in  the  Northeastern  Masonic 
\'eteran  Association,  is  also  connected  with  Fac- 
toryviile Lodge  No.  341,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Factoryviile 
Chapter  No.  205,  R.  A.  M.,  Coeur  de  Lion  Coni- 
mander\-  No.  17,  at  Scranton,  Scranton  Council 
No.  44,  R.  &  S.  M.,  and  Irem  Temple.  A.  A.  O. 
N.  of  M.  S.,  at  Wilkesbarre. 


I 


RA  J.  CLARK,  deceased,  formerly  a  promi- 
nent farmer  and  the  supervisor  of  Scott 
Township,  was  born  near  Edella,  this  county, 
October  14,  1820,  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca 
(Stone)  Clark.  His  boyhood  years  were  passed 
upon  the  home  farm,  where  he  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  pertaining  to  the  management 
of  a  well-regulated  estate.  His  education  was 
limited  to  a  brief  attendance  at  the  neighboring 
schools,  which  were  then  of  a  character  far  in- 
ferior to  those  of  the  present  time. 


446 


I'CiRTRAIT   AND    P.IOGR.'KPHICAL    RFXORD. 


About  the  time  of  his  marriage,  in  1844,  Mr. 
Clark  purchased  a  farm  in  Scott  Township  and 
here  his  remaining  years  were  busily  and  happily 
passed.  At  the  time  he  took  possession,  there 
were  no  improvements  on  the  place,  but  with 
the  passing  years  he  erected  necessary  and  sub- 
stantial buildings,  brought  the  soil  under  good 
cultivation  and  planted  an  orchard  that  was  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  township.  In  the  little  log 
cabin  that  stood  on  the  farm  he  and  his  wife 
began  housekeeping  and  there  they  made  their 
home  for  eight  years,  when  a  larger  house  was 
erected. 

The  lady  whom  Air.  Clark  married  in  1844  and 
who  was  his  faithful  helpmate  until  his  death 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Polly  J.  Leonard,  and 
was  born  in  Scott  Township  December  4,  1824. 
After  fifty  years  of  wedded  life,  during  which  time 
their  mutual  sympathy  and  helpfulness  lightened 
every  sorrow  and  doubled  every  joy,  they  cele- 
brated their  golden  wedding,  on  which  occasion 
they  were  the  recipients  of  the  good  wishes  of  a 
host  of  warm  personal  friends.  Three  children 
came  to  bless  their  union,  but  only  one  is  living, 
Cla\-ton  L.  The  daughter,  Jane  W.,  died  in 
1863.  Clayton  L.  married  Geneva  Smith,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  five  children:  George, 
who  is  married  and  has  a  daughter,  Helen; 
Beatrice;  Bertha,  wife  of  Frank  Lewis;  Arthur 
and  Jennie. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
August  4,  1896,  Mr.  Clark  was  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  as  good 
as  could  be  found  in  the  township,  and  its  im- 
provements bore  testimony  to  his  industry  and 
energy.  For  twelve  years  he  was  a  deacon  in 
the  Baptist  Church.  He  was  interested  in  local 
affairs  and  served  efficiently  as  township  super- 
visor one  year. 


WILLIAM  H.  JONES,  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  of  Spring  Brook 
Township,  may  justly  be  called  a 
pioneer  of  the  town,  having  resided  at  his  pres- 
ent location  since  1849.  ^^^  niade  his  way  from 
the  Wyoming  Valley  near  I'ittston  to  this  place 
through  a  dense  and  unbroken  forest,  guided  on 


the  journey  by  blazed  trees.  With  the  history 
of  the  neighborhood  he  has  since  been  asso- 
ciated. He  has  lived  to  see  what  was  in  years 
gone  by  a  region  of  timbered  and  almost  unset- 
tled land  transformed  into  a  prosperous,  finely 
cultivated  and  beautiful  country.  Amid  the  stir- 
ring scenes  of  pioneer  life  he  was  ever  found 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  in  want 
of  assistance  in  any  form,  and  under  all  circum- 
stances has  so  -conducted  himself  as  to  win  the 
friendship  of  his  associates. 

.  The  parents  of  our  subject,  Aaron  and  Sarah 
(Frantz)  Jones,  resided  upon  a  farm  in  Bucks 
County  until  they  died,  the  father  at  si.xty-seven 
and  the  mother  when  fifty-four  years  of  age.  Of 
their  eight  children  the  sole  survivor,  William  H., 
was  born  at  Hilltown,  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  May 
3,  1828,  and  remained  on  the  home  farm  until 
the  death  of  his  father.  He  was  only  eight  when 
his  mother  died  and  four  years  later  his  father 
passed  away,  after  which  he  was  taken  into  the 
home  of  relatives  near  Bethel  and  lived  near  the 
Blue  Mountains  about  four  years.  In  1844  he 
removed  to  Scranton,  where  he  engaged  at  the 
shoemaker's  trade  for  four  years  and  then  spent 
a  year  in  the  Wyoming  Valley. 

A  gentleman  who  became  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Jones,  recognizing  his  worth,  honesty  and  indus- 
try, persuaded  him  to  come  to  Lackawanna 
County  and  work  in  a  shop  where  his  farm  now 
is  situaited.  Eight  years  were  passed  in  that  posi- 
tion, where  he  proved  himself  a  steady,  faithful 
workman.  Meantime  the  earnings  which  he  was 
able  to  save  were  invested  in  the  purchase  of  the 
land,  then  a  wilderness  and  uncleared  forest. 
Determined  to  make  a  home,  he  and  his  wife 
went  into  the  forest  and  in  two  hours,  by  their 
own  hands,  constructed  their  first  house,  moving 
in  it  at  once.  This  was  the  beginning  of  what 
has  since  been  converted  into  a  valuable  farm. 
He  managed  to  make  the  first  payment  of  $125 
on  tile  place  and  when  they  moved  into  the  house 
tliey  had  the  sum  of  three  shillings.  The  suc- 
ceeding days  were  spent  in  the  shop  and  on  his 
return  home  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he 
began  to  work  at  clearing  the  land  and  burning 
piles  of  logs,  continuing  sometimes  until  mid- 
night.    During  those  early  years  he  did  an  im- 


HENRY  J.   HRENNAN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


449 


mense  amount  of  work  and  had  he  not  possessed 
a  robust  constitution  he  would  have  been  unable 
to  endure  the  constant  overwork.  His  home 
farm  consists  of  fifty-seven  and  one-half  acres,  in 
addition  to  which  he  owns  another  tract  of  eighty 
acres,  all  devoted  to  general  farming. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  Mary  C.  Felts, 
daughter  of  John  P.  and  Polly  (Phillips)  Felts, 
who  were  pioneer  residents  of  what  is  now  Green- 
field Township,  the  father  dying  there  when 
sixty-two  and  the  mother  at  forty-one  years.  Of 
their  eleven  children  five  attained  mature  years, 
and  two  are  living,  Mrs.  Jones  and  Mrs.  Hannah 
Lowe,  of  Ashford,  Banner  County,  Neb.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Felts  again  married 
and  had  five  children  by  that  union.  At  the  orga- 
nization of  the  Republican  party  Mr.  Jones  identi- 
fied himself  with  it  and  has  since  supported  its 
principles.  His  parents  reared  him  in  the  Bap- 
tist faith,  but  there  is  no  church  here  of  that  de- 
nomination, and  in  former  years  he  was  actively 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and 
the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America.  His  life 
has  been  one  filled  with  hard  work  and  energetic 
efforts  and  he  well  deserv'es  his  present  pros- 
perity. 


HENRY  J.  B  REN  NAN,  the  coal  operator 
and  promoter  of  many  important  enter- 
prises in  Carbondale,  was  born  in  this 
city,  November  i,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Eliza  (Brennan)  Brennan,  who,  though  bear- 
ing the  same  name,  were  members  of  different 
families,  between  which  not  the  least  relationship 
existed.  The  former,  who  was  born  in  County 
Kilkenny,  Ireland,  in  1816,  was  orphaned  a 
month  before  his  birth,  by  the  death  of  his 
father,  Thomas. 

In  1838,  when  about  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
Thomas  Brennan  came  to  America  and  settled 
in  Carbondale,  where  he  engaged  to  work  in  the 
coal  mines.  In  1847  occurred  the  greatest  mine 
disaster  the  United  States  had  ever  experienced, 
and  while  the  majority  of  the  miners  lost  their 
lives,  he  and  a  few  others  were  released,  after 
three  davs'  confinement,  more  dead  than  alive, 


having  suffered  untold  misery.  Later  he  became 
interested  in  other  enterprises  and  was  the  first 
individual  coal  shipper  from  Carbondale.  In 
1890  he  retired  from  active  business  pursuits,  and 
thenceforth  lived  in  retirement  until  his  death, 
July  14,  1895.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  the  place,  a  man  of  iron  will,  great  determina- 
tion and  force  of  character,  yet  kind  and  con- 
siderate to  all  when  not  antagonized.  In  1879  he 
served  as  mayor  and  always  bore  an  honorable 
part  in  the  enterprises  of  the  citv. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  sister  of  the 
late  Captain  Brennan  and  the  youngest  child  of 
Lawrence  Brennan,  a  wealthy  land  owner  in  Ire- 
land, a  man  of  sterling  qualities,  and  known  in  his 
neighborhood  as  a  peacemaker  in  all  local  ani- 
mosities. Capt.  William  Brennan,  his  eldest  son, 
was  a  man  of  business  ability,  a  civil  engineer  by 
profession,  but  for  some  time  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile enterprises.    He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  set- 
tlement of  Carbondale.     In   those   days   it   was 
thought  that  there  was  no  coal  in  the  mountains 
between  Carbondale  and  Forest  City,  but  he  was 
of  a  different  opinion,  and  endeavored  to  con- 
vince til'-  managers  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad  that  there  were  coal  veins.    They,  how- 
ever, would  h.ave  no  part  in  w^iat  they  termed  his 
wild   cat   scheme   of   prospecting   for   it.     Thor- 
oughly convinced  that  he  was   correct,  he  started 
out   to    make   the   experiment   on    his   own    ac- 
count and   secured  possession   of   a  large   tract 
of    land.     The    result    proved    the    wisdom     of 
his    opinion.      Coal   was   found   in    large    quan- 
tities.    He  raised  a  large  sum  of  money,  opened 
up  a  mine  and  operated  it  for  some  time  with 
a  large  force  of  men.     When  it  was  finally  set- 
tled that  there  was  coal  in  immense  quantities, 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  were    anxious    to    ac- 
quire   possession     of     his    property,    and    while 
he  was  not  desirous  of  selling,  yet  he  did  so  on 
receipt   of   a    large    price    that    was    a   fortune 
in   itself.      He   then    retired   from  the  coal  busi- 
ness and  engaged  in  stock  operations   in   Wall 
Street,   where  he  met  with   some   heavy   losses. 
His  stately  residence  in  Upper  Salem  Avenue, 
Carbondale,  is  now  a  part  of  St.  Rosa  Catholic 
parochial  school.     Having  a  wide  acquaintance 
in  Ireland,  the  people  from  that  countn,'  on  emi- 


450 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


grating  to  the  I'nitcd  States  headed  for  Carbon- 
dale,  where  tliey  were  sure  to  find  a  friend  in 
him.  Through  his  assistance  many  found  profit- 
able employment.  Of  his  family  two  sons  be- 
came Catholic  priests  and  all  had  the  advantage 
of  a  higher  education. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  had  fifteen  children. 
of  whom  Henry  J.  is  the  eldest  living.  Though 
now  seventy-two  years  of  age,  her  intellect  is  as 
bright  as  that  of  many  women  uf  half  her  age. 
Her  son,  William  L..  is  an  attorney,  and  her 
youngest  son,  John,  is  engaged  in  the  diamond 
drill  business.  Our  subject  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Carbondale,  and  as 
a  boy  displayed  much  business  tact.  His  uncle, 
whom  he  resembled  in  energy,  took  a  fancy  to 
him  and  hired  him  as  a  clerk  in  his  store,  where 
determined  traits  of  character  were  instilled  in 
his  life.  While  employed  during  the  day.  he  at- 
tended night  school  and  stored  in  his  mind  a  good 
sup])lv  of  book  knowledge  and  practical  business 
experience.  I'or  about  two  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  t!ie  county  recorder's  office  in  Wilkes- 
barre.  after  which  he  returned  to  Carbondale  and 
engaged  in  the  coal  business  with  his  father. 

In  1S82  the  Democratic  party  brought  for- 
ward the  name  of  Mr.  Hrennan  as  their  candidate 
for  clerk  of  the  courts,  and  after  a  hotly  contested 
election  he  was  found  to  be  thirty-seven  votes 
short.  His  personal  popularity  gave  him  every 
vote  cast  in  two  election  districts,  and  all  Init 
one  in  another.  While  he  was  satisfied  that  he 
was  elected,  he  made  no  contest,  but  determined 
then  and  there  not  to  accept  the  nomination  for 
another  office.  In  1883-84  he  was  jiostoffice  in- 
S])ector  for  St.  Lotus  district.  He  has  had  some 
experience  of  life  in  the  far  west,  having  in  1877 
made  a  trip  to  the  lllack  Hills,  and  engaged  in 
mining  there,  but  did  not  like  the  country  well 
enough  to  remain  long.  ,'\t  one  time  he  also  niaik' 
a  trip  to  the  1  ndian  Territory,  where  he  took  stejjs 
toward  prospecting  for  oil  and  asphalt,  some- 
thing not  supposed  to  exist  in  that  region.  Find- 
ing large  c|uantities  of  asphalt,  he  organized  a 
com])any  and  developed  the  great  industry. 
While  in  that  region  he  gained  the  confidence  of 
the  Shawnee  Indians  to  such  an  extent  that,  in 
the  winter  of   1895,  he  was  one  of  their  repre- 


sentatives in  Washington  in  a  claim  of  $500,000 
against  the  government.  It  was  largely  due  to 
his  exertions  that  they  were  successful  in  estab- 
lishing the  claim.  .Much  of  his  time  in  winter  for 
several  years  has  been  spent  in  Washington, 
where  he  has  many  warm  friends.  While  there, 
soon  after  tiie  Chicago  convention  of  1896,  he 
became  president  of  the  first  Bryan  and  Sewall 
Club  of  Washington. 

In  the  fall  of  1896  Mr.  Brennan  secured  con- 
trol of  some  two  hundred  acres  of  fine  coal  land 
at  Shamokin.  Pa.,  in  company  with  other  capital- 
ists, and  commenced  to  open  one  of  the  largest 
coal  mines  in  that  section.  He  is  also  interested 
in  organizing  a  large  stock  company  to  engage 
in  extensive  business  enterprises  in  (  >ld  Mexico. 
He  is  a  man  of  advanced  and  original  ideas,  and 
undertakes  the  promoting  of  great  enterprises 
that  less  daring  men  woitld  shrink  from.  When 
he  undertakes  an  enterprise  he  invariably  carries 
it  through  to  a  successful  termination.  If  he  has 
not  the  cajiital.  he  has  the  ability  to  interest  men 
that  have  means,  and  their  confidence  in  him 
has  never  been  misplaced. 

October  5,  18S0,  Mr.  Brennan  married  .Mar- 
garet, datighter  of  I'atrick  McGarry,  cuie  of  the 
wealthiest  farmers  in  the  vicinity  of  Carbondale. 
Thev  have  seven  children :  Lizzie,  born  Novem- 
ber I,  1881:  Thomas  P.,  July  26,  1885:  Mary, 
October  20,  1886:  Clair,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Margaret  Jane,  born  November  i,  1888:  Sa- 
lome, December  18,  1889:  and  Harry  J.,  March 
10,  1 891.  The  family  occupy  a  fine  residence  on 
the  hill  \n  I'pper  .Salem  Aventie,  and  directly 
across  the  street  from  the  iiome  once  occupied 
by  Captain  Urennan. 


H 


ON.  JOHN  S.  LA  TOUCHE  has  been 
for  niaii\'  years  a  resident  of  Moscow 
and  is  one  of  the  men  whose  energy  and 
ability  have  contributed  to  the  development  of 
this  place.  He  was  born  in  Union  Village,  Wash- 
ington County,  N.  Y.,  February  23,  1837,  and 
is  the  son  of  Michael  and  Catherine  (Yeager)  La 
Touche.  His  father,  who  was  a  native  of  Paris, 
h'rance,  was  brought  in  infancy  to  America  by 
his  parents  and  at  the  age  of  eight  years  was 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


451 


bound  out  in  Xew  York,  learning  the  upholster- 
er's and  paper-hanger's  trade.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  in  Xew  York  State  until  about  1839,  when 
he  came  to  this  county  and  purchased  a  farm  in 
Covington  Township,  continuing  to  reside  there 
until  his  death  at  sixty  years  of  age.  His  wife, 
who  was  born  in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  March  4, 
1802,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 

At  the  time  the  family  came  to  Lackawanna 
County,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  two  years 
of  age.  His  early  life  was  spent  upon  the  home 
farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  common  schools 
and  Stroudsburg  Academy.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  began  hauling  lumber  from 
Spring  Brook  to  Pittston  and  Easton.  and  fol- 
lowed that  occupation  about  one  year.  After- 
ward, for  a  similar  period,  he  worked  on  a  farm 
in  New  York  and  in  the  powder  mill  at  Moosic. 
In  1856  the  station  was  opened  at  Moscow  and 
he  came  here  as  warehouseman.  In  April,  1859, 
he  was  appointed  station  agent  and  has  since 
served  efficiently  in  that  capacity,  and  has  also 
been  agent  for  the  Hope,  Howard,  United  States 
and  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Express 
Companies. 

December  29,  1857,  Mr.  La  Touche  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  L.  Depew,  of  Moscov\-.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  children:  Lionne  L.,  wife 
of  M.  A.  Lyman,  assistant  agent  at  this  place; 
R.  M.,  who  holds  a  position  as  bookkeeper  for 
the  Elk  tannery  at  Instanter,  Pa.;  and  A.  Inez, 
wife  of  N.  C.  Broadhead,  superintendent  of  the 
Elk  Tanning  Company's  tannery  at  Instanter.  Pa. 

The  Republican  party  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Lackawanna  County  has  one  of  its  most  promi- 
nent men  and  workers  in  Mr.  La  Touche.  From 
1 88 1  to  1884  he  represented  this  district  m  the 
legislature  and  was  a  member  of  the  extra  ses- 
sion called  by  the  governor.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire period  of  service  he  was  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  appropriations,  which  required 
almost  his  entire  time,  and  in  addition  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  committees  on  public  build- 
ings, counties  and  townships,  judicial  apportion- 
ment, printing,  railroads,  and  labor  and  industry. 
Since  1887  he  has  served  as  township  auditor, 
for  a  similar  period  has  been  school  director  and 
since  1893  has  served  as  secretary  of  the  school 


board.  For  years  he  has  been  one  of  the  active 
politicians  of  Moscow.  He  is  a  whole-souled, 
genial  man,  with  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and 
while  not  a  member  of  any  church  contributes 
to  religious  work.  He  has  accumulated  consider- 
able property  during  his  busy  life,  owning  a  sub- 
stantial store  building  that  he  rents  and  a  good 
residence  in  this  place.  This  represents  his  own 
earnings,  for  he  began  without  capital  and  has 
had  to  work  his  way  to  success  without  assist- 
ance. 


THOMAS  SMITH.  A  large  farm  in  North 
Abington  Township  is  owned  and  op- 
erated by  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who, 
beginning  with  no  capital  save  a  brave  heart  and 
a  pair  of  strong  hands,  has  by  unremitting  labor 
accumulated  a  competence,  besides  having  em- 
bellished his  estate  with  many  improvements  of 
a  modern  type.  He  has  a  substantial  barn,  a  neat 
residence  and  all  the  outbuildings  essential  to 
the  proper  cultivation  of  a  farm.  By  a  course  of 
industry,  prudence  and  good  management,  he 
has  become  well-to-do  financially,  and  his  estate 
indicates  to  what  good  purpose  he  has  labored 
during  the  years  gone  by. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  Smith,  Sr., 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  removed  thence  to 
Pennsylvania  about  1799,  settled  in  this  county 
and  cleared  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  a 
tract  of  three  hundred  acres.  Upon  this  place 
he  remained  until  his  death  in  February,  1855, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  He  married  Hilary 
Northrup,  of  Rhode  Island,  who  died  here  in 
1892,  at  the  age  of  ninety-three.  The  family  of 
which  she  is  a  member  is  mentioned  in  the  sketch 
of  Henry  Northrup,  u]ion  another  page.  Of  her 
eleven  children,  Thomas  and  a  sister  alone  sur- 
vive. 

LTpon  the  home  farm  in  North  Abington 
Township,  our  subject  was  born  October  8,  1833. 
In  boyhood  years  he  had  few  opportunities  for 
acquiring  an  education,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
work  early  and  late  in  assisting  in  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  family.  However,  observation  and 
experience  have  partially  made  up  for  his  loss 
in  schooling.    Working  hard  in  youth,  he  saved 


45^ 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.'KPHICAL   RECORD. 


what  he  earned,  and  by  economy  and  continued 
perseverance  has  become  well-to-do.  He  began 
life  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  and  has 
reached  his  present  position  solely  by  constant 
labor  and  good  management.  He  is  the  owner 
of  three  hundred  acres,  the  improvements  upon 
which  liave  been  made  by  himself,  and  credit 
should  be  given  him  for  the  manner  in  which  he 
has  labored  and  the  success  that  has  attended 
him. 

In  1855  Mr.  Smith  married  Margaret  Bailey, 
who  died  in  October,  1862.  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six,  having  become  the  mother  of  two  children: 
Frank  L.,  who  occupies  part  of  the  home  fami 
and  has  two  children;  and  one  that  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  united 
him  with  Miss  Harriet  Carpenter,  an  estimable 
lady,  whose  death  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  was 
deeply  mourned.  The  only  child  born  of  this 
union  is  Niles  J.,  who  is  married,  has  one  child, 
and  resides  with  his  father.  Mr.  Smith  cast  his 
first  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont  and  since  then 
has  never  failed  to  vote  for  the  candidates  of 
the  Republican  party.  Personally  he  is  well  dow- 
ered with  shrewdness,  foresight  and  thrift,  is 
straightforward  and  just  in  his  dealings  and  is 
held  in  high  regard  by  his  associates. 


JOSEPH  P.  PHILLIPS.  From  colonial 
days  until  now,  the  fondest  dream  indulged 
in  by  thousands  of  dwellers  across  the  sea 
has  been  that  of  coming  to  America,  where  mod- 
erate finances  would  secure  more  of  the  com- 
forts of  life  and  better  opportunities  for  educa- 
tional and  social  progress  than  in  their  native 
land.  .  This  dream  has  been  realized  by  many 
now  recognized  as  among  our  worthy  citizens. 
One,  now  city  engineer  of  Scranton,  in  boyhood 
days  often  thought  of  the  United  States  as  a 
desirable  home  and  by  experience  he  has  learned 
that  our  opportunities  are  greater  and  our  possi- 
bilities larger  than  those  of  his  native  country. 

William,  father  of  our  subject,  and  Henry,  the 
grandfather,  were  bom  in  Monmouthshire,  Eng- 
land, and  were  bonesetters  by  occupation,  the 
former  dying  at  sixty-nine  years.  The  mother, 
Jane,  who  was  born  in  Monmouthshire  and  died 


there  at  the  age  of  sixty-six,  was  a  daughter  of 
Jeremiah  James,  for  some  years  a  coal  agent  at 
Cork,  Ireland.  The  parental  family  consisted 
of  ten  children,  of  whom  four  sons  came  to 
America,  and  two  are  living,  Joseph  P.  and  Wil- 
liam, a  miner  and  prospector  in  Colorado.  The 
oldest  son,  Hon.  Henry  Phillips,  was  the  first 
of  the  family  in  -Scranton,  coming  here  in  1862, 
and  securing  employment  with  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  as  surveyor  of  coal 
mines.  To  him  belongs  the  honor  of  securing 
ventilation  of  mines:  he  originated  the  bill,  that 
was  afterward  passed,  securing  the  proper  venti- 
lation of  mines.  In  1872  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature  from  the  old  fifth  district  of  Lu- 
zerne, now  the  first  district  of  Lackawanna,  and 
served  one  term.  Interested  in  the  development 
of  Hyde  Park,  he  surveyed  and  platted  lots,  which 
he  sold  from  time  to  time.  Frequently  he  re- 
turned to  England,  on  business  trips  or  for  the 
purpose  of  recreation,  and  he  died  in  Monmouth- 
shire, in  October,  1896.  Another  brother,  Jere- 
miah, who  was  also  a  surveyor  and  engineer  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  died  in 
1892. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  passed 
in  Monmouthshire,  where  he  was  born  Decem- 
ber 30,  1845.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  secured 
work  in  Glamorganshire  mines,  but,  the  employ- 
ment not  proving  congenial,  he  made  applica- 
tion to  the  Great  Western  Railroad  for  a  posi- 
tion. However,  before  passing  the  examination 
required,  he  returned  home  and  the  influence  of 
his  parents  caused  him  to  decide  to  learn  the  civil 
engineer's  trade.  After  an  apprenticeship  of  fif- 
teen months  under  Thomas  Marley  Williams,  in 
August,  1868,  he  took  passage  on  the  steamer 
"Nebraska,''  and  spent  ten  days  between  Liver- 
pool and  New  York.  Arriving  in  the  latter  city 
he  proceeded  at  once  to  Scranton  and  began  to 
work  with  his  brother  Henry,  for  the  Delaware, 
Lackaw'anna  &  Western,  as  a  civil  engineer  in 
the  coal  department.  In  the  spring  of  1884  he 
resigned,  and  in  May  of  that  year  was  appointed 
assistant  city  engineer  under  Edward  F.  Blewitt, 
with  whom  he  continued  until  March,  1893.  He 
was  then  elected  by  the  council  to  fill  the  unex- 
pired term  of  city  engineer,  and  in  April,   1894, 


JUSTUS  VOX  STORCH 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


455 


was  elected  for  a  full  term  of  three  years.  Most 
of  the  improvements  in  this  line  in  the  city  have 
been  made  since  his  first  connection  with  the 
office,  among  them  being  the  building  of  the  two 
bridges  across  Roaring  Brook  and  the  paving 
of  streets. 

Miss  Esther  Hughes,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Phillips  in  1870,  was  born  in  Summit  Hill 
and  educated  in  Wilkesbarre.  Her  parents  are 
Thomas  and  Frances  (Slocum)  Hughes,  the  for- 
mer of  Welsh  descent,  the  latter  a  member  of  the 
historic  family  of  Slocums  of  Slocum's  Hollow. 
Mr.  Hughes  was  quite  successful  as  a  mine  su- 
perintendent and  died  in  Wilkesbarre  in  1872. 
Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Phillips  are  the  parents  of  ten  liv- 
ing children:  William,  a  civil  engineer  with  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad; 
Frank,  a  clerk  in  the  city  engineers  department; 
Frances  J.,  Mary  L.,  Nellie  Beatrice,  Geraldine, 
Joseph,  Orissa,  Henry,  and  Esther. 

In  1875-77  Mr.  Phillips  was  a  member  of  the 
select  council  from  the  fifth  ward  and  was  presi- 
dent of  that  body  in  1876,  when  there  were  twelve 
wards  in  the  city;  before  his  term  expired  the 
number  had  been  increased  to  twenty-one.  He 
is  connected  with  Hyde  Park  Lodges  of  Masons 
and  Knights  of  Pythias,  has  been  keeper  of  rec- 
ords and  seals,  was  district  deputy  three  terms 
and  representative  thirteen  times  to  the  grand 
lodge.  At  one  time  he  was  vice-president  of 
the  West  Side  Board  of  Trade.  In  political  views 
he  is  a  Republican.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  organization  of  the  Engineers  Club  of  Scran- 
ton,  of  wliich  he  is  a  member.  He  was  in  the 
Eisteddfod  competition  at  the  World's  Fair  and 
has  been  closely  connected  with  the  societies  that 
competed  at  the  World's  Fair. 


JUSTUS  VOX  STORCH.  There  is  no  fam- 
ily residing  in  Scranton  that  has  furnished 
to  the  city  better  citizens  or  more  success- 
ful business  men  than  has  the  one  of  which  the 
subject  of  this  article  was  an  honored  member.  He 
was  the  youngest  son  of  Henry  L.  C.  von  Storch, 
the  founder  of  the  family  in  America,  and  the 
subject  of  a  sk'etch  that  appears  on  another  page. 
At  the  family  homestead  in  Providence,  he  was 


born  April  15,  1824,  and  in  that  portion  of  Scran- 
ton his  education  was  obtained.  A  practical  and 
successful  man,  by  economy  and  industry  he  be- 
came the  possessor  of  a  modest  income,  and 
surrounded  his  family  with  every  comfort,  build- 
ing for  them  the  present  family  residence  on  the 
corner  of  Mulberry  Street  and  Wyoming  Ave- 
nue. 

A  lover  of  progress  and  good  order,  a  friend  to 
the  worthy  and  unfortunate,  an  enemy  to  all 
schemes  of  fraud  and  dishonesty  in  public  offi- 
cials, seeking  and  working  to  improve  the 
condition  of  mankind,  he  was  able,  in  his 
quiet  manner,  to  assist  his  community  and  pro- 
mote its  interests.  He  was  well  educated,  culti- 
vated in  his  tastes  and  a  patron  of  the  fine  arts. 
Though  richly  endowed  by  nature,  he  deserved 
none  the  less  honor  that  he  improved  the  tal- 
ents bestowed  on  him.  Tolerant  of  the  opinions 
of  others,  he  took  the  broad  and  comprehensive 
view  of  life  which  is  thoroughly  indicative  of  su- 
perior intellect  and  sound  judgment.  Quiet  and 
retiring  in  disposition,  he  was  nevertheless  gen- 
ial and  afifable  in  his  intercourse  with  friends. 
He  died  October  28,  1890. 

In  Newark,  N.  J.,  in  1882,  Mr.  von  Storch 
married  Miss  Serena  Boice,  who  was  born  in 
New  Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  a  descendant  of  Holland- 
Dutch  ancestry.  Her  grandfather,  Abraham, 
who  was  a  son  of  the  original  founder  of 
the  family  in  this  country,  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  married  Miss  Mary  Harris. 
Her  father,  Leonard  Boice,  was  born  in  New 
Market,  N.  J.,  and  was  first  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  carriages,  but  afterward  gave  his 
attention  e.xclusively  to  the  retail  carriage  mer- 
chandise at  Rahway,  N.  J.  On  retiring  from  act- 
ive business,  he  went  to  Newark,  where  he  died 
in  April,  1877,  aged  fifty-nine.  Through  his  en- 
ergetic efiforts  he  accumulated  a  competency  and 
left  a  good  estate.  His  wife,  Mary  A.  (McLaugh- 
lin) Boice,  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  in 
infancy  was  left  an  orphan,  after  which  she  was 
adopted  by  a  family  on  Long  Island  and  was 
there  reared.  She  is  still  living,  her  home  being 
in  Scranton.  Of  her  family,  there  are  six  still 
living.  Having  an  innate  love  for  the  beautiful, 
Mrs.  von  Storch  has  furnished  her  cozy  home 


456 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


in  a  harmonious  and  artistic  manner,  and  there 
she  genially  and  hospitably  entertains  her  friends. 
She  is  prominent  in  the  work  of  the  Elm  Park 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  is  a  member  of  the 
Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  a 
contril)ut()r  to  all  philanthropic  and  charitable 
projects. 


GEORGE  LIXEX  DICKSOX.  Disraeli, 
when  he  said,  "The  secret  of  success  is 
constancy  to  purpose,"  voiced  the  senti- 
ment and  experience  of  most  men  who,  in  com- 
merce, art  or  science,  have  attained  success. 
Among  the  citizens  of  Scranton,  who  may  justly 
be  called  successful,  who,  in  legitimate  paths  of 
business,  have  accumulated  wealth  and  have  also 
gained  a  position  of  prominence  as  progressive 
and  public-spirited,  mention  properly  belongs  to 
the  subject  of  this  review.  The  name  he  bears  is 
associated  with  the  rise  and  progress  of  manu- 
facturing industries  in  Scranton  and  with  the  de- 
velopment of  those  interests  most  vital  to  the 
welfare  of  the  people.  For  years  he  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company, 
which  owns  the  largest  plant  of  its  kind  in  the 
state,  and  in  it  he  is  still  a  stockholder.  Since 
1882  lie  has  been  general  agent  for  some  of  the 
leading  iron  manufacturing  companies  of  the 
country,  including  the  Xational  Tube  Works  of 
Xew  York,  Standard  Tube  Works  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  similar  concerns,  having  his  office  at 
Xo.  136  Wyoming  Avenue.  In  1863,  associated 
with  others,  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  First 
X'ational  I  Sank  of  Scranton,  has  served  as  one  of 
its  directors  from  the  first,  and  since  1887  has 
also  been  vice-president  of  the  institution. 

'Hie  Dickson  family  originated  in  Scotland,  and 
is  of  that  sturdy  type,  honorable  and  energetic, 
characteristic  of  the  nation.  Thomas  Dickson, 
grandfather  of  G.  L.,  who  served  more  than  twen- 
ty \ears  in  the  l^ritish  army,  was  a  sergeant  in  the 
X'inety-second  Regiment  of  Highlanders,  and 
bore  a  distinguished  ])art  in  the  battle  of  \\'ater- 
loo,  receiving  a  medal  for  gallantry  in  that  en- 
gagement. At  different  times  he  received  four 
other  medals  for  meritorious  action.  James,  our 
subject's  father  and  the  eldest  son  nf  tin-  old  sol- 


dier, was  born  in  Scotland  and  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  In  1832,  the  cholera 
breaking  out  in  Scotland,  he  and  other  families 
in  the  neighborhood,  emigrated  to  Canada.  The 
sailer.  "Chieftain."  that  landed  them  in  Quebec 
after  a  voyage  of  eleven  weeks,  was  then  on  its 
first  trip:  from  its  second  trip  it  never  cast  an- 
chor, nor  was  any  news  ever  heard  as  to  its  fate. 
After  two  \'ears  in  Toronto,  the  family  came  to 
Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  the  iron  and  coal  dis- 
tricts at  Dundaff,  six  miles  above  Carbondale, 
residing  on  a  farm  while  the  father  worked  at  his 
trade  in  X^ew  York.  In  1836  he  secured  employ- 
ment with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany at  Carbondale.  and  was  general  master  me- 
chanic until  his  death  in  1880. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth,  was  born 
in  Ijerwickshire,  Scotland,  and  died  in  May.  1866. 
She  was  a  relative  of  James  Hogg,  the  Scottish 
poet,  and  an  aunt  of  James  Linen,  president  of 
the  First  Xational  Bank  of  Scranton.  A  most 
estiirable  woman,  possessing  Scotch  traits  of 
honesty,  modesty,  fmgahty  and  energy,  she  gave 
to  her  children  the  most  careful  training  that  they 
might  "act  well  their  part  in  life."  Her  oldest 
son.  Thomas,  was  superintendent  of  the  mine  de- 
partment of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany from  1859  until  1864,  when  he  became  gen- 
eral superintendent  of  the  entire  works.  In  1868 
he  was  made  president  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company,  and  removed  his  office  to  Xew 
York  City.  He  died  July  31.  1884.  in  Morris- 
town,  X^.  J.,  at  his  summer  residence.  Isabella, 
the  eldest  daughter,  married  John  R.  Fordham. 
of  Green  Ridge;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  J.  B.  \'an 
Bergen,  of  Carbondale;  John  A.,  considered  one 
of  the  expert  mechanics  of  the  state,  was  general 
manager  of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company 
from  its  organization  until  his  tleath.  in  1867.  in 
Scranton;  the  two  youngest  children  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

From  Lauder.  Berwickshire.  Scotland,  where 
he  was  born  August  3.  1830.  George  L.  Dickson 
was  brought  to  America  b\-  his  parents  in  1832. 
His  education  was  obtained  principally  in  Car- 
bondale. At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  became  clerk 
in  a  country  store,  but  six  years  later  started  in 
business  for  liimself.  working  under  the  name  of 


PORTRAIT   AND    BI(3GR.\PHICAL    RECUkU. 


457 


G.  L.  Dickson  Company,  and  selling  out  in  1856. 
He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  Benjamin. 
in  what  is  now  \'an  Bergen  &  Co.,  Limited.  In 
i860  he  came  to  Scranton  and  formed  a  co-part- 
nership with  his  father  and  brothers  in  what  was 
incorporated  as  the  Dickson  Manufacturing 
Conipany  in  1861.  For  a  few  years  he  was  gen- 
eral manager,  but  in  1867  was  promoted  to  the 
presidency  and  held  that  position  until  1882, 
when  he  resigned.  He  aided  in  the  organization 
of  the  Scranton  Steel  Company,  now,  by  consoli- 
dation, the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company. 

September  16,  1856,  Mr.  Dickson  married  Miss 
Lydia  Poore,  who  was  born  in  Chenango  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  is  a  relative  of  Ben  Perley  Poore, 
the  novelist  and  humorist.  The  Poore  family 
originated  in  England,  and  was  represented 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Massachusetts,  where 
the  ancestors  bought  from  the  Indians  land  that 
is  still  in  the  family.  The  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Dickson,  Daniel  Noyes  Poore,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  graduated  from  Harvard  College 
and  practiced  medicine  in  Essex.  Her  father, 
Hon.  John  M.  Poore,  was  born  in  Essex,  became 
a  contractor  on  the  canal  in  Chenango  County, 
N.  Y..  thence  came  to  Carbondale  and  was  mar- 
ried, and  afterward  went  south,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming.  About  1843  he  returned  to 
Carbondale  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness until  his  retirement.  At  one  time  he  was 
mayor  of  that  city.  In  his  old  age  he  came  to 
Scranton,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Dickson,  when  eighty  years  old. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Dickson.  Harriet 
(Townsend)  Poore,  was  the  daughter  of 
E.  M.  Townsend,  and  was  born  in  New 
York,  near  the  Hudson  River.  Mr.  Town- 
send,  who  was  sergeant-of-arms  at  Washington 
at  one  time,  was  well  acquainted  with  Henry 
Clay  and  other  famous  statesmen  of  his  day.  In 
an  early  day  of  the  settlement  of  Carbondale,  he 
came  here  and  kept  an  inn  in  an  old  log  house 
now  destroyed.  In  the  War  of  1812  his  name 
was  enrolled  as  a  soldier.  Pie  died  in  Baltimore 
when  fifty-six  years  old.  His  father.  Rev.  Jesse 
Townsend,  was  a  graduate  of  Yale,  a  doctor  of  di- 
vinity in  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  author 
of  manv  vi/orks.  The  faniilv  came  from  Durham, 


England,  and  one  of  its  present  representatives  is 
Martin  I.  Townsend.  ex-M.  C,  from  New  York. 
A  brother  of  Mrs.  Dickson,  Townsend  Poore,  is 
a  resident  of  Scranton.  employed  as  manager  of 
the  pumps  and  machinery  of  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad  Company.  Of  three 
children  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dick- 
son only  one  is  living,  Walter  .M.,  who  was  edu- 
cated at  Cornell  University,  and  is  in  business 
with  his  father.  Mr.  Dickson  is  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  trade,  in  politics  a  Republi- 
can, fraternally  a  Mason,  and  for  some  years  has 
been  vestryman  in  .St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church. 


FRANK  WEBSTER  HARLOW.  A  suc- 
ces'.ftd  newspaper  is  generally  represent- 
ative of  the  people  of  the  place  in  which  it 
is  located,  and  its  value  to  a  community  is  beyond 
estimate.  In  Lackawanna  County  there  have 
been  a  number  of  papers  that  have  aided,  to  no 
small  extent,  in  promoting  the  interests  of  this 
locality  in  every  useful  way.  Prominent  among 
these  is  the  "Elmhurst  Signal,"  which  is  in  every 
respect  a  progressive  paper  and  exerts  a  potent 
influence  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  people  here.  Its  zealous  advocacy  of  local 
interests  has  made  it  popular  with  the  citizens  of 
the  place,  whose  advancement  it  has  materially 
aided.  Its  success  is  largely  due  to  the  efforts  of 
the  publisher,  editor  and  proprietor,  Mr.  Harlow, 
who  is  an  interesting  writer  and  an  intelligent 
advocate  of  all  beneficial  measures. 

The  first  issue  of  the  "Elmhurst  Signal"  ap- 
peared June  30,  1893,  ^'i*^'  ^t  the  inception  of  the 
enterprise  there  were  but  one  hundred  and  fifty 
subscribers,  but  the  number  has  since  been  in- 
creased to  eleven  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  sub- 
scription list  is  constantly  growing.  There  is  also 
a  liljeral  advertising  patronage.  The  paper  is 
independent  in  politics  and  is  devoted  primarily 
to  the  interests  of  Elmhurst  and  vicinity,  for 
which  it  lias  accomplished  much.  Of  neat  ap- 
pearance, its  matter  is  interesting  and  entertain- 
ing, the  editorials  well  written,  and  its  plans  for 
local  improvements  practical.  Of  the  editor  per- 
sonally, it  may  be  said  that  he  established  the 
paper  here  solelx-  upon  his  own  judgment,  amid 


458 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


every  discoiirageiiient  so  far  as  the  opinions  of 
others  were  concerned,  for  it  was  the  common 
belief  that  it  would  not  prove  rennmerative. 
Bringing  to  the  work  natural  ability,  supplement- 
ed by  a  thorough  education  in  all  departments  of 
the  newspaper  business,  he  has  demonstrated  that 
the  enterprise  can  be  made  to  pay,  and  has  estab- 
lished a  paper  of  which  the  village  and  county 
may  well  be  proud. 

The  Harlow  family  originated  in  England  and 
was  estal^lished  in  this  country  by  two  brothers, 
who  crossed  the  ocean  in  1632,  one  settling  in 
Pennsylvania  and  the  other  in  Orange  County, 
N.  Y.  It  was  the  latter  who  became  the  progeni- 
tor of  this  branch  of  the  family.  His  descendants 
were  prominent  in  the  early  days  of  the  Repub- 
lic and  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and 
contributed  their  fidl  share  of  brain  and  muscle 
to  place  in  motion  the  series  of  events  that  have 
resulted  in  the  goodly  heritage  we  all  now  enjov. 
The  father  of  our  subject.  Parr  Harlow,  was  born 
in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  and  for  twenty-five 
years  published  the  "Ulster  Democrat,"  at  Kings- 
ton, N.  Y.,  but  is  now  living  retired  from  active 
business  life.  His  wife,  who  is  also  living,  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Anna  M.  Markle.  Of  their 
nine  children  five  are  living,  namely:  William, 
who  is  agent  for  the  metropolitan  press  and  is  a 
successful  newspaper  man ;  Frank  Webster;  Ed- 
gar E.,  who  is  employed  on  a  steamboat  running 
on  Moosehead  Lake;  Lester  W.,  a  druggist  in 
New  Jersey;   and  Inez,  Mrs.  I.  Dumont. 

In  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  the  subject  of  this  article 
was  born  April  23,  1853,  and  his  education  was 
obtained  in  the  common  schools  and  academy 
there.  His  father  being  a  practical  newspaper 
man  and  he  himself  having  a  natural  inclination 
for  the  work,  he  learned  the  printer's  trade  at  an 
early  age,  and  this  has  since  been  his  occupation. 
He  is  familiar  with  the  mechanical  and  editorial 
departments,  and  his  apprenticeship  in  every  line 
of  the  trade,  from  the  manufacture  of  the  paper 
and  type  to  the  issuing  from  the  press,  gives  him 
a  clear  understanding  of  everything  connected 
with  the  business.  For  a  time  he  was  supenn- 
tendent  of  a  large  office  at  Seymour,  Conn.,  and 
afterward  was  manager  of  the  "Clinton  Demo- 
crat."    From  Clinton,  N.  J.,  in  1893  he  came  to 


Elmlinrst,  where  he  purchased  property  and  es- 
tablished his  home  on  a  beautiful  spot,  investing 
about  $5,000  here.  Though  personally  a  Repub- 
lican, his  paper  is  inclined  to  be  independent, 
avoiding  the  extremes  of  partisanship  that  are  of- 
fensive to  many.  In  addition  to  his  editorial  work, 
he  is  tlie  regular  correspondent  for  a  number  of 
city  papers.  In  liis  undertakings  he  has  the  co- 
operation of  his  wife,  Eva  A.,  daughter  of  Hon. 
A.  Schoonmaker,  of  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.  She 
is  a  lady  of  literary  attainments,  and  has  also 
familiarized  herself  with  every  department  of  her 
husband's  work,  so  that  her  judgment  and  assist- 
ance are  invaluable  to  him. 


JOHN  W.  MILLER.  The  families  that  have 
been  identified  with  the  history  of  this 
county  from  an  early  period,  who  have 
contributed  to  its  advancement,  fostered  its  free 
institutions,  aided  its  enterprises  and  developed 
its  resources,  deservedly  occupy  a  high  position 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people.  To  them  our  present 
]5rosperity  is  due.  Their  labors  have  been  in- 
strumental in  securing  our  successes.  Justly, 
then,  we  give  them  a  high  place  in  our  citizen- 
ship. Such  is  the  record  of  the  Miller  family, 
that  has  been  represented  here  since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  has  given  to 
South  Al)ington  Township  some  of  its  best  citi- 
zens. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John 
Miller,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  shortly  after 
his  marriage  there  to  Polly  Hall  he  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania, settling  in  this  county,  where  he  cleared 
a  farm  from  the  wilderness  primeval.  Here  he 
passed  away  when  eighty-two  years  of  age;  his 
wife  died  when  forty-two.  Of  their  eight  children 
Benjamin,  our  subject's  father,  is  the  sole  sur- 
vivor. He  was  born  on  the  home  farm  in  .South 
Abington  Township  March  4,  1809,  and  grew  to 
manhood  amid  scenes  of  pioneer  life,  developing 
by  constant  exertion  and  careful  training  habits 
of  industry,  honesty  and  energy.  He  has  been  a 
man  of  temperate  life  and  habits,  to  which  fact 
his  longevity  may  be  attributed. 

April  25,  1833,  Rev.  Samuel  Griffin  united  in 
marriage  Rev.  Benjamin  Miller  and  Ruth  Dean, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


459 


daughter  of  Ezra  Dean.  The  happy  wedded  life 
of  this  worthy  couple  was  of  long  duration,  last- 
ing until  the  death  of  Airs.  Miller  when  seventy- 
seven.  Three  children  blessed  their  union,  Caro- 
line, John  W.  and  Elizabeth.  After  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Miller  remained  on  the  home  place,  and  here 
the  intervening  years  have  been  usefully  -spent  in 
the  uneventful  routine  of  farm  work.  He  is  a  be- 
liever in  the  doctrines  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
his  father  was  the  first  preacher  of  that  denom- 
ination in  this  section. 

Upon  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article  was  born  November  2,  1835, 
and  here  the  years  of  boyhood  were  passed,  alter- 
nating work  on  the  farm  with  attendance  at 
school.  With  his  father  he  is  interested  finan- 
cially in  the  Scranton  Dairy  Company,  the  for- 
mer being  one  of  the  first  to  embark  in  the  dairy 
business  in  this  section  of  country.  In  his  po- 
litical view's,  he  has  never  displayed  any  parti- 
san feeling,  but  is  steadfast  in  his  support  of  Re- 
publican principles.  Like  his  father  and  grand- 
father, he  holds  membership  in  the  Baptist 
Church.  In  addition  to  the  management  of  the 
home  place,  he  is  a  director  and  stockholder  in 
the  Lackawanna  County  Breeders  Association, 
Mutual  Insurance  Company  and  other  import- 
ant concerns,  and  is  one  of  the  public-spirited  and 
progressive  citizens  of  his  community.  Decem- 
ber 14,  1871,  he  married  Miss  Frances  Carpenter, 
a  sister  of  E.  G.  Carpenter,  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  who  have  received  excellent 
educations  and  arc  popular  and  prominent  in  the 
social  circles  of  the  township. 


BENJAMIN  F.  EVANS,  M.  D.  The  influ- 
ence of  Dr.  Evans  in  the  community 
where  he  resides  is  easily  accounted  for  by 
his  strong  principles,  his  active  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  all  around  him  and  the  genial  manners 
which  are  the  crowning  charm  of  a  fine  nature. 
While  by  profession  he  is  a  physician  and  is 
skilled  in  this  science,  his  attention  is  given  prin- 
cipally to  the  oversight  of  his  real  estate  inter- 
ests and  the  supervision  of  his  estate  in  South 
Abington  Township.  With  an  intelligent  concep- 


tion of  his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  a  feeling  of  good 
will  toward  mankind,  he  may  be  relied  upon  to 
honorably  fulfill  all  the  duties  that  devolve  upon 
him. 

A  brief  outline  of  tiie  life  of  Dr.  Evans'  father 
will  aid  us  In  understanding  the  character  of  the 
son  and  will  be  of  general  interest.  Rev.  E.  B. 
Evans  was  bom  in  W^ales  and  when  about  twenty 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America,  but  they 
died  of  cholera  immediately  after  their  arrival, 
leaving  him  alone  and  friendless.  He  was  a 
young  man  of  earnest  disposition  and  noble  spirit 
and  succeeded,  after  much  effort,  in  gaining  the 
object  of  his  ambition,  which  was,  to  devote  him- 
self to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Ordained 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Congregational  Church,  he 
soon  afterward  accepted  a  pastorate  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  labored  with  self-sacrificing  de- 
votion for  four  years.  He  ministered  especially 
to  the  spiritual  needs  of  his  countrymen,  but  had 
the  respect  of  people  of  every  nationality.  From 
l^tica  he  came  to  Lackawanna  County  and  was 
the  sole  representative  of  the  Welsh  people  in  the 
ministry  here.  In  1850  he  removed  to  Pittston, 
of  which  he  was  the  first  burgess.  His  last  years 
were  quietly  passed  in  Hyde  Park,  where  he  de- 
parted this  life  in  1882,  aged  seventy-four. 
Known  far  and  wide  as  one  of  the  most  active 
men  in  the  Congregational  ministry  in  the  east, 
he  was  a  pioneer  of  the  cause  and  did  much  in 
establishing  new  churches  upon  a  firm  basis. 

After  settling  in  Utica,  Rev.  Mr.  Evans  mar- 
ried Miss  Jane  Jones,  who  was  born  there,  and  is 
now  living  in  Hyde  Park,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  Their  imion  resulted  in  the  birth  of  six 
children,  of  whom  three  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  still  living.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  February  21,  1851,  and  was 
reared  principally  in  Hyde  Park,  where  his  pri- 
mary studies  were  carried  on.  Later  he  attended 
a  school  in  Pennington,  N.  J.  Under  Dr.  A.  Da- 
vis, of  Hyde  Park,  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, and  in  1874-75  took  a  course  of  lectures  in 
All)any,  N.  Y.,  graduating  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  On  the  completion  of  his  medical  studies, 
he  came  to  Clarks  Green,  where  for  six  years 
he  was  resident  physician  of  Hillside  Home. 

October  5,  1895,  Dr.  Evans  was  united  in  mar- 


460 


PORTRAIT    AXD    IHOGRAl'1 1 ICAL    RFXORD. 


riage  with  Miss  Sophia  Clark,  only  daughter  o{ 
Jeremiah  C.  and  Anna  (Tcdrick)  Clark,  and 
granddaughter  of  the  gentleman  in  whose  honor 
Clarks  (irecn  was  named.  Her  father  was  Ijorn 
in  the  iiouse  wiierc  she  now  lives;  her  mother, 
a  native  of  Pittston,  died  at  this  place  when  fifty 
vears  of  age.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  are  the  parents 
of  a  son,  Jeremiah  Clark,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 7,  1896.  The  Clark  family  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  this  locality  for  many  years 
and  information  concerning  their  history  is  given 
in  the  sketch  of  J.  I).  Knight,  whose  wife  was  an 
aunt  of  Mrs.  Evans. 

Cjjon  the  organization  of  the  Lackawanna 
County  -Medical  Society  Dr.  Evans  became  a 
charter  member  and  has  since  been  interested  in 
its  work.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Wa- 
verly  Lodge  of  Masons  and  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  I'ellows  at  Clarks  Green.  His  first 
ballot  was  cast  for  Samuel  J.  Tilden  and  since 
that  tirne  he  has  steadfastly  adhered  to  Demo- 
cratic principles.  He  is  a  man  of  marked  enter- 
prise and  financial  ability,  and  in  his  professional, 
business  and  social  relations  his  energetic  charac- 
ter and  practical  sagacity  find  ample  field  for  ex- 
ercise. 


CHESTER  B.  WETHERBY.  A  life-long 
re.sident  of  the  town  of  Scott  and  one 
of  its  well-known  retired  farmers,  Mr. 
VVetherby  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  for  three 
generations  has  been  interested  in  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  Lackawanna  Countv.  His 
grandfather,  Abraham  Wetherby,  came  here  from 
New  Hamjjshire  about  1804,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  their  children:  Nathaniel,  John,  Ben- 
jamin, Levi  Cummins,  Johanna,  Asenath  and 
Theresa.  The  country  was  then  in  an  unim- 
proved condition,  with  thinly  inhabited  settle- 
ments at  infrequent  intervals.  Having  purchased 
from  the  government  a  tract  of  heavily  timbered 
land,  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  established  his  home 
there,  three  miles  from  the  neare.st  neighbor.  Few 
now  living  can  imagine  the  hardships  he  endured 
and  the  obstacles  he  was  obliged  to  overcome 
before  the  land  was  brought  tinder  cultivation 
and  the  comforts  of  life  secured.  As  one  of  the 
brave  ])ioneers  who  prepared  the  way  for  coming 


generations,  literally  hewing  a  home  out  of  the 
wilderness,  he  is  entitled  to  the  gratitude  of  all 
who  cherish  an  affection  for  this  town  and  county. 

Nathaniel  Wetlurby,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire,  and  at  an  early  age 
came  to  Scott  Township,  where  he  afterward 
made  his  home.  A  farmer  by  occupation,  he  de- 
voted himself  to  agricultural  jnirsnits  until  his 
death  at  pixt_\-si.x  years  of  age.  At  various  times 
he  held  local  offices,  among  them  those  of  school 
dircctfir,  tax  collector  and  other  positions  of 
trust.  By  his  first  wife,  .Susan  Hubbard,  he  had 
five  children:  Jarvis,  Philana,  Orvilla,  Mahala 
and  Esther.  His  second  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Patience  \a\\.  bore  him  six  children: 
Susanna,  Chester  B.,  Celestia,  Angeline,  Almon 
S.  and  one  that  died  in  infancy. 

Upon  the  old  homestead,  where  he  was  born 
January  27,  1825,  Charles  B.  Wetherby  grew  to 
manhood.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  began  for 
himself,  and,  as  soon  as  able,  purchased  the  home 
farm  of  thirty-eight  acres,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. Through  energy  and  perseverance  he  ac- 
cumulated a  valuable  property,  and  is  now  able 
to  live  retired  from  active  labors,  and  surrounded 
bv  the  comforts  of  existence.  Since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  he  has  upheld  its 
principles,  and  upon  the  party  ticket  has  been 
elected  assessor,  school  director  and  justice  of 
the  peace,  holding  the  last-named  office  for  ten 
years.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Baptist,  and  be- 
longs to  that  denomination.  He  has  been  twice 
married,  first  in  1847  to  Harriet  Hubbard,  who 
died  in  1868:  and  in  April,  1873,  to  Mrs.  Lizzie 
(Hubbard)  Holly.  The  first  union  was  childless; 
by  the  second  a  daughter  was  born.  Flarriet  A., 
now  the  wife  of  W.  D.  Southworth.  His  present 
wife  is  the  mother,  by  her  former  man"iage,  of 
a  daughter,  Georgia  A.,  wife  of  Rev.  R.  \V. 
Lowrv. 


GEORGE  H.  GRITMAN.  A  large  num- 
ber of  the  farmers  of  Scott  Township 
have  spent  their  entire  lives  in  this  lo- 
cality, and  not  a  few  of  them  remain  on  the  home- 
steads where  their  childhood  years  were  passed. 
One  of  these  is  Mr.  Gritman,  who  was  born 
March  31,   1838,  upon  the  ])lace  where  he  con- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


461 


tinues  to  reside,  and  who  has  gained  a  position 
among  the  prosperous  agriculturists  of  this  sec- 
tion. His  landed  possessions  are  large,  aggre- 
gating three  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  the  home 
farm  and  sixty  acres  elsewhere,  upon  which  he 
engages  in  general  farming  and  the  dairy  husi- 
ness.  In  1893  he  built  a  sawmill  near  his  home 
and  this  he  has  since  operated. 

The  first  of  the  family  to  locate  in  Scott  Town- 
ship was  Abel  Gritman,  who  came  hither  from 
New  York  and  purchased  the  property  now 
owned  by  his  grandson,  devoting  his  remaining 
years  to  its  cultivation.  Uriah  A.,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y., 
but  spent  the  principal  part  of  his  life  in  Scott 
Township,  where  he  married  Miss  Evaline  Smith. 
To  their  union  were  born  three  children,  George 
H.,  Dora  M.  and  Abel  Z.,  deceased.  The  father 
passed  awa)-  January  29,  1879,  aged  sixty-eight 
years  and  eleven  months;  the  mother  Septem- 
ber 27,  1889,  aged  eighty-three  years  and  six 
months,  after  having  devoted  themselves  through 
life  to  farm  work. 

Educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Waverly 
Academy,  Mr.  Gritman  acquired  a  fund  of  infor- 
mation that,  broadened  by  reading  and  observa- 
tion, has  given  him  a  place  among  the  intelligent 
men  of  his  township.  In  1869  he  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Marvin,  and  they  have  three  children, 
Dora  M.,  Thomas  J.  and  Frederick  E.  The  fam- 
ily is  highly  respected  throughout  the  commu- 
nity, and  is  regarded  as  an  excellent  representa- 
tive of  the  agricultural  element.  Mr.  Gritman 
has  given  his  attention  wholly  to  his  personal  af- 
fairs, and  has  had  neither  time  nor  inclination  to 
participate  in  political  matters  or  hold  office. 
However,  he  is  a  firm  Democrat  in  national  issues 
and  always  votes  that  ticket. 


JOHN  M.  TAYLOR.  No  factor  has  been 
more  important  in  raising  this  section  of 
the  comitry  to  its  present  condition  of  solid 
and  enduring  prosperity  than  the  soldiers  who 
fought  so  bravely  and  sacrificed  so  much  during 
the  late  war,  and  who  at  the  close  of  hostilities 
quietly  resumed  peaceful  vocations,  and  in  every 
walk  of  life  have  aided  the  progress  of  our  re- 


public. Of  this  element  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  repre- 
sentative. In  1863  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Company  li.  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and 
was  mustered  into  service  at  Harrisburg,  proceed- 
ing from  there  to  the  front,  participating  in  the 
battle  of  Carlisle  and  in  luunerous  minor  engage- 
ments, and  serving  faithfully  until  the  expiration 
of  his  term,  in  CJctober,  1864. 

A  life-long  resident  of  Scott  Town.ship,  Mr. 
Taylor  was  born  here  .September  14,  1822.  The 
first  of  the  family  to  settle  in  this  county  was  his 
grandfather,  Reuben  Taylor,  who  was  born  in 
Norwich,  h'airfield  County,  Conn.,  November  28, 
1759.  ^"'1  •'!  tlie  age  of  seventeen  years  became  a 
sailor,  following  a  seafaring  life  for  seven  years. 
During  the  entire  period  of  the  Revolution  he 
was  a  private  in  the  navy,  and  at  one  time  in  the 
conflict  his  ship  was  captured  by  the  llritish  and 
he  was  taken  prisoner  to  England.  On  being 
liberated  he  returned  to  America,  and  shortly 
afterward  came  to  this  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased three  hundred  acres  and  assisted  in  build- 
ing a  gristmill  at  Scranton.  About  1816  he 
moved  to  Scott  Township,  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  six  hundred  acres,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death  in  1849.  Inuring  his  residence  here  he 
held  many  of  the  township  offices.  By  his  mar- 
riage to  Celenda  Abbott  he  had  six  children, 
Jolin  A.,  Henry,  Polly  B.,  Cynthia,  Reuben  and 
Benira,  all  deceased. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  A.  Taylor,  was 
born  in  Providence,  removed  to  a  farm  in  Scott 
Township  in  1816  and  there  remained  until  his 
death  September  21,  1867,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six.  His  wife  died  June  3,  1867,  aged 
seventy-six.  She  was  in  maidenhood  Gertrude 
Ackley,  and  became  the  mother  of  twelve  chil- 
dren: Stephen.  Truman,  Charlotte,  Silas  A., 
Cynthia,  John  M.,  Celenda,  Charles  C,  Henry, 
Draper,  Helen  and  Benira. 

When  our  subject  was  a  boy  educational  ad- 
vantages were  not  so  good  as  they  are  now,  but 
through  his  own  efiforts  he  has  gained  a  large 
fund  of  valuable  information.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  began  to  work  on  a  farm  and  con- 
tinued in  the  employ  of  others  for  some  years, 
saving  his  earnings  until  he  was  able  to  purchase 
a  place  of  his  own.     At  different  times  he  pur- 


462 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.-\PHICAL   RECORD. 


chased  and  resided  upon  seven  farms  in  Scott 
Township.  At  this  wTiting  his  possessions  com- 
prise one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  well-tilled 
land,  devoted  to  general  farming. 
■  A  man  of  Mr.  Taylor's  intelligence,  firmness  of 
character  and  high  principle  necessarily  exerts  a 
good  influence  in  his  community,  and  is  potent  in 
its  public  Hfe.  He  has  been  called  upon  to  fill 
the  offices  of  assessor,  collector  and  supervisor, 
each  of  which  he  has  held  a  year.  Politically  the 
Republican  party  receives  his  support.  As  a 
Grand  Army  man,  his  membership  is  in  the 
George  Fell  Post  of  Waverly.  In  him  the  town- 
ship and  county  have  a  valuable  addition  to  their 
citizenship,  as  he  is  in  all  respects  a  conscientious, 
business-like  man,  and  a  fine  representative  of  the 
farming  community. 


JOHN  ROGER  DAVIS.  Not  without  jus- 
tice Mr.  Davis  is  conceded  to  hold  an  en- 
viable position  among  the  prominent  coal 
operators  of  Scranton.  With  but  limited  means 
when  a  young  man  and  with  no  influence  to  aid 
him  except  his  own  and  his  father's  good  name, 
he  has,  by  intelligent  management,  steadily  risen 
until  he  now  occupies  a  place  of  marked  consid- 
eration in  the  business  affairs  of  the  city.  After 
years  of  close  connection  with  various  mining  in- 
terests, in  July,  iSqi,  he  organized  the  Enter- 
prise Coal  Company,  which  owns  and  operates 
a  colliery  at  Excelsior,  Northumberland  County, 
and  of  which  he  has  since  been  president.  The 
success  of  this  concern  is  due  almost  wholly  to 
his  abihty  and  energy,  and  from  a  financial  point 
of  view  is  proving  very  remunerative. 

The  record  of  the  Davis  family  in  America 
shows  that  its  male  members  have  been  patriotic 
men  and  public-spirited  citizens.  Of  Welsh  ex- 
traction, it  has  long  been  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  this  country.  The  grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  Hon.  Roger  Davis,  M.  D.,  was 
bom  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  where  he  studied 
and  practiced  medicine,  and  from  which  he  en- 
tered the  Revolution  as  an  army  surgeon.  From 
1812  to  1816  he  represented  his  district  in  con- 
gress, taking  his  seat  immediately  before  the  de- 
claration of  war  against  England  in  the  session 


of  181 2.  The  fact  that  he  was  re-elected  proves 
that  his  services  were  satisfactor}'  to  his  constitu- 
ents. 

The  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Roger  Davis  and  his 
wife,  Sarah  Jones,  was,  after  the  Welsh  custom, 
named  Jones  Davis.  He  was  born  in  Charles- 
town,  March  7,  1788,  and  with  his  brothers,  Rog- 
er and  Thomas,  studied  medicine.  Soon  after  his 
graduation,  the  M'^ar  of  181 2  began,  and  he  was 
appointed  surgeon's  mate  by  President  Madison, 
his  commission,  signed  by  the  president,  bearing 
date  of  July  6,  1812,  which  shows  that  he  entered 
sef^fice  within  a  month  after  the  declaration  of 
war.  He  was  attached  to  the  Sixteenth  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  and  marched  by  land  to  the 
Canadian  border,  participating  in  the  battle  at 
Lundy's  Lane  and  the  engagement  at  Ft.  Erie 
under  General  Scott,  and  aided  to  dress  the 
wounds  the  latter  received  there.  When  the 
brigade  marched  to  Lake  Champlain  he  accom- 
panied it  After  a  service  of  two  years  he  retired 
from  the  army  and  returned  home.  At  Pugh- 
town,  Chester  County,  he  opened  an  office  and 
there,  in  Alarch,  18 14,  he  married  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  Jesse  Bean,  of  Norriton  Township. 
In  1821  he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Norristown, 
Montgomery  County.  Like  many  of  the  family, 
he  was  a  firm  Democrat  in  politics.  In  1828  he 
was  elected  county  sherifif  and  commissioned  by 
Governor  Shulze  for  three  years,  which  he  served. 
During  a  part  of  this  time  he  ran  the  Pawling 
gristmill  in  Norristown.  In  1832  he  purchased 
the  farm  that  became  the  old  homestead,  on 
which  stood  a  colonial  house  erected  by  a  French 
colonist  one  hundred  years  before,  within  sight 
of  Valley  Forge.  In  connection  with  his  brother, 
Thomas,  he  carried  on  an  extensive  professional 
practice,  his  farm  being  superintended  by  his  .son, 
Jesse  B.  In  1842  he  was  elected  prothonotary, 
and  served  for  three  years.  A  genial,  whole- 
souled  man,  companionable  and  fond  of  wit  and 
repartee,  he  had  a  host  of  warm  friends,  who  were 
attracted  to  him  by  his  engaging  and  friendly  dis- 
position. He  died  September  18,  i860,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery 
of  St.  James  Episcopal  Church,  Evansburg,  of 
which  he  and  his  wife  had  been  members  for  some 
years.     The  latter  died  October  20,  1845,  aged 


SII.AS  A.   McMrLI<EN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


465 


fifty-one.  Their  four  sons  were  Jesse  Bean,  de- 
ceased, a  captain  in  the  Civil  War;  Samuel,  who 
died  in  Montgomery  County;  John  Roger,  our 
subject,  and  Charles,  who  occupies  the  old  home- 
stead. 

On  the  home  farm  near  Norristown  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born  March  2~,  1822,  and  his 
boyhood  days  were  passed  upon  that  place.    At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  for  himself,  and  for 
two  winters  taught  school.    He  then  went  to  Phil- 
adelphia and  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  wholesale 
and  retail  grocery  in  Market  Street,  owned  by 
David  Walker,  father-in-law  of  Dr.  David  Jayne, 
the  celebrated  patent  medicine  man.    From  there 
going  to  Pottsville,  he  clerked  for  a  dry-goods 
merchant  and  coal  operator.    While  in  that  posi- 
tion he  received  his  first  insight  into  the   coal 
business,  of  which  by  observation  and  experience 
he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge.     He  next  en- 
gaged as  general  manager  of  the  coal  department 
of  the  Ashland  iron  works  at  Wrightsville,  York 
County,   Pa.,  but  after  a  time  a  change  in  the 
management  caused  him  to  resign.     Removing 
to  Baltimore.  Md.,  he  embarked  in  the  retail  coal 
trade   with    R.   W.    Cliff.      In    185 1    he   went   to 
Wilkesbarre   and  was  interested  in   coal  opera- 
tions as  manager  of  the  Black  Diamond  collier\-, 
which  he  rebuilt  for  Roberts,  Walton  &  Co.,  of 
Philadelpliia.     In   November,   1855,  he  came  to 
Scranton,  and  built  and  opened  Stafford  Meadow 
Brook  colliery,  now  known  as  Davis  Patch,  these 
mines  being  owned  by  William  Connell.    In  1861 
he  built  tlie  Jersey  mine  in  Plymouth,  Luzerne 
County,  and  two  years  later  began  the  Roaring 
Brook  mine  in  Dunmore.  While  operating  it  he 
built  the  Mineral  Spring  colliery  in  this  county  in 
1868,  and  these  two  he  continued  to  superintend 
until  1881,  v.hen  he  sold  them.     Plis  next  enter- 
prise was  the  building  of  Clear  Spring  collieryat 
West  Pittston,  Pa.,  which  he  sold  in  1885,  and 
built  the  Moosic  Mountain  mine,  operating  the 
latter  until  lie  sold  it  in  1888.     His  connection 
with  the  Enterprise  Coal  Company  of  Excelsior 
dates  from  1891. 

Unlike  his  father  and  grandfather.  Mr.  Davis 
has  never  identified  himself  actively  with  politics 
and  public  affairs.    Attention  to  his  private  busi- 
ness has  engrossed  his  time,  and  is  more  con- 
18 


genial  than  participation  in  municipal  matters. 
However,  he  is  well  informed  regarding  all  mat- 
ters of  general  interest,  and  gives  his  support  to 
mea;sures  having  for  their  aim  the  benefit  of  the 
people.  His  business  life  has  been  marked  by 
the  exercise  of  strictest  regard  for  right  and  jus- 
tice, and  in  his  dealings  with  all  he  is  conscien- 
tious and  upright. 


SILAS  A.  McMULLEN,  assistant  superin- 
tendent of  the  Pennsylvania  Division  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  and  a 
well  known  citizen  of  Carbondale,  was  born  in 
Clinton  Township,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  October 
9,  1836.  His  father,  Silas  K.,  who  was  born  in 
1809  in  Mt.  Pleasant  Township  of  the  same  coun- 
ty, followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  as  early 
as  1827  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company  in  the  construction  of 
the  original  Gravity  Railroad  from  Carbondale 
to  Honesdale.  Later  he  was  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business.  From  1849  ""t'l  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  employed  in  various  capacities  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson,  but  in  i860  was  acci- 
dentally killed  while  running  a  stationary  engine 
on  tlie  Gravity  road.  He  possessed  a  quiet  and 
retiring  disposition,  and  those  who  knew  him  best 
found  him  to  be  a  man  of  true  sterling  worth. 
He  had  several  brothers,  all  of  whom  served  in 
the  Civil  War. 

The  McMullen  family  is  of  sturdy  Scotch  an- 
cestry and  its  members  have  borne  an  honorable 
part  in  their  respective  generations,  their  prin- 
cipal occupation  being  agriculture,  especiallv  dur- 
ing the  early  history  of  this  country.  The  great- 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  in  the  now  famous  Wyoming 
Valley.  Our  subject's  grandfather,  James,  was 
born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  son 
of  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  was  in  active  ser- 
vice at  the  time  of  the  Wyoming  massacre.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  in  maidenhood  Lydia 
Conklin  and  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
the  daughter  of  Jacob  Conklin.  His  ancestors 
came  from  Germany  to  the  United  States  not 
long  after  the  advent  of  the  Puritans  and  in  later 
years  were  prominent  in  the  Baptist  Church.  She 


466 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


was  eighty-four  years  of  age  SeptemtxT  i,  1896, 
and  is  wonderfully  well  preserved,  with  a  bright- 
ness of  intellect  and  energy  of  disposition  not  al- 
ways possessed  by  women  many  years  her  junior. 
She  makes  her  home  with  a  daughter  in  .\linne- 
sota.  but  at  this  writing  is  visiting  her  sons  in 
Carbondalc. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  of  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  a  sister 
who  died  at  ten  years.  The  others  are  Mrs.  El- 
mira  Thompson,  who  resides  in  Taconia,  Wash.; 
Angeline,  wife  of  Ceorge  Berry,  a  farmer  living 
in  Lanesboro,  Minn.;  William  J.,  superintendent 
of  the  Gravity  Railroad ;  and  Charles,  a  member 
of  the  Lackawanna  Hardware  Company  of  Scran- 
ton  and  a  very  successful  business  man.  Our 
subject  had  the  advantage  of  a  high  school  edu- 
cation and  carried  on  his  studies  until  he  was  fif- 
teen years  of  age,  when  his  health  broke  down. 
After  regaining  his  strength,  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad 
under  his  father  and,  with  the  e.xccption  of  the 
four  years  from  1865  to  1869  when  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business,  he  has  since 
been  in  the  employ  of  this  company.  Since  1869 
he  has  fdled  his  present  position  and  under  his 
supervision  the  locomotive  road  from  Scranton 
to  Carbondalc  was  built.  He  has  guarded  well 
the  interests  of  the  company,  has  been  a  faithful 
man  in  his  responsible  position,  and  has  the  con- 
fidence of  his  superior  officers  as  well  as  of  the 
men  under  his  direction. 

In  addition  to  his  connection  with  the  railroad, 
Mr.  McAhdlen  is  interested  in  various  other  en- 
terprises. He  is  a  director  in  the  Miners  &  Me- 
chanics Bank,  since  1876  has  been  /ice-president 
of  the  Crystal  Lake  Water  Company  and  is  in- 
terested in  till'  Carbondalc  Water  Company,  with 
which  he  has  been  coimected  since  its  organiza- 
tion. He  also  has  large  interests  in  West  Vir- 
ginia. In  the  up])nilding  of  Carljfjndale  he  has 
always  manifested  a  deep  concern.  His  connec- 
tion with  the  Carbondalc  board  of  education  cov- 
ers a  period  of  eighteen  years,  dtu-ing  a  large 
jjart  of  which  time  he  was  its  president.  He  de- 
voted his  time  and  energy  to  securing  for  the 
city  a  first-class  school  system,  and  to  him,  more 
than  to  any  otlier  man  in  the  j)lace,  Carbondalc 


is  indebted  for  its  excellent  schools  and  the  many 
fine  school  buildings  that  now  adorn  it.  While 
he  met  with  much  opposition  in  this  work,  he 
])crsisted  in  his  progressive  plans  and  did  not  re- 
tire from  the  l)oard  until  he  had  accomplished 
what  he  started  out  to  do.  Though  quiet  and  un- 
assuming, he  has  the  indomitable  will  character- 
istic of  his  race  and  to  tJiis  trait  his  success  is 
largely  due. 

Eraternally  for  many  years  Mr.  Mc.Mullen  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  has 
filled  the  leading  offices,  having  been  master  of 
the  blue  lodge,  high  priest  of  the  chapter  and 
commander  of  the  Knights  Templar.  His  first 
marriage  took  place  in  i860,  when  Miss  Sarah 
P.  Miller  became  his  wife.  She  died  four  )ears 
later  and  her  only  child  passed  away  when  young. 
In  1866  he  married  Miss  Louisa  A.  Hubbard,  of 
Wayne  County.  Three  children  were  l)orn  of 
this  union,  but  two  died  in  childhood.  The  only 
surviving  member  of  the  family  is  Silas  A.,  Jr., 
a  bright  boy  of  thirteen  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Mullen  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
and  are  interested  in  the  work  of  that  denomina- 
tion, by  the  members  of  which  they  are  held  in 
high  regard.  They  own  and  occupy  a  comfort- 
al)lc  residence  in  Garfield  Avenue. 


JOHN  MULLEN,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Roaring  Brook  Township,  and  the  owner 
of  a  farm  comprising  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  is  a  native  of  County  .Sligo.  Ireland, 
born  April  13,  i8ig.  In  his  native  land  he  had 
few  advantages,  for  he  was  obliged  to  work  from 
the  time  he  was  large  enough  to  do  anything. 
With  a  natural  desire  to  better  his  contlition  and 
improve  his  prospects  for  the  future,  he  deter- 
mined to  seek  a  home  in  America,  and  as  soon 
as  he  had  saved  a  sufficient  amount  he  took  pas- 
sage on  a  sailing  vessel  for  the  United  States. 
After  a  number  of  weeks  upon  the  ocean  he  ar- 
rived at  his  destination.  He  was  then  a  young 
man  of  thirty  years,  active,  energetic  and  robust 
in  health.  With  these  qualities  it  was  not  diffi- 
cult for  him  to  secure  employment,  and  he 
worked  at  various  occupations,  but  most  of  his 
tinu-  was  spent  in  work  upon  a  canal. 


PORTRAIT   AND    iilOGR-APHICAL    RECORD. 


467 


As  the  years  passed  by,  Air.  Mullen  saved  his 
earnings  and  finally  had  enough  to  warrant  him 
in  the  purchase  of  a  farm.  From  Dunmore  he 
came  to  Roaring  Brook  Township  in  1876,  and 
here  he  has  since  engaged  in  general  agricultural 
pursuits.  The  farm  which  he  owns  has  been 
brought  under  excellent  tillage  through  his  en- 
ergetic and  untiring  efforts,  and  hs  neat  appear- 
ance proves  his  industry  and  perseverance.  In 
addition  to  the  raising  of  various  cereals  to  which 
the  soil  is  adapted,  he  keeps  some  stock  on  the 
place,  and  is  making  a  success  of  this  department 
of  agriculture. 

In  all  his  enterprises  Mr.  Mullen  has  been  as- 
sisted by  his  wife,  who  has  been  his  helpmate  in 
the  building  up  of  their  place  and  the  gaining  of 
a  couipetenc).  .She  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Gilgan,  and  was  born  and  reared  in  Coun- 
ty Sligo,  Ireland.  Side  by  side  they  worked  in- 
dustriously until  they  had  enough  to  purchase  a 
home  of  their  own,  and  their  present  prosperity 
they  justly  merit  by  their  painstaking  efforts  in 
past  years.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren living,  and  have  lost  one.  John,  by  death. 
The  others  are:  Thomas,  James,  Mary  and 
Margaret. 


HENRY  H.  YEAGER.  The  life  which  this 
narrative  portrays  began  near  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  August  II,  1818,  and  closed  upon 
earth  at  Moscow,  Pa.,  August  10,  1896.  The 
Yeager  family  was  represented  among  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  this  part  of  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, to  the  growth  and  development  of  which  its 
members  so  largely  contributed.  In  1832,  when 
Henry  II.  was  a  youth  of  fourteen  years,  the  fam- 
ily settled  near  what  is  now  the  thriving  village 
of  Moscow,  and  here  the  remainder  of  his  life  was 
passed,  in  the  varied  occupations  of  farmer,  mer- 
chant and  lumberman. 

Reference  to  the  parents  of  our  subject  will  be 
found  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother,  Peter,  upon 
another  page.  He  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  homestead,  which  he  inherited  on  the  death 
of  his  father,  and  he  afterward  resided  there,  over- 
seeing its  improvements  and  keeping  it  in  good 
condition.    For  a  number  of  vears  he  carried  on 


a  mercantile  business  in  Moscow,  then  just 
springing  into  existence.  He  also  cut  down  tim- 
ber, manufactured  it  into  lumber,  and  sold  it  in 
large  quantities  to  parties  in  Scranton  and  Phil- 
adelphia and  towns  in  New  Jersey,  where  it  was 
hauled  by  wagon.  When  the  railroad  was  built 
to  Moscow,  he  was  appointed  the  first  station 
agent  and  held  the  position  for  several  years.  His 
business  ventures  were  almost  invariably  success- 
ful, and  had  it  not  been  for  his  generous  nature 
and  liberality  in  giving,  he  would  have  been  a 
ver\-  wealthy  man  at  the  time  of  his  death.  As  it 
was,  however,  he  still  had  an  ample  competence, 
and  left  his  family  in  good  circumstances. 

July  4,  1843,  Mr.  Yeager  married  Miss  Mary 
Ann,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Weldy) 
Biesecker,  and  a  native  of  Providence,  this  coun- 
ty, born  November  7,  1821.  Her  father,  who  was 
born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Lackawanna  County  in  boyhood, 
and  settled  with  them  on  their  land,  occupying 
a  portion  of  the  present  site  of  Providence.  He 
followed  farm  pursuits  until  his  death,  February 
21,  1862,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years  and  six  months. 
The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yeager  consisted  of 
seven  children:  Angelichor,  Jerome  B.,  William, 
John  B.,  Seldon  D.,  Alartha  M.  and  Emma  E. 
The  oldest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  W.  F.  Clem- 
ents, of  Moscow;  William  resides  in  Scranton, 
John  B.  in  Wilkesbarre,  and  Seldon  S.  in  Mos- 
cow, where  he  is  in  the  general  mercantile  busi- 
ness; Martha  M.  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  S.  W.  L'Amor- 
eaux,  of  Scranton;  and  Emma  E.  married  Wil- 
liam L.  Carr,  manager  of  the  Stergess  store  at 
Peckville. 

The  eldest  son  of  Mr.  Yeager  is  Jerome  B., 
who  resides  upon  and  manages  the  old  home- 
stead. For  four  years  he  clerked  in  a  general 
store  in  Moscow,  for  two  years  was  in  Bingham- 
ton,  later  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business 
in  Phillipsburg,  N.  J.,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Moscow  and  became  interested  in  merchandis- 
ing. His  store,  unfortunately,  was  burned  down, 
and  afterward  for  four  years  he  traveled  for  Wan- 
amaker  &  Brown,  of  Philadelphia.  June  6,  1888, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jennie  Frey, 
of  Wilkesbarre,  who  unites  with  him  in  making 
happy  the  declining  years  of  the  widowed  mother. 


468 


PORTRAIT   AXD    lUOGRAPHICAL    RF.CORD. 


Throughout  the  comniunity  tlicy  are  liighly  es- 
teemed for  their  many  worthy  quahties,  and  have 
hosts  of  warm  friends  among  the  best  people  of 
Madison  Township. 


WILLIAM  DANIELS  may  justly  be 
called  a  pioneer  of  Spring  Brook 
Township,  for  lie  has  resided  here 
since  1834,  when  for  miles  in  every  direction 
stretched  the  wilderness  and  dense  forests  un- 
broken by  roads.  Wild  animals  were  still  occa- 
sionally to  be  seen,  and  the  pioneers,  being  expert 
shots,  often  provided  the  family  larder  with  game. 
^^'ith  all  the  hardships  of  those  days  he  was  fa- 
miliar, and  his  earl\-  years  were  filled  with  pri- 
vations, toil  and  unceasing  labor.  Now,  still  a 
resident  upon  the  farm  where  his  childhood  was 
passed,  he  is  sufficiently  well-to-do  to  enable  him 
to  take  life  easier  and  enjoy  the  comforts  accu- 
nudated  in  years  of  effort. 

The  i)arents  of  our  subject,  Morgan  and  Mary 
(Gibbs)  Daniels,  were  born,  reared  and  married 
in  Wales,  and  when  the  former  was  fifty-seven 
years  of  age  they  came  to  this  country,  spending 
two  years  in  Carbondale  and  then  coming  to  the 
farm  now  owned  by  WilHam.  This  the  father 
endeavored  to  clear,  but  he  was  past  the  ])rime  of 
life,  and  could  not  work  ;us  energetically  as  in 
former  years.  However,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  children,  the  timber  was  cut  down  and  the 
land  jilaced  under  cultivation.  Here  he  remained 
until  liis  dentil,  which  occurred  at  seventy-one 
years.  His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one.  Of  their  ten  children  the  only  survivors  are 
William  and  Mrs.  Jane  Morgan,  widow  of  the 
late  Edward  Morgan,  of  Pittston. 

Born  in  Wales  September  6,  1830,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of  two  years  when  the 
family  left  their  native  land  and  took  passage  on 
the  sailing  ship,  "Arabian  Castle,"'  of  five  hun- 
dred tons  burden.  This  was  a  good  boat,  but 
small,  and  in  a  storm  was  driven  upon  the  rocks 
and  had  to  put  into  the  nearest  harbor,  Nova 
Scotia.  There  the  thirty-six  passengers  spent 
five  weeks,  while  the  ship  was  being  repaired. 
Finally  they  took  ship  again,  and  at  last,  after 
fifteen  week's  from  the  time  of  starting,  they  land- 


ed in  New  York.  Thence  the  Daniels  family  pro- 
ceeded to  Carbondale,  and  from  there  in  1834 
came  to  Spring  Brook  Township. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  Jane  Nichols,  a 
native  of  Wales,  born  in  1844,  and  a  resident  of 
Lackawanna  County  from  the  age  of  nine  years. 
Ten  children  were  born  of  their  union.  The  eld- 
est, Mary,  became  the  wife  of  William  E.  Griffith, 
and  has  two  children,  Katie  and  Edwin.  The 
other  members  of  the  family  are  Rachel;  Alor- 
gan,  who  married  Annie  Richards;  David,  who 
is  employed  at  Wilkesbarre;  William  B.,  who 
has  been  teaching  school  but  is  now  at  home  and 
is  an  excellent,  energetic  young  man,  the  stay  of 
his  parents  in  their  declining  years;  Katie;  Ed- 
win, who  died  at  thirteen  years;  Mabel;  Jennie 
and  Albert. 

Shortly  after  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Daniels 
cast  his  ballot  for  Franklin  Pierce,  and  at  the 
next  election  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  for 
president.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  he  has  been  a  firm  adherent  to  its 
principles.  In  the  Methodist  Church,  of  which 
he  and  his  wife  are  members,  he  has  been  a  class- 
leader,  and  has  also  served  as  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school.  He  has  led  a  busy  life,  and 
as  the  result  of  his  labors  is  now  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm,  improved  with  good  buildings, 
and  containing  all  the  conveniences  of  a  modern 
estate. 


HENRY  L.  GAIGE,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Gaige  &  Clements,  and  one  of  the 
leading  merchants  of  Moscow,  was  born 
in  Albany  County,  N.  Y.,  April  19,  1833,  and  is 
the  son  of  Spencer  and  Margaret  (Yeager)  Gaige, 
natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself.  His  father 
grew  to  manhood  there,  and  when  in  middle  age 
removed  to  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  purchasing 
a  farm  where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  un- 
til his  death  at  about  sixty  years  of  age.  The  wife 
and  mother  passed  away  when  fifty-six  years  old. 
The  first  eighteen  years  of  the  life  of  our  sub- 
ject were  spent  in  work  upon  the  home  farm  and 
attendance  at  the  neighboring  schools.  His  first 
business  position  was  that  of  clerk  in  a  general 
wholesale  and  retail  grocery  house  in  Bingham- 


S.  \v,  I,  .\MnKi-;.\i\.  M    I). 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


471 


ton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  about  six  years, 
thus  gaining  a  thorough  practical  business  educa- 
tion. From  there  he  went  west  to  Wisconsin  and 
located  in  Belleville,  where  he  operated  a  grist 
mill  for  two  years.  Returning  east  in  1857,  he 
came  to  Moscow  and  estabhshed  a  mercantile 
store.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  in  continuous 
active  business,  and  has  the  distinction  of  being 
the  oldest  merchant  in  this  village. 

In  1861  Mr.  Gaige  married  Mss  Mary  E.  Dal- 
rymple,  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  three  children: 
Oren  J-,  who  is  engaged  in  the  glass  business  in 
Philadelphia;  Ida  May,  wife  of  S.  B.  Whitlock, 
of  Baltimore,  Md.;  and  Nina  Myrtle,  wife  of  G. 
Stewart  Simons,  of  San  Antonio,  Tex.  Mr.  Gaige 
is  one  of  those  stanch  Democrats,  who  have  the 
greatest  faith  in  their  party  and  the  firmest  belief 
in  its  principles.  On  the  erection  of  Lackawanna 
County,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  commis- 
sioners and  served  in  that  capacity  for  one  term. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  treasurer  of 
Madison  Township.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  Moscow  Lodge  No.  504,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in 
which  he  is  a  charter  member.  In  addition  to  the 
mercantile  business,  for  many  years  he  has  been 
an  extensive  lumber  dealer,  and  in  it,  as  in  mer- 
chandising, has  met  with  uniform  success. 


SW.L'AMOREAUX,  M.  B.,  M.  D.,  C.  M., 
of  Scranton,  is  a  descendant  of  French 
•  Huguenot  ancestors,  who,  at  the  time  of 
the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  were  forced 
to  flee,  exiles,  from  their  native  land  and  seek 
homes  among  strangers.  Three  brothers  bear- 
ing this  name  fled  to  America,  one  of  whom  set- 
tled in  New  York,  the  others  in  Nova  Scotia.  Of 
these  James,  the  Doctor's  great-grandfather,  who 
was  born  in  France,  became  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Canada,  where  he  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

Thomas  L'Amoreaux,  the  Doctor's  father, 
was  a  son  of  Christopher,  both  natives  of  Toronto 
and  of  Protestant  religious  belief.  The  former, 
who  for  many  years  was  engaged  as  an  under- 
taker in  Toronto,  is  now  living  retired  in  that 
city.  His  wife,  who  died  in  Toronto,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Charity  Woodrufif,  and  was  born 


in  Canada,  her  father,  Powell  Woodrufif,  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire  and  of  English  extraction, 
having  settled  in  Canada,  where  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  hotel  business. 

Of  three  children  comprising  the  parental  fam- 
ily, the  Doctor  is  second  in  point  of  age,  and  is 
the  only  one  residing  in  the  States.  He  was  born 
in  Toronto  in  1858  and  received  an  excellent  ed- 
ucation in  the  high  school  there,  graduating 
from  that  institution;  also  a  graduate  of  Pick- 
ering College  of  Canada.  In  1878  he  entered  the 
medical  department  of  Trinity  University,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1880,  with  the  degree  of 
M.  B.,  later  receiving  the  degrees  of  M.  D.  and  C. 
M.  He  was  granted  a  fellowship,  F.  T.  M.  S., 
and  graduated  with  the  highest  honors  of  his 
class.  During  his  university  course  he  served  as 
the  class  president.  For  one  year  he  carried  on 
his  studies  in  hospitals,  after  which  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  Dr.  Wood,  of  the  college,  for  about 
four  years. 

Coming  to  the  States,  Dr.  L'Amoreaux  opened 
an  office  at  Moscow,  Lackawanna  County,  Pa., 
in  1884,  and  in  addition  to  a  general  practice, 
acted  as  local  physician  for  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad.  In  December, 
1895,  he  came  to  Scranton,  succeeding  to  the 
practice  of  Dr.  Roos,  who  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia. He  carries  on  a  general  practice  of 
medicine,  with  office  at  No.  232  Adams  Avenue, 
and  makes  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of  con- 
sumption and  diseases  of  the  liver,  heart  and  kid- 
neys, in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  While 
in  Toronto  he  took  a  post-graduate  course  in  the 
University,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  more 
closely  the  various  pulmonary  diseases,  and  in 
that  way  he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
that  department  of  medicine,  the  treatment  of 
which  he  has  since  conducted  with  success. 

In  religious  belief  Dr.  L'Amoreaux  is  con- 
nected with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He 
married,  in  Moscow,  Miss  M.  Yeager,  daughter 
of  Henry  H.  Yeager,  a  lumber  dealer  of  Mos- 
cow, by  whom  he  has  two  daughters,  Margaret 
and  Angelica.  Though  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Scranton  for  a  comparatively  brief  period  only, 
he  has  already  established  a  good  practice,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  skilled  physicians  of 


rCJRTRAll'   AXU    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


the  place.  I J  is  time  is  so  closely  taken  up  by  pro- 
fessional work  that  he  has  not  itlentified  himself 
with  fraternal  or  ])()litical  organizations,  but  nev- 
ertheless may  be  relied  ii]3on  to  aid  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  movements  for  the  welfare  of  the 
people. 


REUEL  HANKS,  D.  D.  There  is  no  one 
trait  of  human  nature  that  so  endears  a 
man  to  others  as  does  his  interest  in  their 
welfare.  Throughout  his  long  and  active  life  as 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  Dr.  Hanks  has  main- 
tained the  deepest  concern  in  the  welfare — tem- 
poral and  spiritual — of  his  fellowmen.  He  has 
rejoiced  in  their  successes  and  sympathized  with 
them  in  sorrow,  and  unceasingly,  by  example 
and  precept,  has  led  them  toward  a  higher  and 
truer  life.  The  approach  of  old  age,  with  its  at- 
tendant infirmities,  caused  him  to  retire  from 
the  ministry,  though  he  still  officiates  at  wedditLgs 
and  funerals,  and  occasionally  preaches.  His 
home  is  in  Daleville,  Covington  Township. 

The  birth  of  Dr.  Hanks  occurred  in  Augusta, 
We.,  July  8,  1823,  his  parents  being  Reuel  and 
Sophia  (Brackett)  Hanks,  both  natives  of  Maine. 
His  father,  who  was  a  merchant  and  farmer,  died 
at  fifty-si \  years,  and  his  mother  when  sixty-one. 
In  youth  he  attended  Oberlin  College,  and  also 
took  private  lessons  under  Professor  Whiting  in 
Brooklyn.  It  w'as  first  his  intention  to  enter  the 
legal  profession,  and  with  that  aim  in  view  he 
read  law  in  Vermont  and  Maine  and  practiced  in 
the  former  state  for  a  short  time.  When  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age  he  entered  the  ministry, 
and  his  first  charge  was  in  Shelburne,  Vt.,  after 
which  he  spent  two  years  in  Washington  County, 
N.  Y.  While  there  he  was  offered  and  accepted 
the  position  of  president  of  a  Methodist  Protest- 
ant school,  known  as  Hebron  Academy,  in  Wash- 
ington County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  he  remained  for 
four  vears,  rendering  efficient  service  as  the  head 
of  the  institution.  From  1852  until  1854  he  was 
pastor  of  a  church  in  New  York  City,  after  which 
he  held  a  pastorate  in  Brooklyn  for  two  years, 
later  returned  to  New  York  City,  and  remained 
three  years,  and  then  spent  seven  years  in  Tarry- 
town,  N.  Y.     Afterward  he  went  west  to  accept 


the  presidency  of  Adrian  (Mich.)  College,  but 
after  a  year  returned  to  the  east,  and  spent  four 
more  years'  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y. 

Returning  to  Washington  County,  he  took 
charge  of  the  New  York  Conference  Academy 
for  two  years,  when  failing  health  obliged  him  to 
resign.  For  the  nine  ensuing  years  he  preached 
in  (Granville.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  came  to  Dale- 
ville and  took  charge  of  the  church  here  for  seven 
years,  after  which  he  was  located  in  Pittston  one 
year.  He  then  retired  from  the  ministry,  and 
returned  to  his  Daleville  home. 

In  1850,  Dr.  Hanks  married  Miss  Harriet 
Smith,  of  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are:  Rev.  W. 
S.,  a  clergyman  in  Pittsburg;  Viola,  Reuella, 
George  S.,  Harriet  and  Herbert.  Mrs.  Harriet 
Hanks  died  in  1880,  and  in  March,  1884,  Dr. 
Hanks  was  again  married,  his  wife  being  Miss 
Marv  Dale,  sister  of  David  Dale,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Politically  our  subject 
is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  taken  an  active 
part  in  politics.  Since  uniting  with  the  cliurch 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  his  life  has  been  that 
of  a  consistent,  earnest  Christian,  who  feelts  that 
no  work  is  more  important  than  that  of  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  and  winning-  men  and  women 
from  a  worldly  life  to  faithful  work  for  the  Christ. 


GEORGE  E.  FAIRCHILD,  proprietor 
of  the  Fairchild  House  in  Scranton  and 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  successful 
hotel  men  in  the  city,  is  a  native  of  England,  bom 
in  Lehigh,  county  of  Essex,  December  24,  1826. 
The  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  hotel  business  for  several  succes- 
sive generations.  Many  years  ago  his  paternal 
great-grandfather  built  a  tavern  called  "The 
Ship,"  which  was  afterward  owned  and  conducted 
In-  his  son,  Samuel,  our  subject's  grandfather. 
This  old  stone  structure  may  still  be  seen,  stand- 
ing in  the  heart  of  Leigh,  a  relic  of  bygone  days. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  George  Fairchild. 
was  born  in  Leigh,  and  at  one  time  was  proprie- 
tor of  "The  Ship."  but  later  turned  his  attention 
to  the  mercantile  liusiness  in   the  square  where 


PORTRAIT   AND    BlOGRiKPHlCAL   RECURD. 


473 


the  hotel  stands.  After  some  years  he  bought 
"The  Plow  and  Sail"  in  Picklesome,  Essex,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  for  six  years. 
On  his  return  to  Leigh,  he  resumed  his  mercantile 
enterprises  and  wa.s  thus  engaged  until  the  build- 
ing of  the  railroad  afifected  trade,  when  he  re- 
tired. He  was  a  man  of  energy  and  more  than 
ordinary  intelligence.  At  one  time  he  bored 
about  two  thousand  feet  for  water,  and  as  a  re- 
sult secured  the  first  and  finest  artesian  well  in  the 
locality.  His  last  years  were  spent  in  London, 
where  he  died  at  ninety-five  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Emma  Benton, 
a  native  of  Vauge,  Essex,  and  the  member  of  an 
old  family  of  that  vicinity.  Her  father,  John  Ben- 
ton, was  at  one  time  a  large  barge  owner  and 
wharf  owner.  She  died  at  the  age  of  forty-two 
years.  Of  her  seven  sons  and  two  daughters  who 
attained  3'ears  of  maturity,  three  are  living: 
George  E. :  Albert,  formerly  a  large  ranchman  of 
Australia,  but  now  living  retired;  and  Richard, 
a  merchant  in  London.  The  Fairchild  family 
originated  in  Denmark,  and  the  first  of  the  name 
who  went  to  England  settled  at  Hadley  Castle, 
Essex,  of  which  they  were  the  owners. 

In  the  private  and  national  schools  of  Hadley 
House  our  subject  gained  his  education.  In  early 
manhood  he  went  to  London,  and  after  engaging 
in  merchandising  for  a  time,  entered  the  hotel 
business,  being  at  different  times  proprietor  of 
"Ordnance  Arms,"  "Xew  Found  Out,"  "Queen's 
Head,"  "Bee  Hive,"  "Crown  and  Anchor,"  and 
others.  On  retiring  temporarily  from  the  hotel 
business,  he  became  connected  with  the  detective 
department  of  the  London  police  force,  where 
he  was  employed  for  two  and  one-half  years. 
Afterw^ard  he  again  became  proprietor  of  the 
"Ordnance  Arms."  In  1867  he  sold  out  and  came 
to  America,  arriving  in  this  country  in  July,  and 
afterward  remaining  in  New  York  for  a  short 
time  in  the  employ  of  Plum  Page,  the  contractor. 
In  1869  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  for  three  and 
one-half  years  was  employed  by  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  as  foreman 
of  the  barn  in  the  mine. 

In  March  of  1874  Mr.  Fairchild  became  pro- 
prietor of  McKeever's  House  in  North  Main 
Avenue.     Five  vears  later  he  leased  his  present 


hotel  from  Heermans,  and  afterward  bought  and 
improved  '  the  property.  In  addition  to  this, 
which  is  the  finest  hotel  on  the  west  side,  he 
owns  valuable  residence  and  business  property 
and  his  realty  embraces  some  centrally  located 
lots.  In  1 89 1  he  returned  to  England  to  visit 
his  old  home,  and  while  there  dmcd  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales.  He  also  traveled  exten.sively 
on  the  continent.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he 
has  served  his  party  as  delegate  and  has  been  a 
member  of  local  committees.  While  in  London 
he  was  a  Master  Mason,  and  still  has  his  member- 
ship in  Sidney  Lodge  No.  829,  in  Kent.  He  is 
also  identified  vvitli  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 

In  Essex  Mr.  Fairchild  married  Miss  Emma 
Howard,  who  was  born  there,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Ploward,  a  gardener  and  florist,  who  had 
considerable  local  celebrity  in  his  special  line  of 
work.  Eight  children  were  bom  to  the  union, 
of  whom  six  are  living,  namely:  Alice,  Mrs.  Ed- 
ward Evans;  Rosanna,  Mrs.  James  Bevis;  Flor- 
ence, wife  of  Dr.  Francis  P.  Moylan:  Minnie, 
Mrs.  H.  Fritz;  Mrs.  Kate  Lack,  a  widow;  and 
Ada,  wife  of  Eugene  Reed,  all  of  whom  reside  in 
Lackawanna  County,  except  Mrs.  Fritz,  whose 
home  is  in  Chicago. 


EDWIN  A.  CLARK.  The  history  of  every 
community  is  made  up,  so  far  as  its  most 
interesting  features  are  concerned,  of  the 
record  of  the  lives  of  prominent  citizens.  Cer- 
tainly a  history  of  Scranton  would  be  incomplete 
without  reference  to  the  Clark  family,  as  the 
fatlier  of  the  gentleman  who  forms  the  subject  of 
this  article  was  one  of  the  early  and  influential 
merchants  of  Hyde  Park,  also  held  the  office  of 
postmaster,  and  m  many  important  respects  con- 
tributed to  the  advancement  of  this  part  of  the 
citv.  Nor  has  Edwin  A.  been  less  enterprising 
and  public-spirited.  His  interests  are  many  and 
important.  He  is  treasurer  and  manager  of  The 
Clark  Store  Company  of  Scranton,  and  secretary, 
treasurer  and  manager  of  the  West  Ridge  Coal 
Company,  both  of  which  are  large  concerns  with 
many  employes. 

Referring  to  the  histon.'  of  Oliver  P.,  father  of 


474 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Edwin  A.  Clark,  we  find  that  he  was  born  in 
Wurtsboro,  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  of  an  old  Con- 
necticut family,  and  was  orphaned  at  an  early 
age,  thus  being  obliged  to  earn  his  own  livelihood 
when  )oung.  liis  first  position  was  on  a  canal, 
after  which  he  clerked  in  a  store  in  Honesdale, 
Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and  thence  removed  to  Way- 
mart,  engaging  in  the  mercantile  business.  About 
1845  l^e  came  to  Hyde  Park,  and,  forming  a  part- 
nership with  Mr.  Black,  opened  a  store  on  the 
corner  of  Luzerne  Street  and  South  Main  Ave- 
nue. Shortly  after,  however,  he  bought  out  his 
partner  and  continued  in  the  same  place  alone 
until  1847,  when  he  moved  to  No.  120  South 
Main  Avenue.  In  1871  he  retired  from  business, 
and  thereafter  lived  quietly  at  his  home  until 
1889,  when  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 
For  some  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  borough  of  Hyde  Park.  He  was 
a  trustee  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  frater- 
nally was  a  charter  member  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.  A  man  of  great  energy  and  un- 
flinching integrity,  he  held  the  esteem  of  his  as- 
sociates in  every  place  where  he  resided,  and  was 
recognized  by  all  who  knew  him  as  a  man  of  pub- 
lic spirit  and  noble  character.  He  originated  the 
mercantile  company  in  Hyde  Park,  and  for  some 
years  had  the  postofSce  in  his  store. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Sarah  A.  Barton, 
was  born  in  Washington,  N.  J-.  and  died  in 
Scranton  in  1886.  Her  father,  Joseph  Barton, 
who  was  of  English  descent,  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  and  removed  thence  to  Honesdale,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness. The  parental  family  consisted  of  seven  chil- 
dren, all  but  two  of  whom  attained  years  of  ma- 
turity, and  four  are  now  living,  Edwin  A.  be- 
ing the  youngest.  He  was  born  at  No.  120  South 
Main  Avenue,  Scranton,  July  2,  1855,  and  re- 
ceived his  primary  education  in  the  grammar 
schools,  later  graduated  from  t!ie  high  school 
of  Hyde  Park,  and  then  entered  Claverack  Col- 
lege near  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  where  he  prosecuted 
his  studies  for  one  term.  On  his  return  home  he 
secured  a  clerkship  in  Hyde  Park. 

In  1884  Mr.  Clark  embarked  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness as  a  member  of  the  Union  Coal  Company, 
and  operated  the  Dickson  shaft  for  two  years. 


aftcer  which  he  opened  a  dry-goods  store  in  Dur- 
yea,  Luzerne  County,  but  continued  his  resi- 
dence in  Scranton.  After  two  years  he  sold  out 
there  and  then  for  two  years  was  connected  with 
the  mercantile  house  of  Judge  &  Co.,  at  Taylor- 
ville.  Selling  out  in  1892,  he  began  the  organi- 
zation of  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company,  and  six 
months  later  was  chosen  secretary,  treasurer  and 
manager.  The  company  has  one  breaker  and 
employs  nearly  five  hundred  hands,  the  plant  hav- 
ing a  capacity  of  two  hundred  thousand  tons  of 
coal  per  annum.  Both  a  wholesale  and  retail 
business  is  carried  on  with  profit.  In  February, 
1894,  The  Clark  Store  Company  opened  an  estab- 
lishment on  the  corner  of  North  Main  Avenue 
and  Green  Ridge  Street,  where  they  own  a  build- 
ing, 40x100,  three  stories  high  with  basement. 
The  entire  building  is  occupied  by  the  company, 
who  carry  a  large  and  choice  selection  of  general 
merchandise,  groceries  and  meats,  the  latter  be- 
ing in  the  basement. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Clark  married  ^liss  Kate  A. 
Tanner,  who  was  born  and  educated  at  Promp- 
ton,  Wayne  County,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alonzo 
Tanner,  for  many  years  with  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company.  They  have  two  sons, 
Fred  A.  and  Edwin  H.,  who  are  being  given  the 
best  educational  advantages  the  country  affords. 
The  family  residence  is  the  old  homestead.  No. 
120  South  Main  Avenue.  Mr.  Clark  is  identified 
with  the  Washburn  Street  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  since  1891  has  been  secretary  of  its  board  of 
trustees.  In  political  faith  he  is  a  loyal  Repub- 
lican. He  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  com- 
mercial matters,  holds  membership  in  the  Scran- 
ton and  Hyde  Park  boards  of  trade,  and  at  all 
times  has  done  whatever  was  within  his  power  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  the  people  and  the  finan- 
cial prosperity  of  the  city. 


HOWARD  W.  HULL,  of  the  firm  of  Hull 
&  Co.,  general  commission  merchants  at 
No.  15  Lackawanna  Avenue,  Scranton, 
was  born  in  this  city  March  3,  1867,  the  son  of 
John  L.  and  Susan  A.  (Windsor)  Hull.  The  rudi- 
ments of  his  education  were  obtained  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  after  w'hich  he  prosecuted  his  studies 


CtKN.  ]vU.  c.  dkans. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


477 


in  Keystone  Academy,  and  later  took  the  regular 
course  in  Eastman's  Business  College  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  from  which  he  graduated.  For  a  time 
he  was  a  student  in  the  Maryland  Military  and 
Naval  Academy  at  O.xford,  J\ld.,  after  which  he 
completed  his  preparatory  collegiate  course  in 
the  School  of  the  Lackawanna.  In  1888  he  en- 
tered Cornell  University  and  there  took  the  en- 
gineering course,  graduating  in  1892,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  E. 

Meantime,  Mr.  Hull  had  given  his  leisure  hours 
and  vacation  seasons  to  assisting  his  father  in 
business,  and  also  for  four  seasons,  beginning  in 
1884,  was  associated  with  A.  D.  Pierson.  In 
1892,  immediately  upon  the  close  of  his  collegiate 
course,  he  embarked  in  the  produce  business  and 
afterwards,  in  April,  1896,  W.  H.  Chandler  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  concern,  the  firm  name 
becoming  Hull  &  Co.  They  are  doing  an  ex- 
tensive business,  the  foundation  of  which  was 
laid  on  a  sound  basis  by  Howard  W.  Hull.  The 
location  of  the  firm  is  at  No.  15  Lackawanna 
Avenue,  where  they  occupy  four  floors,  25x60 
feet.  All  kinds  of  fruit  and  produce  may  be 
found  here,  and  among  the  specialties  are  fresh 
and  salt  fish,  shell  and  shucked  oysters,  dressed 
pork,  poultry  and  game.  Shipments  are  received 
from  every  point  in  the  United  States  during  the 
winter  season,  and  a  salesman  is  kept  on  the  road, 
taking  orders  for  the  firm.  They  have  built  up 
a  business  that  extends  from  Hancock  to  Wilkes- 
barre,  and  from  Delaware  Water  Gap  to  Bath. 

In  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Hull  married  Miss 
Frances,  daughter  of  W.  H.  Wolfe,  of  Scranton, 
and  they,  with  their  daughter,  Edith,  reside  at  No. 
1205  Marion  Street.  In  national  politics  Mr. 
Hull  is  a  Republican,  and  is  well  informed  re- 
garding events  of  public  interest.  With  his  wife  he 
attends  the  Grace  Reformed  Church  in  Wyom- 
ing Avenue.  Fraternally,  he  is  connected  with 
Green  Ridge  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna 
Chapter  and  Melita  Commandery,  K.  T.  While 
at  Cornell  he  was  for  one  year  editor  of  the  "  '92 
Cornollian,"  member  of  the  Phi  Kappa  Psi,  Theta 
N.  E.,  and  Sphin.x  Head  Societies.  When  thir- 
teen years  of  age  he  joined  the  old  Scranton 
Guards  as  a  member  of  the  drum  corps,  and 
after  six  years  became  a  private  of  Company  C, 


Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  four  years.  He  is  one  of  the  popular 
and  active  business  men  of  the  city,  and  has 
already  attained  a  success  that  speaks  well  for  fu- 
ture vears. 


GEN.  ED.  C.  DEANS.  The  prominence 
which  General  Deans  has  attained  in  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
his  genial  personal  qualities,  entitle  him  to  rank 
among  the  leading  citizens  of  Scranton,  where 
he  has  resided  since  1890.  He  was  born  in 
Montrose,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  October  2, 
1853,  the  son  of  Horace  A.  and  Frances  Eliza- 
beth (Stroud)  Deans,  also  natives  of  that  county. 
His  grandfather,  James  Deans,  the  son  of  a  Rev- 
olutionary hero,  inherited  a  spirit  of  loyal  devo- 
tion to  country  and  a  love  of  freedom,  not  only 
for  himself,  but  for  every  person  in  this  republic. 
Impelled  by  this  feeling,  when  he  moved  from 
Stonington,  Conn.,  to  Montrose,  Pa.,  he  made 
his  home  a  place  of  refuge  for  fleeing  slaves  and 
never  ceased  his  warfare  against  slavery  until  his 
earth  life  closed. 

In  1854  Horace  A.  Deans  moved  to  Hyde 
Park,  Scranton,  and  secured  the  contract  for  the 
erection  of  the  first  miners'  houses  at  Bellevue. 
Afterward  he  had  the  contract  for  the  interior  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Washburn  Street,  re- 
cently torn  down.  Later  he  became  freight  agent 
for  the  Delaware,  Laclcavvanna  &  Western  Rail- 
road at  this  point.  The  breaking  out  of  the  Re- 
bellion found  him,  like  his  ancestors,  anxious 
to  serve  his  country  and  protect  her  welfare. 
Enlisting  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  he  ser\'ed 
until  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Antietam  and  after 
his  recovery  he  was  made  hospital  steward.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  he  was 
honorably  discharged,  but  soon  re-enlisted  with 
the  signal  ser\'ice  corps  at  Georgetown  Heights, 
then  a  recruiting  office.  Afterwanl  he  was  de- 
tailed in  hospital  service,  to  look  after  the  sick. 
On  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Montrose, 
where  his  family  had  moved  at  the  time  of  his 
re-enlistment. 

Both  in  the  Grand  Armv  and  the  Order  of  Odd 


478 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Fellows,  Horace  A.  Deans  was  active.  In  1877 
he  collected  most  of  the  data  and  assisted  in  the 
erection  of  the  soldiers'  monument.  While  thu? 
engaged,  he  started  one  day  on  horseback  into 
territory  where  a  buggy  could  not  be  driven,  in- 
tending to  secure  facts  for  the  project  in  which 
he  was  so  deeply  interested.  While  on  the  way, 
his  horse  became  frightened,  reared  and  fell  upon 
him,  inflicting  fatal  injuries.  His  two  sons, 
Frank  A.,  agent  of  the  Bingham  estate  at  Wells- 
boro,  Pa.,  and  Ed.  C,  were  born  of  his  union 
with  the  daughter  of  John  Stroud,  who  was  born 
in  Xew  London,  Conn.,  and  became  an  early 
settler  of  Montrose,  the  present  home  of  our  sub- 
ject's mother. 

Educated  in  Montrose  Academy,  in  1873  our 
subject  w'ent  to  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  where  he  was 
employed  as  bookkeeper  and  assistant  in  the 
postofifice,  and  later  was  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business,  then  became  partner  in  the  Grand 
Master's  Cigar  Company.  After  a  time  he  drifted 
back  to  the  life  and  fire  insurance  business,  and 
at  the  same  time  served  as  borough  clerk.  In 
1890  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  in  September  he 
originated  and  organized  the  Perseverance  Club, 
the  first  instituted  here.  Here  he  has  his  head- 
quarters and  home  office.  In  the  organization  of 
the  Traders  tS:  Bankers  Mutual  Life  Association 
he  took  part  and  is  a  director  and  temporary 
manager. 

While  in  Wellsboro  General  Deans  married 
Miss  Flora,  daughter  of  Henry  S.  Archer,  ex- 
county  surveyor  and  register  of  wills.  The  fam- 
ily was  from  Maryland.  Her  grandfather,  John 
Archer,  was  the  first  to  receive  a  medical  diploma 
granted  by  any  college  in  the  United  States  and 
was  one  of  a  class  of  twelve  in  Baltimore,  after- 
ward practicing  in  Cecil  and  Harford  counties. 
Her  sister  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  John  I.  Mitchell, 
of  Wellsboro,  United  States  senator  from  Penn- 
sylvania in  former  years  and  now  president  judge 
of  Tioga  County.  General  and  Mrs.  Deans  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Horace  Archer  and 
Mabel. 

Politically  our  subject  is  a  Republican.  No- 
vember 25,  1874,  he  was  made  a  member  of  Tyoga 
Lodge  No.  230,  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  1883  he  passed 
the  chairs  of  his  lodge,  and  was  representative  to 


the  grand  lodge  in  1884,  1885  and  1886,  and  has 
attended  every  session  of  the  grand  lodge  since 
1884.  He  was  admitted  to  \N'ellsboro  Encamp- 
ment No.  78,  October  17,  1881,  passed  the  chairs 
in  1883,  was  admitted  to  the  Grand  Encampment 
of  Pennsxlvania  in  1884,  was  elected  grand  junior 
warden  in  1888  and  in  1890  became  grand  patri- 
arch. On  retiring  from  the  grand  patriarch's 
chair,  in  iS()i,  he  reported  thirteen  new  encamp- 
ments instituted  that  year  and  four  reorganized, 
the  largest  increase  known  in  years.  He  was  a 
charter  member  of  Wellsboro  LTniformed  De- 
gree Camp  No.  5,  instituted  October  31,  1883, 
and  was  its  first  and  only  commander.  March 
13,  1886,  the  degree  camp  was  merged  into  Can- 
ton Keystone  No.  5  and  he  was  elected  its  first 
captain:  was  promoted  May  8,  1886,  to  be  major 
of  the  Second  Battalion,  First  Regiment,  Depart- 
ment of  Pennsylvania:  and  in  August.  1888.  he 
was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  regiment.  Later 
he  was  assigned  to  command  the  Second  Regi- 
ment. February  25,  1892.  he  was  elected  and 
commissioned  brigadier  of  the  Second  Brigade, 
Division  of  the  Delaware,  and  Department  of 
the  Pennsylvania.  In  1895  he  was  re-elected 
department  commander  for  three  years.  In  1896 
he  was  elected  grand  representative  to  the  Sov- 
ereign Grand  Lodge,  to  represent  the  Grand 
Encampment  of  Pennsylvania  in  that  body,  and 
attended  the  first  session  at  Dallas.  Texas,  in 
1896. 


JOHN  E.  REGAN,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
undertaking  and  livery  business  at  No.  434 
Railroad  Avenue,  Scranton.  was  born  in 
Stafi'ordshire,  England,  Saturday,  May  11,  1861, 
and  is  a  son  of  Edw-ard  and  Catherine  (Rogers) 
Regan.  His  father  emigrated  to  the  LTnited 
States  in  1864  and  made  a  sojourn  of  one  year 
in  Hanover,  N.  J.,  after  which  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton and  secured  employment  in  the  coal  depart- 
ment of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Rralroad  Company,  remaining  with  them  until 
his  death,  October  10,  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six.     His  wife  is  still  living  in  Scranton. 

The   parental    family    consisted   of    four    sons 
and    three    daughters,    and    all    are    still    living. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BiOGRAL'lilCAL   RECORD. 


479 


John  E.,  who  is  the  eldest,  was  three  years  of 
age  when  the  family  crossed  the  ocean,  and  has 
spent  his  life  principally  in  Scranton,  receiving 
a  conniion-school  education  here,  in  the  intervals 
when  not  employed  in  the  mines.  His  parents 
being  poor,  he  was  obliged  to  become  self-sup- 
porting at  an  early  age.  In  May,  1868,  he  se- 
cured work  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  Dodge  mines 
and  there  remained  until  1872,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  mines  as  doorboy.  Afterward 
he  was  foreman  of  the  driver  boys. 

Leaving  the  mines  in  August,  1886,  Mr.  Regan 
started  in  the  retail  tea  business,  with  his  head- 
quarters in  Scranton.  Two  years  later  he  em- 
barked in  the  livery  business,  and  in  1895  added 
an  undertaking  department.  In  order  to  perfect 
himself  in  this  work,  he  studied  embalming  under 
Professor  Sullivan,  of  Boston,  graduating  from 
his  school  in  1896.  In  his  barn  he  keeps  a  com- 
plete stock  of  carriages  and  cabs,  and  every  con- 
venience for  his  patrons.  He  is  regarded  as  a  re- 
liable, industrious  business  man,  one  who  de- 
serves whatever  success  the  future  years  may 
bring  him.  Personally  he  is  a  man  of  good  habits, 
strong  in  his  temperance  principles,  and  has 
never  tasted  intoxicating  liquors;  the  money 
which  others  might  have  wasted  in  dissipation  he 
has  used  to  promote  his  business  interests,  thus 
being  prospered  financially.  In  this  city,  No- 
vember 26,  1884,  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Moffatt, 
daughter  of  John  L.  Mofifatt,  whom  she  accom- 
panied from  England  to  Scranton  in  girlhood. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  children  now  living, 
Martin,  Agnes,  and  Ellen. 

As  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Regan  has  taken  a  warm 
interest  in  public  matters.  Upon  that  ticket,  in 
1894,  he  was  nominated  and  elected  to  represent 
the  sixth  ward  upon  the  common  council,  and  so 
satisfactory  was  his  service  that  he  was  re-elected 
two  years  later,  receiving  a  larger  majority  the 
second  time  than  the  first.  While  upon  the 
board  he  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  manu- 
facturers' committee  and  member  of  the  printing, 
finance,  and  treasurers'  accounts  committees. 
During  his  first  term  he  was  chairman  of  the  light 
and  water,  and  streets  and  bridges  committees, 
and  the  second  year  was  retained  in  these  posi- 
tions and  also  made  chairman  of  the  paving  com- 


mittee. For  five  years  he  was  treasurer  of  St. 
Peter's  Young  Men's  Total  Abstinence  Benevo- 
lent .Society,  with  which  he  is  still  identified.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Funeral  Directors'  Protective 
Association  of  the  Scranton  Poor  District.  All 
measures  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  people  re- 
ceive his  co-operation,  and  he  may  be  justly 
ranked  with  the  progressive  citizens  who  arc- 
laboring  for  the  development  of  the  best  interests 
of  the  citv. 


DA\TD  P.  BIRTLEY.  Since  coming  to 
.Scranton  in  1856,  Air.  Birtley  has  been 
an  active  factor  in  the  development  of 
the  mining  resources  of  this  locality.  He  emi- 
grated to  America  from  a  foreign  shore  in  1850 
in  company  with  other  members  of  the  family 
and  found  himself  in  a  strange  country,  un- 
familiar with  the  customs  of  the  people,  but  after 
many  vicissitudes  and  a  life  of  toil,  he  has  placed 
himself  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his 
adopted  home,  and  is  to-day  a  man  of  influence 
in  his  community. 

The  Birtley  family  originated  in  England, 
where  its  members  now  own  large  iron  works. 
Valentine,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  Dur- 
ham, a  county  in  the  northern  part  of  England, 
and  was  a  son  of  William  Birtley,  a  miner  of  that 
shire.  He  also  was  interested  in  mining  as  fore- 
man of  coal  mines  in  Durham,  but  removed  from 
there  to  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  where  he  became 
a  contractor  in  driving  tunnels  for  railroads,  hav- 
ing some  of  the  largest  contracts  of  this  kind  in 
the  entire  country.  In  1846  he  went  back  to 
England,  but  four  years  later,  accompanied  by 
his  family,  took  passage  on  the  sailer  "American 
Union,"  which  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks  an- 
chored in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 

The  first  home  of  the  family  was  in  Hazleton, 
Pa.,  the  next  in  Tamaqua,  and  the  third  in  Beaver 
Meadows,  Carbon  County,  where  Mr.  Birtley  en- 
gaged as  outside  foreman  in  coal  mines,  and 
afterward  he  was  foreman  for  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company  in  the  sinking  of  shaft 
No.  2  at  Olyphant.  Of  this  mine  he  continued 
to  be  foreman  until  his  retirement.  He  died  in 
1892  at  the  age  of  over  eighty-four  years.     A 


48o 


PORTRAIT    A\D    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Republii.-an  in  politics,  he  served  one  term  in  the 
coinmon  council,  representing  the  second  ward 
of  Scranton.  He  married  Susan  Pringle,  who 
was  born  in  England  in  1806  and  died  in  Scran- 
ton in  1894,  aged  eighty-eight.  Their  family 
consisted  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter:  David 
P.;  Martin  C,  engineer  for  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  and  a  resident  of  Scranton; 
Joseph  v.,  foreman  for  the  Pancoast  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Throop;  William  P.,  foreman  in  a  mine 
at  Mt.  Olive,  111.;  and  Mrs.  Mary  H.  Robinson, 
of  Scranton. 

During  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  Edin- 
burgh, the  subject  of  this  article  was  born  Janu- 
ary 9,  1835.  His  early  years  were  passed  in  that 
city,  Glasgow  and  Firth,  where  he  was  a  pupil 
in  private  schools  and  where  he  also  worked  in  a 
bookbinding  establishment.  On  the  return  of 
the  family  to  England,  he  was  employed  in  carry- 
ing tools  and  water  during  the  construction  of 
tunnels  and  later  as  driver  boy  and  doorboy  in 
the  mines.  Fifteen  years  old  when  the  family 
came  to  America,  he  soon  became  a  practical 
miner,  and  was  employed  in  Schuylkill,  Carbon 
and  Luzerne  Counties.  In  May,  1856,  he  took  a 
position  as  miner  in  the  old  Rockwell  mine 
owned  by  John  Jermyn,  and  afterward  was  inside 
foreman  of  the  von  Storch  mine  about  seven 
years.  Resigning  this  position,  he  engaged  in 
business  about  one  year,  then  became  foreman 
at  the  Dunn  mines  for  Mr.  Jermyn  and  began  the 
sinking  of  the  shaft.  Shortly  afterward  he 
opened  a  mine  at  Priceburg,  then  became  fore- 
man at  the  Winton  mine  for  the  Winton  Coal 
Company,  and  later  was  superintendent  of  the 
Northwestern  colliery  at  Carbondale  for  Simp- 
son &  Watkins  about  one  year.  At  present  he 
is  engaged  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  at  the  Marvine  mine. 

At  Hyde  Park,  in  i860,  Mr.  Birtlcy  married 
Harriet  A.  Butler,  who  was  born  in  Carmarthen- 
shire, Wales.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren now  living:  Valentine,  who  is  permanent 
fireman  for  the  Liberty  Hose  Company  at  Scran- 
ton; Thomas  B.,  and  Joseph  B.,  who  are  respect- 
ively miner  and  machinist  with  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company;  and  William  B.,  a 
book-keeper    in    Scranton.       Mrs.    Birtley    is    a 


daughter  of  Thomas  Butler,  a  native  of  England, 
who  operated  coal  mines  in  Carmarthenshire  for 
a  time,  but  later  brought  his  famil\-  to  America; 
he  died  in  England  while  on  a  business  trip  there. 
A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Birtley  has  fre- 
quently served  on  city  and  county  committees, 
and  in  1871  was  elected  to  represent  the  second 
ward  in  the  conmion  council,  serving  one  term 
During  his  connection  with  the  board  of  school 
directors  of  Providence,  he  was  its  president  for 
three  years,  and  he  also  served  as  ward  assessor 
about  three  terms.  In  November,  1868,  he  was 
a  charter  member  of  the  Liberty  Hose  Company, 
afterward  served  as  its  president,  and  for  years 
has  held  the  office  of  secretary.  Fraternally,  he 
is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In 
August,  1862,  he  volunteered  in  Company  B, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in,  on  the  nth  of 
that  month,  as  corporal  for  nine  months'  service. 
Among  the  engagements  in  which  he  participated 
were  those  at  Fredericksburg,  Antietam  and 
Chancellorsville,  and  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Harrisburg,  May  27,  1863.  April  12, 
1869,  he  became  a  charter  member  of  Stevens 
Post,  No.  109,  at  Providence,  and  was  its  first 
commander,  afterward  holding  that  position  a 
second  time.  During  the  hard  times  of  1873  the 
post  disbanded,  and  afterward  he  identified  him- 
self witli  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grifilin  Post,  No.  139,  G. 
A.  R.  A  man  of  good  mental  calibre,  energetic 
and  capable,  his  enterprise  in  business  matters 
has  gained  him  a  prominent  place  among  men 
interested  in  and  connected  with  the  mines  of  the 
county.  While  this  occupation  has  been  his  spe- 
cialty, he  is  well  informed  on  many  other  sub- 
jects, and  is  a  man  of  broad  and  enlightened 
views. 


FRANK  WALSH.  Few,  save  those  who 
are  cognizant  of  the  business  history  of  a 
growing  city,  can  estimate  the  value  to 
every  commercial  interest  of  strong,  resolute 
energetic  men,  on  whose  honor  others  may  rely. 
Such  a  man  Mr.  Walsh  has  been,  and  he  is  justly 
classed  among  the  able  business  men  of  Carbon- 
dale,  where  he  has  been  the  proprietor  of  a  livery 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


481 


and  boarding  stable  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
his  establisliinent  he  has  an  equipment  of  car- 
riages and  horses,  and  in  addition  to  the  regular 
liver\-  business,  he  does  considerable  teaming  and 
express  work. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Nicholas  Walsh,  was 
born  in  County  Waterford,  Ireland,  emigrated 
to  America  at  an  early  age,  and  settled  in  Car- 
bondale,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one. 
He  married  j\Iary  Delaney,  who  was  born  on 
Long  Island,  and  for  years  lived  at  Flush- 
ing and  College  Point,  N.  Y.,  but  is  now 
living  in  Carbondale.  as  are  also  her  chil- 
dren, Frank,  Jerry,  Catharine,  and  Nellie. 
The  family  originally  consisted  of  six  chil- 
dren, but  a  son  and  daughter  are  deceased. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  this  city 
February  28,  1861,  and  when  quite  small  attended 
a  few  terms  of  school,  but  at  the  age  of  nine  be- 
gan to  work.  For  a  time  he  assisted  his  father  in 
the  butchering  business,  and  afterward  was  em- 
ployed as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  and  retail  liquor 
establishment  for  three  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1876  Mr.  Walsh  began  to  work  in 
a  livery  stable  and  on  a  'bus  line,  and  thus  ac- 
quired a  knowledge  of  the  bvisiness  that  has  been 
most  helpful  to  him.  In  1888  he  commenced  in 
the  business  for  himself,  but  upon  a  very  small 
scale,  as  he  was  without  capital.  For  a  time  he 
was  obliged  to  be  most  cautious,  on  account  of 
lack  of  money,  but  he  has  by  energy  established 
a  good  business.  When  a  boy  he  worked  for 
two  years  on  the  Gravity  road,  but  the  employ- 
ment was  not  congenial,  and  he  changed  to  an- 
other occupation  as  soon  as  possible.  Since  he 
was  nine  years  of  age  he  has  made  his  way  un- 
aided, and  deserves  credit  for  the  measure  of  suc- 
cess he  has  had.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Catholic  and  is  identified  with  that  church  in 
Carbondale. 


JOHN  H.  LINGFELTER,  engineer  on  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad,  and  long  a 
trusted  employe  of  the  company,  came  to 
Carbondale  in  1873,  and  has  since  filled  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  engineer  with  the  utmost 
fidelity.     He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York, 


October  i,  1843,  the  son  of  Samuel  F.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Shaw)  Lingfelter,  natives  respectively  of 
Maryland  and  New  York  City.  His  father,  after 
some  years  of  city  life,  bought  a  farm  in  ClifTord 
Township,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and  there 
resided  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years;  his  wife  died  at  the  same  age.  Of  their 
eight  children,  three  died  in  early  life  and  Charles 
T.  from  the  effects  of  a  wound  received  while  in 
the  army.  The  others  are  Jacob  M.,  who  was 
captain  of  Company  P).  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
third  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  John  H.;  Samuel  F.,  whose 
sketch  appears  on  another  page;  and  Hannah 
G.,  wife  of  G.  Mack,  of  Clarks  Green.  It  is  a 
noteworthy  fact  that  the  four  brothers  served  in 
the  same  company  in  the  army,  rendering  brave 
service  in  defense  of  the  Union. 

At  the  age  of  ten  years  our  subject  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Susquehanna  County,  where 
he  remained  until  1867,  meantime  attending  the 
rural  schools  and  gaining  a  thorough  idea  of 
farm  work.  His  residence  on  the  farm,  however, 
and  the  quiet  pursuit  of  agricultural  duties  were 
interrupted"  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion. 
.A.ugust  II,  1862,  when  less  than  nineteen  years 
of  age,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-tiiird  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  In 
the  engagements  of  his  regiment  he  took  an  hon- 
orable part  and  was  present  at  Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Weldon  Railroad, 
Hatchie's  Run,  and  many  others.  In  the  battle 
of  the  Wilderness.  May  5,  1864,  he  was  unfor- 
timately  womulcd  in  the  leg,  and  spent  one  month 
in  the  hosjiital,  after  which  he  was  granted  a  fur- 
lough of  sixty  days  and  returned  home.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  furlough  he  had  recovered  suf- 
ficiently to  return  to  the  army.  He  enlisted  as  a 
private,  but  in  May,  1864,  was  promoted  to  be 
orderly  sergeant,  and  was  serving  in  that  rank 
when  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  June 
12,  1S65. 

Two  years  after  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr. 
Lingfelter  left  the  home  farm  and  entered  railroad 
work,  iirst  as  brakeman,  then  becoming  fireman 
and  was  given  an  engine  June   10,   1872.     His 


482 


PORTRAIT   AND    iUOGRATllICAL    RECORD. 


father  v.  as  a  war  Democrat  and  lie  supports  the 
RepiibHcan  party,  beHeving  its  principles  best 
adapted  to  the  welfare  of  the  country.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers,  the  Knights  of  Honor,  the  blue  lodge, 
chapter  and  commandery  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  is  past  connnander  of  William  H.  Davis 
Post  No.  187,  G.  A.  R.  By  his  marriage  to  Tama 
(Anderson)  Walker,  of  ClifTord  Township,  Sus- 
quehanna County,  he  has  one  son,  Charles,  now 
employed  as  foreman  in  the  roundhouse  of  the 
Ontario  i<:  Western  Railroad  at  the  Mayfield 
yards.  Charles  married  Jennie  Dow,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Helen  and   Mildred. 


AMBROSE  HERZ  is  engaged  in  general 
merchandising  in  Scranton  and  bears  a 
most  desirable  reputation  among  the  busi- 
ness men  of  this  community  for  honest,  straight- 
forward dealing  at  all  times  and  with  every  one. 
Numbered  among  our  patriotic  German-Ameri- 
can citizens,  he  is  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with 
the  people  of  this  liberty-loving  land,  and  would 
as  cheerfully  go  to  the  defense  of  his  adopted 
country  as  would  any  of  her  native-born  sons. 
In  this  he  but  patterns  after  his  noble  father,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  to  respond  to  the  nation's 
call  for  help  in  the  early  days  of  the  Rebellion, 
though  he  had  been  a  resident  of  America  only 
a  short  time. 

Joseph,  grandfather  of  Ambrose  Herz,  was 
born  in  the  jjrovince  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany, 
and  manufactured  plaster  of  paris,  that  com- 
modity which  is  so  useful  in  the  arts  and  general 
commerce.  His  son,  Paul,  our  subject's  father, 
was  also  a  native  of  Wurtemberg,  but  went  to 
France  and  Switzerland  to  learn  his  trade  of 
masonry.  Leaving  his  family  until  he  had  made 
a  home  for  them,  he  came  to  America  in  i860 
and  traveled  around,  finding  work  at  his  calling 
in  various  states.  At  the  first  tap  of  the  drum 
he  enlisted  in  Pittsburg,  in  Company  I,  Thirty- 
fifth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  in  the  first  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run  was  injured.  He  fared  much 
better  than  did  the  rest  of  his  brave  company, 
however,  for  only  thirteen  escaped  death  or 
wounding.     When    he    had    recovered    he    was 


transferred  to  Company  I,  Seventy-fourth  Regi- 
ment, and  served  out  his  time  of  over  three  years, 
being  in  the  command  of  Generals  Ziegler  and 
Meade.  His  privations  and  hardships  told  se- 
verely upon  his  health  for  a  long  time  afterward, 
but  he  was  plucky  and  worked  as  much  as  he 
was  able.  In  1867  he  located  in  Scranton,  his 
family  joining  him  here.  He  built  the  fourth 
house  on  the  hill  at  the  upper  end  of  the  nine- 
teenth ward,  and  continued  to  work  at  his  trade 
until  he  opened  a  grocery  in  a  part  of  his  house 
in  Beach  Street.  This  business  he  conducted 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  was  brought  to 
a  close  in  1883,  when  he  was  in  his  sixtieth  year. 

In  Germany  Paul  Herz  married  Agnes  Her- 
man, who  was  bom  in  Grosselfingen,  Hohenzol- 
lern,  and  died  here  in  1893.  Her  father  took 
part  in  the  Napoleonic  war  and  went  on  the  fa- 
mous march  to  Russia,  sufiferiug  all  the  fearful 
terrors  of  that  campaign.  Six  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herz  and  two  of  the  num- 
ber are  deceased.  The  three  daughters  who  sur- 
vive are:  Mrs.  J.  J.  Noll,  Mrs.  Annie  Wunsch 
and  Josephine,  the  wife  of  A.  Hafner,  all  of  Scran- 
ton. 

Ambrose  Herz  was  born  November  17,  1858, 
in  lloerstingen,  on  the  Neckar,  Wurtemberg,  and 
spent  the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  there.  In  the 
spring  of  1867  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  the 
other  members,  of  the  family  and  added  to  the 
three  years'  schooling  he  had  received  in  Ger- 
many two  years  study  in  our  Scranton  schools.  It 
becoming  necessary  for  him  to  begin  making  his 
own  way  in  the  world,  he  entered  a  barber's  shop, 
but  as  he  ilid  not  fancy  the  business  he  left  at  the 
end  of  a  year  and  learned  the  cigar-makers' 
trade  with  Charles  Tropp,  for  whom  he  was  a 
steady  employe  thirteen  years.  In  1883  he 
started  in  the  grocery  business  for  himself  in 
Beech  Street,  and  so  well  did  he  prosper,  that  he 
found  it  a  good  plan  to  have  larger  accommoda- 
tions, and  in  1886  he  built  a  two-story  double 
store  structure  at  the  corner  of  Beech  and  Stone 
Aveiuie.  One  side  he  used  for  general  mer- 
chandise and  the  other  as  a  hotel,  but  the  last 
enterprise  he  abrmdoned  in  a  year  or  so  and  has 
given  all  his  attention  since  to  the  grocery  and 
dry-goods  business.    With  the  exception  of  three 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


483 


men  who  had  located  on  the  hill  before  him,  he  is 
the  oldest  resident  and  merchant  in  this  vicinity. 
He  is  treasurer  of  the  Meadow  Brook  Building 
&  Loan  Association  and  a  director  of  the  Ger- 
niania  Building  &  Loan  Association  and  South 
Side  Building  and  Loan  Association. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  was  celebrated  in 
Scranton  to  Miss  Fredricka  Oswald,  whose  father, 
Joseph,  settled  here  in  1855  on  the  south  side, 
on  what  was  known  then  as  "shantyhill,"  and 
was  one  of  our  leading  tailors.  Three  children 
bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herz,  viz:  George 
A.,  Veronica  Z.,  and  Frederick  Oswald.  Though 
his  father  was  a  Republican,  Mr.  Herz  espouses 
the  principles  of  the  Democracy.  In  1893  he 
helped  to  organize  and  became  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  Electric  City  Council,  Royal  Arcanum, 
has  since  been  its  treasurer  and  is  now  regent- 
elect.  With  his  family,  he  belongs  to  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  Church,  and  is  connected  with  St.  Peter's 
Benevolent  Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cen- 
tury Hose  Company,  Scranton  Fire  Department, 
and  an  honorary  member  of  Scranton  Glee  Club. 


CHARLES  M.  HUNTER.  To  assist  in 
quelling  the  Rebellion,  the  government 
called  into  its  service  thousands  of  the 
bravest  and  noblest  young  men  of  our  country, 
and  to  their  enthusiasm  and  zeal,  no  less  than 
to  the  conservative  judgment  of  older  and  cooler 
heads,  was  the  success  of  the  Federal  cause  due. 
Among  the  youths  who  left  home  and  friends  for 
service  on  many  a  closely  contested  battlefield 
was  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  then  eighteen  years 
of  age,  filled  with  patriotic  ardor  and  a  determina- 
tion to  stand  by  the  flag  of  the  country.  He 
served  with  fidelity,  but  the  exposure  of  camp 
life,  the  hardships  of  war  and  the  necessity  of 
longed  forced  marches  sapped  the  foundations 
of  a  reasonably  good  constitution,  and  he  never 
entirely  regained  his  physical  strength.  Eventu- 
ally he  succumbed  to  the  effects  of  army  life, 
and  died  after  having  been  long  in  ill  health. 

Born  in  Clifford.  Susquehanna  County,  Charles 
M.  Hunter  received  such  advantages  as  the  coun- 
try schools  afforded.  When  a  lad  he  commenced 
to  work  upon  the  home  farm  and  became  familiar 


with  the  occupation,  but  did  not,  liowevcr,  make 
it  his  life  work.     At  Clifford  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  Fiftieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was 
mustered  into  service  September  30,  1861.    With 
his  regiment  he  participated  in  many  notable  en- 
gagements of  the  war  and  always  showed  a  brave 
and  fearless  spirit.     As  above  stated,  he  returned 
home  with  health  impaired  and  never  again  fully 
regained  his  vigor.     In  1886  he  came  to  Carbon- 
dale  said  built  up  a  profitable  jewelry  business, 
but  for  some  years  before  his  death,  on  account 
of  poor  health,  was  obliged  to  live  in  retirement 
from  active  labors.     He  passed  away  in  March, 
1895.  ^nd  was  laid  to  rest  in  Clifford  Cemetery, 
mourned  by  many  friends  in  Carbondale  and  Sus- 
quehanna County.     I'Vaternally,  he  was  a  Mason 
and  took  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
Grand  Army.      While   he  never  sought  official 
prominence,  he  was  w'ell  informed  regarding  pub- 
lic affairs  and  always  voted  the  Republican  ticket. 
While  residing  in  Clifford,  Mr.  Hunter  mar- 
ried  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  John  and   Mary 
(Brownell)  Stephens,  natives  of  Clifford,  Pa.,  and 
Rhode  Tslarid  respectively.    At  his  death  he  left, 
besides  his  widow,  one  daughter,  Stella,  now  a 
teacher  in  the  Carbondale  public  schools  and  re- 
siding with  her  mother  in  Spring  Street,  corner 
of  Darte.     Mrs.  Hunter,  in  her  long  and  useful 
life,  has  made  many  friends,  who  have  been  in- 
debted to  her  for  wise  counsel  and  friendly  aid. 
She  has  endured  with  resignation  the  heavy  be- 
reavement that  fell  upon  lu-r  in  the  death  of  her 
husband,  with  whom  she  traveled  life's  road  for 
so  many  years,  assisting  him  in  the  accumulation 
of  his  property,  and  proving   lierself  to  be.   at 
all  times,  a  capable,  cheerfid  and   willing  help- 
mate. 


GEORGE  H.  TRYON  came  to  Carbon- 
dale from  Honesdale  in  1873.  and  has 
since  made  his  home  in  this  city,  where 
he  is  in  charge  of  a  large  business  as  contractor 
and  builder.  He  was  born  in  Auburn,  X.  Y., 
November  26,  1846,  the  son  of  Rev.  L.  D.  and 
P.  G.  (Mead)  Tryon,  the  former  for  many  years 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  holding  pastorates  in 
different  places  throughout  the  east,  but  finally 


484 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


settling  in  Iluncsdalc,  where  he  is  now  engaged 
ill  the  general  insurance  business.  The  three 
children  of  the  family  are  George  H.;  Mrs.  Mary 
Menner  and  Mead  D.,  both  of  Honesdale. 

In  the  life  of  our  subject  there  occurred  no 
event  of  especial  iniportance  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  Rebellion.  Tiiough  at  that  time  a  mere 
lad,  he  determined  to  enter  the  service  of  the 
Union  and  this  resolution  he  carried  out  as 
soon  as  possible.  In  1862  his  name  was  en- 
rolled as  a  member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-first  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division, 
Third  Army  Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
remained  for  three  years  in  active  service. 
Among  the  important  engagements  in  which  he 
participated  were  those  at  Chancellorsville  and 
Gettysburg,  where  he  was  seriously  wounded 
during  the  engagement.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  was  mustered  out  of  service  in  July,  1865,  and 
returned  to  Honesdale. 

Being  a  natural  mechanic,  handy  with  tools 
and  in  construction,  Mr.  Tryon  wisely  decided  to 
learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  this  he  did  upon 
his  return  from  the  army.  He  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  business  of  contracting  and 
building,  which  he  followed  first  in  Wilkesbarre, 
but  established  himself  permanently  in  Carbon- 
dale  in  the  fall  of  1884.  Among  the  contracts 
which  he  has  had  may  be  mentioned  those  for  the 
Bank,  Leader,  and  Aikens  Buildings,  the  recon- 
struction of  Municipal  Building,  and  various 
other  business  blocks,  together  with  family  resi- 
dences in  this  city  and  vicinity.  During  the  busy 
season  he  usually  employs  from  fifteen  to  thirty 
men.  His  work  is  always  reliable  and  constitutes 
his  best  advertisement. 

The  principles  of  the  Republican  party  have  in 
Mr.  Tryon  a  firm  ally,  but  he  has  never  sought 
official  position  or  displayed  any  touch  of  par- 
tisanship in  his  opinions,  conceding  to  others 
the  same  liberty  of  thought  which  he  demands 
for  himself.  Fraternally,  he  is  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  like  all  old  soldiers,  is  warmly  interested  in 
Grand  Army  affairs.  In  1873  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Adelaide  Hathaway,  who  died  in 
1883,  having  been  the  mother  of  three  children: 


Mary,  wife  of  Vivian  Estabrook;  Louisa,  and 
Mead.  In  1885  he  married  Mary  Hathaway,  his 
first  wife's  sister,  by  whom  he  has  four  children: 
Lois,  Leon,  Ruth,  and  Doris.  The  family  resi- 
dence is  at  No.  28  Darte  Avenue. 


M 


ILO  GARDNER  has  resided  in  Carbon- 
dale  since  1876  and  holds  the  responsible 
position  of  engineer  on  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad,  in  which  capacity  his  services 
have  been  most  satisfactory  to  the  officials  of  the 
company.  For  the  success  he  has  achieved  and 
the  perseverance  he  has  shown  in  all  his  work, 
he  deserves  credit,  especially  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  he  was  orphaned  at  an  early  age  and 
was  obliged  to  make  his  own  way  from  boyhood. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Jeremiah  and  Ma- 
tilda (Carpenter)  Gardner,  died  at  the  ages  of 
thirty-three  and  thirty-six  respectively,  leaving 
three  children,  Milo,  Nelson,  and  Waty.  The 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  of  Susquehanna  County 
and  a  man  of  great  industry  and  energy,  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  for  service  in  the  Civil  War, 
but  died  two  weeks  after  his  enlistment.  At  that 
time  our  subject,  who  was  born  April  19.  1859, 
in  Factoryville.  was  a  child  of  six  years  and  the 
eldest  of  tw)  boys  and  one  girl.  His  widowed 
mother,  thus  left  without  means,  experienced 
many  hardships  and  trials  from  the  death  of  her 
husband  until  her  own  demise.  From  the  farm 
she  moved  to  Abington  Township,  this  county, 
and  there  died. 

At  the  age  of  eight  our  subject  was  taken  into 
the  home  of  his  grandparents,  where  he  remained 
for  four  years.  From  that  time  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  a  pupil  in  a  soldiers'  orphan 
school.  He  then  began  to  work  on  the  railroad, 
first  shoveling  dirt  on  a  section,  later  working 
as  bral<enian  at  Mill  Creek,  and  then  coming  to 
Carbondale,  where  he  continued  as  brakeman. 
In  i88r  lie  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  en- 
gineer, an  advancement  justly  merited,  for  he 
has  always  been  industrious,  reliable  and  efficient, 
and  is  among  the  best  engineers  on  the  road. 

Politically  Mr.  Gardner  advocates  Republican 
principles.  The  fact  that  he  is  a  man  of  strict 
integrity  and  one  to  be  trusted  in  any  position. 


JOSEPH  BIRKETT. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


487 


led  to  his  election  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
special  council  for  the  city,  and  in  that  capacity 
he  served  for  two  years,  being  meanwhile  a  mem- 
ber of  the  important  conmiittees.  In  1883  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet,  daugh- 
ter of  H.  B.  Curtis,  of  Wayne  County.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  of  their  union,  but  the  older^,  Rav, 
died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  five  years.  The 
parents  and  their  surviving  son,  Burdette  Curtis, 
reside  at  No.  80  Cemetery  Street.  In  religious 
views  Mr.  Gardner  is  connected  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  Indus- 
trioLis  and  thrifty,  possessing  good  judgment  in 
financial  matters,  he  has  not  only  become  the 
owner  of  a  pleasant  home,  but  in  addition  has 
purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  Wayne  County,  all  of  which  he  has  made  by 
his  unaided  exertions — a  fact  that  speaks  well 
for  his  perseverance  and  ability. 


JOSEPH  BIRKETT,  who  is  numbered 
among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Carbon- 
dale,  was  born  January  19,  1823,  in  Cum- 
berland, a  county  in  the  northern  part  of  Eng- 
land. Tlie  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  orig- 
inated in  Scotland,  but  the  date  of  their  removal 
across  the  border  is  unknown.  His  father,  John, 
and  grandfather,  William  Birkett,  were  both  for 
many  years  agents  for  the  Dixon  Manufacturing 
Company,  and  in  religious  belief  were  members 
of  the  Church  of  England.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  in  maidenhood  Ruth  Cragg,  was  born 
in  Cumberlandshire,  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  in 
religious  adherence  was  a  Congregationalist,  the 
faith  of  her  family. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
began  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  this  he 
followed  in  his  native  land  for  some  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1849,  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Drummond,  he 
sailed  for  America,  landing  in  Philadelphia  April 
4  of  that  year.  He  crossed  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains in  the  rude  stage  coaches  of  that  day  and 
finally  reached  his  destination,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
On  his  arrival  he  found  the  cholera  raging,  and 
not  deeming  it  safe  to  remain,  he  again  crossed 
the  mountains,  and  on  the  6th  of  July  reached 
19 


Carbondale.  By  this  time  his  money  was  ex- 
hausted, so  he  stopped  here  and  secured  a  posi- 
tion in  the  car  shops  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad  under  the  late  Homer  Grinnell,  remain- 
ing here  until  1854.  He  then  went  to  Gibson 
and  followed  his  trade  for  two  years,  at  the  same 
time  engaging  in  farming.  Since  that  time  Car- 
bondale has  been  his  home. 

After  his  return  from  Gibson,  Mr.  Birkett  was 
made  assistant  to  Mr.  Orchard  in  the  car  shops, 
and  remained  in  that  position  until  1865,  when, 
having  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  what  is  now 
the  thriving  northeast  part  of  the  city,  he  opened 
up  coal  mines.  These  he  operated  for  four  years 
and  then  leased  to  other  parties,  preferring  to 
give  his  attention  to  the  opening  and  improve- 
ment of  that  part  of  tlie  city  now  comprised  in 
the  fifth  and  sixth  wards.  It  is  largely  due  to  his 
efforts  that  this  is  now  one  of  the  most  desirable 
residence  portions  of  the  city.  His  elegant  resi- 
dence in  Birkett  Street  he  sold  some  years  ago, 
when  his  wife  was  in  poor  health  and  desired  to 
be  nearer  the  central  part  of  the  city.  In  the 
building  up  of  the  town  he  has  been  one  of  the 
prime  movers.  Every  worthy  enterprise  has  had 
his  assistance.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Electric 
Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company,  director  of  the 
Crystal  Lake  Water  Company,  that  furnishes  the 
city  with  its  excellent  water  service;  for  ten  years 
has  been  treasurer  of  the  Maplewood  cemetery, 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Miners  &  Mechanics 
Bank.  For  two  years  he  was  a  councilman,  and 
for  one  year  served  as  mayor  of  the  city.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  at  one 
time  was  a  trustee.  Since  1865  he  has  been  a 
Mason,  is  a  Knight  Templar,  was  for  ten  years 
treasurer  of  the  blue  lodge,  and  belongs  to  the 
Veteran  Association  of  Scranton. 

In  1843  ^Ii"-  Birkett  married  Miss  Drummond, 
who  was  born  ^March  13,  1823,  in  England,  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  In  1893,  after  fifty  years  of 
happy  wedded  life,  they  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding.  The  union  was  one  of  those  heaven- 
made  alliances  that  bind  together  hearts  in  sor- 
row as  in  joy,  in  adversity  as  in  prosperity.  She 
was  fitted  to  be  his  companion  and  helpmate,  for 
she  possessed  a  happy  disposition,  a  noble  Chris- 
tian character  and  a  charity  that  knew  no  bounds. 


488 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


She  dispensed  lier  benefactions  with  a  .lavish 
hand,  but  with  no  desire  for  display  in  helping 
the  poor  and  lowly.  Her  sterling  worth  was 
recognized  by  all,  and  she  had  many  warm 
friends.  Hers  was  a  beautiful  life,  and  when 
she  passed  away,  September  19,  1895,  there  were 
many,  both  of  the  rich  and  poor,  who  felt  they 
had  lost  their  warmest  friend,  but  upon  none  did 
the  loss  fall  so  heavily  as  upon  her  companion  of 
fifty-two  years,  whom  her  death  left  alone  in  the 
world. 


JEREMIAH  D.  KNIGHT,  for  many  years 
one  of  the  most  successful  stock  farmers  of 
South  Abington  Township,  was  born  in 
Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  July  15,  1826,  and  is  the 
son  of  Benjamin  and  Mercy  (Rose)  Knight,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
Sussex  County,  N.  J.  His  father,  who  was  a 
fanner  by  occupation,  removed  to  this  county 
and  settled  near  Waverly  about  1832,  purchasing 
a  tract  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  part- 
ly improved  land.  Upon  that  place,  which  is  now 
owned  by  our  subject,  his  remaining  years  were 
busily  passed.  He  died  in  Waverly  when  ninety- 
five  years  of  age.  The  death  of  his  wife  occurred 
when  she  was  sixtv-seven.  Of  their  seven  chil- 
dren, four  are  still  living.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  Nicholas  Knight,  a 
native  of  Long  Island,  who  removed  after  his 
marriage  to  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died  there 
when  quite  aged. 

In  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and 
in  Madison  Academy,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
gained  a  practical  education,  and  afterward  taught 
one  term  of  school.  On  the  day  before  Christmas 
in  1856  he  married  Miss  Delila  Ann  Parker,  who 
was  born  in  North  Abington  Township  and  died 
here  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years.  Of  her 
three  children,  Elmer  W.  is  engaged  in  railroad- 
ing and  lives  in  Dunmore;  Myron,  an  engineer 
and  railroad  man,  is  also  a  resident  of  Dunmore; 
and  Charles  B.  resides  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  The  three 
sons  are  married.  Mrs.  Delila  Ann  Knight  was  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  and  Asenath  Parker,  natives 
of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  but 
early  settlers  of  this  county,  where  botii  died  in 
North  Abington  Township. 


March  18,  1869,  Mr.  Knight  married  Miss  Em- 
ily A.  Clark,  an  estimable  lady  of  beautiful  Chris- 
tian character,  who  remained  his  faithful  help- 
mate until  her  death  at  fifty-seven  years.  The 
family  of  which  she  was  a  member  originated  in 
England,  wliere  William,  a  son  of  Sir  James 
Clark,  was  born  in  1757.  Accompanied  by  two 
brothers  (who  it  is  thought  were  soon  afterward 
massacred  by  the  Indians)  he  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Rhode  Island.  In  the  spring  of 
1799,  w^ith  his  eldest  sons,  Jeremiah  and  William, 
he  came  over  the  mountain  from  Providence 
through  the  Ackerly  notch.  Reaching  this  coun- 
ty, they  found  the  snow  two  feet  deep  in  the 
valleys,  but  on  the  hills  the  snow  was  not  deep, 
so  they  found  a  place  there,  built  a  fire,  prepared 
and  ate  supper,  spread  their  blankets  and  retired 
to  rest,  and  in  that  manner  spent  their  first  night 
in  Abington  Township.  Wolves  howled  dismally 
not  far  away,  and  the  surroundings  were  all  those 
of  the  frontier. 

Having  decided  to  remain  here,  the  father  and 
sons  w^ent  to  work  to  prepare  a  home  for  the 
family.  For  six  months  they  saw  no  woman,  but 
lived,  in  solitan,-  splendor,  in  their  log  cabin,  do- 
ing their  own  cooking  and  sewing.  Bedsteads 
were  made  of  poles,  chairs  and  table  were  con- 
structed of  plank  split  from  basswood  trees.  In 
1800  Deacon  Clark  went  back  to  Rhode  Island 
and  returned  with  the  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily. In  1805  Jeremiah  married  Sophia  Hall,  and 
the  first  year  the  young  wife  did  her  own 
housework  and  taught  school  six  months  of  the 
time;  he  sowed  wheat,  raising  one  hundred  bush- 
els from  four  bushels.  He  dug  the  first  well  in 
the  township  and  kept  the  first  hotel  in  this  sec- 
tion of  country.  His  wife  died  in  1877,  leaving 
one  son,  Jeremiah  C,  and  one  daughter,  Mrs. 
Knight. 

The  first  barn  in  Abingdon  Township  was  built 
by  Jeremiah  Clark  and  was  known,  from  its  size, 
as  "Babel  Wanting,''  but  he  was  thrifty  and  pros- 
perous and  succeeded  in  filling  it  to  the  peak. 
For  thirty  years  he  kept  a  hotel  until  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  road  w  as  building, 
when  he  toolc  five  hundred  shares  in  the  company. 
At  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1867,  he  was  probably 
better  known  than  any  man  in  Abington,  except 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


489 


perhaps  Rev.  John  Miller,  and  his  name  is  re- 
membered with  affection  as  a  worthy  pioneer. 

After  his  marriage  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
continued  to  reside  on  the  old  homestead  for 
four  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  his  pres- 
ent home  in  Clarks  Green.  As  a  stock  raiser 
and  shipper  he  was  known  not  only  in  this  state, 
but  also  in  New  York.  On  his  two  farms  he  con- 
ducted a  large  dairy  business,  and  was  a  pioneer 
in  this  department  of  agriculture,  which  he  proved 
could  be  carried  on  profitably.  In  ten  months, 
from  one  of  his  farms,  he  sold  $4,000  worth  of 
milk,  and  $5,500  within  twelve  months.  His  ex- 
tensive operations  in  buying  stock,  shipping, 
breeding,  etc.,  brought  him  a  large  business  ac- 
quaintance, which  he  retains,  though  retired  from 
business  for  some  time  past.  During  one  winter  he 
butchered  sixteen  hundred  head  of  sheep,  which 
he  had  hauled  to  Scranton  and  there  sold.  In 
addition  to  other  work,  he  was  a  pioneer  breeder 
of  fine  horses  and  in  his  stables  are  to  be  seen 
some  steppers  as  fine  as  any  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  Fraternally  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  Masons  for  many  years.  In  early  years  he 
was  a  Whig  and  upon  the  disintegration  of  that 
party  identified  himself  with  the  Republicans. 
In  1856  he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  and  is 
proud  of  the  fact  that  he  has  never  missed  casting 
a  Republican  vote  at  every  presidential  election 
since  that  time. 


ANDREW  WELLS.  It  has  been  sometimes 
said  that  anyone  can  be  a  farmer,  and 
while  it  may  be  true  that  any  one  can  till 
the  soil  after  a  fashion,  it  is  only  the  man  who 
possesses  energy,  industry  and  thrift  that  can 
make  the  soil  yield  rich  harvests  and  thoroughly 
compensate  him  for  the  labor  bestowed.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  and  his  brother,  James,  who 
own  and  cultivate  a  valuable  farm  in  Benton 
Township,  are  successful  farmers  and  are  also 
known  as  experienced  breeders  of  fine  trotting 
horses.  In  their  farm  work  they  have  always 
favored  the  adoption  of  new  and  improved  meth- 
ods in  conducting  the  home  place,  and  this, 
doubtless,  is  one  of  the  reasons  of  their  success. 
Born  in  this  county  March  29,  1829,  Andrew 


Wells  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Hunter) 
Wells.  His  father,  who  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  June  8,  1804,  was  in  early  life  a 
mason,  but  afterward  abandoned  the  trade  and 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  was  also  proprietor  of  a  small  store 
in  Factoryville,  Pa.,  and  there  owned  a  hall  which 
was  rented  by  the  Knights  Templar.  On  being 
burned  out,  he  left  the  place  and  removed  to 
Vineland,  N.  J.,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
eight}--three.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  September  10,  1803,  died  in  Fac- 
toryville at  the  age  of  fifty-two.  Of  their  twelve 
children  all  but  one  attained  mature  years  and 
eight  are  yet  living.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  William  Wells,  who  died  about 
1838.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Robert  Hunter, 
was  born  December  8,  1775,  served  for  three 
months  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  September 
18,  1864  He  married  Esther  Clark,  who  was 
born  June  25,  1780,  and  died  January  17,  1843. 
From  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  Robert  Hunter  and 
his  wife  moved  to  Pennsylvania  and  both  died 
here  several  years  afterward. 

Until  the  age  of  twenty-seven  Andrew  Wells 
remained  an  inmate  of  the  home  of  his  parents. 
May  16,  1856,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Sherrer, 
who  was  born  in  Prussia,  September  15,  1839,  and 
was  one  of  a  family  of  four  children,  all  but  one 
of  whom  are  living.  After  the  death  of  her 
mother,  Margaretha  (Feltz)  Sherrer,  in  Germany, 
her  father,  Jacob,  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in 
Archbald,  Pa.,  where  he  died  about  1849.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wells  became  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Willie  died  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years.  The  living  are  named  as  follows: 
Judson  H.,  who  is  at  home  assisting  on  the  farm; 
Vernon  B.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness in  Nebraska  and  is  also  deputy  treasurer; 
Frank  A.,  residing  in  Benton  Township;  and 
Alpha  L.,  who  received  a  good  education  and  is 
popular  in  the  best  social  circles  of  the  town- 
ship. 

In  connection  with  his  brother  James,  our  sub- 
ject shortly  after  his  marriage  purchased  the  old 
homestead,  where  from  time  to  time  he  has  erect- 
ed needed  buildings,  building  in  i8g6  the  com- 
modious and  modem  house  that  now  adorns  the 


490 


PORTRAIT    AND    lUOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


l^lace.  As  already  intiinatcd,  the  Ijrotliers  are 
known  as  breeders  of  fine  trotting  horses,  lieing 
the  first  men  in  the  townslii])  to  give  attention  to 
this  business.  As  long  as  thirty  years  ago,  they 
had  a  track  on  their  farm  and  exhibited  their 
horses  at  fairs  throughout  the  state,  where  they 
invariably  attracted  attention  and  won  premiums. 
In  political  belief  both  are  Republicans,  in  this 
respect  following  the  example  set  them  by  their 
father.  \Miile  the  ancestors  were  Universalists, 
the  family  of  our  subject  attend  tlie  P>aptist 
Church  and  are  identified  with  its  good  works. 
Early  in  life  he  discovered  the  force  of  the  a.xiom, 
"Honesty  is  the  best  policy,"  and  having  always 
rigidly  adhered  to  it,  he  has  the  implicit  confi- 
dence of  the  people  among  whom  he  lives. 


WILLIAM  A.  LACOE.  The  unpreten- 
tious home  of  this  gentleman  is  situ- 
ated in  Newton  Township  and  is  re- 
plete with  all  the  comforts  of  rural  life,  evidently 
secured  by  the  hand  of  persevering  industry. 
The  place  comprises  three  hundred  acres  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  dairy  farms  in  the  township. 
The  residence  is  a  neat  and  substantial  dwelling, 
near  which  are  a  good  barn  and  other  outbuild- 
ings, and  the  proprietor  has  supplied  himself  with 
the  machinery  and  other  appliances  requisite  for 
carrying  on  agriculture  after  modern  methods. 

Though  himself  a  typical  American,  our  sub- 
ject is  of  foreign  parentage,  his  parents,  Anthony 
B.  and  Amelia  (DePeu)  Lacoe,  having  been  na- 
tives respectively  of  France  and  the  Isle  of  St. 
Domingo.  The  former  died  in  this  locality  when 
nearly  one  hundred  and  four  years  of  age,  while 
the  latter  died  in  Pittston  about  1843.  William  A. 
was  born  in  Pittston  Township,  Luzerne  County, 
January  31,  1820,  and  when  only  about  eleven 
years  of  age  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world,  following  any  occupation  that  would  pro- 
vide hini  an  honest  living.  For  a  time  he  was 
employed  on  farms  by  the  day  or  month,  also 
worked  as  a  water  boy  at  the  Lehigh  dam,  carry- 
ing water  for  about  eight  gangs  of  men. 

Under  his  father,  who  was  a  carpenter,  .Mr. 
Lacoe  obtained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  Tunkhannock  a  num- 


ber of  years.  One  year  after  his  marriage  he  re- 
tunu'il  to  his  old  home,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming.  About  1856  he  located  at  his  present 
place  of  residence,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  dairying.  In  an  early  day  he 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Pittston  and 
built  a  sawmill  in  .Susquehanna  County,  where  he 
resided  for  five  years,  later  selling  to  Hon.  Galu- 
sha  Grow.  Since  the  war  he  has  resided  continu- 
ously in  Newton  Township. 

In  1843  Mr.  Lacoe  married  Sibyl  Ash,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  eight  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, of  w^hom  all  but  one  are  still  living.  Thev 
are:  Lewis  S.,  Wm.  K.,  Henry  C,  Charles  E., 
James  M.,  John  F.,  Joseph  A.,  Amelia  M.,  -Mary 
A.,  Addie  G.,  and  Ira  A.  At  every  presidential 
election  since  he  became  a  voter  Mr.  Lacoe  has 
had  the  privilege  of  casting  his  ballot,  and  always 
in  favor  of  Democratic  principles  and  candidates. 
Plis  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and,  while  he  is  not  identified  w-ith  any 
denomination,  he  has  been  helpful  in  giving  finan- 
cial assistance  when  new  churches  are  to  be  built. 
It  has  been  his  aim  to  live  according  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  Golden  Rule,  and  he  is  proud  of  the 
fact  that  he  has  never  sued  or  been  sued  by  any 
man. 


JACOB  W.  WARNKE.  After  some  years 
of  thorough  preparation  by  service  in  the 
employ  of  business  men  of  Scranton,  Mr. 
Warnke  opened  a  grocery  store  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  A.  T.  Heiser  under  the  firm 
name  of  lieiser  &  Warnke.  Their  establishment 
is  located  at  No.  102  South  Alain  Avenue,  cor- 
ner of  Jackson  Street,  an  advantageous  situation 
for  the  purposes  of  trade.  By  their  uniform  hon- 
esty they  have  built  up  a  substantial  trade  among 
the  people  of  this  locality,  and  the  partnership, 
formed  in  February,  1891,  has  proved  profitable 
to  both  members  of  the  firm. 

Mr.  Warnke  was  born  in  Scranton  June  6, 
1863,  and  has  always  made  this  city  his  home. 
Of  German  descent,  he  is  a  son  of  Frederick 
Warnke,  a  native  of  Oldenburg,  and  a  resident 
of  Scranton  from  the  early  '50s  until  his  death. 
Inirther  mention   of  the  family   history  will   be 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


493 


found  in  the  sketch  of  Frederick  Wamke,  Jr., 
presented  upon  another  page.  Reared  in  Hyde 
Park,  Jacob  W.  was  educated  in  the  local  pub- 
lic schools,  and  from  an  early  age  began  to  assist 
his  father  in  the  store,  remaining  with  him  until 
his  retirement  about  1879.  Afterward  for  three 
years  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  shoe  store  of  G.  C. 
Courtright,  in  South  Main  Avenue,  and  for  a 
similar  period  was  with  W.  T.  Smith,  proprietor 
of  a  general  store.  Then,  for  seven  years,  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  F.  W.  Mason  &  Co.  While 
with  these  different  firms  he  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  business  principles  and  was  thus 
prepared  to  enter  business  for  himself,  which  he 
did  in  1891,  with  the  satisfactory  results  already 
noted. 

In  the  organization  of  tlie  Traders  Building 
&  Loan  Association  Mr.  Warnke  took  an  active 
part  and  has  since  served  as  a  director.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  identified  with  Globe  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows,  Schiller  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America,  and  Hari  Gari.  In  na- 
tional politics  he  upholds  Democratic  principles. 
He  and  his  father  were  both  for  some  years  mem- 
bers of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Zion  Lutheran 
Church,  Scranton,  of  which  his  parents  were 
among  the  first  members.  He  is  one  of  the  ac- 
tive business  men  of  the  city  and  well  deserves 
the  success  he  has  attained.  In  1892  he  married 
Miss  Katie  E.  Schnell,  of  Scranton.  They  have 
one  son,  Philip  W.,  and  reside  at  No.  622  West 
Lackawanna  Avenue. 


CHARLES  D.  SHUMWAY,  M.  D.  Of 
the  numerous  professions  in  which  men 
may  rise  to  eminence,  there  is  none 
known  to  the  professional  world  that  claims  a 
higher  place  in  the  esteem  of  all  than  does  the 
science  of  medicine.  From  the  earliest  times 
down  to  the  present,  there  has  never  been  a  class 
of  men  in  whom  greater  confidence  has  been 
placed,  and  who  have  occupied  a  higher  place  in 
the  esteem  of  mankind  than  does  the  physician. 
No  one  more  successfully  proves  the  truth  of 
this  assertion  than  does  Dr.  Shumway,  who  is 
one  of  the  leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
.Scranton. 


Born  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  September  8, 
1853,  Dr.  Shumway  is  the  descendant,  on  the 
paternal  side,  of  French  Huguenot  ancestors, 
who,  coming  to  America,  settled  on  the  Hudson, 
in  Orange  County.  His  grandfather,  Amos  Shum- 
way, who  was  born  there,  migrated  to  Jefferson 
County  and  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death. 
Amos,  Jr.,  the  Doctor's  father,  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson Coimty,  and  became  a  railroad  engineer, 
his  run  being  between  Troy  and  Albany.  Later 
he  settled  in  Oswego  County  and  engaged  in 
farming,  but  after  a  time  went  back  to  Jefferson 
County,  establishing  a  mercantile  business  at 
Theresa,  later  removing  to  Plessis,  thence  re- 
turning to  Theresa,  and  finally  opening  a  store 
at  Philadelphia,  N.  Y.  His  death  occurred  at 
Sterlingville  when  he  was  sixty-five.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
an  active  w  orker  in  its  interests. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Martha  Case,  and  was  born  of  English 
extraction  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Aaron  Case,  who  moved  from  east- 
ern New  York  to  Oswego  County  and  engaged 
extensively  in  the  lumber  business  and  ship 
building  on  Lake  Ontario,  being  a  man  of  means. 
^Irs.  Martha  Shumway  died  in  Plessis  at  the  age 
of  forty  years.  Of  her  five  children,  the  Doctor 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  was  reared  in 
Jefferson  County,  where  he  was  educated  in  the 
district  schools  and  the  high  school  at  Water- 
town,  graduating  in  1873.  Resolving  to  become 
a  physician,  he  earned  the  money  necessary  to 
take  a  medical  course,  and  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  a  physician  in  Watertown,  began  the 
study  of  the  science.  In  1878  he  entered  the 
medical  department  of  Buffalo  University  and 
graduated  in  1880  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
Afterward  he  opened  an  office  in  Monroeville, 
Huron  County,  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on  a  gen- 
eral practice.  During  the  two  years  he  spent 
there  he  was  a  member  of  the  County  Medical 
Society  and  a  delegate  to  the  state  convention. 
From  that  place  he  went  to  Xorwalk.  (~)hio.  but 
not  finding  everything  satisfactory  there,  he  re- 
moved, after  eighteen  months,  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, Ohio,  where  he  followed  his  profession 
two  years.    His  next  removal  was  to  Harrisburg, 


494 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


Pa.,  where  he  remained  nine  years,  and  was 
very  successful,  becoming  the  owner  of  a  good 
residence  property  there  and  gaining  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  conscientious,  accurate  physician  and 
surgeon.  In  April,  1896,  he  located  in  Scranton, 
where  he  has  since  given  especial  attention  to  the 
treatment  of  diseases  of  the  bowels.  He  has  his 
office  at  No.  308  Washington  Avenue,  and  gives 
his  attention  exclusively  to  his  profession. 

In  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  Dr.  Shumway 
married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  Wilson, 
a  farmer  of  that  county.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children.  ]\Iaude,  Jessie  and  Charles  W., 
Jr.  Politically  the  Doctor  is  a  Republican,  and 
in  religion  is  a  Methodist,  belonging  to  the  Elm 
Park  Church.  He  is  interested  in  everything 
])ertaining  to  his  profession,  and  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Lackawanna  County  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  joined 
in  Upper  .Sandusky,  and  is  now  connected  with 
Lackawanna  Lodge  and  the  encampment  at 
Harrisburg:  also  a  member  of  Peter  W'illiamson 
Lodge.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Scranton. 


ALRIC  BERRY.  With  the  exception  of 
about  six  years,  Mr.  Berry  has  been  a  life- 
long resident  of  Lackawanna  County  and 
for  a  long  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  business 
in  Carbondale.  He  was  born  in  Carbondale 
Township,  but  a  short  distance  from  the  now 
bustling  city,  September  19,  1834.  His  father. 
Dr.  Alric  B.  Berry-,  formerly  the  principal  phy- 
sician of  this  city,  was  born  in  Warren,  Litchfield 
County,  Conn.,  in  1795,  and  in  early  manhood 
went  to  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father 
owned  large  tracts  of  land  on  the  Hudson.  He 
and  his  brothers  studied  medicine  and  all  became 
physicians  of  note.  For  a  time  he  attended  West 
Point  Seminary,  becoming  well  versed  in  the  tac- 
tics of  war,  and  did  service  during  the  second 
conflict  with  England.  In  1817  he  was  commis- 
sioned captain  of  militia,  his  commission  being 
signed  by  Gen.  DeWitt  Clinton.  This  commis- 
sion and  his  sword  arc  now  in  the  possession  of 
our  subject  at  his  home  in  Carbondale. 

After  practicing  his  profession  for  a  time  at 


Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  about  1832  Dr.  Berry  came 
to  Carbondale,  where  he  continued  to  be  the  prin- 
cipal physician  until  his  death  in  1861.  He  had 
three  brothers,  physicians,  namely:  Cyrus,  who 
died  January  7,  1830,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven; 
Abram,  who  passed  away  June  9,  1822,  at  thirty- 
one  years;  and  Aretas,  who  died  December  19, 
1841,  aged  forty-seven.  The  last-named  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  181 2  and  was  connected 
with  the  Rondout  Cement  Works  near  Kingston, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  Hudson.  For  young  men,  the  three 
brothers  all  attained  considerable  prominence  in 
the  medical  world. 

Sophronia,  a  sister  of  our  subject's  father,  mar- 
ried Dr.  George  Sled,  and  died  August  14,  185 1, 
aged  sixty-four  years.  Her  daughter,  Anna  Law- 
less, had  nine  children,  of  whom  two  sons,  Isaac 
and  George,  gave  up  their  lives  for  the  cause  of 
freedom  in  the  Civil  War.  A  son,  Theodore  Sled, 
is  a  contractor  and  builder  in  Brooklyn,  and  Al- 
ban  is  a  dealer  in  oil  cloth  in  New  York  City. 
Phoebe,  another  sister  of  Dr.  Berry,  was  born 
April  I,  1802,  and  married  WilHam  Landon,  who 
was  born  at  Salisbury,  Conn.,  June  5,  1795,  and 
died  in  the  same  place  May  17,  1878.  She  de- 
parted this  life  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  May  8, 
1849.  They  were  the  parents  of  Judge  Judson 
Landon,  of  the  New  York  supreme  bench  and 
president  of  Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.; 
he  has  one  son,  a  lawyer,  and  another,  a  Presby- 
terian minister.  Two  brothers  of  Judge  Landon 
are  ministers,  one  of  the  Methodist,  the  other  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  third  sister  of  Dr. 
Bcrrv,  Sibvl,  married  Weston  ]VIarshall  and  is 
buried  at  Mt.  Vernon  on  the  Hudson.  She  had 
two  sons  who  followed  the  sea;  one,  Alfred,  was 
mate  on  board  the  United  States  man-of-war 
"Shark,"  and  cruising  on  the  coast  of  Peru  was 
assassinated  by  a  Spaniard  at  Payta  and  was 
buried  five  miles  up  the  coast  from  that  place. 

The  Berry  family  dates  its  history  in  America 
back  to  1630,  when  the  progenitors  came  from 
Kent,  England,  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  nam- 
ing Kent  County  in  that  state  in  honor  of  their 
native  place.  They  took  an  active  part  in  all  the 
stirring  events  in  the  early  history  of  the  coun- 
try and  have  had  representatives  in  almost  every 
war.    Abram  Berry,  a  great-uncle  of  our  subject, 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


495 


was  a  soldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  in 
1756  and  was  killed  in  battle  near  Albany,  N.  Y. 
The  powder  horn  that   he  carried  at   the   time, 
with  his  name  engraved  on  it,  is  among  the  many 
relics    now    in    our    subject's    possession.      The 
grandfather  of  our  subject.  Dr.  Cyrus  Berry,  who 
was  born  in  Kent  County,  Conn.,  was  a  surgeon 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a  set    of    books 
printed  in  England  and  owned  by  him,  having 
been  brought  to  this  country  by  his  ancestors,  was 
by  him  hidden  for  seven  years  during  the  Revo- 
lution in  a  hollow  log  for  safe  keeping.    They  are 
•low  the  property  of  our  subject,  who  has  refused 
1  large  sum  for  them.     A  representative  of  the 
Columbian  Exposition  came  to   him  from   Chi- 
cago for  the  purpose  of  securing  them  for  exhi- 
bition there,  but  he  was  so  attached  to  them  that 
he  refused  to  allow  them  to  go  out  of  his  hands. 
Dr.   Cyrus  Berry  was  a  man  of  large  means 
and  bought  large  tracts    of    land    in    Dutchess 
County,   N.  Y.,  on  the  Hudson,  where  he  died 
February   15,    1815.    He   married   Sibyl    kludge, 
whose  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Dorr, 
of  Revolutionary  prominence.    The  father  of  our 
subject  was  twice  married.    His  first  wife,  Lydia 
Beach,  died  June  29,  1827,  leaving  three  daugh- 
ters, Susan,  Johanna  and  Louisa.     His    second 
wife,  Jane  Ann  Lake,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lake, 
was   born    in    Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  in  May, 
1808,  and  died  in  Carbondale  in  January,  1868. 
Fler  father  ran  a  grist  mill  at  Pleasant  Valley, 
Dutchess   County,  N.  Y.,  not  far  from   Pough- 
keepsie,  and  was  a  brother  of  Daniel   Lake,   a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  who  was  killed  near 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  in  that  war.     Mrs.  Jane  Ann 
Berry  was  the  mother  of  seven  children  that  grew 
to  mature  years.    Jane  is  living  and  is  unmarried. 
Sibyl   died   unmarried.     Lucina,   wife   of   Oliver 
David,  died  at  Olyphant  in  September,  1896,  and 
was  an  active  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  denomination  her  son,  Arthur, 
is  a  minister.     Phoebe  married  James  V.  Irwin, 
and  they  reside  in  Carbondale.    Marion,  who  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  contracted  disease  from 
wiiich   he  died  Novemjjer  5,    1891.     Luman   C. 
served   through    the    entire   period   of   the   Civil 
War  in  the  commissary  department  and  died  soon 
after  the  close  of  the  war. 


Our  subject,  who  was  the  oldest  son  and  the 
fourth  child  in  the  family,  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Carbondale.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  was  seized  with  a  desire  to  go  to  sea  and  acting 
upon  this  impulse,  he  went  to  New  Bedford  and 
shipped  aboard  the  "Rainbow,"  a  whaler  bound 
for  South  American  waters.  During  the  six 
years  he  spent  on  the  high  seas  he  sailed  on 
nearly  every  ocean  on  the  globe.  After  spending 
some  time  in  southern  waters,  the  ship  headed 
for  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  cast  anchor  at  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  He  was  so  pleased  with  the  islands 
that  he  wished  to  stay,  but  for  various  reasons 
he  went  on  with  the  ship  into  the  Arctic  Ocean 
and  through  Behring  Strait  and  the  land  of  the 
midnight  sun.  They  were  nearly  wrecked  in  pass- 
ing through  the  strait  and  had  to  put  back  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands  to  make  repairs,  after  which 
they  sailed  for  the  South  Sea  Islands,  visiting 
New  Zealand,  Australia,  Fiji,  ^larquise.  Friendly 
and  Society  Islands,  Corea,  China,  Japan  and  the 
coast  of  Siberia,  where  he  named  what  is  still 
known  as  Dead  Man's  Bay  on  Big  Shantee 
Islands.  After  his  return  from  this  extended  voy- 
age, he  shipped  on  board  another  vessel,  which 
he  thought  was  a  merchantman,  but  when  he 
learned  it  was  bound  for  Africa  to  engage  in  the 
slave  trade,  he  abandoned  it  in  Philadelphia.  The 
ship  proceeded  to  the  West  Indies  and  was 
wrecked  on  tlie  Florida  Keys.  He,  returning  to 
New  York,  shipped  on  board  a  vessel  engaged 
in  the  merchant  trade.  His  last  voyage  was  on  a 
New  York  and  Savannah  packet.  In  his  various 
trips  he  was  on  the  Sandwich  Islands  five  times 
and  took  a  greater  liking  to  that  country  than 
any  other  he  visited.  He  learned  to  speak  the 
language  of  the  natives,  which  he  still  retains. 
Since  the  discussion  began  in  regard  to  annex- 
ing the  islands  to  the  LTnited  States,  he  has  writ- 
ten some  interesting  articles  for  publication  con- 
cerning the  customs  of  the  people,  etc. 

In  the  fall  of  1858  Mr.  Berry  returned  home, 
e.xpecting  to  again  go  to  sea,  but  on  the  26th  of 
October  he  set  sail  on  the  sea  of  matrimony, 
being  then  imited  with  Miss  Adelia  Carpenter,  of 
LTniondale,  Pa.  Through  her  influence  he  was 
led  to  abandon  the  life  of  a  seafaring  man  and 
has  since  engaged  in  the  furniture  business.    Ll^n- 


496 


PORTRAIT   AND    lUOGRAPIIICAL    RECORD. 


der  Lincoln's  first  administration  he  was  post- 
master of  Blakely,  now  Olyphant.  Possessing 
considerable  inventive  genius,  he  has  invented  a 
new  kind  of  ship,  on  which  he  is  about  to  get  a 
patent,  and  which  he  claims  will  be  the  fastest 
sailing  vessel  ever  constructed.  He  has  a  large 
collection  of  papers  relating  to  his  family  in  colo- 
nial times  and  relics  of  the  wars  in  which  his 
ancestors  participated,  among  them,  in  addition 
to  those  before  mentioned,  being  the  medicine 
case  carried  by  his  grandfather  in  the  Revolution 
and  man\-  valuable  documents  pertaining  to  the 
family  history. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berry  are  the  parents  of  four 
sons,  namely:  Delmore  L.,  who  is  in  the  furni- 
ture business  at  Olyphant,  married  Miss  Maggie 
Patten,  and  has  one  child,  Marion;  George  W., 
a  graduate  of  Wood's  College  and  head  clerk  in 
a  store  at  Olyphant;  Henry,  wdio  assists  his  father 
in  the  store;  and  Fred  Al.,  a  student  in  Wood's 
College. 


EMORY  STONE.  The  ownership  of  a 
good  farm  with  first-class  buildings  upon 
it,  is  conclusive  evidence  of  the  energy 
and  perseverance  of  any  man  whose  home  is 
within  the  limits  of  this  county.  When  we  state 
that  Mr.  Stone  has  for  years  engaged  in  the  dairy 
and  stock  business  in  South  Abington  Township, 
where  he  has  a  fine  place  containing  a  complete 
set  of  substantial  buildings,  it  will  be  understood 
that  he  is  a  good  farmer  and  a  man  of  sound 
judgment.  He  was  born  in  North  Abington 
Township,  February  17,  1823,  the  son  of  James 
and  Polona  (Green)  Stone,  natives  of  Rhode 
Island,  who  came  to  Pennsylvania  about  1815  and 
died  in  Lackawanna  County. 

When  about  twenty  years  of  age,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  left  home  and  went  to  Wayne  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  was  employed  on  a  farm  for  two 
summers  and  worked  at  railroading  about  twenty- 
five  years.  For  some  time  he  also  had  an  interest 
in  a  tannery.  August  11,  1847,  '^^  married  Cath- 
erine S.  Hudson,  who  was  born  in  Orange  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  the  daughter  of  Oscar  and  Margaret 
(Jessup)  Hudson,  also  natives  of  New  York.  Her 
father,  who  settled  in  Carbondale  when  it  con- 
tained but  three  houses,  was  employed  as  an  en- 


gineer on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad,  but 
afterward  removed  to  Waymart,  Wayne  County, 
and  there  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  His 
wife  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three;  of  their  seven 
children,  four  are  yet  living.  Sylvanus  Jessup, 
Mrs.  .Stone's  maternal  grandfather,  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Carbondale,  and  carried  on  a  hotel 
there.  He  was  active  in  religious  work  and  served 
as  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
maternal  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Stone  were  Syl- 
vanus and  Margaret  Jessup,  who  were  born  in 
New  York  and  became  pioneers  of  Carbondale. 

There  were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stone  ten  children,  of  whom  eight  are  living, 
namely:  ["rank,  who  is  married  and  has  two 
children  living;  Gertrude  M.;  Eva,  wife  of  Dr. 
G.  Fike,  and  mother  of  five  children;  Arthur, 
who  resides  in  Scranton,  is  married  and  has  two 
children ;  Charles,  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ;  Oscar, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  milk  business  at  Factory- 
ville;  Harry,  who  is  a  business  man  of  Scranton; 
and  Bertie,  who  is  married  and  at  home. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  Mr.  Stone  sold  his  prop- 
erty in  Wayne  County  and  bought  his  present 
home  in  Lackawanna  County,  where  he  has  since 
erected  all  the  buildings  and  has  carried  on  a 
dairy  and  stock  business.  With  his  family  he 
holds  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  he  takes  an  active  part.  The 
first  ballot  he  cast  was  in  1844,  when  he  voted 
the  Whig  ticket.  On  the  birth  of  the  Republican 
party  he  identified  himself  with  it,  but  when  Gov- 
ernor St.  John  was  nominated  president  on  the 
Prohibition  ticket,  his  attention  was  called  to  that 
movement  and  to  the  great  need  of  reform  in  the 
liquor  traffic.  He  at  once  identified  himself  with 
the  party  pledged  to  the  prohibition  of  the  sale  of 
intoxicants  and  has  since  been  an  earnest  advo- 
cate of  its  principles. 


JOSEPH  D.  LLOYD  is  one  of  the  well 
known  citizens  of  Scranton,  and  holds  a  re- 
munerative position  with  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Coal  Company.  He  was 
born  in  Breconshire,  Wales,  February  22,  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  D.  and  Margaret  (Griffith) 
Llovd,  natives  of    Pembrokeshire.     His    father, 


GEORGE  LORD  MORSS. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


499 


who  was  an  engineer,  furnace  man  and  coal 
miner,  died  in  Wales  in  1874,  and  the  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  ten  years  later.  In  religious 
belief  both  were  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
Their  nine  children  attained  years  of  maturity, 
and  four,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  came  to 
America,  but  only  two  of  the  family  survive,  Jo- 
seph D.  and  Hannah,  in  Wales. 

The  boyhood  years  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
were  passed  at  Breconshire,  where  he  received  a 
fair  education.  When  fourteen  he  began  to  work 
at  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  in  the  boiler  works. 
In  1863  he  came  to  America,  taking  passage  at 
Liverpool  on  the  "City  of  Washington"  and  reach- 
ing New  York  City  after  two  weeks.  Thence  he 
proceeded  to  Scranton,  where  he  became  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
in  the  Bellevue  mines,  and  later  was  a  laborer  in 
the  Pine  Brook  mines.  In  1863  he  enlisted  for 
three  months  with  the  state  troops  to  protect  the 
state,  but  the  order  came  after  Lee's  defeat  at 
Gettj'sburg  and  the  troops  were  not  needed.  He 
then  went  to  Broadtop,  Huntingdon  County,  and 
Johnstown,  spending  a  day  in  each  place,  and 
then  returning  to  Scranton,  where  he  resumed 
work  in  the  mines. 

In  May,  1865,  Mr.  Lloyd  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  G,  Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service  at 
Strawberry  Plains,  Tenn.,  where  he  joined  his 
company,  proceeding  thence  to  Bullsgap,  that 
state.  After  three  weeks  he  returned  to  Nash- 
ville and  took  part  in  the  grand  review  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  Then  going  to  John- 
sonville,  he  took  the  boat  for  New  Orleans,  and 
four  months  later  went  to  Savannah,  Ga.,  thence 
to  New  York  City,  and  was  paid  off  and  hon- 
orably discharged  in  Bleeker  Street  in  October, 
1865.' 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Lloyd  worked  in  the  Dia- 
mond mines  until  1867,  and  then,  desiring  a  bet- 
ter education,  he  entered  Gardner's  Business  Col- 
lege, where  he  carried  on  his  studies  for  two  years. 
In  i86g  he  married  Miss  Anna  Jones,  who  was 
born  in  Merthyr-Tydvil,  Glamorganshire,  Wales. 
After  his  marriage  he  worked  for  a  short  time 
in  the  Bellevue  mines,  then  went  to  New  York 
City  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Green- 


wich Street.  Returning  to  Scranton  in  March, 
1870,  in  August  of  the  same  year  he  resumed 
work  in  the  Bellevue  mines.  In  1875  lie  went  to 
the  far  west  and  for  seven  months  was  employed 
in  the  silver  mines  of  Utah,  also  spent  some  time 
in  Colorado,  returning  from  there  to  resume  work 
in  the  Bellevue  mines.  In  1878  he  was  made  fore- 
man, serving  for  five  years,  after  which  he  was 
given  a  similar  position  with  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  in  sinking  the  Kingston  shaft, 
and  was  then  inside  foreman  of  the  Tripp  shaft 
which  he  opened.  In  1888  he  was  made  inside 
foreman  of  the  Archbald  mines,  which  position 
he  has  since  filled,  having  three  hundred  and  sixty 
hands  under  him. 

In  1890  Mr.  Lloyd  built  the  residence  at  No. 
556  North  Main  Avenue  which  he  now  occu- 
pies. He  and  his  wife  have  five  children:  Jose- 
phine, Mrs.  William  R.  Lewis,  of  Scranton; 
Frank,  who  is  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company;  John,  mining  engineer  with 
the  same  firm;  Fred  and  Gertrude.  For  two 
terms  of  three  years  each  Mr.  Lloyd  was  select 
councilman  from  the  fifteenth  ward,  having  been 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket.  In  1896  he  was 
a  delegate  to  the  state  convention  at  Harrisburg 
that  selected  representatives  to  the  St.  Louis  na- 
tional convention.  He  is  a  member  of  the  county 
Republican  central  committee  and  has  served  on 
its  executive  committee.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Ma- 
son, past  officer  in  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  a 
member  of  the  encampment,  and  Robert  Morris 
Lodge  No.  58,  Ivorites.  In  religious  belief  a 
Baptist,  he  has  served  as  secretary  of  the  board 
of  elders  and  is  a  leading  Sunday-school  worker. 


GEORGE  LORD  MORSS  was  born  in 
Windham,  Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
26,  181 6,  a  son  of  Foster  Morss.  He  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  also  the  Delhi  and 
Kinderhook  academies,  after  which  he  taught 
school  for  a  number  of  terms.  His  first  business 
interests  were  in  partnership  with  his  brothers, 
near  Carbondale,  in  the  tanning  and  lumber 
trade,  but  later  he  decided  to  sell  out  to  them  and 
go  west.  A  preliminary  trip  for  the  purpose  of 
looking  up  a  location,  however,  led  him  to  de- 


500 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cide  that  no  place  offered  better  advantages  than 
Lackawanna  County,  then  a  part  of  Luzerne. 
Accordingly  he  returned  here  and  purchased  the 
interests  owned  by  his  brothers.  On  a  slight 
eminence  he  erected,  in  1853,  a  commodious  resi- 
dence, and  here  his  remaining  years  were  spent. 
A  man  of  good  judgment  and  executive  ability, 
he  gained  prominent  recognition,  and  his  death, 
which  occurred  July  31,  1882,  was  counted  a  pub- 
lic loss. 

The  lady  who  for  more  than  forty  years  was 
the  faithful  helpmate  of  Mr.  Morss  was  in  maiden- 
hood Lois  Austin  Tuttle,  a  daughter  of  Gen. 
Jehiel  Tuttle,  who  settled  in  Greene  County,  N. 
Y.,  during  the  pioneer  days  of  its  history.  Mrs. 
Morss  was  born  in  Greene  County,  September 
17,  1818,  and  died  at  the  family  residence  in  Car- 
bondale  October  9,  1896.  The  four  children  who 
blessed  this  union  are  named  as  follows:  Merilla 
E.,  wife  of  L.  W.  Morss,  of  Scranton;  Isabella, 
deceased,  wife  of  J.  Aitken;  Amanda  L.  and  Lois 
R.,  who  occupy  the  old  homestead. 


AiXDREW  LEIGHTON.  In  visiting  jew- 
elry stores  one  is  often  impressed  with  the 
different  styles  of  silverware,  made  for  use- 
ful and  ornamental  purposes.  Some  pieces  are 
beautiful,  but  without  solidity;  some  are  fan- 
tastic, but  evidently  not  durable;  and  then  there 
are  some  pieces  of  sterling  value  and  full  weight, 
not,  perhaps,  so  full  of  embellishment  as  others, 
but  more  useful  and  lasting.  So  with  men;  some 
are  handsome,  but  useless;  some  gifted  by  na- 
ture, but  lacking  the  power  to  turn  their  gifts  to 
practical  uses;  and  then  again  there  are  those 
honest,  large-souled  men  whom  it  is  always  a 
pleasure  to  meet  and  an  honor  to  know. 

To  this  latter  class  belongs  Mr.  Leighton,  who 
has  combined,  happily,  in  his  disposition,  the 
thrift  of  his  Scotch  progenitors  with  the  progress- 
ive sjnrit  of  Americans.  During  the  long  period 
of  his  residence  in  Glenburn,  he  has  gained  the 
estecni  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  has  also  made 
a  wide  accjuaintance  among  the  people  of  this  part 
of  the  county.  He  has  inherited  in  a  large  degree 
the  characteristics  that  make  the  sturdy,  honest 
Scotch  such  desirable  citizens,  as  well  as  the  patri- 


otic spirit  which  led  his  grandfather  to  fight 
bravely  for  independence  from  British  domina- 
tion. 

Born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  April  4, 
1822,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of  Andrew 
and  Alary  (Buell)  Leighton.  His  father,  a  native 
of  Scotland,  emigrated  to  the  United  States  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  and  settled  in  New  York, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
until  forty-one  years  of  age.  From  there  he  re- 
moved to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five. 

Our  subject  received  a  fair  common  school  and 
academic  education.  From  seventeen  until  twen- 
ty years  he  taught  school,  after  which  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  was  engaged  in  book  selling, 
mainly  supplying  school  libraries,  and  having  a 
corps  of  subordinate  agents  under  him.  Later  he 
was  connected  with  the  "Country  Gentleman." 
In  Albany,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  he  married 
Frances  M.,  daughter  of  Rodman  Sisson,  and  for 
two  years  they  resided  in  that  city.  On  coming 
to  Lackawanna  County  in  1851,  he  purchased  and 
settled  upon  a  farm  one  mile  east  of  Waverly. 
After  having  greatly  improved  the  same  he  sold  it 
for  more  than  double  the  purchase  price,  and  in 
1866  bought  the  Clover  Hills  farm  in  Glenburn, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  His  first  presidential 
ballot  was  cast  for  the  gifted  Henry  Clay,  and 
while  his  candidate  did  not  win,  yet  since  then 
he  has  almost  invariably  voted  for  the  winning 
man,  as  he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  votes 
that  ticket.  In  religious  views  he  is  connected 
with  the  Baptist  Church. 

The  family  of  Andrew  Leighton  consisted  of 
eleven  children,  and  of  these  eight  are  still  liv- 
ing. Edward  F.,  the  eldest,  who  is  married  and 
has  four  children,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  oldest 
wholesale  grocers  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  John  N. 
is  at  home.  Jessie  is  married  and  has  two  chil- 
dren. Arthur,  who  is  in  the  wood  acid  business 
in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  owns  eight  thousand 
acres  of  land  and  employs  one  hundred  men ;  he 
has  a  family  of  five  children.  George  and  James 
were  twins,  the  latter  of  whom  died  while  attend- 
ing Yale  College.    Mary,  the  widow  of  a  banker 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


501 


of  Dewitt,  Neb.,  has  two  sons.  Elizabeth,  the 
mother  of  two  daughters,  Hves  in  Montreal, 
where  her  husband  is  general  manager  for  the 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York 
for  Canada.  Robert  died  at  twelve  years  of  age. 
Ruth,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  is  at  Prince- 
ton. 

George  Leighton  was  educated  in  Lehigh  Uni- 
versity, graduating  with  the  class  of  1883  in  the 
civil  engineering  department.  His  business  has 
taken  him  throughout  every  part  of  the  country, 
but  in  1895  he  ceased  to  travel,  and  came  to  Glen- 
burn,  where  he  erected  a  commodious  residence 
adjoining  that  occupied  by  his  parents.  He  re- 
tains a  general  office  in  Scranton.  Two  children 
(now  living)  were  born  of  his  union  with  Miss 
Theodora  Ross,  a  descendant  of  Lieutenant  Ross, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  armv  and 
■was  killed  in  the  Wyoming  massacre;  her  mater- 
nal grandfather.  Captain  Fellows,  was  also  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  war  wnth  England. 

Personally  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  man 
of  unusual  intelligence.  He  commands  senti- 
ments of  the  highest  respect,  both  on  account  of 
his  interest  in  the  advancement  and  progress  of 
the  community,  and  the  high  character  sustained 
in  all  the  relations  of  life.  His  home  is  bright- 
ened by  the  amenities  of  existence  and  his  family 
intelligent  and  respected.  In  such  homes  our 
countrv  has  its  strongest  bulwarks  and  from  such 
family  circles  draws  its  noblest  citizens — those 
who  have  grown  up  in  the  atmosphere  of  Chris- 
tian manhood  and  womanhood,  fitted  for  the  di- 
verse opportunities  and  the  heavy  responsibilities 
of  life. 


RONDINO  P.  PARKER:  The  home  sur- 
roundings and  daily  Hfe  of  the  subject  of 
this  biography  illustrate  the  prominent 
features  of  a  career  which  has  been  prosperous. 
He  has  been  a  lifelong  resident  of  South  Abing- 
ton  Township  and  is  now  engaged  in  cultivating 
the  farm  first  settled  upon  by  his  father  many 
years  ago.  Among  the  fortunate  circumstances 
of  his  life,  he  was  especially  happy  in  the  selec- 
tion of  a  wife,  the  lady  who  bears  his  name  hav- 
ing been  his  efficient  helpmate  in  all  undertak- 


ings, besides  looking  well  to  the  ways  of  her 
household  and  adding  to  the  home  the  little  com- 
forts which  have  so  much  to  do  with  the  happiness 
of  the  family.  Both  are  genial,  hospitable  and 
warm-hearted,  and  take  an  interest  in  whatever 
is  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. 

At  his  present  place  of  residence  our  subject 
was  born  August  2,  1830,  to  the  union  of  Sheldon 
and  Sarah  (Phillips)  Parker.  The  first  of  the 
family  to  come  here  was  his  grandfather,  Stephen 
Parker,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  who  removed 
to  this  locality  about  1800.  Sheldon  Parker  was 
born  here  and  spent  his  entire  life  as  an  agricul- 
turist on  the  home  farm,  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
three.  The  widowed  mother  has  since  made  her 
home  with  a  daughter  in  Clarks  Green.  Of  their 
seven  children,  all  but  one  are  still  living. 

In  the  district  schools  and  the  academy  at  Wa- 
verly  our  subject  obtained  a  fair  education.  De- 
cember 7,  1854.  at  Greens  Grove,  he  was  married 
by  Squire  Simrell  to  Mary  Diana  Slocum.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Scott  Township,  but  in  infancy 
was  taken  to  Slocum's  Hollow  fScranton)  by  her 
parents,  Ebenezer  and  Sallie  (Mills)  Slocum,  and 
at  the  age  of  six  years  returned  with  them  to 
Scott  Township.  She  was  one  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  six  are  living;  one  of  her  brothers, 
Stephen  Y.,  died  near  Nashville  while  serving  in 
the  Union  army.  Ebenezer  Slocum  died  at  the 
home  of  our  subject,  aged  eighty-eight;  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sallie  Mills,  was 
born  in  New  York  and  died  here  when  eighty- 
eight. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  consists  of 
five  living  children  and  one  deceased.  The 
eldest,  Jennie,  is  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Stone,  repre- 
sented upon  another  page.  Thurston  S.,  who  op- 
erates the  old  homestead  in  connection  with  his 
father,  is  a  prominent  leader  among  the  young 
politicians  of  the  township  and  is  very  popular 
in  social  circles.  Sterling  D.  is  general  manager 
of  a  large  store  in  Pittston.  Ward  B.  is  a  mer- 
chant at  Clarks  Summit,  and  his  brother,  Har- 
old R.,  is  in  his  employ  as  a  clerk.  Ella  May  died 
at  the  age  of  seven  months. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Parker  resided  on  the 
old  homestead.     With  his  wife  he  holds  mem- 


502 


PORTRAIT    AXn    P.IOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


bership  in  the  Free  Methodist  Church  at  Wa- 
verly.  Wliile  in  earlier  hfe  he  supported  Repub- 
Hcan  principles,  he  was  led  to  see  the  importance 
of  prohibitory  laws  regarding  the  liquor  traffic 
and  hence  allied  himself  with  the  Prohibition  par- 
ty, casting  the  first  vote  in  its  favor  and  the  only 
one  cast  in  the  township  at  that  time.  At  differ- 
ent times  he  has  filled  a  number  of  local  offices 
and  at  present  is  serving  as  .auditor. 


THOMAS  DICKSON.  During  the  tempo- 
rary sojourn  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Lin- 
en) Dickson  in  Leeds,  England,  their  first 
child,  Thomas,  was  bom  March  26,  1824.  As 
they  were  from  the  burgh  of  Lauder,  county  of 
Berwick,  Scotland,  their  son  always  claimed  to  be 
a  Scotchman  and  was  justly  proud  of  his  ances- 
tors, who  laid  the  foundation  of  Scottish  civili- 
zation and  greatness,  tlis  grandfather,  Thomas 
Dickson,  served  for  twenty  years  as  a  member 
of  the  Ninety-second  Regiment  of  Highlanders. 
At  fifteen  he  married,  and  when  sixteen  was  a 
father.  Soon  afterward  he  entered  the  army  and 
served  his  country  through  the  Napoleonic  wars, 
taking  part  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  when 
the  French,  under  Jerome  Bonaparte,  were  driv- 
en from  Spain.  During  the  famous  battle  of 
Waterloo,  he  was  one  of  the  immovable  soldiers 
and  when  the  day  was  won  he  and  two  others  of 
his  company  were  found  standing  full  armed. 
Medals  and  other  decorations  which  he  received 
from  the  British  government  contained  the  names 
of  fifty-two  battles  in  which  he  took  a  brave  part, 
and  these  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family, 
souvenirs  of  which  they  are  justly  proud. 

In  1832  James  Dickson,  with  his  wife  and  a 
l)rother-in-law,  John  Linen,  sailed  from  Clasgow 
for  the  new  world  of  America.  For  nine  weeks 
they  were  upon  the  ocean,  driven  hither  and 
thither  by  severe  storms,  but  at  last  anchored  in 
the  month  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  With  other 
passengers  they  were  transferred  to  boats  and 
towed  up  current  by  o.xen  walking  along  the 
bank.  I-^or  a  time  tlu'  f.imily  stopped  in  Toronto, 
but,  finding  no  work  there,  they  left  in  1834, 
migrating  to  the  foot  of  Elk  Mountain  in  north- 
ern Pennsylvania.     Here  the  family  was  left  in 


charge  of  our  subject,  while  the  father  went  to 
New  York  to  see  if  he  could  get  work  at  his 
trade,  that  of  a  millwright.  The  result  being  sat- 
isfactory, he  spent  two  winters  and  one  summer 
there  in  profitable  employment,  and  then  returned 
to  Dundaff,  where  he  had  left  the  family. 

It  was  Mr.  Dickson's  intention  to  return  to 
New  York,  but  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  learning  that  he  was  a  skilled  me- 
chanic, offered  him  a  position  which  he  accepted. 
In  the  spring  of  1836  he  came  to  Carbondale,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife  and  six  children.  Soon 
afterward  he  was  made  master  mechanic,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  held  until  his  death  in  1880.  Aluch 
of  his  success  was  dtve  to  his  wife,  who  was  a 
woman  of  more  than  ordinary  energy  and  capa- 
bility, possessing  dauntless  courage  that  never 
wavered  in  the  midst  of  poverty,  suffering  and 
hardships.  It  is  said  of  her  that  often  at  night, 
holding  an  umbrella  over  her  so  as  to  screen  the 
light  from  her  sleeping  husband  and  children,  she 
cut  and  sewed  garments  for  them,  laboring  inces- 
santly for  their  happiness  and  comfort. 

As  might  be  supposed,  the  stirring  scenes  and 
experiences  that  became  familiar  to  our  subject 
in  early  life  had  a  formative  influence  upon  his 
character.  Tliey  taught  him  many  hard,  but  im- 
portant, lessons  in  patience  and  perseverance,  that 
in  after  years  bore  fruit  in  his  successful  career. 
In  later  life  he  often  found  a  pleasant  relaxation 
from  heavv  business  cares  in  reverting  to  the 
trying  times  wlien  he  was  snowed  in  among  the 
bleak  gray  hills  of  Dundaff.  In  early  days  his 
educational  advantages  were  limited  to  a  brief 
attendance  at  schools  taught  in  log  cabins  with 
greased  pa])cr  for  window  panes  and  rude  bench- 
es for  seats.  A  few  days  after  entering  the  Car- 
bondale school,  trouble  with  the  teacher  caused 
his  father  to  say  that  he  must  either  apologize  or 
go  to  work.  Choosing  the  latter  alternative,  he 
began  as  a  mule  driver  with  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company  and  afterward  was  employed 
as  clerk  in  a  general  store  at  Carbondale.  Mean- 
time, realizing  his  need  of  more  knowledge,  he 
attended  evening  schools  and  became  an  active 
worker  in  local  debating  clubs,  thereby  gaining 
a  fund  of  information  that  was  most  helpful  after- 
ward. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


503 


While  clerking  in  the  store,  Mr.  Dickson  began 
an  independent  business  venture,  his  first.  At  his 
own  expense  he  bought  a  few  books  and  let  them 
out  for  a  small  fee,  establishing  a  circulating 
library  that  proved  a  benefit  to  the  entire  place. 
Himself  a  man  of  broad  learning,  his  special  fond- 
ness was  for  the  old  Scotch  bards,  though  he  was 
familiar  with  poets  of  all  ages  and  countries.  As 
the  years  went  by  he  added  to  his  stock  of  books 
and  at  his  death  left  one  of  the  finest  private  libra- 
ries of  standard  works  in  the  entire  state.  Until 
1856  he  was  a  partner  in  the  store  and  saw  a 
rapid  growth  of  the  business,  particularly  of  the 
iron  department. 

In  company  with  father,  brothers  and  friends, 
in  1856  Mr.  Dickson  established  the  firm  of  Dick- 
son &  Co.,  and  located  the  plant  in  Scranton. 
In  1862  the  company  was  reorganized  under  its 
prerent  title,  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company, 
with  Thomas  as  president  and  sole  manager. 
About  1859  he  was  appointed  coal  superintend- 
ent of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company, 
who  were  the  principal  customers  of  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company.  These  two  positions 
he  held  during  the  w-ar,  when  all  business  in  their 
line  was  largely  increased,  but  in  Alav,  1867,  he 
resigned  in  favor  of  his  brother,  George  L.  After- 
ward he  gave  his  time  to  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company,  in  opening  coal  mines  and 
building  railroads.  In  October,  1863,  he  assisted 
in  organizing  the  First  National  Bank  of  Scran- 
ton, which  has  since  been  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial banking  concerns  of  this  section,  and  in 
it  he  continued  as  a  director  until  his  death.  He 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Moosic  Pow- 
der Company  April  22,  1865,  and  was  a  director 
in  it  until  he  died.  In  1867  he  was  elected  vice- 
president  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany and  two  years  later  became  president,  which 
ofKice  he  held  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

August  31,  1846,  Mr.  Dickson  married  Mary 
Augusta  Marvine,  daughter  of  Deacon  Roswell 
E.  and  Sophia  (Raymond)  Marvine,  natives  of 
New  York.  This  lady  is  still  living  and  spends 
her  summers  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  where  she 
owns  a  beautiful  country  seat  of  fifty  acres;  during 
the  balance  of  the  year  she  resides  in  Scranton. 
At  Morristown  Mr.  Dickson  passed  away,  July 


31,  1884.  His  body  was  brought  to  Scranton. 
where  it  lay  in  state  for  two  days,  and  was  then 
interred  in  Dunmore  cemetery.  Thus  closed  a 
life  that  was  eminently  successful,  not  only  from 
a  financial  point  of  view,  but  in  the  larger  and 
broader  sense  of  years  well  spent  and  time  nobly 
conserved.  Benevolent  in  disposition,  he  was  yet 
unostentatious,  and  preferred  to  dispense  his 
charities  quietly.  The  poor  often  received  sub- 
stantial assistance  from  him.  churches  numbered 
him  among  their  largest  benefactors,  public  in- 
stitutions were  indebted  to  him  for  philanthropies, 
progressive  enterprises  felt  the  impetus  of  his 
generous  donations,  and,  in  fact,  everything  cal- 
culated to  uplift  mankind  and  elevate  humanity 
found  in  him  a  friend.  Whatever  success  he 
achieved,  whatever  property  he  acquired,  what- 
ever influence  his  noble  character  e.xerted,  is, 
humanly  speaking,  the  result  of  his  own  ambition 
and  efifort,  and  very  justly  he  is  given  a  perma- 
nent place  among  the  men  whose  memory  is  cher- 
ished by  the  people  of  the  county. 


JAMES  P.  DICKSON  was  born  in  Carbon- 
dale,  this  county,  July  24,  1852,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Augusta  (Mar- 
vine) Dickson.  Receiving  in  boyhood  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  very  thorough  instruction  in  the 
rudiments  of  learning,  it  was  his  ambition  and 
expectation  to  take  a  complete  classical  course, 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  he  became  a  student  in 
Lafayette  College.  A  year  of  intense  application, 
however,  so  impaired  his  health  that  his  parents 
deemed  it  advisable  for  him  to  return  home, 
thinking  that  outdoor  exercise  would  benefit  him. 
Very  reluctantly  he  gave  up  his  cherished  hope 
of  obtaining  a  collegiate  education.  The  chang- 
ing scenes  and  transformations  of  intervening 
years  have  not  lessened  his  love  of  study,  but 
through  all  the  business  cares  and  the  respon- 
sibilities of  an  active  life  he  has  retained  his  lit- 
erary bent  of  mind.  To  him,  as  to  all  thoughtful 
men,  "nature  speaks  a  varied  language,"  the 
w^orld  of  science  furnishes  food  for  helpful  study 
and  the  history  of  the  ages,  as  portrayed  by  men 
of  letters  or  depicted  upon  the  canvas,  is  a  pano- 


504 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


rama  before  which  a  student  of  mankind  may  lin- 
geringly  dwell. 

The  active  business  experience  of  Mr.  Dickson 
began  with  his  appointment  as  a  member  of  an 
engineer  corps  that  surveyed  preparatory  to  the 
construction  of  railroad  lines  by  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company,  a  work  that  not  only 
proved  beneficial  to  his  health,  but  was  also  very 
congenial  to  his  tastes.  In  1869  he  went  to 
China  and  for  two  years  was  connected  with  the 
commission  house  of  Olyphant  &  Co.,  meantime 
bv  thoughtful  observation  gaining  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  Chi- 
nese. A  year  after  his  return  home,  in  1872,  he 
entered  the  office  of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  which  his  father  was  president.  Oc- 
cupying the  position  of  a  clerk  for  three  years, 
in  that  way  he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  details  of  the  business  and  was  fitted  to  later 
assume  its  leadership.  In  1875  he  was  appointed 
agent  of  the  company  at  Wilkesbarre  and  there 
the  seven  following  years  were  spent.  Step  by 
step  he  was  promoted,  as  an  increasing  knowl- 
edge of  the  business  and  increasing  ability  as  an 
executive  officer  made  promotion  a  merited  rec- 
ognition of  his  capabilities.  After  a  short  period 
of  service  as  vice-president,  in  June,  1883,  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  company,  and  during  his 
incumbency  of  that  office  the  interests  of  the 
house,  which  under  the  management  of  his  father, 
had  acquired  a  national  reputation,  suffered  no 
retrogression,  but  were  maintained  at  the  high 
standard  previously  established. 

The  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company  was  or- 
ganized in  1856  with  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000, 
and  the  first  plant  consisted  of  a  foundry,  machine 
shop  and  blacksmith's  shop.  At  the  inception  of 
the  enterprise  employment  was  furnished  to  thirty 
men  or  more.  To-day  the  capital  stock  is  $800,- 
000  and  on  the  pay  roll  are  the  names  of  more 
than  one  thousand  men.  Prom  the  works  are 
sent  out  to  all  parts  of  the  country  locomotives, 
engines  and  boilers,  that  need  no  other  recom- 
mendation than  the  name  of  the  house,  which 
is  the  synonym  of  reliable  and  thorough  work 
and  a  sufficient  guarantee  to  any  business  firm. 
In  fact,  while  not  withholding  justice  from  other 
concerns  of  Scranton,  it  may  be  said  that  the 


Dickson  Manufacturing  Company  has  done  more 
than  any  other  organization  here  to  bring  the 
city  into  national  prominence. 

Resigning  from  the  presidency  in  1896,  Mr. 
Dickson  retired  to  his  country  seat  at  Dalton, 
a  beautiful  suburb  of  Scranton,  about  ten  miles 
from  the  city,  and  possessing  the  advantage  of 
salubrious  mountain  air.  Here,  in  the  prime  of 
life,  in  the  enjoyment  of  domestic  happiness  and 
social  intercourse,  he  passes  his  time,  having  no 
more  business  responsibilities  than  can  be  attend- 
ed to  without  personal  inconvenience.  The  lady 
who  became  his  wife  October  19,  1876,  and  who 
presides  over  his  home  with  a  gracious  and  win- 
ning hospitality,  was  Miss  Laura  H.  Reynolds, 
and  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Pa.  Their  family 
consists  of  three  daughters,  Janet  McD.,  Mary  A., 
and  Elizabeth  R. 


THOMAS  DRAKE.  The  sons  of  the  pio- 
neers of  this  county  are,  now  as  active  in 
its  interests  as  were  their  fathers  before 
them,  and  have  taken  up  and  are  successfully 
carrying  forward  the  work  so  well  begun  by  the 
former  generation  in  the  development  of  the  won- 
derful local  resources.  The  subject  of  this  article 
is  the  son  of  a  pioneer  of  Old  Forge  Township 
and  for  years  has  occupied  a  high  place  among 
the  farmers  of  this  locality.  In  youth,  having  a 
decided  taste  for  agriculture,  he  adopted  this 
calling  for  a  life  work,  and  now  has  in  his  pos- 
session a  farm  that  is  under  excellent  cultivation 
and  contains  a  good  class  of  buildings.  The  gen- 
uine interest  that  he  feels  in  his  native  township 
and  the  public  spirit  that  he  manifests,  are  among 
his  noticeable  traits  of  character.  He  and  his 
brother,  Ebenezer,  are  worthy  sons  of  that  good 
old  pioneer,  Charles  Drake,  who  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1808  and  settled  in  Old  Forge  Town- 
ship. For  the  family  history  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  the  sketch  of  Ebenezer  Drake,  upon  an- 
other page. 

On  Christmas  Day  of  1828  a  son  was  born  in 
the  home  of  Charles  and  Millie  (Knapp)  Drake 
and  he  was  named  Thomas.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood here,  fitted  by  the  careful  training  of  his 
j)arcnts   for  a  useful   career  as   a  farmer.     Old 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


505 


Forge  Township  has  been  his  liome  through  life 
and  he  is  well  known  to  the  people  of  this  sec- 
tion. August  29,  1859,  he  married  Miss  Eliza 
McHale,  who,  like  himself,  is  a  consistent  Chris- 
tian and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
They  have  reared  eight  children,  and  by  their 
affectionate  devotion  and  wise  counsel  have  pre- 
pared them  for  the  responsibilities  of  life.  Mar- 
garet E.,  the  eldest,  graduated  from  Wyoming 
Seminary  in  1880,  afterward  taught  six  years,  and 
is  now  the  wife  of  Harry  J.  Cooper.  Eleanor, 
who  graduated  in  1883,  is  now  principal  of  the 
No.  3  school.  Old  Forge.  Anna,  who  graduated 
from  Wyoming  Seminary  in  1884,  taught  for 
three  years  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Andrew  Ken- 
nedy. Mildred  is  a  graduate  of  Bloomsburg  Nor- 
mal. Alice  K.  is  a  graduate  of  Bloomsburg  Nor- 
mal and  Pennsylvania  Hospital  School  for  Nurs- 
es in  Philadelphia.  Charles  B.,  who  graduated 
from  West  Point  Military  Academy  in  1896,  is  a 
lieutenant  stationed  at  San  Antonio,  Tex.;  Har- 
riet graduated  from  Kingston  Seminary  in  1895; 
and  William  T.  is  a  student  in  Lehigh  Seminary. 


ADAM  REINHARDT,  outside  foreman  of 
the  Pyne  coal  mine  in  Lackawanna  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Weisenback,  Hesse-Cas- 
sel,  Germany,  February  2j,  1838,  the  son  of 
August  and  Elizabeth  (Welch)  Reinhardt.  His 
father,  who  was  a  native  and  farmer  of  Hesse- 
Cassel,  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1845  i"  a  sailing 
vessel,  spending  nine  weeks  and  three  days  upon 
the  ocean.  On  arriving  in  this  country  he  at 
once  settled  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  where  for  two 
years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company.  Afterwards  for  two 
years  he  was  with  the  same  company  at  Archbald. 
He  then  rented  a  farm  near  Dunmore,  where  he 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  eight  years, 
until  his  death,  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  In  religious  belief  he  was  identified  with 
the  Reformed  Church.  His  wife,  like  himself  a 
native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  died  in  1858,  aged  forty- 
five. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  was  third  in 
order  of  birth  consisted  of  five  children,  but  one 
of  these  died  in  infancy.     Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Henry 


Scheufler,  died  at  forty-two  years,  and  Dorothea, 
Mrs.  Dicrker,  at  thirty-one  years.  George  C.  is 
a  carpenter  and  resides  in  Old  Forge,  this  county. 
Our  subject  \vas  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time 
the  family  came  to  this  country.  His  education 
was  limited  to  a  brief  attendance  at  the  conmion 
schools.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  began 
mining  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company 
and  later  was  employed  by  them  as  a  carpenter. 
On  removing  to  Taylorville,  he  worked  for  a  year 
in  the  carpenter  shop  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad.  From  1861  until  1871  he  worked  at 
carpentering  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  Company,  in 
Scranton.  In  1869  he  became  interested  in  the 
Pyne  coal  mine  in  Lackawanna  Township  and 
accepted  the  position  of  outside  foreman,  which 
he  has  since  held.  The  mine  is  a  large  one,  with 
an  output  of  two  hundred  thousand  tons  per  an- 
num, and  furnishes  employment  for  five  hundred 
men  and  boys. 

April  21,  1866,  Mr.  Reinhardt  married  Miss 
Catherine  Schultheis,  a  native  of  Germany.  They 
became  parents  of  eleven  children :  Augusta,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  ten  months;  Louis,  a  clerk  in 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Coal  Compa- 
ny's office;  August  C,  a  carpenter;  John  A.; 
Dora;  Mary;  Lizzie;  Kate;  Emma,  who  died 
at  four  years  of  age;  George  H.,  and  Herman  F. 
In  reHgious  views  Mr.  Reinhardt  is  a  Presby- 
terian and  belongs  to  that  church.  He  is  liberal 
in  his  political  opinions,  always  voting  for  the 
man  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  for  ofifiria! 
responsibilities,  but  not  actively  identifying  him- 
self with  politics. 


ADAM  STEGNER,  M.  D.,  who  has  his 
office  in  Rendham  and  is  in  charge  of  a 
large  practice  here  and  throughout  the 
southwestern  part  of  Lackawanna  County,  was 
born  in  Hazleton,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  October 
20,  1869,  the  son  of  John  and  Gertrude  (Scho- 
esche)  Stegner.  Both  his  paternal  and  maternal 
ancestors  were  of  German  birth.  His  father,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  the  old  country,  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  at  once 
settled  in  Hazleton,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of 


5o6 


'ORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


a  cabinet-maker.  Later,  however,  he  became  a 
draughtsman  and  foreman  of  mines.  The  re- 
mainder of  his  hfe  was  spent  in  Luzerne  County. 
At  the  age  of  forty-two  years  he  was  accidentally 
killed,  his  horse  running  away  with  him.  His 
wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany,  is  now  fifty- 
nine  years  of  age  and  makes  her  home  in  Rend- 
ham. 

The  early  years  of  Dr.  Stegner  were  spent  be- 
neath the  parental  roof  and  in  attendance  upon 
the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  en- 
tered Wyoming  Seminary  and  spent  three  and 
one-half  years  in  .study  there,  gaining  a  fund  of 
practical  knowledge  that  was  of  inestimable  value 
to  him  in  his  subsequent  professional  studies. 
Having  determined  to  become  a  physician,  he  en- 
tered the  medical  department  of  the  L^niversity 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1889,  and  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  1892,  having  availed  himself  to  the 
utmost  of  the  splendid  opportunities  ofifered  by 
that  well  known  institution.  His  theoretical 
knowledge  was  supplemented  by  practical  expe- 
rience in  the  Wilkesbarre  City  Hospital,  where 
he  remained  for  one  year  before  entering  upon 
private  practice.  In  1893  he  opened  an  office  in 
the  village  of  Rendham,  where  he  has  since  built 
up  an  excellent  and  remunerative  practice. 
Among  the  people  of  this  locality  he  is  known  as 
a  conscientious  physician,  whose  endeavor  is  at 
all  times  to  relieve  suffering  and  restore  the  sick 
to  health.  His  close  proximity  to  Scranton  gives 
him  all  the  opportunities  the  city  can  bestow,  in 
the  nature  of  refined  and  educative  influences, 
while,  in  addition,  he  has  the  advantages  of  sub- 
urban life  and  the  pleasures  which  it  can  bestow. 


WILLIAM  STEEL  BOYD, superintend- 
ent of  the  Green  Ridge  colliery  since 
1874  and  a  resident  of  Scranton  for 
the  same  period,  was  born  in  Richmond,  Va.,  in 
1824,  and  is  fourth  in  line  of  descent  from  the 
original  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  His 
grandfather.  Gen.  John  Boyd;  combined  the  ener- 
getic, courageous  traits  of  his  Scotch-Irish  an- 
cestry with  the  patriotic  spirit  of  Americans; 
he  gained  his  title  through  long  and  valiant  ser- 
vice in  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he 
served  with  General  Washington,  and  was  twice 


wounded  in  conflict.  At  the  opening  of  the  war 
he  left  his  farm  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  to  take 
up  arms  in  defense  of  freedom,  and  did  not  re- 
turn home  until  peace  was  established  and  the 
victor)'  won. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Capt.  William  Boyd, 
was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  served  as 
captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  occupation  in 
early  life  was  that  of  a  tanner,  but  after  remov- 
ing to  ^Maryland  he  superintended  the  construc- 
tion of  the  tide  water  canal  and  continued  in  the 
service  of  the  company  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  Richmond  at  sixty-five  years  of  age. 
He  married  Eliza  Steel,  daughter  of  Gen.  William 
Steel,  both  natives  of  Qiester  County,  Pa.  Her 
father,  who  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  was  a  general  in  the  Revolution 
and  was  twice  woimded.  Two  of  his  sons  were 
captains  in  the  War  of  1812.  Mrs.  Eliza  Boyd 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  in  Maryland. 

The  family  of  Capt.  William  Boyd  consisted 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  Two  sisters 
are  living,  one  eighty-six  and  the  other  sixty- 
two  years  of  age.  Our  subject,  who  was  fifth  in 
order  of  birth,  passed  his  childhood  years  in 
Maryland  and  received  a  good  education  in  Bal- 
timore schools,  Nottingham  College,  and  the 
college  in  Havre  de  Grace,  Harford  County. 
Coming  from  Maryland  into  Pennsylvania,  he 
carried  on  mercantile  pursuits  at  York,  York 
County,  for  sixteen  years,  and  then  sold  out,  re- 
turning to  Richmond,  Va.,  where  he  was  similarly 
occupied.  Several  times  during  the  war  he  was 
burned  out  by  the  Union  army,  heavy  losses  be- 
ing entailed  by  their  depredations.  From  Rich- 
mond he  went  back  to  York  County  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business  in  \\'rights- 
ville,  but  unfortunately  was  again  burned  out 
there  by  the  Union  army. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Boyd  removed  to 
Plymouth.  Luzerne  County,  where  he  was  fore- 
man in  a  coal  mine  for  four  years,  and  afterward 
was  outside  superintendent  in  a  mine  across  the 
river.  In  1874  he  came  to  Scranton  as  outside 
superintendent  of  the  Green  Ridge  colliery,  which 
has  a  capacity  of  one  thousand  tons  per  day  and 
is  one  of  the  flourishing  enterprises  of  the  county. 
The  comnanv  has  introduced  a  svstem  of  electric 


AMKS  K.   HRNTLHV.   M.   D. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


509 


trolley  through  the  mines,  by  which  the  coal  is 
moved  in  cars  to  the  foot  of  the  slope  and  then 
hoisted  by  steam  power.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Boyd 
was  an  officer  in  the  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Wrightsville  and  a  member  of  the  encampment 
at  Columbia.  In  national  politics  he  has  given 
his  support  to  Democratic  principles  since  early 
life.  He  was  married  in  York  County,  Pa.,  to 
Miss  Henrietta  Smith,  a  native  of  that  place,  and 
daughter  of  Robert  W.  Smith,  an  old  settler  and 
at  one  time  alderman  of  Wrightsville.  The  two 
sons  and  three  daughters  born  of  their  union  are 
named  as  follows:  Ida,  who  died  in  Scranton; 
William  S.,  Jr.,  vice-president  of  the  Scranton 
Supply  &  Machinery  Company;  Ella,  who  is 
with  her  ])arents;  Anna,  a  teacher  in  the  Scran- 
ton schools;  and  Charles,  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  here,  and  an  electrical  engineer  now  con- 
nected with  the  Green  Ridge  colliery. 


JAMES  K.  BENTLEY,  M.  D.,  who  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Scranton  since  1871,  was  born  in 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1846.  He  is  of  New 
England  ancestry,  his  great-grandfather  Bentley 
having  removed  from  Hartford,  Conn.,  to  Alba- 
ny, N.  Y.,  in  an  early  day.  It  is  not  known  defi- 
nitely whether  the  grandfather,  Capt.  Randall 
Beiitlej,  v.'as  born  prior  to  or  after  the  removal; 
if  the  former,  he  was  taken  to  New  York  when 
very  young,  for  his  earliest  recollections  were  of 
the  Hudson  River  and  its  picturesque  surround- 
ings. Before  the  introduction  of  steam  he  was 
captain  of  a  sloop  between  Albany  and  New 
York  City,  and  throughout  his  entire  active  life 
he  was  a  river  captain.  A  man  of  robust  frame 
and  splendid  constitution,  he  lived  to  be  eighty- 
five  years  old.  In  its  remote  origin,  the  family 
is  of  English  stock. 

Hon.  William  C.  Bentley,  our  subject's  fatlier, 
was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  removed  from 
there  to  Gilbertsville,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  became  a  very  prominent  attorney  and 
public  official.  His  practice  was  not  limited  to 
that  place,  but  extended  throughout  the  entire 
state.  About  1867  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  assembly.  In  politics  he  was  a  war  Demo- 
crat and  upheld  Union  principles  during  the 
20 


Rebellion.  His  death  occurred  in  1883,  when 
he  was  more  than  eighty  years  old.  From  an 
early  age  he  was  identified  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  was  a  regular  contributor  to  its 
maintenance.  He  married  Caroline  Peters,  a 
native  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  the  daughter  of 
Amasa  Peters,  whose  father,  Joseph,  was  an  offi- 
cer in  a  Connecticut  regiment  under  General 
Warren  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  Jo'seph 
married  Sarah  Swift,  daughter  of  Julius  Swift, 
both  natives  of  Warren,  Litchfield  County, 
Conn.,  and  descendants  of  English  ancestry; 
her  brother,  Rufus,  was  an  officer  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  under  General  Warren.  Mrs.  Caroline 
Bentley  died  in  1869.  Of  her  ten  children,  five 
are  living,  namely:  Oliver  C,  an  attorney  of 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y. ;  William  P.,  a  prominent 
attorney  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  at  this  writing  a 
member  of  the  legislature;  Miss  Cornelia  Bent- 
ley and  Mrs.  Emily  Hayes,  of  Iowa;  and 
James  K. 

Educated  in  Gilbertsville  Academy,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  began  the  study  of  medicine, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  under  Dr.  C.  D.  Spencer, 
of  Gilbertsville,  his  native  place.  He  was  born 
in  1846  and  was  therefore  eighteen  when,  in 
1864,  he  became  a  student  in  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  BuiTalo.  His  studies 
were  carried  on  uninterruptedly  until  his  gradu- 
ation in  1867,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and 
afterward  he  spent  two  years  in  the  hospital  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  and  the  general  hospital 
of  Buflalo,  where  by  practical  work  he  fitted  him- 
self for  successful  practice.  Coming  in  contact 
with  every  form  of  disease  and  noting  the  treat- 
ment which  the  most  eminent  physicians  of  the 
place  used  in  various  cases,  he  acquired  a 
liroad  knowledge  of  the  medical  science  more 
lielpful  to  him  than  years  of  theoretical  reading. 
His  first  location  was  in  Flint,  Genesee  County, 
Mich.,  but  an  attack  of  malaria  induced  him,  after 
six  months,  to  return  to  the  east,  and  in  1870 
we  find  him  at  Waverly,  eight  miles  north  of 
Scranton.  The  following  year  he  came  to  this 
city  and  settled  in  the  north  end,  then  known  as 
Providence,  where  he  opened  an  office  in  Oak 
Street  near  North  Main  Avenue.  Here  he  has 
since  remained,  his  office  being  at  No.  112  Oak, 


;io 


PORTRAIT   AXD    JilUGKArillCAL    RECURD. 


and  he  has  engaged  in  a  general  practice,  with 
a  specialty  of  fevers,  in  the  treatment  of  which 
he  has  been  remarkably  successful. 

While  residing  in  Waverly  Dr.  Bentley  married 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  (LaBar)  Carter,  who  was  born  in 
Luzerne  County;  her  father,  William  LaBar,  was 
of  French  descent  and  engaged  extensively  in 
farming  and  the  real  estate  business,  his  home 
being  in  Waverly.  They  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Margaret  Lal)ar.  In  1890  Dr.  Bent- 
ley  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health  and  served  as  its  president  from  1893  un- 
til 1895,  v,hen  he  resigned  the  office.  Since  the 
organization  of  the  Associated  Health  Authori- 
ties of  Lackawanna  County,  he  has  been  presi- 
dent, and  he  was  one  of  its  principal  originators, 
the  idea  of  the  association  being  to  secure  uni- 
form sanitary  regulations  throughout  the  state. 
He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  his  wife  is  a  member.  Fraternally  he  be- 
longs to  the  Waverly  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
professionally  is  identified  with  the  Lackawanna 
County  and  State  Medical  Associations.  A  firm 
lieliever  in  sound  money,  when  in  1896  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  of  which  he  had  been  a  life  mem- 
ber, declared  itself  for  free  coinage,  he  became 
a  supporter  of  the  Re]iul)lican  ticket  and  voted 
for  McKinlev. 


HON.  PATRICK  DeLACY.  We  cannot 
within  the  limits  of  the  present  volume 
rehearse  in  full  the  daring  deeds  of  the 
men  who  took  part  in  the  war,  their  loyal  sacri- 
fices and  heroic  achievements.  Could  they  be 
told,  it  would  form  a  history  of  early  reverses,  dis- 
appointments, gloomy  forebodings,  sickness  in 
camp  and  hospital,  long  marches,  days  of  en- 
forced idleness  in  camp,  of  wounds,  imprison- 
ments in  dark  dens,  escapes,  and  all  the  horrors 
of  war.  But  they  would  tell  too  of  privations 
willingly  endured,  dangers  voluntarily  incurred, 
hard  labor  gladly  done,  dashing  assaults,  close 
contests  and  countless  victories.  Thoy  would 
speak  of  doubt,  yet  of  hope;  of  failnn\  lint  also 
of  success;  of  transient  defeat,  but  of  final  vic- 
tory. Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  those 
noble  soldiers,  who  risked  their  lives  in  behalf  of 
the  I'nion  and  fouglit  valiantly  in  its  defense. 


Among  these  men  our  subject  was  one.  He 
entered  the  army  as  a  private  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  I'Orty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry  and  was 
so(jn  promoted  to  be  sergeant  of  Company  A. 
In  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  twenty 
general  battles  and  several  skirmishes,  he  took 
an  active  part  and  at  one  time,  during  the  cam- 
paign of  the  Wilderness,  he  with  his  regiment  was 
under  fire  for  over  thirty  consecutive  days.  In 
1864  he  became  sergeant-major  and  in  the  spring 
of  the  following  year  was  made  lieutenant,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  until  his  honorable  dis- 
charge in  June.  1865.  An  incident  in  the  battle 
of  the  Wilderness  shows  his  heroism.  A  space 
between  the  two  armies,  where  many  of  the  boys 
in  blue  lay  wounded,  was  covered  with  dried 
leaves  and  brush,  which  caught  fire  from  the  firing 
of  the  enemy's  artillery,  and  as  the  wind  was  to- 
ward the  ITnion  lines,  the  fire  made  rapid  prog- 
ress toward  the  wounded  men.  The  situation  was 
alarming.  Captain  DeLacy  suggested  to  the 
commanding  officer  that  they  fight  fire  with  fire, 
whicii  he  had  seen  done  when  a  boy  on  the  farm. 
It  was  a  hazardous  undertaking,  because  it  was 
directly  between  the  armies  and  in  line  with  the 
firing  of  the  enemy.  The  commander  gave  his 
permission  and  the  captain  called  for  volunteers 
to  assist  him.  Two  responded,  one,  Roger  Cox, 
now  an  engineer  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  at  Scranton,  and  the  other, 
John  Otto,  residing  in  Elyria,  Colo.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  stopping  the  fire  and  were  not  wounded, 
the  rebels  probably  supposing  they  were  on  an 
errand  of  mercy  and  so  did  not  direct  their  fire 
at  them. 

The  Captain's  comrades  are  wont  to  relate 
other  incidents  showing  his  bravery.  They  tell 
how,  in  the  battle  of  the  Cross  Roads  in  \' irginia, 
!May  6,  1864,  in  the  second  day  of  the  fight  in  the 
Wilderness,  the  enemy  had  succeeded  in  driving 
the  Union  troops  out  of  the  breastworks.  The  sol- 
diers were  resting,  wdien  they  heard  a  heavy  mus- 
ketry fire.  The  order  was  brought  down  the  line 
bv  (General  Osborne  that  General  Hancock  de- 
sired the  brigade  to  retake  the  works  and  save 
the  gims.  The  men  fell  in  a  hurried  line  and 
charged  up  the  road,  with  Sergeant  DeLacy  in 
the  lead.     It  was  a  perilous  position,  as  there  was 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECCJRD. 


5" 


a  steady  stream  of  fire  from  the  enemy's  ranks. 
The  rebel  color  bearer  was  waving  his  flag  over 
the  works  just  captured  by  them,  when  Captain 
DeLacy  ran  across  the  clearing  and  shot  him 
dead.  The  dropping  of  the  colors  caused  a  panic 
among  the  Confederates  and  the  works  were 
soon  in  possession  of  Union  forces.  It  was  a 
very  daring  undertaking  on  the  part  of  the  cap- 
tain and  proved  that  he  was  a  man  of  damitless 
courage.  Those  who  survived  that  awful  day 
shook  him  by  the  hand  and  complimented  him  on 
his  bravery.  April  24,  1894,  thirty  years  after 
the  fight,  congress  awarded  him  a  medal  for  sig- 
nal bravery  on  petition  of  officers  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-third.  Colonel  Conyngham, 
late  of  Wilkesbarre,  who  commanded  the  regi- 
ment, gave  this  testimony  of  the  captain:  "I 
looked  upon  Captain  DeLacy  as  one  of  the 
most  gallant  men  that  ever  wore  a  uniform  under 
any  flag  in  the  wide  world.  His  coolness  in  dan- 
ger, sound  military  judgment  and  especially  his 
perception  of  the  right  thing  to  do  under  all 
circumstances,  always  made  a  wonderful  impres- 
sion upon  me.  Had  circumstances  been  favorable 
for  bringing  him  into  public  notice,  I  am  satisfied 
he  would  have  made  a  military  record  for  him- 
self second  to  none." 

Much  interest  centers  in  the  life  of  a  man  so 
patriotic  and  brave.  Mr.  DeLacy  is  a  member 
of  an  old  Norman  family  that  settled  in  Ireland 
in  the  twelfth  century,  but  returned  to  France 
four  centuries  later,  going  back  to  Ireland  to  take 
part  in  the  Revolution  of  1798.  His  parents,  Wil- 
liam and  Catherine  (Boyle)  DeLacy,  were  natives 
respectively  of  County  Wexford  and  Kilkenny, 
Ireland.  The  former,  who  was  a  shoemaker, 
came  to  .\inerica  when  nineteen  and  was  among 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Carbondale.  In  1839  he 
removed  from  there  to  Tamaqua,  Schuylkill 
County,  but  shortly  afterward  went  to  Hazleton, 
Luzerne  County,  and  in  1840  returned  to  Car- 
bondale. In  1842  he  settled  in  Scranton  (then 
Slocum's  PIollow),  but  one  year  later  bought  a 
farm  in  the  beech  woods  of  Covington  Township 
and  there  continued  until  1861.  His  last  year 
of  life  was  spent  in  Scranton,  where  he  died  in 
1862,  aged  fifty-four.  His  wife,  who  is  still  living 
in  this  citv,  is  about  ninety  years  of  age.     One 


of  their  sons,  John,  was  lieutenant  of  a  company 
in  the  Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Regiment  for  a 
time,  later  joined  the  Irish  brigade  of  a  New  York 
regiment,  and  after  being  wounded  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania campaign  remained  on  detaclicd  duty 
at  Fortress  Monroe  until  discharged.  1  le  died  in 
Scranton  in  1890. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Carbondale  Novem- 
ber 25,  1834,  and  spent  his  boyhood  years  on  the 
home  farm.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began 
to  work  in  the  coal  mines,  and  in  1853  com- 
menced to  learn  the  tanner  and  currier's  trade 
with  John  Mehan,  of  Covington,  who  gave  him 
full  charge  of  the  business  during  the  two  and 
one-half  years  he  remained  there.  Afterward  he 
spent  a  year  with  his  father-in-law  and  completed 
the  trade  of  currier,  after  which  he  was  employed 
as  journeyman  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  and  vicinity  un- 
til 1858.  January  9,  1858,  he  married  Rebecca 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Saraii  A. 
Wonders,  of  Wyoming.  She  was  born  April  11, 
1840,  and  became  the  mother  of  the  following- 
named  children:  Sarah  Catherine,  widow  of  M. 
D.  Roche,  an  attorney,  and  the  mother  of  two 
children;  Mary  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Hicks,  of  Scran- 
ton; Mrs.  Anna  C.  Peel,  of  this  city;  William  P., 
a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
now  a  physician  living  in  the  west;  Nellie,  Julia 
and  Susan. 

For  a  year  our  subject  worked  at  his  trade  in 
Newark,  X.  J.,  after  which  he  was  foreman  cur- 
rier in  a  tannery  in  Pike  County,  Pa.,  for  eighteen 
months.  Afterward  he  leased  a  tannery  in  Lu- 
zerne County,  and  while  there  entered  the  Union 
army.  Since  then  he  has  made  his  home  in 
Scranton.  In  1878  he  was  appointed  chief  of 
police  and  organized  the  present  force,  adopting 
the  uniform  system.  In  June,  1885,  he  resigned 
as  cliief,  and  became  assistant  postmaster.  Fra- 
ternally he  has  been  connected  with  the  Knigiits 
of  Pythias  and  the  American  Legion  of  Honor 
and  is  identified  with  the  Medal  of  Honor  Legion. 

At  one  time  Captain  De  Lacy  was  chairman  of 
the  city  Democratic  connuittee  and  he  has  done 
effective  work  for  his  party.  In  1892  he  was 
elected  alderman  from  tlie  seventh  ward  and  was 
commissioned  by  Governor  Pattison  in  ^lay, 
1892,  for  a  term  of  five  years.     He  was  deputy 


51- 


rcjRTKAlT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


United  States  marshal,  apjiointed  by  Gen.  Thom- 
as A.  Rowley,  but  resigned  tlie  office  in  the  fall 
of  1871  to  accept  a  seat  in  the  legislature,  to 
which  he  was  elected  then  and  re-elected  in  1872. 
While  in  the  assembly,  he  secured  the  passage  of 
a  bill  establishing  Lackawanna  Hospital  and  was 
also  instrumental  in  forwarding  other  important 
bills.  He  was  elected  alderman  of  the  seventh 
ward  in  1892  and  re-elected  in  1897.  In  various 
campaigns  he  has  received  the  support  not  only 
of  his  own  party,  but  of  many  from  the  Repul)- 
lican  party.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  .Scranton  Veteran  Soldiers  Asso- 
ciation and  secured  the  convention  of  the  Asso- 
ciation of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  here  in  1892. 
Of  this  organization  he  was  elected  vice-president 
at  P)Oston  in  1893,  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles  being 
elected  president  at  the  same  time.  In  1895  he 
was  made  aide  on  the  Medal  of  Honor  stafT  and 
on  the  staff  of  the  Pennsylvania  Department.  In 
the  convention  at  Boston,  1896,  he  presented  an 
invitation  to  the  Medal  of  Honor  to  meet  in 
Scranton  in  1897,  'i''"^  this  was  unaniniouslv  ac- 
cepted. In  the  meeting  here  in  1892  he  was  elect- 
ed president  of  the  first  army  corps  association 
of  the  society.  For  four  years  he  was  commander 
of  Col.  William  N.  Monies  Post  No.  319,  G.  A.  R., 
and  IS  now  quartermaster,  also  aide  on  the  staff  of 
the  conmiander  of  Pennsylvania.  W.  H.  Cum- 
mings. 


HON.  CHARLES  P.  O'MALLEY,  attorney 
of  Scranton,  was  bom  in  Olyphant,  this 
county,  Jtily  16,  1870,  and  is  a  sun  of 
John  and  Ann  (Gallagher)  O'Malley,  natives  re- 
spectively of  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  Haw- 
ley,  Pa.  His  father,  who  was  orphaned  at  the 
age  of  nine  years,  learned  the  trade  of  a  confec- 
tioner, but  later  served  in  a  Dublin  regiment  of 
the  British  army,  stationed  in  England.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  he  left  the  army 
and  for  a  short  time  was  employed  on  the  Derby 
track.  About  1863  he  came  to  America  and  set- 
tled at  Olyphant,  where  he  has  since  been  em- 
ployed as  a  miner  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company.  In  1869  he  married  a  daughter 
of  Michael  Gallagher,  who  was  for  some  years 


employed  on  the  canal  and  on  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company's  railroad,  going  in  their  employ 
to  Dunmore,  where  he  died. 

Oi  the  family  of  two  daughters  and  four  sons, 
all  of  whom  are  living,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  eldest.  He  was  reared  in  Olyphant,  where 
at  the  age  of  eight  he  began  to  work  as  a  slate 
picker,  in  that  way  gaining  the  name  of  "breaker 
boy,"  so  frequently  appHed  to  him  during  his 
candidacy  for  the  legislature.  He  was  employed 
in  various  capacities  in  the  mines  and  was  also 
for  two  years  sexton  of  the  church  at  Olyphant. 
For  two  years  he  was  employed  in  the  general 
store  of  R.  J.  Gallagher,  in  that  place,  and  later 
worked  for  J-  J-  Walsh,  also  proprietor  of  a  gen- 
eral store  there.  In  1888  he  worked  for  the 
borough  as  a  laborer,  and  saving  his  money  ac- 
cumulated a  sufficient  amount  to  enable  him  to 
take  a  business  course  at  a  commercial  school. 

Through  study  in  the  night  schools  Mr.  O'lMal- 
ley  gained  the  rudiments  of  his  education  and  he 
never  lost  an  opportunity  to  add  to  his  store  of 
knowledge.  In  the  fall  of  1888  he  entered  Wood's 
Business  College  at  Scranton,  where  he  studied 
bookkeeping  and  stenography,  but  after  three 
months  his  funds  were  exhausted  and  he  went 
back  to  work  for  Mr.  Walsh.  In  October  of  1889 
he  came  to  Scranton  to  complete  the  study  of 
stenography  at  nights.  For  three  or  four  days  he 
was  employed  to  dig  for  abutments  for  the  Swet- 
land  Street  bridge,  after  which  he  was  for  a  month 
an  assistant  to  a  mason  in  the  lower  steel  mills.  In 
November  he  was  employed  by  the  borough  of 
Olyphant  to  teach  night  school,  in  which  he  had 
some  previous  experience,  having  for  two  win- 
ters, when  sixteen  and  seventeen,  taught  a  night 
school  in  the  basement  of  his  father's  house. 
While  employed  in  that  capacity  he  attended  the 
day  school  at  Scranton  and  then  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Megargel  &  Connell,  wholesale  gro- 
cers, as  stenographer,  but  at  their  request  was 
soon  transferred  to  the  floor  as  salesman.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  he  became  an  employe  of  the 
law  firm  of  Willard  &  Warren  as  stenographer 
and  while  there  he  read  law  of  evenings.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1894,  he  passed  a  successful  examination, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Lackawanna 
County. 


GEORGE  D.  COUCH. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


O^D 


Especial  mention  belongs  to   Mr.   O'AIalley's 
record  as  the  representative  of  the  fourth  district 
of  Lackawanna  County.     In  1894  he  was  nomi- 
nated for  the  assembly  on  the  Republican  ticket 
and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  eleven  hundred 
and  ninety-seven,  in  a  district  that  usually  gives 
a  Democratic  majority  of  eight  hundred.    He  en- 
tered the  assembly  in   1895   and  served  on  the 
judiciary,  mines  and  mining,  printing,  and  geo- 
logical research   committees.     He   introduced  a 
bill  providing  that  hereafter,  when   territory   is 
annexed  to  any  city  of  third  class,  the  annexed 
territory  is  subject  to  school  and  poor  taxes  the 
same  as  the  city  proper.     He  also  introduced  a 
bill  providing  for  the  use  of  good  oil  in  the  mines, 
which,  it  was  said  by  the  leading  mining  experts, 
would  be  beneficial  to  the  health  of  the  men  and 
prevent  asthma.    This  bill  he  succeeded  in  having 
passed  through  the  house  and  senate,  but  it  was 
vetoed  by  the  governor,  the  miners  taking  no 
interest  in  it.     Another  of  his  bills  was  that  se- 
curing provision  for  Carbondale  Hospital,  which 
was  passed,  this  being  one  of  four  institutions, 
the  only  ones  that  received  all  the  aid  requested 
from  the  state.     Of  other  bills,  it  may  be  said 
that  he  opposed  the  passage  of  the  Garb  bill,  be- 
cause it  attacked  the  denomination  of  which  he 
is  a  member.     He  favored  the  compulsory  edu- 
cational bill  and  worked  for  the  passage  of  the 
firemen's  relief  bill,  was  also  one  of  the  active  sup- 
porters of  the  bill  to  prevent  gambling  and  pool 
rooms  in   Pennsylvania.     A   bill  which  he  was 
largely  instrumental  in  getting  passed  was  that 
entitling  the  Scranton  poor  district  to  $17,000  a 
year  from  the  state  in  support  of  its  insane  de- 
partment, which  practically  makes  a  state  asylum 
of  the  Hillside  Home.    This  bill  reduces  the  poor 
tax  about  twenty-five  per  cent.    As  a  member  of 
the  judiciary  committee  he  secured  the  favorable 
consideration  by  that  committee  of  any  bill  pre- 
sented by  a  miner  who  was  a  member  of  the 
house,  and  through  that  committee  he  succeeded 
in  killing  the  anthracite  county  bill,  which  was 
introduced  as   a  piece  of   party   politics   by   his 
defeated  opponent  in  order  to  make  enemies  for 
him.     He  met  the  issue  face  to  face,  stating  his 
objections  squarely  and  openly.     In  the  passage 
of  the  superior  court  bill  he  took  a  warm  interest 


and  introduced  the  amendment  that  brings  the 
court  to  Scranton. 

Mr.  O'Malley  launched  the  first  boom  for 
Judge  Willard  for  superior  court  judge,  and  se- 
cured for  him  the  endorsement  of  every  senator 
and  representative  of  northeastern  Pennsylvania. 
At  the  adjournment  of  the  session  of  1895  he  re- 
turned to  Scranton  and  devoted  his  attention 
principally  to  politics  until  after  the  election  of 
Judge  Willard  in  November.  When  the  latter 
retired  from  the  firm  of  Willard,  Warren  & 
Knapp,  our  subject  became  a  member,  the  oth- 
ers being  Maj.  Everett  Warren,  ex-Judge  H.  A. 
Knapp,  and  Roscoe  Dale.  He  declined  re-nomi- 
nation for  the  assembly,  desiring  to  devote  his 
entire  time  to  the  practice  of  law.  He  has  met 
with  especial  success  in  municipal  and  election 
law.  With  his  partner,  Roscoe  Dale,  he  has  bro- 
ken up  several  fraudulent  sherifif's  sales  and  dis- 
couraged the  practice  of  dishonest  debtors  con- 
fessing fictitious  judgments  to  defraud  creditors. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  Central  Club 
and  is  the  ofificial  stenographer  for  the  State 
League  of  Republican  Clubs.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and 
the  Young  Men's  Institute. 


GEORGE  D.  COUCH,  formerly  one  of 
the  most  active  business  men  of  Carbon- 
dale,  was  bom  in  Uniondale,  December 
8,  1848,  and  died  in  Carbondale  June  19,  1894,  at 
the  age  of  forty-five.  His  father,  Benjamin  P. 
Couch,  was  born  in  1822  in  Connecticut,  whence 
he  came  to  Pennsylvania,  living  for  a  time  at 
Liniondale.  He  married  Catharine  Hice,  and 
their  only  son  was  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

When  five  years  of  age  Mr.  Couch  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Providence,  and  there  attended 
the  schools,  which,  with  the  three  months'  com- 
mercial course  in  Wyoming  Seminary,  completed 
his  school  life.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  en- 
tered the  Second  National  Bank  of  Scranton, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  removed  to  Carbondale  and  took  the  po- 
sition of  teller  in  the  First  National  Bank,  which 
position  he  filled  for  twenty-six  years.     As  his 


5i6 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


hours  at  the  bank  were  short,  he  formed  the  plan 
of  establishing  a  small  insurance  business,  not 
expecting  it  would  develop  to  any  great  extent, 
but  under  his  efficient  management  it  increased 
until  it  proved  to  be  second  to  none  in  Carbon- 
dale.  Since  his  demise,  Mrs.  Couch,  assisted  by 
her  son,  has  continued  the  business. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Couch  was  connected  with 
the  Heptasophs,  Masons,  and  was  treasurer  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  also 
treasurer  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, and  filled  other  positions  of  trust.  Always 
interested  in  local  afifairs,  he  voted  the  Republican 
ticket  and  supported  the  principles  of  that  party. 
He  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  but  after 
his  marriage  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  to  which  his  wife  belonged.  July  8, 
1873,  li*-'  ^^'^s  united  in  marriage  with  Lydia  J. 
Clark,  daughter  of  Stephen  S.  and  Jane  (Jordan) 
Clark,  the  latter  deceased,  the  former  still  living. 
She  became  the  mother  of  four  children.  The 
eldest,  Edwin  Albert,  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years.  George  Franklin,  the  second  son,  has 
charge  of  the  insurance  business  established  by 
his  father.  The  other  children,  Helen  and  Fred, 
arc  at  home. 


WILLIAAI  H.  SANT.  In  the  southern 
part  of  Wales,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Taff,  stands  the  thriving  city  of  Car- 
diff, the  capital  of  Glamorganshire,  \\  here  a  noble 
old  castle  and  a  few  suburban  dwellings  indicate 
that  its  history  reaches  far  back  into  the  past, 
while  numerous  iron-mills,  shipyards,  docks  and 
railroads  show  that  it  has  kept  pace  with  the  de- 
velopments of  the  passing  years.  In  this  city  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  first  ()])encd  his  eyes  to 
the  light  and  there  his  bovhood  da\s  were  passed. 
In  yoiitli  Ik-  learned  the  macliinist's  trade,  which 
his  father.  Thomas,  followed,  as  did  also  his 
brothers,  one  (jf  the  latter  being  now  the  general 
manager  of  the  Dowling  iron  works.  Mechanical 
ability  runs  in  the  family,  almost  every  member 
jiossessing  considerable  talent  in  that  direction. 
Frr)iii  Cardifif  ships  ply  to  New  York  and  other 
leading  ports  of  the  world,  taking  with  them  emi- 


grants who  seek  home  and  fortune  in  other  lands. 
At  least  one  boy  watched  their  departure  with 
interest  and  thought  of  the  possibilities  that 
awaited  him  in  the  new  world  could  he  come 
hither.  The  other  members  of  the  family  were 
content  to  remain  i:i  Cardiff,  but  in  1872  he 
crossed  the  ocean,  resolved  to  venture  his  all  in 
America.  At  first  he  was  employed  as  a  machin- 
ist in  Susquehanna  Cottnty,  where  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  manufacture  of  ornamental  fenc- 
ing. In  1880  he  came  to  Scranton  and  established 
a  factory  in  Jackson  Street,  remaining  there  until 
1896,  when  he  sold  the  property  to  the  school 
board  and  built  at  his  present  location.  No.  iio- 
112  Chestnut  Street.  He  is  the  oldest  fence  man- 
ufacturer here  and  takes  the  lead  for  fine  work. 
In  addition  to  the  city  trade,  he  has  introduced 
his  fences  into  different  states. 

Mr.  Sant  is  a  member  of  St.  David's  Episcopal 
Church,  politically  adheres  to  Republican  tenets 
and  in  his  fraternal  relations  is  a  Mason.  In  this 
city  in  1887  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Jones,  who 
was  born  here,  and  is  the  third  of  six  children 
comprising  the  family  of  Evan  R.  and  Ann  (Har- 
ris) Jones,  natives  of  Wales.  Her  father,  who 
came  to  Scranton  soon  after  his  marriage,  was 
employed  the  most  of  the  time  as  an  agent,  and 
died  here  in  1891.  Henry  Harris,  the  maternal 
grandfather  of  Mrs.  Sant,  emigrated  from  Wales 
to  America  and  settled  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  where  he 
was  foreman  of  Thompson's  Coal  Company;  he 
married  Mary  Price,  who  survives  him  and  makes 
her  home  in  Scranton,  being  now  ninety-four 
years  of  age.  Mrs.  Ann  Jones  is  also  living  in 
this  city.  In  the  public  schools  Mrs.  Sant  re- 
ceived a  good  education  and  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage was  employed  as  a  tailoress.  She  is  the 
mother  of  two  sons,  William  and  Alva,  to  whom 
will  be  given  the  best  advantages  within  the 
means  of  their  parents,  in  order  that  thev  mav 
be  fitted  for  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility 
in  the  business  world. 


THOMAS  EYNON.     Through  the  course 
of  a  long  life  and  in  the  development  of 
the  various  industries  with  which  he  has 
been  comiected,  Mr.  Eynon  has  won  and  main- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


517 


tained  a  reputation  for  honesty,  energy  and  per- 
severance. He  is  partner  in  the  firm  of  G.  F. 
Eynon  &  Co.,  proprietors  of  a  general  store  at 
No.  105  North  Main  Avenue,  Scranton,  and  is 
well  known  in  business  circles  of  this  city.  The 
fact  that  he  has  risen  from  a  humble  position  in 
youth  to  a  rank  among  the  well-to-do  residents 
of  the  city,  adds  another  striking  illustration  of 
the  power  of  determined  purpose. 

Mr.  Eynon  was  born  in  Wales  July  18,  1821, 
and  in  1832  accompanied  his  father,  John  Eynon, 
to  Canada,  but  the  following  year  came  to  the 
United  States,  settling  in  Pottsville,  Pa.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  began  to  work  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  and  this  he  followed  continuously 
for  ten  years.  From  Pottsville  he  removed  to 
Carhondale,  where  eight  years  were  spent,  and  in 
1850  he  came  to  Scranton.  Here  he  assisted  in 
opening  the  Diamond  mines  and  worked  at  min- 
ing for  two  years,  after  which  for  three  years  he 
engaged  at  his  trade.  Afterward,  for  four  years, 
he  was  foreman  of  the  Hampton  mines. 

From  mining  and  carpentering  Mr.  Evnon 
turned  his  attention  to  the  mercantile  business 
arid  opened  a  store  on  the  corner  of  Main  Ave- 
nue and  Scranton  Street.  Scranton,  where  he  car- 
ried on  a  profitable  trade  for  six  years.  On  clos- 
ing out  the  business,  he  went  to  Summit  Hill  and 
was  foreman  in  mines  there  for  three  years.  He 
held  a  similar  position  in  Irondale,  Ohio,  and 
later  had  a  mercantile  store  in  Alliance.  Ohio, 
for  four  years.  Going  from  there  to  Steuben- 
ville,  the  same  state,  he  erected  a  rolling  mill  and 
remained  two  years  in  that  place.  Since  his  re- 
turn to  Scranton  he  has  been  engaged,  first  in 
merchandising,  then  for  fifteen  years  as  foreman 
of  the  Diamond  mines,  and  since  1893  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  G.  F.  Eynon  &  Co.  He  makes 
his  home  at  No.  322  South  Main  Avenue. 

In  1840  Mr.  Eynon  married  Miss  Jane  Ley- 
shon,  who  was  born  in  Wales,  but  has  spent  her 
life  principally  in  America.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  them,  of  whom  three  are  living.  Albert 
B.,  who  is  cashier  of  the  West  .Side  Bank,  is  one 
of  the  expert  financiers  of  Scranton  and  is  rec(5g- 
nizedas  one  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  city.  George 
F.  is  a  successful  business  man  and  carries  on  the 
general  store  in  which  his  father  owns  an  inter- 


est. Jennie  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  B.  G.  Beddoe,  of 
Hyde  Park.  During  the  late  war  Mr.  Eynon  was 
treasurer  of  the  Hyde  Park  borough.  He  is  a 
man  who  maintains  a  keen  interest  in  all  public 
matters  and  favors  schemes  for  the  proaiotion 
of  the  welfare  of  the  people.  He  is  a  member  of 
Plymouth  Church  and  a  contributor  to  its  main- 
tenance, as  well  as  to  the  carrying  forward  of  phil- 
anthropic plans.  The  Welsh  citizens  of  Scrant  m 
have  in  him  an  able  representative,  and  he  is  an 
honor  both  to  the  land  of  liis  birth  and  tlie  home 
of  liis  adoption. 


WILLIAM  F.  COURTRIGHT,  outside 
foreman  of  the  Sibley  mines  in  Lacka- 
wanna Township,  was  born  in  Luzerne 
County.  Pa.,  May  23,  1848,  and  there  the  first 
fourteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent,  a  portion 
of  the  time  in  attendance  at  the  common  schools. 
He  first  began  work  in  the  Burris  colliery  at 
Plainsville.  and  from  there  went  to  the  Enterprise 
colliery.  Through  diligent  effort  and  hard  work, 
he  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  mining  in 
all  its  details.  In  1869  his  efficiency  was  recog- 
nized by  his  promotion  to  the  position  of  assist- 
ant inside  foreman  and  he  continued  in  that  capa- 
city until  1872,  when  he  was  made  general  inside 
superintendent.  These  successive  promotions 
represent  a  great  deal  of  effort  on  his  part  and 
show  that  his  untiring  labors  in  the  interests  of 
the  company  were  appreciated. 

Coming  to  the  Lackawanna  \'alley  in  1874, 
Mr.  Courtright  was  made  inside  foreman  of  the 
Sibley  mines,  where  he  remained  until  May.  1876, 
and  then  went  to  the  Greenwood  mines.  How- 
ever, in  1879.  he  returned  to  the  Sibley  mines  as 
inside  foreman  and  in  that  capacity  continued 
to  render  efficient  service  until  1888,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  outside  foreman.  At  this  writ- 
ing there  are  three  hundred  and  fifty-eight  men 
employed  in  the  mines,  all  of  whom  are  under  the 
supervision  of  Mr.  Courtright.  As  may  be  sup- 
posed, his  position  is  no  sinecure.  He  is  obliged 
to  superintend  the  entire  work  and  is  responsible 
for  its  success  and  for  the  perfection  of  every  de- 
tail. To  his  credit  it  may  be  said  that  he  has 
never  disappointed  his  employers,  but  has  inva- 


5i8 


PORTRAIT   AXD    HIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


riably  rendered  efficient  service  in  their  behalf. 

In  1871  Mr.  Courtright  married  Miss  Zilpha 
II.  Winslow,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
children  :  Martha,  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Davis;  and 
Ida.  The  family  are  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  attendants  at  its  ser- 
vices. The  record  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Courtrig-ht 
shows  that  he  is  generous  and  whole-souled,  and 
liis  neiglibors  feel  that  they  may  call  upon  him 
for  sympathy  and  help  in  hours  of  need.  He 
has  had  his  obstacles  to  surmount  and  his  mis- 
fortunes to  endure,  but  has  worked  steadily  on- 
ward and  is  now  in  independent  circumstances. 


THOMAS  EMERSON.  Though  of  Scotch 
birth  and  parentage,  Mr.  Emerson  has 
spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  the  United 
States  and  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  our  government,  to  the  principles  of  which 
he  is  loyally  devoted.  His  has  been  a  liusy  and 
useful  existence,  for  he  began  in  childhood  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood  and  the  years  of  nian- 
liood  were  spent  in  hard  work  for  the  benefit  of 
those  dear  to  him.  Now,  in  the  twilight  of  life's 
day,  he  is  living  in  retirement  from  active  labors, 
and  makes  his  home  at  No.  1605  Jackson  Street, 
Scranton. 

Mr.  Emerson  is  the  third  in  a  family  of  five 
children,  of  whom  the  others,  William,  Jean, 
Nancy  and  Jane,  are  deceased.  He  was  born  in 
Lancashire,  Scotland,  December  25,  i8ig,  and  at 
the  age  of  two  years  was  brought  to  America  by 
his  parents,  Robert  and  Margaret  (Logan)  Em- 
erson, who  settled  in  Massachusetts,  near  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  T.  There  fifteen  years  were  spent. 
When  he  was  about  seventeen  he  came  to  I'enn- 
sylvania  in  company  with  his  father  and  settled 
in  Scott  Township,  this  county,  the  latter  remain- 
ing in  this  locality  until  his  death  at  Claries  (Jrccn 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 

Prior  to  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  Emerson 
iiad  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  but  on  his  arri\'al 
here  he  became  interested  in  farming,  to  which 
he  devoted  his  attention  in  Scott  Township  for 
seven  years  and  in  Abington  Township  one  year. 
He  then  went  back  to  Alassachusetts  and  followed 
his  trade  there  for  twelve  years.    On  his  return  to 


Pennsylvania,  he  spent  two  years  in  Nicholson, 
Wyoming  County,  after  which  he  came  to  Scott 
Township  and  purchased  a  place  suitable  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  Twenty-five  years  were  passed 
there,  his  attention  being  given  to  the  details  of 
farm  work.  In  1879  he  came  to  Scranton,  where 
for  two  years  he  engaged  in  the  furniture  busi- 
ness, but  has  since  lived  retired. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Emerson,  which  took 
place  in  1842,  united  him  with  Miss  Sabra  Pot- 
ter, and  they  had  two  children,  Sarah  J.  and 
Horace  M.,  the  latter  represented  on  another 
page.  In  1879  l^c  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Deborah  C.  Morse,  of  Grafton,  Mass.,  an 
estimable  lady,  who  shares  with  her  husband  in 
the  esteem  of  neighbors  and  friends.  While  the 
busy  life  Mr.  Emerson  has  led  has  never  per- 
mitted him  to  identify  himself  with  public  alTairs, 
yet  by  thoughtful  reading  he  has  kept  well  posted 
regarding  national  issues  and  has  always  adh-.'red 
to  Republican  principles  since  the  organization 
of  the  party.  He  sincerely  believes  that  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  political  organization  to  which  he 
has  given  his  constant  adherence  are  best  crlcu- 
lated  to  promote  the  progress  of  free  government 
and  perpetuate  our  institutions  on  the  basis  pro- 
posed by  the  founders  of  the  republic. 


JOHN  A.  LaBAR,  who  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Democratic  party  in  Scran- 
ton, was  born  at  Plains,  Luzeme  County, 
Pa.,  August  2,  1830,  and  is  a  descendant  of 
Erench  ancestry.  The  first  of  the  name  in  Amer- 
ica were  three  brothers  who  came  from  France, 
one  settling  in  Pennsylvania,  another  in  New 
York  State,  and  the  third  in  Canada.  The  name 
was  originally  Le  Barre,  but  after  settlement 
among  the  Germans,  it  was  changed  to  its  pres- 
ent form.  William,  father  of  John  A.,  was  born 
at  Plains,  Luzerne  County,  and  w-as  a  son  of  John 
LaBar,  a  native  of  Hellertown,  Northampton 
County,  but  early  deceased.  William  was  a  mer- 
chant tailor  by  trade  and  owned  a  farm  in  the 
Wyoming  valley,  but  after  a  time  he  sold  out 
and  jnirchased  a  place  at  Waverly,  Abington 
Township,  Lackawanna  County,  about  1848. 
There  he  continued  to  reside  until  liis  death  in 


l'R(»l'     .\I,l'Kl':ii   WOOIJvR. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


521 


1877.  Prominent  in  the  Democratic  party,  he 
took  an  active  interest  in  conventions  and  was 
very  influential,  but  never  cared  to  hold  office. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Margaret  Tedrick  and  was  born  near 
Pittston,  Pa.,  a  daughter  of  Adam  Tedrick,  a 
farmer  and  early  settler  of  Pittston,  coming  from 
New  Jersey.  He  died  about  1850  and  his  daugh- 
ter, Margaret,  passed  away  in  Scranton,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven,  being  two  years  older  than 
was  her  husband  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  Of 
their  six  children,  three  are  living.  Giles,  who 
was  an  inspector  at  Wyoming  Seminary,  Kings- 
ton, died  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven ;  Caro- 
line, Mrs.  Wait,  is  deceased;  Mrs.  Parma  Clark 
resides  in  Scranton;  John  A.  is  ne.xt  in  order  of 
birth;  Catherine,  Mrs.  William  von  Storch,  died 
in  this  city;  and  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
J.  K.  Bentley,  of  Scranton. 

In  1848  the  subject  of  this  sketch  removed  from 
Plains  to  Waverly,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
His  education  was  received  in  Wyoming  Semi- 
nary and  Madison  Academy.  The  death  of  his 
brother  left  him  the  only  son  and  induced  him 
to  remain  at  home  as  long  as  his  father  lived,  but 
afterward  the  old  home  was  sold.  In  1878  be 
came  to  Scranton  and  became  agent  for  his 
brother-in-law,  William  von  Storch,  in  the  large 
real  estate  interests  owned  by  the  latter,  whose 
property  comprised  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
acres  in  the  city.  Of  this  he  had  the  entire  super- 
vision, laying  it  out  in  lots,  and  selling  it  as  op- 
portunity ofTered,  until  after  a  time  tlie  entire 
tract  was  disposed  of.  He  is  fond  of  a  good  horse 
and  owns  a  standard  bred,  "Tom  Ford,"  which 
has  an  excellent  record  for  speed.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  demitted  Mason. 

Always  an  adherent  of  Democratic  principles, 
Mr.  LaEar  has  been  intimately  associated  with 
public  affairs  in  this  community.  For  two  years 
he  represented  the  second  ward  in  the  connnon 
council  and  during  this  time  he  was  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee.  Under  Randolph  Crip- 
pen  he  was  deputy  sheriff,  but  resigned  the  posi- 
tion on  account  of  the  pressing  nature  of  his  real 
estate  interests.     In  1896  he  was  chosen,  witliout 


solicitation  on  his  part,  the  nominee  of  his  party 
for  the  assembly,  but  was  defeated.  Besides  his 
other  political  work,  he  has  served  on  the  city 
committee  and  has  been  an  important  factor  in 
all  political  measures  advocated  by  the  party. 


PROF.  ALFRED  WOOLER,  tenor  vocal- 
ist. Among  the  many  arts  and  sciences 
of  which  man  is  master,  there  is  none  more 
noble  than  that  of  music,  and  in  this  profession 
Professor  Wooler  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in  the 
city  of  Scranton.  He  is  young  in  years,  but  his 
musical  talent  became  conspicuous  at  so  early  an 
age  that,  in  voice  culture,  theory  and  harmony, 
he  has  become  the  superior  of  men  his  senior  in 
point  of  years.  In  addition  to  being  the  posses- 
sor of  a  superb  tenor  voice,  he  is  a  successful 
composer  of  songs  and  quartette  music. 

A  member  of  an  old  English  family  and  grand- 
son of  Rev.  James  Wooler,  a  minister  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  May  11,  1867,  being 
a  son  of  David  and  Sarah  (Simpson)  Wooler,  na- 
tives of  the  same  shire  as  himself.  His  father, 
who  is  a  warp-dresser  by  trade,  possesses  consid- 
erable musical  talent;  his  mother  had  a  rare  voice 
combined  with  a  fine  musical  temperament,  but 
neither  of  them  entered  the  musical  profession. 
His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Robert  Simpson, 
a  native  of  England  and  in  early  life  a  sailor,  but 
afterward  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cloth, 
and  at  this  writing  still  living  and  in  good  health. 

Professor  Wooler  is  the  fourth  child  in  a  family 
of  sixteen  children,  nine  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  eight  sons  and  four  daughters  are 
living  at  this  writing,  and  are  with  few  exceptions 
fine  musicians.  The  nine  sons  are  named  as  fol- 
lows: Albert,  who  is  leader  of  a  hand-bell  band 
in  England,  likewise  arranger  of  hand-bell  music, 
and  an  instrumentaHst;  Alfred,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  John,  who  died  in  childhood;  Ed- 
ward, who  is  an  overlooker  (or  foreman)  in  a 
cloth  factory  in  Winooski,  Vt.,  also  a  cornetist, 
late  member  of  the  famous  Saltaire  Prize  Brass 
Band,  of  Saltaire,  Yorkshire,  England;  James 
and  Robert,  who  are  partners  in  the  bakery  busi- 
ness in  England,  and  are  clever  hand-bell  ringers. 


522 


PORTRAIT    AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


also  champion  athletes,  being  long  distance  run- 
ners, each  having  won  many  prizes,  including 
about  ten  firsts,  James  also  being  a  talented  artist, 
gaining  recognition  from  noted  English  painters; 
Arthur,  who  continues  to  reside  in  England  and 
possesses  considerable  literary  ability;  David. 
Jr.,  a  machinist,  who,  though  very  young,  has 
gained  a  diploma  in  his  chosen  profession;  and 
HarPi',  the  youngest  son,  who,  though  only 
eleven  years  of  age,  plays  in  a  leading  band,  also 
in  public  concerts  and  excels  as  a  cornet  soloist, 
besides  being  the  possessor  of  a  good  voice  and 
a  member  of  a  church  choir.  The  names  of  the 
daughters  are  as  follows;  Ann  Elizabeth,  who 
died  in  her  sixteenth  year;  Ada,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four;  Clara;  Ellen;  Ruth,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Lilly,  and  Sarah  Hannah. 
When  only  ten  years  of  age  our  subject  was  a 
paid  member  of  the  parish  church  choir  at  Ship- 
ley, and  while  there  gained  his  first  lessons  in 
music  and  singing.  He  continued  at  this  church 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen,  when  his 
voice  changed,  and  for  a  time  he  did  not  sing  in 
public.  However,  he  continued  the  study  of  mu- 
sic, and  for  some  time  was  engaged  as  a  hand- 
bell ringer,  later  being  a  member  of  an  instru- 
mental band.  He  studied  four  years  in  singing 
with  the  eminent  singer  and  teacher,  Robert 
ISradley,  of  Bradford,  Yorkshire,  England.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-three  he  came  tO'  America  and 
located  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  His  voice  soon 
brought  him  into  prominence  and  secured  for 
him  a  position  as  solo  tenor  at  the  Baptist  Church 
of  that  city.  While  holding  this  position  he  had 
an  offer  to  travel  in  concert  with  the  celebrated 
Schubert  Male  Quartette  of  Chicago,  111.,  but  re- 
fused. At  the  end  of  one  year  he  resigned  to 
take  a  similar  position  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  also  of  that  city,  succeeding  Harry  J. 
Fellows,  who  resigned  to  go  to  Brooklyn.  This 
was  the  leading  position  in  Jamestown,  and  in  it 
he  remained  two  years.  During  this  time  he 
took  part  in  many  concerts.  On  one  occasion 
he  sang  in  concert  with  Madam  Belle  Cole,  who 
was  so  charmed  with  his  voice  that  she  urged  him 
to  return  at  once  to  England,  saying  that  he 
could  make  his  fortune  there  with  his  voice. 
Professor  Wooler  resigned  from  the  Presby- 


terian Church  after  singing  on  trial  and  being 
accepted  as  solo  tenor  at  the  new  Elm  Park 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Scranton,  com- 
mencing December  i,  1893.  When  the  Alle- 
ghany Music  Association  rendered  works  from 
the  great  masters  in  Carnegie  Hall,  that  city,  in 
the  spring  of  1894,  he  was  engaged  as  soloist, 
along  w^ith  Madam  Mechling  and  'Mr.  McGill, 
receiving  high  praise  in  many  of  the  newspapers 
for  his  fine  work;  also  was  offered  the  position 
of  solo  tenor  in  Calvary  Church,  Pittsburg,  but 
was  induced  to  remain  in  Scranton.  Since  then 
he  has  refused  similar  offers  from  churches  in 
New  York  city,  Elmira,  X.  Y.,  and  Syracuse,  N. 
Y.  At  this  writing  he  is  at  the  Elm  Park  M.  E. 
Church,  this  being  his  fourth  year  at  that  church. 
He  also  holds  the  tenor  position  in  the  quartette 
choir  at  the  Jewish  Synagogue  in  Scranton.  He 
has  had  the  pleasure  of  singing  in  duett  with 
Madam  Blauvelt,  also  in  concert  with  Madam 
Bloodgood  and  other  prominent  singers.  That 
he  is  appreciated  in  Scranton  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  he  has  repeatedly  received  an  increase 
in  salary  since  coming  here.  His  whole  time  is 
taken  up  in  music,  having  a  number  of  pupils  in 
voice  culture,  etc.  He  is  also  an  ardent  student 
in  harmony  and  composition,  his  teacher  in  this 
branch  being  Dr.  Hugh  A.  Clarke,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  with  whom  he  is  taking  a  very  rigid 
course. 

In  composition  Professor  Wooler's  genius  has 
forcibly  demonstrated  itself.  By  the  enthusiastic 
recognition  from  noted  musicians  and  the  public 
in  general,  he  is  encouraged  in  his  work  and  is 
placing  from  time  to  time  compositions  of  rare 
merit.  In  the  fall  of  1895  he  composed  his  first 
song,  and  since  then  he  has  composed  a  number 
of  pieces;  the  following  have  been  published  (on 
royalty):  Song,  "Sweet  Little  Mary,"  for  medium 
voice;  song,  "Dear  Adeline,"  tenor;  song, 
"Hearts  so  True,"  medium;  song,  "Sailor  Maid," 
baritone;  sacred  song,  "Land  so  Fair,"  for  tenor, 
soprano,  alto  or  baritone;  sacred  quartette  or 
chorus,  "Jubilate  Deo;"  sacred  quartette,  "Hear 
My  Prayer,"  introducing  the  Lord's  Prayer;  sa- 
cred song,  "Life  and  Death,"  for  medium  voice. 
All  the  above,  with  the  exception  of  last  named, 
are  published  by  Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Bos- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


523 


ton  and  New  York,  also  in  England,  "Life  and 
Death'"  being  published  by  The  John  Church 
Company,  Cincinnati  and  New  York. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  Professor  Wooler  mar- 
ried Miss  Lily  Meeking,  who  was  born  in  Leeds, 
Yorkshire.  England,  and  is,  like  himself,  an  ad- 
herent of  the  Episcopalian  faith.  She  possesses 
a  very  deep  contralto  voice  and  is  a  woman  of 
rare  beauty  and  an  accomplished  wife.  They 
have  three  children:  WiUie,  born  May  16,  1889, 
whose  tendency  is  toward  drawing,  etc. ;  Mamie 
Lillian,  born  October  29,  1891,  who  possesses  a 
sweet  voice  and  loves  to  sing;  Laura  May,  born 
September  14,  1893,  who,  though  only  three  years 
of  age,  has  already  displayed  great  musical  abil- 
ity, being  able  to  sing  many  little  songs.  Her 
father  has  great  hopes  that  she  will  continue  and 
some  day  be  a  great  singer.  Professor  Wooler 
has  had  offers  to  enter  operatic  work,  and  would 
doubtless  do  well  should  he  ever  enter  it,  but  he 
prefers  to  stay  out  of  that  profession.  His  genial 
temperament  has  won  for  him  many  friends. 
Scranton  is  to  be  congratulated  on  having  such 
a  magnificent  tenor  and  musician.  Prof.  Wooler 
is  a  naturalized  American  citizen. 


ROBERT  A.  BRYSON.  While  this  county 
has  much  in  the  way  of  natural  resources 
and  commercial  transactions  to  com- 
mend it  to  the  public,  the  chief  interest  centers 
in  the  lives  of  those  citizens  who  have  taken  a 
prominent  place  in  its  business  and  professional 
interests.  Well  known  among  these  men  is  Mr. 
Bryson,  who  is  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  and  re- 
pairer of  sewing  machines,  with  place  of  business 
at  No.  14  Salem  Avenue,  Carbondale.  Through 
travel  and  intercourse  with  men  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  he  has  gained  a  cosmopolitan 
breadth  of  character  that  makes  him  a  genial 
companion.  As  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  great  civil  conflict,  his  services  were 
of  a  nature  so  brave  and  patriotic  as  to  entitle 
him  to  the  esteem  of  every  loyal  citizen. 

The  Bryson  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
Robert,  our  subject's  father,  who  came  to  this 
country  in  young  manhood  and  secured  employ- 
ment in  connection  with  the  manufacture  of  shoes. 


in  which  business  he  was  an  expert.  At  different 
times  he  resided  in  Hancock,  Lanesboro,  Nassau 
and  North  Adams,  Mass.,  and  died  in  the  last- 
named  place  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  when  our 
subject  was  about  four  years  of  age.  Some  time 
prior  to  his  demise  his  health  failed  on  account 
of  close  application  to  business  and  his  physician 
advised  a  change  of  occupation.  Being  a  natural 
mechanic,  he  secured  the  necessary  tools  for  the 
work  of  carpenter,  hoping  by  such  change  he 
might  regain  his  health.  However,  he  worked  at 
it  but  little,  for  his  strength  was  not  sufficient, 
and  in  a  short  time  he  was  called  from  earth. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Eunice  Allen,  was 
born  in  Waltham,  Mass.,  the  daughter  of  a  sea 
captain,  who  spent  much  of  his  time  upon  the 
ocean,  but  died  in  Massachusetts.  She  was  the 
mother  of  three  children,  Euphemia,  Robert  and 
Eveline,  by  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Bryson,  and  by 
a  subsequent  marriage  to  Salmon  Rogers,  there 
were  two  children  born,  Theodore  and  Orrin, 
Robert  A.  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  January 
24,  1839,  was  early  orphaned  by  his  father's  death 
and  afterward  remained  with  his  mother  until 
fourteen,  when  he  sought  to  make  his  own  living 
independently.  Working  at  various  things  as  he 
found  enijiloyment,  he  drifted  from  place  to  place. 
Making  his  home  with  relatives,  he  feared  he  was 
a  burden  to  them,  although  he  did  more  than 
enough  work  to  pay  for  his  board.  Whether  or 
not  they  wished  to  get  rid  of  him,  he  thought  so. 
The  feeling  of  independence  was  strong  in  him 
and  he  determined  to  leave.  To  secure  a  com- 
plete severance  from  all,  he  went  to  sea  and  be- 
came a  sailor,  living  upon  the  rolling  deep  the 
most  of  the  time  for  four  years.  Later  two  years 
were  spent  in  Florida,  where  he  was  employed 
in  carrying  the  mail.  Thence  he  went  to  Cuba 
and  worked  as  foreman  or  boss  of  teams  in  the 
grading  of  a  railroad. 

In  1 86 1  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  and  after  a 
short  time  in  Cuba,  Mr.  Bryson  came  to  New 
York,  in  company  with  a  young  man  from  Ohio. 
In  1862  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  K, 
Eighty-eighth  Ohio  Infantry,  and  was  in  the  ser- 
vice for  three  years,  the  most  of  the  time  in  Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee  and  Georgia.  Among  the  im- 
portant   engagements   in   which   he   participated 


524 


PORTRAIT   AXn    RTOGRArillCAL    RKCORD. 


were  those  at  Stony  Creek,  Perryville,  Lookout 
Mountain,  Mission  Ridge,  Chickamaiiga  and  Re- 
saca.  The  hardships  of  war  he  knows  by  expe- 
rience. On  many  a  sanguinary  battlefield  he 
faced  a  determined  foe,  and  in  forced  marches 
endured  perils  no  less  than  those  in  the  open  field. 
It  required  a  stout  heart  to  endure  all  the  dan- 
gers of  war  without  flinching,  but  it  may  be  said 
of  him  truthfully  that  he  never  once  turned  his 
back  upon  the  enemy,  but  stood  firmly  by  the  old 
flag  until  it  no  longer  needed  his  protection. 

Upon  the  expiration  of  the  war,  Mr.  Bryson 
went  to  the  bituminous  coal  region  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  uas  employed  at  Harrisburg,  Blooms- 
burg,  Hazlcton,  Renovo  and  Pittsburg,  gaining  a 
considerable  fund  of  knowledge  by  contact  with 
men  and  by  actual  experience  in  the  mines.  Later 
he  worked  in  a  machine  shop.  In  1879  he  ^"" 
tered  the  sewing  machine  business  at  Scranton 
and  from  there  came  to  Carbondale  in  1880.  Po- 
litically he  was  reared  in  the  Republican  faith, 
but  adheres  to  Prohibition  principles  and  usually 
votes  that  ticket.  With  his  family  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  By  his  mar- 
riage to  Laura  Regan,  an  estimable  lady  whose 
active  co-operation  has  been  of  the  greatest  as- 
sistance to  him,  he  is  the  father  of  five  children, 
namely:  Sophia,  wife  of  K.  G.  Wickmier,  and 
mother  of  a  son,  Bryson;  Robert  H.,  who  is  inter- 
ested in  the  sewing  machine  business  with  his 
father;  Eunice,  Mary  and  Margaret,  who  are 
with  their  parents.  Robert  H.  married  Julia 
Scharlock,  of  this  city,  and  resides  at  No.  81  Park 
Street.  The  mechanical  genius  of  his  father  and 
grandfather  he  seems  to  have  inherited,  and  is 
known  as  an  expert  mechanic,  his  ability  in  this 
line  being  of  the  greatest  assistance  to^  him  in 
the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged.  Both  father 
and  son  are  thoroughly  upright  and  are  zealous 
in  all  good  works  for  the  promotion  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  city  and  the  welfare  of  the  citizens. 


Gi'lORGE  GRIFFIN.  It  is  impossible  to 
overestimate  the  extent  of  the  inHucnce 
for  good  which  the  life  of  one  honest, 
uprigjit  citi/en  exerts  upon  the  lives  and  con- 
duct of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


It  is  the  silent  influence  of  a  good  example  that 
tells  more  truly  than  sounding  words  or  outward 
profession  the  state  of  the  heart  within.  A  life- 
long resident  of  Scranton,  the  gentleman  of  whom 
this  sketch  is  a  record  has  contributed  by  his 
business  activity  to  the  advancement  of  the  city's 
commercial  interests  and  has  aided  the  moral,  ed- 
ucational and  social  welfare  of  the  citizens. 

As  is  well  known  throughout  the  county,  the 
Griffin  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  here.  In  the 
early  days  when  settlers  were  few,  Thomas  Grif- 
fin, our  subject's  grandfather  and  an  upright  man 
of  Quaker  belief,  came  to  the  old  town  of  Provi- 
dence from  his  birthplace  in  Westchester  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  bought  about  six  hundred  acres  lying 
between  the  estates  of  Ira  Tripp  and  Henry  von 
Storch.  His  first  home  was  a  log  house  on  the 
flats,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the  Providence 
road,  but  later  he  built  a  more  substantial  house 
in  North  Main  Avenue,  where  he  died  at  eighty 
years.  He  had  several  brothers,  Stephen  Joseph 
and  James,  all  Quakers  and  residents  of  Provi- 
dence, the  last-named  being  a  farmer  and  the 
owner  of  what  is  now  the  William  Winton  home- 
stead; the  sisters  were  Mrs.  Mead,  who  came  to 
Scranton,  and  Mrs.  Halstead,  Mrs.  McKee  and 
Mrs.  demons,  of  New  York. 

By  his  marriage  to  Anna  Clapp,  of  New  York, 
a  Quakeress,  Thomas  Griffin  had  the  following- 
named  children:  Isaac,  who  died  in  Providence 
in  1846;  Charlotte,  Mrs.  Stevens,  who  died  in 
Blakely  Township;  Philip  C,  our  subject's  father, 
who  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
died  in  Providence;  Thomas,  Jr.,  whose  death 
occurred  in  Providence;  Lettie,  who  died  here, 
unmarried;  Benjamin  and  Durlin,  who  passed 
away  in  Madisonville,  this  county;  and  Philo, 
w!io  died  in  Providence.  Philip  C,  who  was  a 
farmer,  owned  fifty  acres  in  North  Main  Avenue 
and  one  hundred  acres  farther  back  on  the  moun- 
tain. He  passed  his  life  here,  dying  in  1846,  at 
the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  His  wife,  Melinda 
Harding,  was  born  in  Herrick,  Susquehanna 
Coimty,  in  1803,  and  died  in  1881;  she  was  a 
daughter  of  Elisha  Harding,  who  was  a  large 
farmer  on  the  Newbnrgh  turnpike. 

The  family  of  Philip  C.  Griftin  consisted  of 
eight  children,  viz.:     Elisha,  for  years  a  bridge 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


525 


contractor  and  a  railroad  man  in  the  employ  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company, 
but  now  in  poor  health  and  retired;  Aaron,  de- 
ceased, formerly  connected  with  the  wood  and 
tie  department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western;  Ira,  section  foreman  on  the  Blooms- 
burg  division  of  that  railroad,  and  who  died  in 
Pittston;  Lieut.  Ezra  S.,  deceased;  Webster,  who 
is  living  retired  at  Glenburn;  George,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch ;  and  Thomas,  who  is  living  retired 
in  Scranton.  Probably  the  most  prominent  of 
these  sons  was  Ezra  S.,  a  valiant  soldier  in  the 
Union  army,  and  lieutenant  of  Company  H,  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry. 
At  Petersburg,  while  with  others  making  a  charge 
at  the  enemy,  as  he  was  rvmning  forward  he  was 
struck  by  a  ball  that  passed  through  the  limb 
from  the  knee  to  the  foot;  he  died  at  Annapolis 
two  weeks  later.  In  his  honor  Lieut.  Ezra  S. 
Griffin  Post  No.  139  was  named.  His  remains 
were  brought  home  and  interred  in  the  family  lot 
at  Dunmore  cemetery. 

In  Scranton,  where  he  was  born  October  14, 
1840,  George  Griffin  was  reared  and  educated. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  took  charge  of  a  car 
repair  shop  at  the  notch  for  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Company,  continuing  there 
for  almost  three  years.  With  John  Jerniyn  he 
bought  out  Clark's  interest  in  the  Clark  mine  and 
continued  mining  until  1865,  when  be  sold  to  par- 
ties from  Elmira.  He  was  then  inspector  on  the 
middle  division  of  the  Delaware  &  Pludson  Rail- 
road, later  in  the  construction  corps,  then  gen- 
eral outside  foreman  of  the  division,  in  charge  of 
breakers  and  real  estate.  In  1883  he  resigned  to 
accept  the  superintendency  of  the  Pancoast  Coal 
Company,  then  sinking  a  shaft.  For  five  years 
he  was  superintendent  of  the  mine,  but  in  1888 
resigned  and  returned  to  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Pludson  Company  as  superintendent  of 
the  Marvine  mines,  which  he  has  since  held.  The 
shaft  was  sunk  in  1874,  when  he  was  general  out- 
side superintendent,  and  the  mine  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  in  this  coal  region. 

In  Honesdale  Mr.  Griffin  married  Amy  Dian- 
tha  Coleman,  who  was  bom  in  Clififord,  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  Garrett  Cole- 
man, of  German  descent.     They  have  a  pleas- 


ant home  at  No.  204  West  Market  Street.  Their 
family  consists  of  three  children,  namely:  Wat- 
son, who  is  postmaster  and  proprietor  of  a  gen- 
eral store  at  Priceburg;  Howard,  who  has  a  drug 
store  in  Providence  Square,  Scranton;  and  Ber- 
tha, wife  of  Thomas  R.  Brooks,  a  coal  operator 
of  this  city.  The  sons  are  married  and  have  fam- 
ilies. Politically  Mr.  Griffin  is  known  as  a  firm 
Republican.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  t)oard 
of  common  council  and  has  filled  other  positions 
of  trust.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Heptasophs,  Hiram  Lodge,  No.  261.  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lackawanna  Chapter  and  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery  No.  17,  K.  T.  In  religious  belief  he  is 
a  Presbyterian. 


SILAS  RANDALL,  a  resident  of  Oldforge 
since  1846,  was  born  in  Harmony,  Warren 
County,  N.  J.,  December  20,  1825,  and  at 
the  age  of  seven  years  removed  with  his  father  to 
Kingston,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where  the  years 
of  boyhood  were  spent  in  almost  constant  toil. 
At  that  early  day  educational  advantages  were 
exceedingly  meager  and  his  attendance  at  school 
was  limited  to  a  few  winter  months,  when  it  was 
impossible  to  do  any  work  at.  home.  The  school 
was  kept  in  a  log  building,  with  crude  furnishings, 
and  entirely  devoid  of  conveniences  now  consid- 
ered indispensable  in  educational  work.  The  fam- 
ily were  poor  and  their  home  was  as  lacking  in 
comforts  as  was  the  school.  They  had  an  only 
chicken,  and,  as  fowls  were  very  scarce,  they  took 
the  greatest  care  of  their  solitaiy  bird.  At  night 
they  put  it  up  in  the  loft  to  rooist,  but  imagine 
their  dismay  one  morning  to  find  that,  during  the 
preceding  night,  a  wildcat  had  crept  in  and  bitten 
ofif  the  legs  of  the  forlorn  chicken. 

When  thirteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Randall  began 
an  ayiprenticeship  to  the  cabinet-maker's  trade, 
continuing  with  the  same  man  four  years  and 
nine  months  before  he  began  to  receive  wages, 
and  then  remaining  with  him  on  a  salary  after- 
ward. After  eleven  years  there,  he  secured  em- 
ployment in  a  mill  and  continued  in  that  position 
until  his  removal  from  Wyoming.  About  1846 
he  came  to  Oldforge  and  for  fourteen  years 
worked  as  foreman  of  the  Ray  nor  Powder  Mills, 


526 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


\\-itI)  wliich  he  has  since  engaged  at  frequent  in- 
tervals. In  addition,  he  operated  a  sawmill  for 
ten  years. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Randall  in  1854  united 
him  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Gress,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  Rosella, 
Charles  W.,  Ann  B.,  Johnson,  Zurey,  Warren 
\V.,  and  Christopher  B.,  all  of  whom  are  living 
except  Christopher.  In  politics  a  Republican, 
Mr.  Randall  was  township  supervisor  in  1891-92, 
and  fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  at  Taylor.  He  gives  his  aid  to  all  public 
measures  having  for  their  object  the  promotion 
of  the  v.'elfare  of  the  people  and  may  he  relied 
upon  to  give  his  influence  in  behalf  of  all  that 
is  true,  u])lifting  and  beneficial. 


GEORGE  B.  REYNOLDS,  M.  D.  Among 
the  younger  representatives  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  in  Scranton  may  be  men- 
tioned the  .subject  of  this  article,  who,  though 
engaged  in  practice  for  a  comparatively  few-  years 
only,  has  risen  to  prominent  rank  as  a  physician 
and  surgeon,  and  is  popular  both  in  professional 
and  social  circles.  While  conducting  a  general 
practice,  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  surgery,  in 
which  branch  of  the  profession  he  has  been  very 
successful. 

The  Doctor's  father,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  was 
born  in  Beaver  Meadows,  Carbon  County,  Pa., 
whence  he  removed  to  Susquehanna  County  and 
engaged  in  farming.  From  there  he  came  to 
Scranton,  where  he  has  since  remained,  having 
been  occupied  during  the  greater  jiart  of  his  resi- 
dence here  as  stationary  engineer  f(jr  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company.  By  his  marriage 
to  Sarah  Jones,  daughter  of  a  farmer  of  Susque- 
hanna County,  he  had  two  sons,  of  whom  the 
younger,  Arthur,  is  a  student  of  medicint-  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  elder  son,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Susquehanna  Cotmty  and 
when  about  four  years  of  age  was  brought  to 
Scranton,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated  on 
the  west  side.  As  he  grew  toward  manhood, 
aroused  to  the  opportunities  and  responsibilities 
of  life,  he  determined  to  fit  himself  for  a  position 


of  usefulness  in  the  world.  Realizing  the  need  of 
a  thorough  education,  he  entered  Wyoming  Sem- 
inary at  Kingston  in  1882  and  six  years  later 
graduated,  having  completed  the  classical  course. 
His  literary  education  completed,  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  M.  J.  W'illiains  of 
Scranton,  and  in  the  fall  of  1888  entered  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1891,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine. As  the  result  of  a  competitive  examination, 
he  received  the  appointment  of  house  surgeon  to 
St.  Mary's  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  but  shortly 
afterward  he  resigned  and  went  to  Harrisburg, 
where  for  eighteen  months  he  was  house  surgeon 
in  the  Harrisburg  Hospital.  In  the  spring  of 
1893  he  came  to  Scranton,  establishing  his  office 
in  Hyde  Park,  where  he  has  since  conducted  an 
increasing  practice.  He  is  married,  his  wife, 
formerly  Miss  Laura  Geiger,  having  been  a  resi- 
dent of-  Reading,  Pa. 

Few  young  men  in  the  profession  of  medicine 
have  attained  the  reputation  and  large  practice 
now  enjoyed  by  Dr.  Reynolds.  His  reputation 
is  in  part  attributable  to  his  success  in  the  treat- 
ment of  difficult  surgical  cases,  and  in  part  to  the 
close  attention  he  gives  to  his  business.  Genuine 
love  for  the  profession  makes  him  a  student,  and 
accuracy  in  the  diagnosis  of  disease  enables  him 
to  successfully  apply  his  theoretical  knowledge 
of  the  science.  He  is  identified  with  the  Lacka- 
wanna County  Medical  Society  and  assisted  in 
organizing  the  Scranton  Anatomical  Society,  to 
which  he  has  since  belonged. 


JOSEPH  MERRITT,  outside  foreman  of  Jer- 
inyn  mine  No.  2  in  Old  Forge  Township, 
was  born  near  Dov«r,  Md.,  in  1854,  but  has 
spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, for  he  was  taken  to  Hyde  Park  in  infancy, 
later  lived  in  Providence,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years  came  to  Jermyn,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood. He  had  been  here  but  a  year  when  his 
active  work  commenced.  He  was  then  given  a 
position  in  the  mines  and  gradually  worked  his 
way  upward  from  the  humblest  work  to  a  place  of 
some  responsibility,  being  assistant  to  his  father 
in  the  mines  at  the  age  of  sixteen.     In  1884  he  be- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


527 


came  connected  with  Jerniyn  mines,  his  first  work 
being  in  the  carpenter  shops.  Since  1890,  how- 
ever, he  lias  held  the  responsible  position  of  out- 
side foreman. 

The  marriage  of  Air.  Merritt  occurred  in  1883 
and  united  him  with  Miss  Ann  Salsbury,  by 
whom  he  became  the  father  of  three  children, 
Edith,  Susie  and  one  that  died  in  infancy.  Tlie 
family  are  highly  esteemed  by  those  with  whom 
they  have  daily  intercourse  and  number  among 
their  friends  the  best  people  of  the  township. 
Their  well  spent  lives  have  gained  them  an  en- 
viable position  in  the  regard  of  their  acquaint- 
ances. 

More  than  one  hundred  men  are  employed  in 
the  outside  work  of  the  Jermyn  mines  and  the 
daily  output  is  about  one  thousand  tons  of  coal. 
From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Merritt's  posi- 
tion is  one  involving  great  responsibilities  and 
requiring  the  closest  attention  on  his  part.  He 
has  proved  himself  fully  equal  to  the  demands 
upon  him  and  has  discharged  every  duty  in  an 
efficient  manner.  All  the  great  issues  of  the  pres- 
ent age  have  received  thoughtful  consideration 
from  him,  and  in  politics  he  advocates  Republi- 
can principles.  While  he  takes  an  interest  in 
public  affairs,  as  every  true  American  citizen 
should  do,  he  has  never  sought  nor  desired  public 
office  for  himself,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  success.  Fraternally  he  is 
identified  with  the  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Jer- 
myn. 


BENJAMIN  F.  DUNN,  member  of  the 
Scranton  Opal  Glass  Decorating  Com- 
pany, also  a  contractor  and  builder,  with 
office  at  No.  1702  Wyoming  Avenue,  Scranton, 
was  born  in  Texas  Township,  Wavne  County,  Pa., 
two  miles  from  Honesdale,  February  21,  1850. 
He  is  of  English  descent,  his  father,  T.  H.,  and 
Grandfather,  Nathaniel  Dunn,  having  been  born 
in  Cambridgeshire.  The  latter,  who  was  a  brewer 
in  his  native  land,  joined  his  children  in  Wayne 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business 
until  his  death  at  Honesdale. 

It  was  in  1837  that  T.  H.  Dunn,  then  young 


and  unmarried,  came  to  America.  After  a  short 
sojourn  in  New  York  City,  about  1839  he  came 
to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  Wayne  County.  At 
that  time  Honesdale  contained  only  two  buildings 
and  gave  no  indication  of  its  present  prosperity. 
Purchasing  a  farm  on  the  Dyberry  River,  he  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  there  until  he  was  nearly 
seventy-five  years  old.  He  then  retired  from  act- 
ive labors  and  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  died 
two  or  three  months  afterward,  in  1894.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  His  wife,  wb.o  now  resides 
with  Benjamin  F.,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eli- 
zabeth Doney  and  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Eng- 
land. Her  father,  Sanuiel  Doney,  who  was  a 
farmer,  brought  his  family  to  America  and  set- 
tled in  Wayne  County,  of  which  he  was  a  pioneer. 
In  time  he  became  the  owner  of  valuable  farm- 
ing property  in  Dyberry  and  Te.xas  Townships. 
The  parental  family  consisted  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, but  only  four  are  living,  two  of  these  in 
Scranton,  Benjamin  F.  and  Frederick  H.,  the 
latter  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  Tlie  first 
fifteen  years  of  our  subject's  life  were  passed  on 
a  farm,  after  which  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  Dyberry.  Two  years  later 
he  bought  a  wagon  shop  and  for  eight  years  en- 
gaged in  repairing  and  manufacturing  wagons. 
He  then  located  on  a  farm  in  Dyberry  Township, 
and  was  occupied  in  farming  and  building  until 
May,  1888,  when  he  located  in  Scranton.  After 
following  his  trade  for  one  year  in  the  employ 
of  others,  he  began  for  himself,  and  was  so 
successful  that  at  times  he  has  given  employ- 
ment to  twenty  or  thirty  hands.  Among  other 
contracts,  he  had  those  for  C^-lvary  Reformed 
Church  and  the  residences  of  F.  E.  Nettleton, 
John  Taylor,  James  Midway,  P.  P.  Smith,  Alex- 
ander Dunn,  Jr.,  and  Messrs.  Van  Buskirk  and 
Casey.  In  1896,  with  H.  B.  Reury,  he  organized 
the  Scranton  Opal  Glass  Decorating  Company, 
a  new  enterprise  and  the  only  business  of  the  kind 
in  the  city.  In  this  he  has  already  met  with  suc- 
cess, and  has  gained  an  enviable  reputation  for 
beautiful  decoration  of  souvenir  plates,  banquet 
globes,  salts,  peppers,  cracker  jars  and  jardinieres. 
In  addition  to  this,  he  is  a  charter  member  and 


rORTRATT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECr)RD. 


director  of  the  Mutual  Guarantee  and  Washing- 
ton National  Building  &  Loan  Associations. 

In  Wayne  County  Mr.  Dunn  married  Miss 
Eva  L.,  daughter  of  Marquis  de  Lafayette  and 
Louisa  Kccne,  all  natives  of  Wayne  County, 
where  Mr.  Keene  was  at  one  time  engaged  as  a 
contractor  and  builder,  but  is  now  living  retired 
at  Elnihurst.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  fore- 
man of  a  con.struction  corps.  It  was  under  him 
that  our  sul^iect  learned  his  trade.  Si.K  cliil- 
dren  coniijrise  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunn, 
namely:  Lillian  A.,  who  took  a  commercial 
course  in  Wood's  Business  College  and  is  now 
general  manager  of  J.  D.  Evans'  insurance  busi- 
ness; Ilattio  A.,  who  is  talented  in  art,  and  does 
beautiful  decorating  work  and  hand  painting; 
William  X..  who  is  very  handy  with  tools  and  as- 
sists his  father  in  the  business;  Jennie,  Edith  and 
Ralph. 

While  residing  in  Dyberry  Mr.  Dunn  was 
school  director  and  justice  of  the  peace.  In  the 
Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli  he  holds 
the  office  of  trustee.  For  years  he  was  Sunday- 
school  superintendent  in  Wayne  County  and 
serves  as  assistant  here.  Politically  he  advocates 
Republican  tenets.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he 
is  connected  with  Green  Ridge  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.;  Green  Ridge  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which 
he  has  served  as  past  officer  and  has  been  an 
Odd  Fellow  since  1873;  Senior  Order  of  Ameri- 
can Mechanics,  Heptasophs  and  Patriotic  Order 
Sons  of  America. 


HARRY  E.  DAWSON,  M.  D.,  is  numbered 
among  the  successful  young  physicians  of 
Scranton.  A  close  student,  it  has  been 
liis  ambition  to  succeed  in  his  profession,  and 
toward  the  realization  of  this  desire  every  effort 
has  been  bent,  the  result  being  that  he  has  become 
well  known  among  the  professional  men  of  the 
city.  He  first  familiarized  himself  with  the  allo- 
pathic system  of  treatment,  Init  on  com[)leting 
the  course,  he  realized  that  tliere  was  more  to 
the  medical  science  than  he  had  grasped,  and 
therefore  took  up  the  study  of  homeopathy,  of 
which  he  soon  gained  a  thorough  and  accurate 
knowledge.    Since  then  he  has  combined  the  two 


in  his  practice,  witli  a  leaning,  however,  in  the 
direction  of  homeopathy.  He  has  his  office  at 
No.  1917  North  Main  Avenue  and  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  gynecology  and  the  diseases  of  children, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  encouraging  success. 

The  Dawson  family  originated  in  England, 
whence  the  Doctor's  grandfather,  Edward,  came 
to  America  and  engaged  in  farming  in  South 
Auburn,  Susquehanna  County,  remaining  there 
until  his  death  at  eighty-three  years.  By  his  mar- 
riage to  a  Miss  Bowen,  of  a  New  England  fam- 
ily, he  had  eleven  daughters  and  three  sons, 
among  the  latter  being  Thomas,  our  subject's 
father,  who  was  born  in  South  Auburn,  Susque- 
hanna County.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  that 
locality  and  married  there,  but  soon  after  removed 
to  Black  Walnut.  Wyoming  County,  where  he 
held  a  number  of  township  offices  and  took  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was 
sixty-five.  He  married  Rovvena  Foreman,  who 
was  born  in  Susquehanna  and  reared  in  Wyo- 
ming County,  being  a  daughter  of  David  Fore- 
man. The  latter,  who  was  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut, was  employed  as  a  wool  carder  in  Brooklyn, 
Susquehanna  County,  but  died  at  an  early  age. 

The  family  of  Thomas  and  Rowena  Dawson 
consisted  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters  who 
grew  to  mature  years,  Harry  E.  being  next  to  the 
eldest.  The  other  son,  Charles  W.,  is  an  attomey- 
at-law  in  Scranton.  The  mother,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  live  at  No.  1759  Sanderson  Ave- 
nue, Green  Ridge,  where  they  own  a  beautiful 
home.  Dr.  H.  E.  Dawson  was  born  at  Black 
Walnut,  Wyoming  County,  January  5,  1865,  and 
in  boyhood  attended  the  common  schools,  after 
which,  at  the  age  of  about  twenty,  he  began  to 
teach  in  his  native  county.  In  1886  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  E.  H.  Wells,  of 
Meshoppen,  and  two  years  later  entered  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  in  Baltimore, 
where  he  took  the  regidar  course  of  lectures  and 
a  special  course  in  gynecology,  graduating  in 
1892,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  After  practicing 
for  a  time  in  Meshoppen,  in  June,  1892,  he 
came  to  Scranton  to  take  charge  of  Dr.  Sullivan's 
practice  during  the  latter's  absence  in  Europe, 
and  was  so  pleased  with  the  city  and  the  possi- 


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MILO  D.  OSTERHOUT. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


531 


bilities  it  offered  a  physician  that  he  decided 
to. locate  here  permanently.  July  12,  1892,  he 
opened  an  office  at  No.  1917  North  Main  Avenue 
and  has  since  had  charge  of  an  increasing  prac- 
tice. 

Fraternally  Dr.  Dawson  is  connected  with  La- 
ceyville  Lodge  No.  439,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Green 
Ridge  Castle,  Knights  of  the  Mystic  Chain. 
While  he  does  not  take  an  active  part  in  politics, 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  may  always  be 
relied  upon  to  support  party  principles.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Provi- 
dence. Everj^hing  pertaining  to  professional 
matters  awakens  his  interest  and  he  keeps  in 
touch  with  the  developments  of  the  science  by 
the  perusal  of  medical  journals  and  by  an  active 
membership  in  the  State  Medical  Society  and  the 
Northeastern  Pennsylvania  Homeopathic  Medi- 
cal Society. 


M' 


ILO  D.  OSTERHOUT.  In  the  business 
circles  of  Scranton  the  late  M.  D.  Oster- 
liout  was,  by  universal  consent,  accorded 
a  high  place.  Successful  in  a  financial  sense, 
throughout  his  entire  career,  he  exhibited  clear- 
ness of  perception  and  soundness  of  judgment, 
and  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  for  moral 
worth  and  integrity  of  character.  He  possessed 
true  public  spirit  and  used  his  influence  to  en- 
hance the  best  interests  of  the  city,  supporting 
all  worthy  enterprises.  It  is  the  testimony  of  the 
people  that  his  life  was  such  as  to  reflect  credit 
upon  the  citizenship  of  Scranton. 

The  Osterhout  family  originated  in  Holland. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Webster,  was  a  farmer 
of  Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  where  he  died.  His 
wife,  Sarah  (Jayne)  Osterhout,  was  born  in 
Whitehaven,  Pa.,  and  died  in  Providence  in  1872. 
Of  their  family  of  four  sons  and  six  daughters, 
all  the  daughters  are  living,  but  only  one  son,  he 
being  a  resident  of  the  western  part  of  the  state. 
Milo  D.,  who  was  fourth  in  order  of  birth,  was 
born  in  Nicholson, WyomingCounty,July  6,  1841, 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  East- 
man's Business  College  in  Poughkeepsie.  About 
1862  he  came  to  Providence,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk,  but  in  1865  started  in  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  business  with  his  brother,  Silas, 
21 


as  Osterhout  Brothers.  The  original  location  of 
the  store  was  in  West  Market  Street,  opposite 
the  present  place  of  business.  About  1874  they 
built  at  Nos.  110-112  West  Market  Street,  where 
our  subject  continued  alone,  after  dissolving  the 
partnership  with  his  brother  about  1883,  until 
his  death.  May  7,  1890.  Politically  he  was  a 
Republican  and  fraternally  was  identified  with 
Hiram  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. 

In  Providence,  May  7,  1872,  Mr.  Osterhout 
married  Miss  Nettie  P.  Gillespie,  who  was  born 
in  Carbondale,  and  was  the  third  of  six  children, 
the  others  being  John  B.,  who  is  represented  in 
this  volume:  James  W.,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y. ; 
Thomas,  a  farmer  near  Brattieboro,  Vt. ;  Mrs. 
Margaret  Shotton,  of  Scranton;  and  C.  Joseph, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  this 
city.  Joseph  Gillespie,  father  of  this  family,  was 
born  in  Dumfries-shire,  Scotland,  in  1814,  and 
came  to  America  in  1832  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
settling  in  Great  Bend,  Pa.,  but  in  1835  removing 
to  Carbondale.  At  first  he  was  employed  as  clerk 
with  the  Delaware  81  Hudson,  but  afterward  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  with  Robert  Love,  and 
for  many  years  was  postmaster  there.  About 
1854  he  went  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Sheffield, 
Bureau  County,  where  for  three  years  he  was 
interested  in  coal  operations.  Returning  to  Car- 
bondale, after  a  short  time  he  settled  on  a  farm 
at  Crystal  Lake,  Susquehanna  County,  where 
he  made  his  home  for  three  years.  In  i860  he 
came  to  Providence  and  engaged  in  the  milling 
business  with  Col.  William  N.  Monies  until  his 
retirement  from  active  labors.  He  died  at  his 
home  in  Oak  Street  May  5,  1873.  In  his  political 
affiliations  he  adhered  to  the  policy  adopted  by 
the  Republican  party  and  always  took  an  interest 
in  public  affairs.  In  1871  he  was  elected  to  the 
city  council  and  was  serving  in  that  office  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
Presbyterian.  The  family  of  which  he  was  a 
member  originated  in  Scotland  and  was  first  rep- 
resented in  this  country  by  himself,  two  brothers 
and  three  sisters.  One  of  the  brothers,  Thomas, 
was  engaged  in  the  banking  business  witli  H.  S. 
Pierce  in  Carbondale  under  the  firm  name  of 
Gillespie  &  Pierce,  and  for  one  term  represented 
his  district  in   the  lower  house  of  the  senate. 


532 


I'oRlKAiT   AND    iUUGRAi'illCAL    RECUKU. 


The  mother  of  Mrs.  Osterhout  was  Marg^aret 
Johnston,  wlio  was  born  of  Scotch  descent  in 
Virginia,  being  a  daughter  of  James  and  Marga- 
ret Johnston.  Her  father  emigrated  from  Scot- 
land to  the  Old  Dominion.  \\  liere  he  died;  after- 
ward tlie  widow  brought  her  children  to  Pcnnsvl- 
vania  and  settled  in  Dundaff,  Sus(|uehaima 
County,  removing  thence  to  Carhondale.  wliere 
Mrs.  Gillespie  was  educated.  She  now  resides  in 
Scranton,  making  her  home  with  her  daughter. 
Mrs.  Osterhout  was  educated  in  the  Providence 
public  schools  and  Ontario  Female  Seminary  at 
Canandaigua,  N.  Y.  Of  her  marriage  five  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely:  Joseph  G.,  manager 
of  the  store:  Guy  W.,  a  student  in  the  department 
of  architecture.  University  of  Pennsylvania,  class 
of  1898:  Meta  R..  Alice  and  Fuirton  M.  The 
family  residence  is  a  commodious  house,  pleas- 
antly situated  on  the  comer  of  Oak  Street  and 
Summit  Avenue,  and  surrounded  by  a  well-kept 
lawn.  Mrs.  Osterhout  continues  the  general 
mercantile  business  established  by  her  husband, 
and  her  wise  judgment,  careful  discrimination 
and  keen  perception  have  aided  in  retaining  for 
the  enterprise  its  former  high  standing.  In  re- 
ligious connections  she  is  identified  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  takes  an  interest  in  the 
various  societies  of  tliat  <lenomination. 


SIMEON  HARRISON  ADAMS,  who  has 
been  a  resident  of  Scranton  since  1889,  was 
born  in  Potter  County,  Pa.,  in  1855,  and 
is  the  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Peck)  Adams, 
natives  of  Ashburnham,  Mass.,  and  Hartford, 
Conn.,  res])cctively.  His  paternal  great-grand- 
father, John  Adams,  was  a  fifer  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  for  some  years  made  his  home 
in  the  old  I'ay  State,  but  in  an  early  day  removed 
with  other  members  of  liis  family  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  died  in  Sus(juehanna  County  at  the 
age  of  one  hundred  and  four  years.  James,  next 
in  line  of  descent,  was  burn  in  .Massachusetts,  re- 
moved thence  to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa., 
served  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  passed  from  earth 
when  over  eighty  years  of  age. 

In  earl}-  life  the  father  of  (jur  subject  followed 


the  occupation  of  a  shoemaker,  liut  after  a  time 
he  engaged  in  farming  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  and 
later  lived  for  a  year  in  Potter  Countv,  Pa.,  after 
which  he  spent  three  years  in  New  York  State. 
From  there  he  returned  to  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  still  resides,  robust  and  hale,  not- 
withstanding his  seventy-four  active  years.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  I'reenian  Peck,  who  re- 
moved to  Connecticut  to  Susquehanna  Countv, 
Pa.,  and  worked  as  a  blacksmith  and  farmer.  His 
mother  was  a  Miss  Harrison,  a  cousin  of  William 
Henry  Harrison. 

The  seven  children  comprising  the  parental 
family  are  all  living,  Simeon  H.,  of  this  sketch, 
being  next  to  the  eldest.  He  was  reared  princi- 
pally in  Sust|uelianna  County,  where  he  attended 
the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he 
taught  one  term  of  school,  after  which  he  spent 
eighteen  months  in  the  state  normal  school  at 
Mansfield,  l^a.,  and  then  engaged  in  teaching  in 
Tioga  and  Susquehanna  Counties,  returning  from 
the  latter  county  to  teach  in  Tioga  a  second  time. 
Next  he  took  a  course  in  a  business  college  and 
afterward  was  employed  as  bookkeeper  for  a 
firm  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.  In  1885  he  went  to  Pitts- 
ton,  Pa.,  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
later  being  similarly  employed  in  New  York 
City.  In  1889  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  has 
since  become  known  as  an  efficient  carpenter  and 
builder.  Besides  erecting  residences  on  con- 
tracts, he  has  been  foreman  for  the  Green  Ridge 
Lumber  Company. 

In  Electric  Avenue  Mr.  Adams  erected  the 
house  occupied  by  his  family  until  August,  1895. 
In  Susquehanna  County,  December  24,  1879,  he 
married  Miss  Nina  Payne,  daughter  of  Charles 
M.  Payne,  both  born  in  Lenox  Township,  that 
county.  Her  father,  wdio  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  served  during  the  Civil  War  as  a  member 
of  a  Pennsylvania  infantry  and  died  when  com- 
paratively young.  His  wife,  Samantha  Whitney, 
who  was  born  in  Lenox  Township  and  still  lives 
there,  was  a  daughter  of  David  Whitney,  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, a  pioneer  farmer  of  Susquehanna 
County,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine. 
Mrs.  Adams  was  reared  in  Lenox  Township  and 
there  resided  until  hiT  marriage.  She  is  the 
niiither  of  the  fnUowin"'  named  children:    Lvnn 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAI'IIICAL    RECORD. 


533 


G.;  Leo  Whitney,  and  Elnia,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  one  year.  Politically  Mr.  Adams  favors  the 
protection  of  home  industries  and  the  mainte- 
nance of  sound  money,  and  uniformly  supports 
Republican   candidates. 


JOHN  WESLEY  LANNING.  The  career 
of  him  whose  name  heads  this  review  illus- 
trates forcibly  the  possibilities  that  are  open 
to  a  young  man  who  possesses  sterling  business 
cjualifications.  It  proves  that  neither  wealth  nor 
social  position  at  the  outset  of  his  career  is  nec- 
essary to  place  him  on  the  road  to  success,  but 
that  ambition,  perseverance,  industry  and  sound 
business  principles  will  be  rewarded  by  prosper- 
ity and  happiness  that  comes  from  a  sense  of  duty 
well  performed.  Since  1857  Mr.  Lanning  has 
been  employed  by  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company  and  has  always  endeavored  to 
fully  meet  every  requirement  of  the  corporation 
by  strict  attention  to  the  details  of  his  business 
and  efficient  service.  He  is  one  of  the  old  and 
respected  early  settlers  of  Scranton,  and  has  been 
a  witness  of  great  changes  in  this  region. 

John  Lanning,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Warren,  N.  J.,  and  pursued  his  trade  of  shoe- 
making  in  Blairstown  and  Hope,  N.  J.,  until 
1847,  when  he  brought  his  family  to  Scranton. 
Settling  in  Hyde  Park,  he  began  to  work  at  his 
chosen  occupation,  when  only  one  other  mer- 
chant, Jonathan  Atherton,  had  as  yet  located  in 
that  section  of  the  city.  Later  he  went  to  Dalton, 
where  he  lived  for  four  years,  and  then  going  to 
I'actoryville,  he  spent  his  last  years  there,  his 
death  occurring  when  he  was  in  his  seventieth 
year.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Snyder,  was  bom  in  Warren,  N.  J.,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Peter  Snyder,  of  the  same  state.  She 
died  in  Dalton,  when  in  her  fifties.  Her  eldest 
son,  William,  in  the  railroad  employ,  died  in  this 
city;  Susanna  is  the  wife  of  L.  S.  Barber;  Abbie 
E.,  Mrs.  George  Orr,  resides  in  Bridgeport, 
Conn.;  and  George  C,  who  was  in  Captain  Arch- 
bald's  Company,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  is  now  in  charge  of  the 
heating  apparatus  in  the  capitol  building  at  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio. 


John  Wesley  Lanning  was  born  in  Warren, 
N.  J.,  August  26,  1835,  and  obtained  a  good  gen- 
eral education,  as  he  attended  school  after  com- 
ing to  Scranton  in  1847.  about  six  years.  In 
1853  he  began  serving  a  three  years'  apprentice- 
ship to  the  carpenter's  trade  under  Aaron  Silk- 
man.  In  the  fall  of  1857  he  obtained  a  position 
with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  as 
a  carpenter  in  the  shops  and  has  worked  in  one 
department  or  another  with  this  company  ever 
since.  He  has  been  general  foreman  of  bridges 
and  buildings  here  for  some  time  and  gives  sat- 
isfaction in  liiis  important  branch  of  railroad  ser- 
vice. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Latming  and  wife  is  situated 
at  No.  1206  Washburn  Street.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Scranton  in  1857.  Her  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  Little,  her  father  being  James  Little,  of 
New  Jersey,  a  tanner  by  trade,  who  followed  his 
occupation  in  Hawley,  Pa.,  until  his  deatli. 
Charles  E.,  eldest  son  of  our  subject,  is  a  book- 
keeper in  the  railroad  car  shops;  the  second  son, 
L.  W.,  is  an  engineer  on  the  same  railroad;  F.  B., 
who  was  a  fireman,  died  with  typhoid  fever  in 
August,  1883.  being  in  his  twentieth  year;  and 
H.  A.  died  when  but  ten  years  old.  In  questions 
of  political  bearing  Mr.  Lanning  is  entirely  inde- 
pendent, preferring  to  use  his  franchise  in  favor 
of  whichever  man  or  principle  he  considers  best 
suited  to  the  issue  at  hand.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  Lackawanna  Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O. 
0.  F. 


THOMAS  B.  HOWE.  Doubtless  among 
the  residents  of  Scranton  few  possess  the 
inventive  ability  which  is  one  of  Mr. 
Howe's  principal  traits.  He  was  bom  in  Sterling 
Township,  Wayne  County.  Pa..  July  14.  1849, 
and  is  of  Puritan  stock  and  English  descent.  His 
grandfather,  Capt.  Phineas  Howe,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  in  a  very  early  day  settled  in 
Wayne  County,  where  with  his  axe  he  felled  trees 
and  clearetl  an  opening  for  a  farm.  During  the 
Revolution  he  served  as  captain  of  a  company. 
Abraham  S.,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in 
Wayne  County,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life, 
engaged  as  a  farmer,  butcher  and  general  specu- 


534 


PORTRA]  r    AND    BIOGKAP?TICAL    RKCORD. 


lator.  lie  was  accidentally  drowned  one  night  in 
the  canal  at  Hawley,  when  fifty-two  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  Rebecca  Bartree,  was  born  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania  while  the  family  were  moving  from 
Philadelphia  to  Wayne  County  and  is  still  living 
near  the  old  home  place  in  Howes  X'alley.  Her 
father,  Thomas  Bartree,  was  born  in   Ireland. 

Of  the  five  children  comprising  the  family  of 
Abraham  S.  and  Rebecca  Howe,  three  sons  are 
living.  Thomas  B.,  the  youngest  of  the  number, 
was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his 
education  in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's 
trade  in  Moscow,  Lackawanna  County,  where  he 
remained  from  1865  to  1868.  The  residence 
which  he  occupies  is  at  No.  1725  Capouse  Ave- 
nue, Scranton.  He  married  Maria  PI.  Copeland, 
daughter  of  William  and  Sophia  (Rice)  Copeland, 
natives  respectively  of  England  and  Connecticut. 
Mrs.  Howe  was  born  in  Turnersville  and  is  the 
mother  of  two  children,  namely:  Everett  T.  and 
Rena.  For  two  years  Mr.  Howe  was  a  member 
of  the  common  council  representing  the  thir- 
teenth ward,  to  which  he  was  elected  upon  the 
Republican  ticket.  Fraternally  he  is  a  charter 
member  of  Green  Ridge  Lodge  No.  597,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M., 
Melita  Commandery  .No.  68,  K.  T.,  and  the  Mys- 
tic Shrine  at  VVilkesbarre.  His  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Green  Ridge  Presbyterian  Church, 
which  he  attends. 


CHARLES  H.  BIESECKER.  As  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  class  of  agriculturists  who 
have  done  so  much  toward  developing  the 
resources  of  this  region,  mention  should  be  made 
of  Charles  PI.  Biesecker,  a  leading  farmer  of 
Newton  Township.  He  occupies  a  position 
among  the  intelligent  and  enterprising  citizens 
of  the  county  who,  by  their  energetic  and  well 
directed  labors,  have  been  largely  instrumental  in 
promoting  local  interests.  Upon  his  place  he  en- 
gages in  mixed  farming  and  also  is  successfully 
carrying  on  the  dairy  business,  the  two  depart- 
ments of  agriculture  bringing  him  in  substantial 
results. 

The  record  of  the  Biesecker  family  ajipears  in 


the  sketch  of  George,  brother  tjf  Charles  H.,  pre- 
sented on  another  page.  The  latter  was  born  Oc- 
tober 3,  1850,  near  his  present  home  at  Bald 
Alount,  and  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  re- 
ceiving a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  neighborhood.  Always  a  home  loving  boy, 
he  had  no  desire  to  seek  his  fortune  in  another 
part  of  the  world,  but  has  been  content  to  spend 
his  life  so  far  among  the  scenes  associated  with 
his  childhood  days.  November  10,  1875,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jennie  Vandenburg, 
who  was  born  in  this  county.  Her  parents, 
James  and  Mary  (Kern)  Vandenburg,  were  na- 
tives of  New  York,  and  became  early  settlers  of 
Wyoming  County,  residing  in  Falls  Township, 
where  they  died,  he  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  and 
she  when  seventy-one. 

There  were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Biesecker  seven  children,  Corenia,  John,  William, 
Grace,  Nora  and  Carl,  and  one  that  died  at  the 
age  of  one  year.  The  children  are  being  educated 
in  the  best  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  are 
being  prepared  for  positions  of  honor  and  use- 
fulness in  the  world.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Biesecker  settled  where  he  now  lives,  and  here 
in  1893  he  erected  a  substantial  residence,  adapt- 
ed to  the  needs  of  the  family.  With  the  others, 
he  is  identified  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  and 
a  consistent  supporter  of  its  doctrines,  proving 
by  his  hfe  the  sincerity  of  his  belief.  In  former 
years  he  voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  the 
menace  to  our  government  in  the  enormity  of  the 
liquor  trafiic  has  caused  him  to  become  a  Pro- 
hibitionist. In  local  offices  he  has  rendered  ef- 
fective service  and  for  ten  years  or  more  has 
served  as  treasurer  of  the  township.  Realizing 
that  one  of  the  most  important  features  of  the 
national  life  is  the  free  school  system,  he  takes 
a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters  and  is  an 
active   worker   on   the   school   board. 


EUGENE  A.  HEERM'ANS,  M.  D.,  of 
Scranton,  is  a  member  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  Lackawanna  County, 
his  [jaternal  grandfather  having  been  one  of  the 
early  settlers  in  old  Providence,  while  his  mater- 
nal grandfather,  Benjamin  Slocum,  was  one  of 


L 


WIIJJAM    MORRISON. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


537 


the  original  settlers  of  Slocum's  Hollow.  His 
father,  Edmond  Heermans,  was  born  in  this 
county,  and  chose  as  his  wife  Miss  Sarah  M.  Slo- 
cuni,  a  native  of  Scranton.  To  their  union  there 
were  born  two  children,  but  Eugene  A.  is  the 
only  one  who  lived  to  maturity. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Scran- 
ton, in  a  house  near  the  present  site  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  blast  furnace.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  for  some  time  attend- 
ing the  high  school  of  Hyde  Park,  and  later 
graduated  from  Eastman's  Business  College, 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  His  boyhood  years  were 
passed  principally  in  Scranton,  though  for  some 
nine  years  he  resided  with  his  father  near 
Waverly,  N.  Y.  On  completing  his  edqcation 
he  secured  a  position  as  bookkeeper,  which  he 
held  for  some  time,  but  afterward  engaged  in  the 
photographic  business  in  Scranton  for  several 
years.  In  the  meantime  he  chose  the  medical 
profession  as  his  life  work  and  entered  upon 
its  study  with  Dr.  A.  Davis,  of  Hyde  Park. 
Further  knowledge  of  the  science  was  gained 
by  attendance  at  the  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College  in  New  York,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1875,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 

Returning  to  Scranton,  Dr.  Heermans  opened 
an  office  on  the  west  side  and  has  since  practiced 
here.  In  the  spring  of  1888  he  went  to  Europe 
and  traveled  tlirongii  the  British  Isles,  after 
which,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  entered 
King  William's  University  at  Berlin,  where  he 
took  a  post-graduate  course  for  one  year.  With 
his  mind  broadened  by  contact  with  the  master 
minds  of  Europe  and  his  medical  knowledge  en- 
larged by  study  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances, he  returned  to  Scranton  in  1889,  and  has 
since  devoted  his  attention  to  professional  work, 
having  his  ofifice  at  No.  949  Scranton  Street.  For 
some  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  medical  staff 
of  Lackawanna  Hospital. 

In  political  views  Dr.  Heermans  adheres  to 
the  principles  for  which  the  Republican  party 
stands.  Pie  is  identified  with  the  Lackawanna 
County  Medical  Society,  and  for  several  years 
served  as  its  secretary.  Fraternally,  he  is  past 
officer  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.;  also 
a  member  of  Lackawanna   Chapter,   R,  A.   M.; 


Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. ;  and 
Bloomsburg  Consistory,  thirty-second  degree. 
In  1866  he  married  Miss  Sarah  C.  Finch.  They 
became  the  parents  of  two  children,  Lizzie  May, 
who  died  in  infancy,  and  Lizzie  Adele,  who  keeps 
house  for  her  father. 


WILLIAM  MORRISON,  ex-mayor  of 
Carbondale  and  an  undertaker  and  fur- 
niture dealer  of  the  city,  is  the  son  of 
Bartholomew  Morrison,  a  |)ioneer  of  this  place 
and  one  of  the  most  prominent  among  its  early 
settlers.  A  native  of  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  he 
emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in  Carbondale 
in  1832,  from  which  time  until  his  death  he  assist- 
ed in  the  development  of  the  town.  For  many 
years  he  held  the  position  of  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  while  he  had  never  studied  law,  yet  he  pos- 
sessed broad  legal  knowledge  and  good  judg- 
ment, and  even  the  most  successful  lawyers  were 
glad  to  receive  his  advice,  particularly  in  intricate 
cases  or  knotty  points  of  law.  Perhaps  no  man 
had  more  influence  among  the  early  residents 
than  he.  Careful,  honest  and  kind,  he  was  never- 
theless a  man  upon  whom  no  one  could  impose. 
He  was  positive  in  his  views,  which  fact  occa- 
sionally brought  him  the  enmity  of  men  of  dif- 
ferent opinions.  His  death  occurred  when  he 
was  sixty-seven.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Honora  Conlan  and  was  born  in  Ireland, 
lived  in  Carljondale  until  her  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  August,  1 89 1,  having  passed  the  ninety- 
eighth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  She  was  a 
woman  of  strong  mind  and  good  heart,  and  re- 
tained her  faculties  to  an  advanced  age. 

The  family  of  Bartholomew  Morrison  consist- 
ed of  nine  children,  but  only  three  are  living: 
James  C,  of  Carbondale:  Michael,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business  here;  and  William, 
who  was  born  in  this  city  March  7,  1843.  The 
last  named  received  a  common-school  education, 
but  at  an  early  age  left  school  and  began  to  work. 
He  was  employed  at  driving  a  team  and  such 
other  labor  as  boys  can  do,  after  which  he  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  this  he  followed  for 
fourteen  years.  Interested  in  public  affairs,  he 
was  brought   into  the  political  field,  and   for  a 


538 


I'nRTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tiinc  was  ititUuiitial  in  party  ccniiu-ils.  In  1874 
lie  was  elected  mayor,  and  served  the  city  faith- 
fully, hnt  in  the  proper  and  thorough  adminis- 
tration of  the  office  lie  nut  with  some  opposition; 
however,  he  insisted  on  doing  wh.it  he  consid- 
ered for  the  best  interests  of  the  people,  whether 
or  not  it  was  to  the  advantage  of  himself  or  his 
friends. 

Later  Mr.  Morrison  engaged  in  the  ice  busi- 
ness and  established  a  plant,  which  he  subse- 
quently sold  and  which  is  still  conducted  under 
the  name  he  gave  it,  the  Crystal  Lake  Ice 
Company.  Its  success  he  secured  by  hard  work 
night  and  day  for  eighteen  years.  On  selling  out, 
he  commenced  his  present  business  in  1876,  and 
has  since  built  up  a  large  trade  among  the  people 
here.  While  adhering  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  he  respects  all  who  have  hon- 
est opinions,  and  is  liberal,  not  bigoted,  in  his 
views.  He  is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
Catholic  Knights  of  America.  By  hard  work 
and  close  attention  to  business,  he  has  gained 
financial  success.  It  is  his  intention  soon  to 
erect  a  new  building  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Main  Streets,  adjoining  his  present  place  of  busi- 
ness; he  owns  the  property,  which  ofifers  a  splen- 
did location  for  his  growing  business.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  always  voted  the  Republican  ticket, 
but  no  longer  takes  an  active  part  in  public  af- 
fau-s,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  business 
matters. 

In  1868  Mr.  Morrison  married  lane  Quinn, 
who  was  born  in  Carbondale.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  namely:  Nora;  William 
v..  a  physician  in  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital, 
Reading:  Mary  and  Jane,  who  are  at  home. 


ROSCOE  B.  SHERMAN.  The  career  of 
this  gentleman  has  been  one  of  i)ersever- 
ance  and  integrity  and  has  been  crowned 
with  the  success  merited  by  those  who  steadily 
pursue  their  way  through  life.  For  some  years 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  general  mercantile 
business  at  Waverly  and  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
store  that  enjoys  the  patronage  of  the  people  of 
this  section.  A  man  more  than  ordinarily  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited,  in  point  of  general 


information  upon  all  subjects  he  stands  second  to 
no  man  of  his  locality,  and  invariably  gives  his 
support  to  the  enterprises  calculated  to  advance 
the  interests  of  the  people,  socially,  morally  and 
financially. 

The  family  of  which  Mr.  Sherman  is  a  mem- 
ber is  one  of  the  oldest  in  this  locality.  The  first 
of  the  name  to  come  here  was  his  grandfather, 
Abner  Sherman,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  who 
removed  thence  to  New  York  and  probably  set- 
tled in  Otsego  County.  After  his  marriage  to 
Amy  Scott,  also  from  Rhode  Island,  and  after 
the  birth  of  two  of  their  children,  he  came  to 
Lackawanna  County,  about  1812,  and  settled  in 
Abington  Township,  where  he  cleared  a  spot  in 
the  midst  of  the  wilderness  and  built  a  log  cabin 
for  his  family.  As  he  became  better  fi.xed  finan- 
cially, he  was  enabled  to  erect  a  more  substantial 
house  and  add  valuable  improvements  to  his 
place.  In  politics  he  was  an  old-time  Democrat, 
interested  in  the  progress  of  public  affairs.  He 
died  at  Waverly. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Nathan  Sherman, 
was  born  in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  August  16,  1809. 
and  was  a  child  when  the  family  came  to  this 
county.  Here  the  remainder  of  his  busy  life  was 
passed.  In  1834  he  married  Elizabeth  Stone,  who 
died  leaving  two  children,  Helen  and  Hamilton. 
His  second  marriage,  which  took  place  in  1837, 
united  him  with  Mary  A.  White,  who  was  born 
in  Sussex  County.  N.  J.,  in  1813.  Her  father, 
James,  was  born  in  Sussex  County  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five  years.  He  married  Mercy  Rose,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Rose,  a  native  of  Sussex  County;  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  White,  she  married  a  second  time. 
later  came  to  Pennsylvania,  and  here  died  at  tiie 
age  of  sii'cty-six  years.  Of  the  second  marriage 
of  Nathan  Sherman,  two  children  were  born: 
Roscoe  B.,  of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  in  Abing- 
ton Township  in  1849;  3"fl  ^^^^  F"-  who  was  also 
born  on  the  old  homestead. 

As  a  representative  of  pmminent  farmers.  Mr. 
.Sherman  was  held  in  high  regard  by  the  people 
of  Abington  Township.  The  habits  of  indu.strv 
and  economy  which  necessity  inculcated  in  his 
character  at  an  early  age  assisted  him  in  the  ac- 
cumulation of  a  valuable  property  and  did  him 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


539 


good  service  throughout  liis  life.  He  was  re- 
spected by  all  who  had  dealings  with  him, 
and  his  character  for  honesty  was  high.  His 
death,  which  occurred  May  i6,  1864.  was  deeply 
mourned  by  a  host  of  old-time  friends  and  asso- 
ciates. 

The  first  vote  of  our  subject  was  cast  for  Gen- 
eral Grant  in  1868  and  he  has  since  supported 
Republican  men  and  measures.  For  many  years 
he  has  held  the  position  of  school  director,  in 
which  ofifice  he  has  aided  in  the  advancement  of 
the  schools  of  the  place.  He  is  gifted  with  prac- 
tical tenacity  of  purpose,  and  a  clear  and  vigor- 
ous mind,  and  his  judgment  in  business  matters 
is  keen  and  far-seeing. 


FRANCIS  J.  DICKERT.  who  is  engaged  in 
carrying  on  a  general  store  at  No.  614 
Locust  Street.  .Scranton.  has  won  a  very 
enviable  reputation  as  a  straightforward  and  up- 
right business  man.  In  many  ways  he  has  assist- 
ed our  infant  industries  and  manufacturing  inter- 
ests and  always  casts  his  ballot  for  the  men  whom 
he  considers  best  fitted  to  advance  the  people's 
welfare.  At  present  he  is  the  vice-president  of 
the  .Schiller  Building  &  Loan  Association,  of  the 
Lackawanna  Building  &  Loan  Association,  and 
a  director  of  the  Meadow  Brook  Building  &  Loan 
Association. 

Mr.  Dickert  was  born  in  Posen.  Poland,  No- 
vember 2j,  1858,  his  parents  being  John  and  The- 
ofela  TKubicka)  Dickert.  The  father  was  a  mason 
and  builder  and  took  part  in  the  revolution  of 
1848,  being  a  corporal  in  the  Prussian  army.  In 
1869  he  emigrated  to  America,  where  his  family 
joined  him  two  years  later.  For  a  time  he  worked 
at  his  trade  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company.  As  the 
result  of  an  injur*'  he  retired  from  active  labor 
some  years  ago.  He  is  still  living  in  this  place. 
His  son,  Stephen,  is  engaged  in  manufacturing 
soda  in  Scranton. 

The  only  school  advantages  which  ever  fell 
to  the  lot  of  our  subject  were  such  as  he  obtained 
in  his  native  land,  his  knowledge  of  English  be- 
ing acquired  by  self-instruction.  It  had  been 
planned  by  his  good  relatives  that  he  should  take 


up  medicine  with  an  uncle,  a  physician  in  Ne\v 
York,  but  at  the  end  of  six  months  he  came  to 
Scranton.  For  six  months  he  was  a  slate  picker 
for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  then 
he  tried  cigar-making  with  the  firm  of  Garney, 
Short  &  Co.,  and  was  one  of  their  most  reliable 
men  during  a  period  of  eighteen  years.  About 
this  time,  his  health  failing,  he  was  obliged  to 
seek  out-of-door  work,  and  after  much  deliberat- 
ing decided  to  open  a  grocery  at  his  present  place 
of  business.  No.  614  Locust  Street.  This  was  in 
i8go  and  soon  he  added  general  merchandise, 
making  of  the  enterprise  a  distinct  success.  Es- 
pecially in  the  building  and  loan  societies  has  he 
been  prospered,  and  often  he  has  collected  as 
high  as  $1,000  a  month. 

The  wedding  of  Mr.  Dickert  and  Miss  Minnie 
Oswald,  of  this  city,  was  celebrated  in  1882.  She 
is  of  German  descent  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Oswald,  a  merchant  tailor  of  Scranton.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dickert  have  been  born  five  children, 
viz.:    Theresa,  Martha,  Rosa,  Frank  and  Joseph. 

The  faniil)'  attend  St.  Mary's  Church.  In  na- 
tional affairs  Mr.  Dicker  votes  for  the  nominees 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  has  served  on  county 
and  city  committees.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Dime  Deposit  Bank,  also  in  the  Scranton  axle 
works.  He  is  past  ofificer  of  Electric  City  Lodge 
No.  1 541,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  represented  it  in 
the  errand  council. 


ISAAC  M.  GREGORY.  There  is  no  inher- 
itance so  rich  as  the  records  of  the  worthy 
lives  of  those  who  have  parted  from  this 
world  and  have  gone  to  receive  the  reward  that 
awaits  them  beyond.  We  all  have  strivings  after 
a  high  ideal,  but  an  ideal  alone  is  of  little  value 
if  not  reinforced  by  the  example  of  those  who, 
like  ourselves,  have  human  frailties,  yet  have 
overcome  them  and  led  lives  of  usefulness,  integ- 
rity and  uprightness.  An  example  of  such  a  life 
is  given  in  the  record  of  Isaac  M.  Gregory,  who 
for  twenty  years  prior  to  his  death  engaged  in 
farming  in  Abington  Township.  Settling  near 
the  village  of  Abington  in  1850,  he  there  culti- 
vated a  farm  about  six  years,  but  later  resided 
near  Glenburn  until  his  death  in  1870.     Frater- 


540 


PORTRAIT    AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


iially  he  was  a  Mason  and  in  religious  belief  a 
Methodist. 

The  ijirth  of  our  subject  occurred  at  the  home 
of  his  parents  in  North  Main  Avenue,  Scranton. 
His  motlicr,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mar- 
tha Tuttle.  was  born  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  and  was  a 
sister  of  Chester  Tuttle.  Her  first  husband,  Hol- 
den  Tripp,  an  uncle  of  Col.  Ira  Tripp,  died  at  an 
early  age.  leaving  two  children ;  of  these  a  daugh- 
ter attained  years  of  maturity,  married,  and  died 
in  Wisconsin.  After  the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band, Mrs.  Tripp  became  the  wife  of  Aaron  Greg- 
ory, who  had  removed  to  Pennsylvania  from 
Westchester,  N.  Y.  Afterward  they  settled  upon 
a  large  farm  above  Providence,  but  later  sold  that 
property  to  Henry  M.  Fuller  and  bought  in  Wa- 
verly,  where  Mrs.  Gregory  died  in  1885.  Mr. 
Gregory  returned  to  New  York  and  ])assed  away 
in  Westchester.  Their  only  son  was  the  subject 
of  this  sketch. 

The  lady  who  for  many  years  was  the  faithful 
helpmate  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Laura  Brown  and  was  born  in  Providence, 
the  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Lydia  (Fellows) 
Brown,  natives  respectively  of  Canterbury,  Conn., 
and  England.  Her  father,  who  was  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin Brown,  Sr.,  a  fanner  and  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Providence,  selected  agriculture  as  his 
occupation,  and  cultivated  a  fann  that  is  now  the 
site  of  the  Brisbin  shaft.  On  that  place  his  death 
occurred.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Gregcjry  was  a 
sister  of  Joseph  Fellows,  the  founder  of  that  fam- 
ily here,  and  reference  to  her  ancestors  is  given 
in  the  sketch  of  John  H.  Fellows.  When  three 
years  of  age  she  was  brought  to  America  by  her 
parents.  In  early  womanhood  she  became  the 
wife  of  Benjamin  Brown,  their  union  resulting  in 
the  birth  of  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are  living. 
Their  eldest  son,  Aruna,  took  part  in  the  Mexi- 
can War  and  died  in  Illinois.  Another  son,  Ben- 
jamin A.,  now  a  resident  of  Scranton,  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army  while  in  Kansas  and  was  a  brave 
soldier  during  the  Rebellion.  When  her  young- 
est children  were  quite  small,  Mrs.  Lydia  Brown 
was  left  a  widow,  with  little  means.  She  was, 
however,  a  woman  of  strong  character,  and  man- 
aged to  keep  the  family  together,  training  licr 
sons  anrl  daughters  for  lives  of  usefulness,  and 


reaping  the  reward  of  her  self-sacrificing  labors 
in  their  honorable  careers.  At  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  she  departed  this  life. 

^Irs.  Gregory,  who  is  the  ymmgest  of  the  sur- 
viving members  of  the  family,  was  reared  in 
Scranton  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  Hyde 
Park.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  she  began  teaching 
school  in  Abington  Township  and  followed  that 
occupation  until  her  marriage,  in  Wilkesbarre, 
in  1850.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  pur- 
chased property  at  No.  424  North  Main  Avenue, 
Hyde  Park,  and  here  has  since  made  her  home. 
She  is  a  lady  of  kindly  disposition  and  broad  in- 
formation concerning  the  early  history  of  this 
locality,  having  treasured  in  her  mind  incidents 
narrated  by  her  mother  and  other  relatives  con- 
cerning the  early  days  of  Scranton. 


DANIEL  D.  JONES.  Since  1854  Mr. 
Jones  has  been  a  resident  of  Scranton, 
where  he  is  at  the  head  of  an  extensive 
furniture,  undertaking  and  livery  business,  and 
connected  with  other  important  enterprises. 
After  having  been  in  business  alone  for  years,  in 
1890  he  took  his  son  into  partnership,  the  firm 
name  being  D.  D.  Jones  &  Son.  At  No.  1842 
North  ]\Iain  Avenue  they  have  a  store  building, 
25x65,  four  stories  in  height,  the  entire  floor  space 
being  devoted  to  their  business.  Their  livery- 
stable  is  a  brick  building,  40x80,  of  four  floors, 
stocked  with  twenty-two  horses,  four  hearses,  and 
a  full  equipment  of  carriages  and  cabs.  Every- 
thing has  been  provided  that  is  necessary  for  the 
intelligent  prosecution  of  the  business,  including 
the  Morse  elevator  for  freight  and  passenger  ser- 
vice. 

As  the  name  indicates,  Mr.  Jones  is  of  Welsh 
descent.  His  father,  D.  L.,  was  born  in  Swansea, 
a  seaport  town  of  W^ales,  where  the  paternal 
grandfather  was  employed  as  a  worker  in  iron 
and  copper  mines.  The  former,  who  was  similar- 
ly engaged,  emigrated  to  America,  when  young 
and  unmarried,  and  settled  in  Carbondale  about 
1831,  securing  employment  there  as  a  miner. 
After  his  marriage  he  removed  to  Beaver  Mead- 
ow, Schuylkill  County,  and  thence  to  Ply- 
mouth,   Luzerne   County,   where   he  assisted   in 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


543 


opening  some  mines.  During  his  residence  there 
our  subject  was  born,  September  i8,  1844.  From 
there  he  went  back  to  Schuylkill  County,  and  in 
1854  settled  in  Providence,  where  he  helped  in 
sinking  and  opening  the  Clark  mines.  Later  he 
was  employed  by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Com- 
pany until  his  death  in  1879,  aged  sixty-seven. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  identified  with  the  In- 
dependent Congregational  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  L.,  daugh- 
ter of  Griffith  Gwynne.  both  natives  of  Wales, 
the  latter  being  a  coal  miner  in  Carbondale  for 
some  years.  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Jones  died  in  Scran- 
ton,  having  been  the  mother  of  six  children,  of 
whom  four  attained  maturity,  and  three  are  liv- 
ing. David  G.  is  engaged  in  the  furniture  and 
undertaking  business  in  Olyphant,  and  Mrs.  T. 
W.  Williams  resides  in  Glen  Lyon.  Daniel  D.. 
who  is  second  in  point  of  birth  among  the  sur- 
viving members  of  the  family,  came  to  Scranton 
at  the  age  of  ten  years  and  has  since  resided  here. 
His  public  school  advantages  were  exceedingly 
limited,  as  when  eleven  years  of  age  he  began  to 
work  in  Clark's  mines  as  a  slate  picker,  and  five 
years  later  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  cabinet- 
makers trade  in  Providence  under  J.  Giesner. 
On  completing  his  apprenticeship,  he  secured 
work  with  a  Mr.  Harrington  in  Wyoming  Ave- 
nue. 

In  the  fall  of  1863  Mr.  Jones  enlisted  in  Bat- 
tery D,  Second  Pennsylvania  Heavy  Artillery, 
and  was  mustered  into  the  Union  service  at  Phil- 
adelphia. From  there  he  was  ordered  to  Wash- 
ington, and  in  the  spring  of  1864  was  sent  to  the 
front,  taking  part  in  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor 
and  the  entire  siege  of  Petersburg.  In  the  march 
from  there  to  Richmond,  the  battery  was  under 
almost  continuous  fire.  After  the  surrender  of 
Richmond,  he  remained  in  Virginia  on  guard 
duty  during  the  period  of  reconstruction.  He 
was  mustered  out  at  City  Point  in  January,  1866, 
and  honorably  discharged  in  Philadelphia. 

On  his  return  to  Scranton,  Mr.  Jones  was  em- 
ployed in  the  furniture  business  by  George  Davis 
for  a  year  and  was  with  his  successors,  Corwin 
&  Son,  for  nine  years.  In  1876  he  started  in  the 
furniture  and  undertaking  business  for  himself, 
his  first  location  being  on  the  corner  of  West 


Market  Street  and  Wayne  Avenue,  after  which 
he  moved  nearer  Main  Avenue.  Then  forming 
a  partnership  with  D.  W.  Griflin,  under  the  title 
of  Jones  &  Griffin,  he  built  his  present  store  build- 
ing, but  after  a  short  time  the  connection  was 
dissolved  and  ]Mr.  Jones  continued  alone  until 
taking  his  son  into  partnership.  He  owns  his 
business  and  residence  property'  and  is  interested 
in  other  real  estate  here  and  at  Clarks  Summit. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  like  all  vet- 
erans is  interested  in  Grand  Army  affairs,  his 
membership  being  in  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post, 
No.  139.  In  Wilkesbarre  he  married  Catherine 
Struble,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  one  living  son,  David  L.,  his 
father's  partner  in  business,  two  other  children 
having  died,  Eddie  and  Gertrude. 


WILLIAM  F.  BRADY,  M.  D.,  who  is 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Scranton, 
was  born  at  Gordon,  Schuylkill  County,  in  1864, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Bridget  (Conway) 
Brady,  both  residents  of  this  city.  The  father 
was  for  many  years  employed  in  the  coal  depart- 
ment'of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Coal  Com- 
pany, but  is  now  living  in  retirement.  Of  his 
eight  children,  five  sons  and  one  daughter  are 
living,  the  Doctor  being  the  next  to  the  young- 
est son.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Gordon  and  Ashland,  graduating  from  the 
high  school  of  the  latter  place  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen. Later  he  took  a  supplementary  course  in 
LaSalle  College,  Philadelphia,  entering  the  jun- 
ior class,  and  graduating  in  1882  with  the  degree 
of  r>achelor  of  Arts.  He  next  took  a  course  in 
Villenova  Seminary,  remaining  one  year,  and 
\vliile  there  determined  to  study  medicine. 

With  this  object  in  view,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  entered  Jefferson  Aledical  College  in  1882, 
and  two  years  afterward  graduated  with  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  after  which  he  en- 
larged  his  experimental  knowledge  by  one  year's 
work  in  the  State  Miners  Hospital  at  Fountain 
Springs,  near  Ashland,  Schuylkill  County.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  he  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic and  continued  his  studies  in  Dublin,  Ireland, 


544 


ruRTRAIT    AXU    lilOGRAl'U  KAL    Rl'XOKU. 


graduating-  from  the  Maternity  Hospital  of  that 
place.  Then  going  to  Paris,  he  spent  two  and 
one-half  years  in  medical  studies  in  the  colleges 
and  hospitals,  after  which  he  s])ent  one  year  in 
study  at  Berlin,  and  the  same  period  in  Menna. 
During  his  residence  abroad  he  nut  tin-  leading 
medical  men  of  the  old  country  and  was  enabled 
to  gain  a  vast  store  of  knowledge  that  makes  his 
professional  opinion  of  the  highest  value.  He 
traveled  throughout  the  various  European  coun- 
tries, and  became  fluent  in  the  use  of  French 
and  German. 

After  having  spent  about  five  years  abroad. 
Dr.  Brady  returned  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in 
practice,  his  office  being  located  at  No.  418  Lack- 
awanna Avenue.  He  devotes  his  attention  prin- 
cipally to  office  practice,  which  is  large  and  re- 
munerative. His  residence  at  Xo.  613  Adams 
Avenue  is  presided  over  by  his  wife,  whom  he 
married  in  this  city,  and  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Hannah  Casey.  She  was  born  here, 
being  a  daughter  of  John  Casey,  an  old  settler 
and  merchant  of  this  place.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children,  Hannah  and  Regina. 


KELSEY  D.  PURDY.  The  young  men 
whose  energy  is  already  an  active  factor 
in  the  development  of  the  county  and 
whose  influence  will  mold  the  future  prosperity 
of  this  section,  have  an  able  representative  in 
the  rising  young  business  man  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  sketch.  Mr.  Purdy  is  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  Carbondale,  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Maldfeld  &  Purdy,  and  has  here  a 
store  well  stocked  with  every  variety  of  hard- 
ware and  tinware,  plumbing  and  gas-fitting  ap- 
paratus. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Darius  G.  Purdy, 
was  born  at  Hemlock  Hollow,  Wayne  County, 
Pa.,  there  grew  to  manhood  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  lumbering.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  saw- 
mill and  shipped  large  quantities  of  lumber  to  the 
markets.  At  this  writing  he  resides  in  Carbon- 
dale,  where  he  is  living  in  retirement  from  busi- 
ness, having  accumulated  property  of  sufficient 
value  to  enable  him  lo  enjoy  tlie  twilight  of  life 


in  ease  and  comfort.  He  married  Aliss  Frances 
M.  Andrews,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  but  in 
girlhood  accompanied  the  family  to  Hawley,  Pa., 
and  there  grew  to  womanhood.  Five  children 
were  born  to  the  union,  and  three  are  living: 
Chauncey.  whose  home  is  in  Seelyville;  Carrie, 
wife  of  W.  ?T.  Guinn,  of  Plawley ;  and  Kelsey  D. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Hem- 
lock liollow,  Wayne  County.  June  4,  1876,  and 
was  reared  on  a  farm,  receiving  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  Wyoming  Seminary. 
When  not  in  school  he  assisted  in  the  work  of 
cultivating  the  home  farm.  His  first  position  in 
his  present  line  of  business  was  as  clerk  for  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Guinn,  of  Hawley,  and  as 
he  found  the  work  congenial  he  determined  to 
enter  it  for  himself.  In  1893  he  succeeded  to  the 
business  in  Carbondale,  formerly  owned  bv  an 
uncle,  and  has  since  engaged  in  the  work  suc- 
cessfully. While  he  is  not  a  member  of  anv  de- 
nomination, his  sympathies  are  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  to  which  his  parents  belong. 

While  a  student  in  Wyoming  Seminary  Mr. 
Purdy  met  Miss  Ruth  Heft,  who  resided  near 
that  place.  Having  embarked  in  business  and 
feeling  justified  in  establishing  domestic  ties,  he 
married  this  accomplished  young  lady  in  June, 
i8q6,  and  they  have  since  become  prominent  in 
social  circles  of  the  city.  He  pursues  a  straight- 
forward course  in  life  and  is  ready  to  assist  as 
well  as  he  can  in  that  which  tends  to  the  welfare 
of  the  city  he  has  chosen  as  his  home.  He  has 
abounding  faith  in  the  future  of  the  town  as  a 
business  center  and  a  place  from  which  cultured 
influences  will  spread  throughout  the  surround- 
ing country.  As  yet  he  has  not  identified  himself 
actively  in  politics,  but  advocates  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party. 


P 


lERCE  BUTLER,  master  mechanic  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Gravity  Railroad,  was 
born  in  Kingston,  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
October  13,  1831.  His  paternal  and  matenral 
ancestors  were  both  representatives  of  good  old 
Revolutionary  and  Puritan  stock.  Col.  Zebulon 
Butler,  his  great-grandfather,  was  captain  in  the 
Frencii  and  Indian  War,  colonel  of  the  First  Con- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


545 


necticut  Regiment  of  the  Continental  arniv,  and 
commanded  the  Continental  troops  at  the  Wyo- 
ming massacre,  July  3,  1778.  He  was  a:lso  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Society  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati, one  of  the  most  influential  organizations 
of  that  time,  and  was  a  leader  among  the  people 
of  the  Wyoming  \'alle\i. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Butler  learned  the  machinist's 
trade  in  the  shops  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Hawley.  Wayne  County,  Pa.  He  estab- 
lished domestic  ties  in  January,  1853,  at  which 
time  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Catherine 
Ann  Kelly,  who  was  born  in  Wurtsboro,  N.  Y., 
in  1834.  Owing  to  failing  health,  in  1858  he 
abandoned  his  trade  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Fairfa.x  County, 
Va.,  on  the  banks  of  Bull  Run  Creek.  The  first 
soldier  killed  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  died  on 
his  farm,  where  a  portion  of  the  bloody  conflict 
was  fought.  Constant  depredations  at  the  hands 
of  soldiers  and  the  danger  of  loss  of  life  caused 
him  to  leave  the  farm,  and  going  to  Washington, 
D.  C,  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Coming  to  Carbondale  in  1865,  I\Ir.  Butler  took 
a  position  as  assistant  master  mechanic  of  the 
Gravity  Railroad  and  a  few  years  later  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  place.  Through  all  of  his 
varied  experiences  he  has  been  a  hard  worker 
and  has  maintained  habits  of  strictest  integrity. 
Tn  1856  he  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  is  now  a  trustee  of  the  congregation 
in  Carbondale.  For  many  y^ears  he  has  been  a 
worker  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  a  member 
of  the  Prohibition  party. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Butler  died  in  1874,  and 
he  was  a  second  time  married,  July  30,  1879,  his 
wife  being  Fannie  P.  Wood.  Of  his  children, 
born  of  his  first  marriage,  we  note  the  following: 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  E.  K.  Trickey,  a  contractor, 
who  for  a  time  was  connected  with  the  construc- 
tion of  the  drainage  canal  in  Chicago  and  is  now 
engaged  in  similar  work  in  Boston;  Henry  C, 
who  was  born  on  the  Virginia  farm  in  i860,  was 
educated  in  the  high  school  of  Carbondale  and  the 
state  normal  school;  later  he  attended  the  Phila- 
delphia Law  School,  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
and  since  1886  has  been  engaged  in  practice  in 


Carbondale,  wiiere  he  takes  an  active  part  in 
local  afTairs.  Alice  graduated  from  Ft.  Eflward 
Institute,  at  FH.  Edward,  N.  Y.,  and  Jennie  was 
educated  at  Wcllesley  College,  Massachusetts. 
Both  Mr.  Butler  and  his  son  are  identified  with 
the  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 


COL.  HENRY  MARTYN  BOIES.    It  has 
been  said  that  the  "worth  of  a  state  in 
the  long  run  is  the  worth  of  the  individu- 
als composing  it."    This  being  accepted  as  true. 
the  presence  of  a  public-spirited,  talented  man.  of 
Ijhilanthropic  disposition  and  lofty  mental  traits, 
is  of  the  greatest  value  to  the  state.     But.  while 
the   state  is  benefited,   the   especial   benefit   falls 
upon  the  city,  the  immediate  center  from  which 
the  influence  radiates.     We  find  this  to  be  the 
case  in  studying  the  life  and  career  of  Colonel 
Boies,  president  of  the  Boies  Steel  Wheel  Com- 
pany, of  Scranton,  and  one  of  the  influential  busi- 
ness men  of  this  city.     At  an  early  age  he  dis- 
played the  earnestness  of  purpose  .that  has  since 
been  one  of  his  chief  characteristics  and  that  has 
largely  been  the  means  of  his  success.    A  review 
of  his  life  will  be  of  interest  to  the  people  of  the 
county,  where  he  has  made  his  home  since  .1865. 
The  Boies  family  is  of  F"rench-Huguenot  de- 
scent.    Forced  to  flee  during  the  religious  perse- 
cutions in  l'"rance  in  the  seventeenth  century,  they 
crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in  Boston,  Mass., 
where   they   established   the   first   paper   mill   in 
America.    The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bom  in 
Lee,  Mass..  in  1837,  gained  the  foundation  of  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  then  entered 
Yale  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1859. 
The  following  year  he  joined  the  corps  of  Zouaves 
organized  in  Chicago  by  Ellsworth.    From  1861 
until  1865  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Silver 
&  Boies,  engaged  in  the  freighting  and  forward- 
ing business  at  Tivoli,  N.  Y.     He  came  to  Scran- 
ton in   1865  as  resident  member  of  the  firm  of 
Laflin,   Boies  &  Turck,  powder  manufacturers, 
and  four  years  later  became  president  of  the  Moo- 
sic  Powder  Company.     Noticing  that  there  were 
many  fatal  accidents  in  mines  on  account  of  the 
careless  handling  of  cartridges  by  lamplight  and 
desiring  to  remedy  this  evil,  in  1873  he  invented 


546 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  cartridge  package  for  mining  powder,  that  was 
almost  imiversally  adopted. 

When  the  "Molly  Maguires"  had  effected  a 
state  of  lawlessness  tliroughout  the  mining  re- 
gions, Mr.  Boies  organized  the  Scranton  City 
Guard,  was  chosen  its  commander,  and  became 
major  when  it  was  mustered  into  the  State  Na- 
tional Guard.  In  1878,  when  the  independent 
companies  were  consolidated  with  the  battalion 
to  form  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  he  was  chosen 
colonel.  Under  his  administration  the  regiment 
was  brought  to  a  state  of  efficiency  seldom  sur- 
passed, an  armory  was  built,  rifle  practice  estab- 
lished, state  encampments  inaugurated,  etc.  At 
the  expiration  of  five  years  he  was  elected  for  a 
second  term,  but  the  pressure  of  business  duties 
obliged  him  to  decline  the  honor. 

In  1 861  Colonel  Boies  married  Emma  G., 
daughter  of  Rev.  Thomas  Brainerd,  D.  D.,  of 
Philadelphia.  Of  this  marriage  one  son,  H.  W., 
survives.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife.  Colonel 
Boies,  in  1870,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Dickson,  of  Scranton.  They  became  the 
parents  of  four  children  now  living,  Joseph  M., 
Ethel  Marvine,  David,  and  Helen  E.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  and 
has  been  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  since 
the  death  of  Mr.  Dickson  in  1884. 

In  the  spring  of  1882  Colonel  Boies  became 
president  of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany and  during  the  four  years  he  held  this  posi- 
tion, his  judicious  management  was  manifest  in 
the  increased  business  of  the  company,  its  en- 
larged works,  the  introduction  of  the  hydraulic 
system  of  flanging  and  riveting,  and  its  capacity 
of  production  enhanced.  He  placed  its  finances 
upon  a  basis  so  solid  that  even  during  the  great 
depression  of  1884-85  the  si.x  hundred  employes 
were  retained  and  the  business  carried  on  unin- 
terruptedly. While  with  this  company  he  in- 
vented a  steel-tired  car  wheel,  now  manufactured 
by  the  Boies  Steel  Wheel  Company,  oi  which  he 
is  president.  In  the  organization  of  the  Third 
National  Bank  of  Scranton  he  took  an  active  part 
and  for  ten  years  was  a  director,  also  served  as 
director  of  leading  manufacturing  companies,  lias 
been  president  of  the  board  of  trade  and  is  now 
president  of  the  Scranton  Club.     A  Republican 


in  politics,  he  was  delegate  to  the  national  con- 
vention in  Chicago  in  1884.  In  1870-74  and 
1888-90  he  was  president  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and 
has  long  served  on  the  state  executive  committee. 
In  1886  Governor  Beaver  appointed  him  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  public  charities,  in  which  he 
was  a  member  of  the  committee  on  lunacy  and 
the  e-xecutive  conunittee.  He  is  also  identified 
with  the  National  Prison  Association,  and  as  a 
fruit  of  his  labors  in  this,  and  other  philanthropic 
societies,  published  in  1893  a  volume  entitled 
"Prisoners  and  Paupers,"  wdfich  presents  a  study 
of  criminality  and  pauperism,  with  suggestions 
for  remedy. 


JOSEPH  M.  BOIES,  superintendent  of  the 
Boies  Steel  Wheel  Company,  director  in 
this  and  the  Moosic  Powder  Company,  vice- 
])resident  and  director  of  the  Jermyn  Electric 
Light  &  Power  Company,  and  one  of  the  influen- 
tial citizens  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city, 
August  8,  1873,  the  son  of  Col.  Henry  M.  Boies. 
In  The  School  of  the  Lackawanna,  under  Pro- 
fessor Buell,  he  prepared  for  Yale,  which  he 
entered  in  1892,  graduating  in  1895  with  the  de- 
gree of  B.  S.  After  graduation  he  was  for  one 
year  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  Moosic  Powder 
Company  and  during  this  time  gained  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  powder  business. 

In  November,  1895,  Mr.  Boies  was  given  the 
])osition  which  he  now  occupies,  that  of  super- 
intendent of  the  Boies  Steel  Wheel  Company, 
located  in  Ash  Street  between  Jefferson  and  Ad- 
ams, and  occupying  about  two  blocks.  Elec- 
tricity is  generated  by  a  fine  modern  and  well 
equipped  plant  in  the  building  and  is  used  for 
light.  The  principal  product  is  the  No.  2  wheel, 
which  is  manufactured  from  rough  scrap  and 
used  in  cars  adopted  by  the  best  companies,  ag- 
gregating some  two  hundred  roads.  The  princi- 
pal buildings  are  the  hammer  shop,  two  machine 
shops,  boiler  house,  and  gas  house  for  producing 
the  gas  that  heats  the  metal  to  form  the  center. 
Easy  facilities  for  transportation  are  furnished 
by  siding  from  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  and  Erie 
&  Wyoming  Valley  roads.  The  works  were  es- 
tablished in   1886,  but  were  enlarged  and  finally 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


547 


built  up  on  this  plant.  Tlie  company  was  the 
first  to  adopt  the  present  mode  of  manvifacturing 
wrought  iron  wheels  and  it  has  been  successful 
from  the  beginning. 

Mr.  Boies  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  in  favor 
of  the  protection  of  American  industries.  He  is 
interested  in  the  Laflin  Rand  Powder  Company 
of  New  York,  and  a  member  of  the  Alumni  As- 
sociation of  Yale  College,  the  Engineers  Club, 
Country  Club  and  Ixion  Bicycle  Club.  In  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  .Scranton,  with 
which  he  is  identified,  he  holds  tlie  ofifice  of  as- 
sistant tren  purer. 


PHILIP  ROBINSON,  of  M.  Robinson's 
brewery  at  Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city 
in  1864  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  here, 
with  the  exception  of  a  short  period  abroad.  The 
family  is  of  German  origin  and  has  been  repre- 
sented in  this  county  for  three  generations.  His 
grandfather,  Philip  Robinson,  was  accidentally 
killed  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
road  near  Aloscow. 

Our  subject's  father,  who  also  bore  the  name 
of  Philip,  was  born  in  Lauterecken,  Rheinpfalz, 
Bavaria,  in  1841.  and  there  learned  the  brewer's 
trade,  after  which  he  came  with  his  father  to  New 
York  City.  Coming  to  Scranton  in  1854,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  brewery  business  with  his  father  and 
brother  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  present 
concern.  The  partnership  was  dissolved  and  he 
purchased  the  plant  in  1868,  continuing  its  pro- 
prietor until  his  death  in  September,  1879.  He 
was  a  member  of  Schiller  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
was  buried  with  Masonic  honors.  A  prominent 
Democrat,  he  was  candidate  in  1879  ^°^  county 
treasurer,  but  died  before  the  election.  He  was 
identified  with  the  Scranton  Saengerrunde  and 
Neptune  Engine  Company.  His  wife,  Mina,  was 
born  in  Bavaria,  and  thence  came  to  America 
with  her  father,  Jacob  Schimpff,  the  latter  locat- 
ing in  Scranton,  where  he  engaged  in  the  bakery 
and  restaurant  business  in  Cedar  Avenue.  He 
retired  some  years  before  his  death. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Wyoming 
Seminary,  in  1881  Philip  Robinson  went  to  Ger- 
many and  attended  the  brewing  school   in   the 


city  of  Worms,  where  he  completed  the  regular 
course  of  instruction.  On  his  return  to  Scranton, 
he  worked  in  the  brewery,  then  in  the  office,  of 
which  he  is  now  in  charge.  The  plant  is  the  old- 
est in  the  city.  Under  his  supervision  the  busi- 
ness has  been  enlarged  from  time  to  time.  The 
brewery  is  located  at  Cedar  Avenue  and  Alder 
.Street  and  is  thoroughly  equipped  with  modern 
improvements. 

In  this  city  Philip  Robinson  married  Miss 
Anna  Demuth,  daughter  of  Jacob  Demuth,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  Minnie, 
Anna  and  Magdalena.  Active  in  local  politics, 
he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  Demo- 
crats of  Scranton.  At  one  time  he  was  president 
of  the  Neptune  Engine  Company,  and  is  now 
serving  his  third  term  as  treasurer  of  the  Scran- 
ton Saengerrunde.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Athletic  Club,  Liederkranz,  Nay-Aug  Tribe  of 
Red  Men,  and  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  In  1888  he  became  a  member  of  Schiller 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  December,  1896,  was 
elected  W.  M.,  which  position  he  has  since  filled. 


M 


ISS  HARRIET  J.  DAVIS.  In  this  cli- 
mate, no  small  degree  of  experience  and 
patience  are  necessary  in  order  to  pro- 
duce flowers  at  all  times  of  the  year,  and  even 
these  qualities  are  of  no  avail  unless  they  are 
backed  by  capital  and  aided  by  ample  facilities  in 
the  way  of  greenhouses,  heating  apparatus,  hot 
beds,  etc.  The  success  attained  in  the  business 
is  chiefly  dependent  upon  the  skill  of  the  oper- 
ator. By  a  careful  study  of  plants  and  their 
growth,  and  observance  of  the  conditions  neces- 
sary to  produce  certain  results.  Miss  Davis  has 
gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  florist's  busi- 
ness, and  by  her  experience  is  proving  the  fact 
that  women  may  judiciously  and  successfully  con- 
duct large  enterprises.  While  but  a  compara- 
tively short  time  has  elapsed  since  she  began  in 
business  for  herself,  already  a  large  measure  of 
success  has  been  secured,  and  future  prospects 
are  quite  flattering. 

The  youngest  of  a  family  of  six  children.  Miss 
Davis  was  born  in  Bloomsburg,  Columbia  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  is  a  sister  of  William  H.  Davis,  men- 


548 


PORTRAIT    AXI)    inOGRAPIllCAL    RIXORD. 


tioned  elsewhere  in  tliis  volume.  Her  father 
Joseph,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Bloomsburg, 
for  some  years  was  enfraged  as  an  ore  miner 
there,  but  died  in  the  prime  of  manhood ;  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emma  Karnes,  was 
born  in  the  same  place  as  himself  and  was  still 
a  young  woman  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 

Orphaned  when  quite  small,  Miss  Davis  was 
given  a  home  by  her  kind  benefactors,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wlieeler,  with  whom  her  early  girlhood 
years  were  liappily  passed.  Under  the  training 
of  Mr.  Wheeler,  himself  a  large  and  successful 
florist,  she  gained  a  knowledge  of  the  business 
and  became  an  expert  decorator.  She  came  to 
Scranton  in  1885,  and  for  three  years  was  with 
her  brother,  but  in  1895  opened  a  store  at  No. 
104  South  Main  Avenue,  w^iere  she  has  a  large 
assortment  of  plants,  cut  flowers  and  beautiful 
floral  designs.  She  is  connected  with  the  Hyde 
Park  Presbyterian  Church  and  deeply  interested 
in  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises. 


JAMES  F.  BEST,  proprietor  of  Hotel  Best, 
Scranton,  is  of  remote  German  extraction,' 
but  an  ancestor  settled  at  an  early  period  in 
Ireland,  and  in  the  Emerald  Isle  his  father  and 
grandfather,  both  bearing  the  Christian  name  of 
Andrew,  were  born.  The  latter  passed  his  en- 
tire life  there,  but  the  father  came  to  America. 
His  birth  occurred  in  County  Mayo,  and  when 
he  had  arrived  at  manhood  he  learned  the  butch- 
er's trade.  He  married  Mary  Burke,  a  native  of 
the  same  county,  and  in  1850  they  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  their  purpose  being  the  founding  of  a 
new-  home  in  the  land  of  freedom.  The  first  two 
years  were  spent  in  Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  and 
then  they  decided  to  locate  in  what  was  then 
known  as  Slocum's  Hollow,  later  as  .Scranton. 
Employment  being  offered  the  father  in  tlie 
mines,  he  undertook  the  work  and  made  a  good 
living  for  his  family  in  this  way.  In  1867  he  was 
in  the  old  Dousie  mines  at  Minooka  where  Wil- 
liam Connell  served  as  superintendent.  His  death 
occurred  in  1867;  his  widow,  now  in  her  seventv- 
seventh  year,  survives  him,  and  resides  at  the 
old  home.  One  son,  Patrick,  is  in  the  employ  of 
the  Scranton  Axle  Company  and  lives  in  Meadow 


Brook,  and  Andrew,  another  son,  is  in  business 
w-ith  our  subject. 

James  F.  Best  was  born  in  ^linooka,  Pa., 
August  24,  1865,  and  attended  the  same  school  as 
did  the  Connell  brothers.  When  he  was  only  nine 
years  old  he  had  to  begin  earning  money,  for  his 
parents  were  poor,  and  his  first  work  was  as  a 
breaker-boy  and  slate  picker  at  Corey's  breakers. 
At  the  end  of  four  or  five  years  he  became  a  driver 
in  the  Meadow  Brook  mines,  owned  by  the  Con- 
nell Coal  Company,  and  in  this  capacity  he  acted 
until  he  left  the  business  altogether  in  1886.  For 
nearly  two  years  he  was  a  porter  and  clerk  in  the 
.St.  Charles  Hotel,  after  which  he  managed  the 
hotel  belonging  to  Owen  Cusick,  in  Lackawanna 
Avenue.  His  next  venture  was  to  run  the  hotel 
of  Elizabeth  Ziegler,  in  Cedar  Avenue,  adjoining 
his  present  location,  and  this  enterprise  was  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  for  tv\'o  years.  In  1891  he 
leased  the  place  and  was  the  proprietor  of  what 
was  known  as  the  Roaring  Brook  Hotel,  for  some 
five  years.  It  was  in  1896  that  he  began  remod- 
eling and  refurnishing  No.  316  Cedar  Avenue, 
now  the  Best  Hotel.  He  has  hosts  of  friends 
among  his  patrons. 

In  Providence  Mr.  Best  was  united  in  matri- 
mony with  Julia  Cusick,  whose  birth  occurred 
there.  Her  father,  Patrick,  was  well  known  in 
those  parts  as  the  genial  owner  of  the  Farmers' 
Hotel,  a  leading  hostelry  for  many  years.  Two 
daughters  have  come  to  brighten  the  home  of  our 
subject  and  wife,  Anna  and  Hildegarde.  Mr. 
Best  is  a  member  of  the  Scranton  .Saengerrunde, 
the  Scranton  Athletic  Club,  and  the  Young  Men's 
Institute.  His  ballot  is  always  cast  for  the  nomi- 
nees of  the  Democratic  party.  For  years  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  congregation  of  St.  Pe- 
ter's Cathedral. 


JOHN  T.  WILLIAMS,  foreman  in  the  foun- 
dry of  the  Van  Bergen  Company,  Limited, 
and  an  influential  citizen  of  Carbondale, 
was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  February  12,  1854. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  Williams,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, who  came  to  America  in  young  manhood 
and  learned  the  moulder's  trade,  which  he  has 
since  follow-ed,  being  at  present  in  the  employ  of 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


549 


the  Dickson  Alanufacturing  Company  of  Scran- 
ton.  At  the  time  his  parents  left  Baltimore  our 
subject  was  eight  years  of  age,  and  four  years 
later  he  settled  with  them  in  Scranton.  His  ed- 
ucational advantages  were  exceedingly  limited. 
In  boyhood  he  worked  for  two  years  as  a  slate 
picker,  his  first  money  being  earned  in  that  hum- 
ble occupation.  Afterward  he  learned  the  foun- 
dry business,  and  was  connected  successively 
with  works  in  Philadelphia.  Scranton  and  Pitts- 
ton,  being  in  charge  of  the  Exeter  works  at  the 
place  last  named. 

From  Pittston  'Sir.  Williams  came  to  Carbon- 
dale  in  February,  1891,  and  accepted  the  position 
of  foreman  in  the  foundry  of  the  works  of  the 
\"an  Bergen  Company,  Limited,  which  he  has 
since  held.  He  is  a  thorough  mechanic,  an  ex- 
perienced business  man,  and  is  well  qualified  for 
his  present  responsible  place.  In  addition  to  this 
work,  he  is  a  stockholder  in  a  glass  plant  in 
Scranton.  Characterized  by  industry  and  integ- 
rity, he  has  gained  a  competency  of  this  world's 
goods,  all  of  which  represents  his  unaided  exer- 
tions, for  he  had  no  one  to  assist  him  in  the  bat- 
tle of  life.  He  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  and 
many  days  of  usefulness  are  doubtless  yet  in 
store  for  b.im.  Fraternally  he  is  a  ]\Iason,  and 
holds  membership  in  the  Union  lodge  at  Scran- 
ton. 

October  i,  1874.  Mr.  Williams  married  Miss 
Josephine  Paff,  who  was  born  in  1854,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Paiif,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. Reared  by  her  parents  in  the  faith  of  the 
Lutheran  denomination,  she  has  identified  her- 
self with  that  church,  and  in  its  doctrines  has 
trained  her  three  children,  Jennie,  Eula  and 
Blanche. 


CUURTLAXD  P.  VAN  BRUXT,.the  well 
known  lumber  manufacturer  and  dealer 
of  Moscow,  was  born  in  New  York  City, 
September  27,  1827,  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Lucre- 
tia  (Whitehead)  Van  Bnmt,  natives  of  New  Jer- 
sey, liis  father,  who  was  a  machinist,  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  his  life  at  work  in  his  trade 
in  New  York,  and  there  died  at  about  fifty-five 
years  of  age;    the  mother  was  sixty-five  at  the 


time  of  her  death.  Their  son  spent  his  early  days 
in  the  city  of  his  birth  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen began  to  learn  the  trade  of  an  engineer  and 
boiler  maker,  but  worked  at  it  a  short  time  only. 
For  several  years  he  ran  an  engine  in  a  steam 
sawmill  in  Canal  Street,  New  York. 

On  account  of  poor  health  Mr.  Van  Brunt  de- 
termined to  leave  New  York,  and  accordingly,  in 
1857,  he  came  to  Lackawanna  County.  Here  he 
built  a  sawmill  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  Stein- 
way  &  Son  stock  for  their  pianofortes,  and  con- 
tinued to  furnish  them  with  the  principal  part 
of  their  material  until  the  best  timber  of  this 
locality  was  exhausted.  In  addition,  he  had  also 
manufactured  lumber  and  built  a  planing  mill. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  who  built  a  sawmill  here 
and  was  a  pioneer  in  the  lumber  business,  in 
which  he  is  still  successfully  engaged. 

In  New  York  City  Air.  \'an  Brunt  married 
Miss  Sarah  Jane  Lyman,  who  died  after  having 
become  the  mother  of  nine  children:  Walter, 
John  and  George,  who  are  interested  with  their 
father  in  farming  and  the  lumber  business;  Court- 
land,  David,  Isaac,  Miles,  Louis,  and  Louie,  all 
deceased.  The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Van  Brunt 
was  Alary  E.  Scull,  of  Spring  Brook  Township, 
this  county.  Their  nine  children  are  named  as 
follows:  Edward;  Archie,  who  died  at  twelve 
years;  Frank;  Fred;  Rachel;  Lizzie,  who  died 
at  nine  years;  Alice,  who  died  in  childhood;  Jo- 
seph and  Ruth. 

Upon  the  national  issues  Air.  \'an  Brunt  favors 
the  Democratic  policy,  but  in  local  affairs  he  is 
independent  and  liberal.  For  nine  years  he  held 
the  office  of  township  assessor,  for  one  year  was 
clerk  of  Moscow,  and  for  a  long  time  has  been 
judge  of  elections.  In  the  Alethodist  Episcopal 
Church,  with  the  work  of  which  he  is  actively 
identified,  he  has  been  secretary  of  the  board 
of  trustees  for  several  years.  A  charter  member 
of  Moscow  Lodge  No.  703,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  he  has 
been  its  secretary  ever  since  the  organization,  and 
also  holds  the  same  position  in  the  American  Ale- 
chanics.  Realizing  the  evil  of  the  liquor  traffic, 
he  gives  his  support  to  all  temperance  work,  and 
is  himself  a  man  of  strictly  temperate  habits. 
His  landed  interests  are  valuable  and  include 
thirteen  acres  within  the  limits  of  the  village  of 


550 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Moscow,  the  value  of  which  will  undoubtedly  in- 
crease as  the  years  go  by.  He  attends  personally 
to  the  operation  of  the  saw  and  planing  mills,  and 
manufactures  and  deals  in  all  kinds  of  lumber, 
from  the  sale  of  which  he  receives  a  good  income. 
All  of  the  hands  employed  in  the  mills  are  his 
own  sons.  The  three  married  sons  are  all  living 
near  Mr.  \'nn  P.ruiit,  while  the  others  remain  at 
home. 


GEORGE  W.  COREY.  In  giving  -honor 
to  whom  honor  is  due"  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  county,  mention  should  cer- 
tainly be  made  of  Mr.  Corey,  who  has  labored 
long  and  arduously  in  this  vicinity,  displaying  his 
energv  and  capability  in  several  lines  of  work. 
The  place  upon  which  he  makes  his  home  is  sit- 
uated near  Waverly,  in  North  Abington  Town- 
shij),  and  is  well  improved,  containing  substan- 
tial buildings  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model 
country  home.  Its  altitude  of  fifteen  hundred 
feet  gives  it  tlie  advantage  of  clear,  pure,  bracing 
air,  thus  making  it  an  especially  healthful  loca- 
tion. 

Upon  this  place  our  subject  was  born  January 
29,  1827,  a  son  of  Warner  A.  and  Eunice  (Pea- 
body)  Corey.  His  father,  who  is  deserving  of 
honor  as  a  worthy  pioneer  of  this  county,  came 
here  shortly  after  his  marriage,  about  1812,  and 
for  two  years  worked  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Clark, 
but  afterward  settled  in  the  wilderness,  cleared 
a  tract  of  land  and  built  a  log  house.  There  he 
remained  until  his  death,  at  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  He  was  born  near  Providence,  and  his  wife 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  the  latter  dying  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two.  Of  their  twelve  children,  ten  attained 
years  of  maturity  and  three  are  living,  George  W. 
and  two  sisters. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the 
district  schools,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  estab- 
lished domestic  ties  July  4,  1850,  at  which  time 
he  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Alary  (Crotzer)  Long,  all  natives  of  Northampton 
County,  Pa.  Her  mother  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  and  her  father  when  eighty-six ;  of 
their  four  children,  three  are  yet  living.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corev  are  named  as 


follows:  Daniel,  who  conducts  a  summer  board- 
ing house  at  Lily  Lake,  and  married  Elva  Wes- 
cott,  who  died,  leaving  one  son,  George;  Emma 
J.,  Minnie  L.,  and  Clara,  Mrs.  F.  L.  Van  Fleet, 
whose  husband  is  postmaster  at  Dalton. 

The  first  ballot  cast  by  Mr.  Corey  was  in  sup- 
port of  James  K.  Polk  for  president.  In  his  po- 
litical views  he  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  Demo- 
cratic principles.  This  brief  review  of  his  life 
shows  him  to  have  alwaj's  been  the  same  level- 
headed, clear-brained,  practical  man,  just  and  up- 
right in  all  his  acts,  that  he  is  today,  and  the  town- 
ship where  he  has  made  his  lifelong  home  has 
found  in  him  a  very  useful  citizen.  He  forms  one 
of  the  class  of  men  who  have  done  good  service 
in  bringing  a  portion  of  the  township  to  a  state 
of  cultivation,  erecting  a  good,  substantial  resi- 
dence, and  rearing  a  respectable  family,  who  in 
their  turn  will  assist  in  perpetuating  the  honesty 
and  moralitv  of  the  communitv. 


LEANDER  SHOEMAKER  TRIPP.  The 
entire  life  of  this  gentleman  was  passed  in 
the  city  of  Scranton,  where  he  was  well 
known  and  universally  respected.  A  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  a  member 
of  a  family  long  influential  in  this  locality,  it  was 
regarded  as  a  public  loss  when  death  removed 
him  from  the  scene  of  his  activities  at  a  compar- 
atively early  age.  From  his  youthful  years,  when 
his  character  was  in  its  formative  period,  to  the 
time  of  his  demise,  he  displayed  qualities  that 
won  the  esteem  of  his  associates.  He  was  frank, 
manly  and  genial,  the  worthy  son  of  a  worthy 
father. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  occurred  at  the  family 
residence,  in  North  Alain  Avenue,  Providence, 
in  1841.  Full  reference  to  the  ancestral  history 
is  made  in  the  sketch  of  his  father,  Col.  Ira  Tripp, 
presented  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  He 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  reared 
in  .Scranton,  receiving  the  rudiments  of  his  edu- 
cation here.  Afterward  he  carried  on  his  studies 
in  Wyoming  Seminary,  Scranton.  For  his  life 
work  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  an  engineer, 
and  in  early  manhood  was  given  a  position  as 
locomotive   engineer  on   the    Delaware,   Lacka- 


KDMT'NI)  A.    I'.ARTL. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


553 


wanna  &  Western  Railroad,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  employed  until  he  retired.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  his  home  in  1876. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Tripp,  which  was  solem- 
nized in  Scranton  in  April  of  1865,  united  him 
with  Miss  Jennie  E.  Pearce,  a  refined  and  well 
educated  lady,  who  was  born  in  Honesdale, 
Wayne  County.  She  was  third  in  order  of  birth 
among  the  six  children  comprising  the  family  of 
William  and  Martha  Pearce,  mention  of  whom 
is  made  in  the  sketch  of  Capt.  E.  W.  Pearce.  pre- 
sented on  another  page.  In  early  childhood  she 
accompanied  her  parents  to  Providence,  where 
her  education  was  obtained,  and  here  she  taught 
school  for  one  year  prior  to  her  marriage.  She 
is  the  mother  of  two  children:  Walter  Sherman, 
at  present  in  California ;  and  Catherine  G.,  wife  of 
John  F.  Broadbent,  of  Scranton,  and  the  mother 
of  two  children.  Both  on  the  side  of  the  Pearce 
and  the  Tripp  families  there  are  four  generations 
living.  Mrs.  Tripp  is  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  a  generous  con- 
tributor to  the  needy  and  poor. 


EDMUND  A.  BARTL.  There  is  in  the 
business  world  only  one  kind  of  man  who 
can  successfully  combat  the  many  trials  of 
life,  and  that  is  the  man  of  superior  intelligence 
and  force  of  character,  one  who  possesses  energy, 
ability,  perseverance  and  sound  judgment.  Such 
a  one  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  surveyor 
for  Lackawanna  County,  and  is  at  the  head  of 
the  mining  engineers  in  Pennsylvania  to-day.  He 
is  a  native  of  Hungary,  bom  in  Fuenfkirchen, 
November  16,  1857.  the  oldest  among  fifteen 
children,  of  whom  seven  attained  years  of  matu- 
rity and  four  are  no\v  living,  three  being  in 
America. 

The  father  of  the  family,  Edward  Bartl,  was 
born  in  Moravia,  and  when  a  young  man  entered 
the  Austrian  army.  For  twenty-tour  years  he 
was  a  soldier,  and  during  that  time  he  rose  to  the 
highest  rank  among  non-commissioned  officers, 
his  army  record  being  a  brilliant  one.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  the  revolution  of  1848-49.  After 
twenty-four  years  of  service  he  was  detailed  as 
provost  of  the  military  post  at  Fuenfkirchen. 
22 


which  position  he  held  until,  some  prisoners  es- 
caping, he  was  accused  of  implication  in  the  plot, 
and  the  unjust  accusation  led  him  to  resign,  but 
some  years  later  the  prisoners  were  captured  and 
his  name  cleared.  After  retiring  from  the  position 
of  provost  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Danube 
Steamship  Coal  and  Navigation  Company  until 
his  retirement  from  business.  On  account  of  hav- 
ing been  wounded  in  the  limbs  he  received  a  pen- 
sion from  the  Austrian  government  until  his 
death,  in  1894.  His  wife,  Barbara  Christ,  was 
born  in  Stuhveisenberg,  Hungary,  of  an  old  fam- 
ily there,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1894, 
since  which  time  she  has  resided  in  Scranton  with 
her  children. 

The  long  years  of  service  given  by  Edward 
Bartl  to  the  government  entitled  him  to  send  a 
son  to  a  military  institute  free  of  charge,  and  our 
subject  reaped  the  benefit  of  his  father's  fidelity. 
At  the  age  of  nine  and  one-haif  years  he  entered 
the  Moravian  Military  Institute  at  Prerau,  Mor- 
avia, where  he  remained  for  two  years.  A  simi- 
lar period  was  spent  in  a  higher  military  institute 
at  Kaschau,  northeastern  Hungary,  after  which 
he  spent  a  year  in  the  institute  at  Strass,  south- 
western Austria.  An  accident  resulting  in  injury 
to  his  left  knee  caused  his  discharge  on  account 
of  disability.  He  then  entered  the  engineer's  of- 
fice of  the  Danube  Steamship  Coal  and  Naviga- 
tion Company  as  an  apprentice,  remaining  there 
until  seventeen  and  one-half  years  of  age.  Being 
the  son  of  an  old  soldier  the  government  again 
assisted  him,  for  it  enabled  him  to  take  a  course 
in  a  mining  university  on  a  payment  of  only  $15. 
He  entered  the  university  at  Chemnitz  and  gradu- 
ated two  years  later,  receiving  a  degree  as  a  min- 
ing engineer.  Not  wishing  to  stay  with  the  gov- 
ernment on  account  of  low  wages  paid,  he  re- 
funded one-half  of  the  money  advanced  him, 
which,  according  to  contract,  left  him  free  to  go 
with  any  company.  From  that  time  until  he  was 
twenty-four  he  was  mining  engineer  and  sur^^ey- 
or  for  the  Danube  Steamship  Coal  and  Naviga- 
tion Company,  making  a  number  of  new  maps 
and  drafts  for  them. 

On  recommendation  of  William  Walter  Phelps, 
minister  to  A'ienna,  Mr.  Bartl  came  to  America  in 
1881,  and  at  once  sought  the  city  of  Scranton. 


?34 


PORTRAIT    AXU    lUUGRAl'll  ICAL    Rl-ICURU. 


where  he  had  a  letter  to  W.  R.  Starrs,  general 
coal  agent  for  the  Delaware.  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road.  Though  unalile  to  sjjcak  English. 
he  was  given  a  position  under  William  Connell 
in  the  Meadow  Brook  mine,  hut  mining  was  too 
hard  upon  him.  and  after  twenty-four  days  he 
left.  He  was  then  given  a  ijosition  with  tlie  Dela- 
ware. Lackawanna  &  NN'estern  in  the  Hyde  Park 
shaft  as  a  general  laborer.  Working  during  the 
day,  he  studied  at  night,  and  soon  gained  a 
knowledge  of  the  language.  After  three  months 
he  became  draftsman  ior  the  road,  and  construct- 
ed three  breakers.  He  worked  his  way  steadily 
up.  and  after  ten  years  was  appointed  assistant 
to  the  chief  engineer.  In  1891  he  was  candidate 
for  city  engineer,  but  was  defeated.  At  the  same 
time  he  resigned  his  position  with  the  railroad 
and  established  an  ofilice  in  the  Burr  Building, 
later  removing  to  his  present  location  at  No.  404 
Lackawanna  Avenue.  In  the  fall  of  1895  he  was 
nominated  county  surveyor  on  the  Republican 
ticket  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  oyer  one 
thousand,  taking  office  January  i,  1896,  for  three 
years.  Since  he  established  in  business  here,  he 
has  done  a  large  proportion  of  the  private  survey- 
ing in  Scranton  and  has  given  some  attention  to 
the  work  of  an  architect,  though  too  busy  to  de- 
vote much  time  to  it.  In  1896  he  took  into  part- 
nership, under  the  firm  name  of  Bartl  &  Smith. 
E.  G.  Smith,  a  former  employe  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Bartl  married  Miss  Bertha 
Otto,  who  was  born  in  Leipzic,  Germany,  and 
they  have  four  children,  Walter,  Lulu,  Edward 
and  Mina;  also  an  adopted  son,  William,  now 
thirteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  Bartl  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance not  only  with  the  people  in  the  hard 
coal  regions,  but  among  those  living  in  the  soft 
coal  localities  of  western  Pennsylvania.  He  has 
often  been  called  as  an  expert  to  different  parts 
of  the  state,  and  his  opinion  is  deferred  to  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  profession.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Xcw  York  Mining  Engineers 
Society,  the  Scranton  Engineers  Club,  the 
Scranton  Institute  of  History  and  Science  and 
the  Board  of  Trade.  A  Republican  politically, 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  county  and  execu- 
tive conmiittees.    Fraternallv  lie  is  i(Initifie<l  with 


the  Liederkranz,  is  president  of  the  Turn  \'erein, 
and  belongs  to  the  Hyde  Park  Lodge.  I".  &  A. 
M..  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M..  Coeur  de 
Lion  Commandery  X(j.  17,  K.  T..  and  the  Con- 
sistory at  .Scranton. 


JOSEPH  F.  ROBINSON,  architect,  residing 
in  Carbondale,  is  a  man  who  has  met  with 
success  in  business  affairs  and  ranks  high  in 
commercial  circles.  Though  not  having  made  a 
regular  course  of  study  in  the  profession,  he  has 
been  a  carpenter  and  foreman  of  building  and  has 
worked  after  the  plans  of  architects  for  many 
years,  in  which  way  he  has  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  work.  Fortune  having  smiled 
upon  his  efforts,  he  has  a  good  business  and  a 
pleasant  home,  in  which  he  and  his  wife  have  all 
the  comforts  of  life. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Jerome  and  I'ran- 
ces  (Swetter)  Robinson,  are  natives  respectively 
of  Flonesdale,  Pa.,  and  Switzerland.  The  for- 
mer, who  still  lives  near  Honesdale,  has  been  a 
carpenter,  millwright  and  lumberman,  and  has 
cleared  large  tracts  of  timbered  lands,  the  lumber 
from  which  he  has  sold.  He  is  still  quite  rugged 
and  strong,  notwithstanding  his  sixty-eight  years. 
His  nine  children  are  named  as  follows :  William, 
of  Wayne  County;  John,  a  carpenter  living  in 
Carbondale;  George,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  County; 
Christine,  whose  home  is  also  in  that  county; 
Frank,  a  carpenter  of  Carbondale;  Sarah,  who 
resides  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  County;  Joseph  F. ; 
Barbara,  of  Wayne  County;  and  Nicholas,  who 
follows  the  carpenter's  occupation  in  Carbondale. 
Seven  is  popularly  called  a  "lucky"  number, 
and  certainly  our  subject,  who  is  the  seventh  child 
in  his  father's  family,  may  be  said  to  have  been 
uniformly  fortunate.  He  was  born  near  Hones- 
dale  October  6,  1866,  and  spent  the  first  sixteen 
years  of  his  life  on  the  home  farm.  P'rom  there 
he  came  to  Carbondale  and  commenced  to  learn 
the  car[)enter's  trade  with  A.  C.  Hall,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  two  years.  The  fact  that  he  was 
a  natural  luechanic  was  of  the  greatest  assistance 
to  him  in  the  acquirement  of  knowledge  regard- 
ing his  trade.  ( )n  completing  his  trade  he  went 
tn  I'lorida.  and  mi  his  return  to  Carbondale  took 


PORTRAIT   AKD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


555 


a  position  as  foreman  for  T.  C.  Robinson,  later 
was  again  with  A.  C.  Hall,  then  with  Robinson 
once  more.  He  was  the  foreman  in  the  building 
of  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  Churches  here  and 
in  the  remodeling  of  St.  Rose  Convent.  Working 
from  the  drafts  and  by  the  specifications  of  archi- 
tects, he  conceived  the  plan  of  becoming  an  archi- 
tect himself,  and  has  already  gained  a  thorough 
practical  knowledge  of  the  best  possible  kind  for 
reliable  work.  He  was  foreman  for  the  carpen- 
ter work  of  the  Seventh  Avenue  depot,  and  in 
this,  as  well  as  in  all  the  work  for  which  he  has 
been  responsible,  has  proved  that  he  is  reliable, 
energetic  and  persevering.  His  ofifiice  is  in  the 
building  of  T.  C.  Robinson  in  Robinson  Avenue. 
In  1892  Mr.-  Robinson  married  Aliss  Alvira  To- 
bey,  who  was  born  in  Suscjuelianna  County,  Pa., 
and  came  from  there  to  Carbondale.  One  child, 
Marie,  blesses  the  union.  In  religion  he  is  a 
Baptist,  while  his  wife  is  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  They  own  and  occupy  a  comfort- 
able home  in  Belmont  Avenue.  In  political  ideas 
Mr.  Robinson  supports  Republican  principles, 
and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Lackawanna  Encampment  of 
Odd'  Fellows. 


EDWARD  RODERICK,  mine  inspector  for 
the  First  Anthracite  Coal  District  of 
Pennsylvania  and  an  influential  citizen  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Cardiganshire,  Wales,  in 
i860,  and  is  of  direct  Scotch  descent,  his  paternal 
great-grandfather  having  been  a  native  of  Scot- 
land. His  father,  Richard,  was  a  son  of  Edward 
Roderick,  and  was  liorn  in  Wales,  where  he  be- 
came a  practical  miner  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
employed  by  a  company  to  go  to  Spain  to  open 
up  lead  mines  and  spent  three  years  there,  re- 
opening old  mines  that  had  been  worked  by  the 
Romans.  From  Spain  he  went  back  to  Wales, 
but  soon  afterward  came  to  America,  landing  in 
New  York  in  1864  and  settling  in  Wilkesbarre 
the  following  year.  He  became  a  contractor  and 
shaft  sinker  and  afterw-ard  mine  foreman  for  the 
Lehigh  &  Wilkesbarre  Coal  Company,  but  re- 
signed to  engage  for  himself  in  shaft  sinking  in 
the    anthracite    coal    region.      He    still    has    his 


headc|uarters  and  his  residence  in   Wilkesbarre, 
and  is  now  si.\ty-five  years  of  age. 

The  motiier  of  our  subject  was  Ellen  Jenkins,  a 
native  of  Cardiganshire,  Wales,  and  daughter  of 
Capt.  David  Jenkins,  a  seafaring  man.  The  men 
of  her  family  were  sailors  and  many  of  them  be- 
came captains.  She  is  still  living  and  is  now 
sixty-one  years  of  age.  In  religious  belief  she  is 
a  Presbyterian.  (Jf  her  niiu'  children,  all  but 
two  attained  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Ellen, 
Mrs.  D.  R.  Morgan,  who  died  in  Luzerne  Coun- 
ty; ivlward;  D.  J.,  assistant  superintendent  of  a 
coal  company  in  Luzerne  County;  Mary  A.,  Mrs. 
J.  E.  Hughes,  of  Sus(|uehanna  County;  John,  a 
contractor  and  builder  in  Wilkesbarre:  Richard, 
who  is  superintendent  for  his  father  in  Wilkes- 
barre; and  Elizabeth,  who  is  with  her  parents. 
The  three  eldest  children  were  b.  irii  in  Wales, 
the  others  in  America. 

At  the  age  of  five  years  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  brought  to  Wilkesbarre  by  his  par- 
ents and  until  eleven  he  attended  the  public 
schools  of  that  city.  He  then  became  a  slate 
picker  for  the  Wilkesbarre  Coal  Company.  From 
1882  to  1885  he  attended  Wyoming  Seminary, 
where  he  took  a  literary  and  scientific  course. 
F"or  about  seven  years  he  assisted  his  father  in 
shaft  sinking,  and  in  the  meantime  helped  in  the 
construction  of  the  New  York  City  aqueduct  and 
the  sinking  of  some  of  the  largest  shafts  in  the 
coal  regions  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1890  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  mine  foreman  for  Linderman 
&  Skeer  in  the  Stockton  mines  at  Hazleton.  but 
in  November  of  the  following  year  he  resigned  to 
accept  his  present  position  of  mine  inspector. 
The  old  first  district  had  recently  been  changed 
by  the  legislature  to  include  both  the  old  second 
ami  first.  He  passed  the  examination  in  Au- 
gust and  received  the  highest  standing  of  any 
candidate.  In  September,  1896,  he  was  again 
examined,  again  received  the  highest  standing, 
and  was  reappointed  to  the  position  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  \'ear. 

At  Kingston,  Pa.,  Mr.  Roderick  married  MisS 
Grace  Jenkins,  who  was  born  in  Scranton.  re- 
ceived a  good  education  in  Wyoming  Seminary, 
and  then  taught  in  Plymouth  until  her  marriage. 
She  is  the  mother  of  two  living  children,  Ellen 


556 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  Charles  E.  Her  father,  C.  \V.  Jenkins,  was 
born  in  Pittston,  and  has  spent  his  hfe  principally 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Wilkesbarrc, 
where  he  still  resides;  he  is  the  son  of  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  Wyoming  Valley,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  family  to  which  the  historian, 
Stuben  Jenkins,  belongs.  The  mother  of  Mrs. 
Roderick  was  Ellen  Davies  and  was  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, where  her  father,  who  was  a  ship- 
builder, spent  much  of  his  life. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Roderick  is  iden- 
tified with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  belongs  to  the  Engineers  Club  of  Scranton. 
He  is  a  trustee  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Providence  and  an  active  worker  in  its  behalf. 
Politically  he  always  supports  Republican  prin- 
ciples and  votes  for  the  candidates  of  that  party 
in  national  elections. 


EDWIN  G.  CARPENTER.  Integrity,  in- 
telligence and  system  are  characteristics 
which  will  advance  the  interests  of  any 
man  and,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  secure 
his  financial  success.  Such  are  some  of  the  traits 
of  Mr.  Carpenter,  a  well  known  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  South  Abington  Township,  and  a  pro- 
gressive citizen  whose  co-operation  in  public  en- 
terprises has  advanced  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. Doubtless  there  are  few  citizens  in  this 
part  of  the  county  better  known  than  he,  and 
certainly  there  are  none  who  have  endeavored 
more  persistently  to  promote  the  development  of 
local  resources. 

The  entire  life  of  Mr.  Carpenter  has  been  spent 
in  the  locality  where  he  now  resides,  and  here  he 
was  born  March  27.  1840,  a  son  of  Earl  and 
Lorinda  fRurdick)  Carpenter.  Plis  paternal 
grandfather,  Joseph  Carpenter,  was  born  in 
Rhode  Island,  but  came  to  this  county  in  an  early 
day  and  settled  in  Scott  Township,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  live  until  his  deatli  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
five  years.  1"lie  principal  portion  Af  the  life  of 
Earl  Carpenter  was  passed  in  Scott  Townshii), 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  there  lie 
died  when  forty  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  on 
a  place  near  that  now  occupied  by  Edwin  G.  Of 
her  four  children,  all  are  living  but  Albert,  who  at 


the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
went  with  his  regiment  to  the  front,  served  val- 
iantly until  captured  by  the  Confederates,  was  by 
them  taken  prisoner  to  Andersonville  and  died  in 
that  dark  prison  hole. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  passed 
uneventfully  upon  the  home  place.  Shortly  after 
the  death  of  his  father  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  and  about  1869  purchased  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  comprising  a  portion  of  his  pres- 
ent place,  to  which  he  afterward  added  until  he 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  five  acres,  all  well 
improved  and  containing  valuable  embellish- 
ments. While  agriculture  has  taken  much  of  his 
time,  yet  he  has  given  attention  to  public  projects 
and  is  interested  in  progressive  measures.  In  the 
organization  of  the  Mutual  Insurance  Company 
he  was  closely  identified,  and  is  now  serving  as 
one  of  its  directors. 

March  27,  1861,  Mr.  Carpenter  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Miller,  sister  of  J.  W.  Miller,  men- 
tioned on  another  page.  They  are  prominent 
in  the  Baptist  Church  and  welcome  guests  in  the 
best  homes  of  the  township.  Their  family  con- 
sists of  a  son  and  daughter.  The  former,  George 
M.,  who  was  educated  at  Cornell,  and  is  now 
manager  of  the  Scranton  Dairy  Company,  is  a 
young  man  of  large  executive  ability  and  is  mak- 
ing an  e.xcellent  record  in  business  circles;  he 
married  Sadie  Miland,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child.  The  daughter,  Carrie,  was  edu- 
cated at  Cornell,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Dr. 
S.  M.  Ward,  of  Hampton,  N.  H. 

The  Lackawanna  Breeders'  Association,  of 
which  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  director,  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the 
county,  and  is,  in  fact,  well  known  throughout 
the  state.  A  specialty  is  made  of  raising  Hol- 
stein-Friesian  cattle  and  Shropshire  sheep,  which 
are  kejit  on  a  farm,  about  one  mile  from  Clarks 
Summit  station  on  the  main  line  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western,  eight  miles  from  Scran- 
ton. The  first  stock  sold  by  the  company  was  a 
Iwo-year-old  bull,  which  brought  $200,  and  from 
that  time  to  this  there  is  a  steady  demand  for 
the  stock.  There  are  now  more  than  seventy 
head  of  pure  bred  Shropshire  sheep  and  one  bun- 


KUENEZKR  DRAKE. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


dred  head  of  imported,  or  the  direct  descendants 
of  imported  Holstein-Friesians.  The  directors 
of  the  association  are  L.  W.  and  J.  L.  Stone, 
E.  G.  and  J.  M.  Carpenter,  and  J.  W.  Miller. 
Further  reference  to  the  association  is  made  in 
the  sketch  of  its  secretary,  J.  L.  Stone,  which  ap- 
pears   elsewhere. 

Politically  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  strong  and  ar- 
dent advocate  of  the  Republican  party  and  has 
so  continued  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  If  there  is 
one  lesson  more  noticeable  than  another  in  his 
life,  it  is  the  fact  that  our  country  is  one  where  a 
youth  can  achieve,  by  the  exercise  of  those  qual- 
ities which  are  necessarily  concomitant  factors 
of  true  citizenship,  commendable  success  finan- 
cially and  socially,  and  at  the  same  time  retain 
the  warm  friendship  of  associates. 


EBENEZER  DRAKE  was  born  August  29, 
1818,  in  a  house  at  Old  Forge  that  stood 
on  the  same  spot  as  the  one  he  now 
occupies.  His  father,  Charles,  was  born  in 
New  Jersey,  February  14,  1786,  there  grew 
to  manhood,  and  in  1808  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, settling  where  his  son  now  resides.  He 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  this  vicinity, 
and  in  connection  with  a  Mr.  Hoyt  became  the 
owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  land.  During  the 
War  of  1812  he  paid  a  man  to  act  as  his  substi- 
tute in  the  army.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig 
and  from  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  in  1856  adhered  to  its  principles.  After 
coming  here  he  established  a  tannery  and  op- 
erated two  farms.  In  1833  he  began  keeping  a 
tavern  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Ebenezer 
Drake,  and  it  was  the  principal  stopping  place 
between  Carbondale  and  Wilkesbarre.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  old  homestead,  March  22,  1873, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 

October  3,  1813,  Charles  Drake  married  Millie 
Knapp,  who  wias  born  in  what  is  now  Lacka- 
wanna County  April  20,  1794,  and  died  in  Old 
Forge  February  23,  1875.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Dickson)  Knapp,  na- 
tives of  New  York.  The  former  took  up  land 
in  this  county  about  1790  and  was  one  of  the  first 


settlers  in  Old  Forge,  where  he  cleared  a  tract  of 
unimproved  land.  During  the  Revolution  he 
enlisted  in  the  service  and  fought  for  independ- 
ence. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  four  are  living.  He  grew  to 
manhood  in  the  parental  home  and  received  a 
district-school  education.  November  18,  1875, 
he  tnarried  Miss  Arabella  J.  SafTord,  who  was 
born  in  Lathrop,  Susquehanna  County,  March 
25,  1855-  Her  parents  were  Jedediah  and  Jane 
(Rockwell)  SafTord,  the  father  born  in  Brooklyn, 
Susquehanna  County,  June  12,  1822,  and  died 
June  5,  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years 
and  eleven  months;  the  mother  was  born  in 
Lathrop,  April  i,  1822,  and  died  September  26, 
1895,  when  seventy-three.  Seven  of  their  nine  chil- 
dren are  still  living.  The  paternal  grandparents 
of  Mrs.  Drake  were  Elisha  and  Olive  (Tracy) 
SafTord,  who  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Sus- 
quehanna County.  He  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, born  December  18,  1781,  and  died  in 
Brooklyn,  Susquehanna  County,  July  16,  1862. 
She  was  bom  in  Connecticut,  July  4,  1786,  was 
married  to  Mr.  Safford  in  New  Lisbon,  that  state, 
February  11,  1808,  and  died  in  Brooklyn,  De- 
cember 22,  1859.  Jedediah  Safford  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  War,  enlisting  in  1862  in  Company  F, 
First  Connecticut  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served 
for  twenty-two  months.  In  1864  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge  and  returned  home.  Mrs. 
Drake's  maternal  grandparents,  Hiram  and  Re- 
becca (Merritt)  Rockwell,  were  born  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  thence  migrated  to  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty, where  she  died  at  sixty-eight  years;  afterward 
he  went  to  Wayne  County  and  there  his  earth 
life  was  ended,  when  he  was  eighty-three.  In 
childhood  Mrs.  Drake  did  not  have  many  ad- 
vantages, but  through  self-culture  became  the 
possessor  of  a  fair  education,  and  this  she  utilized 
by  teaching"  school  for  four  years  prior  to  her 
marriage.  She  is  the  mother  of  two  daughters: 
Jennie  C,  who  was  born  December  21,  1876,  and 
graduated  from  the  West  Pittston  high  school 
with  the  class  of  1894,  and  later  attended  for  one 
year  the  Walnut  Lane  school  at  Germantown, 
Pa.;  and  Eva  C,  born  October  21,  1883. 

For  a  time  Mr.  Drake  engaged  in  the  mercan- 


56o 


PORTRAIT   AND    lilOGRAPIIICAL   RECORD. 


till-  business,  forming  a  partnership  with  his 
brother  in  1841  and  continuing  for  eight  years. 
Afterward  he  gave  his  attention  principally  to 
farming.  Since  his  marriage  he  has  practically 
lived  retired  from  business.  His  first  vote  was 
cast  for  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  in  1840 
and  he  has  voted  at  every  presidential  election 
since  that  time,  always  supporting  Republican 
principles.  Under  the  administration  of  James 
K.  Polk,  in  1849,  1t2  secured  the  establishment 
of  tlie  ])ostoilfice  at  Old  Forge  and  he  was  chosen 
postmaster,  continuing  until  1885.  In  religious 
connections  he  and  his  wife  are  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


ANSON  W.  BAYLEY,  who  has  been  a 
trusted  employe  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Company  since  1863  and  is  now  an 
engineer  upon  their  road,  with  headquarters  in 
Carbondale,  was  born  in  Clinton.  Wayne  County, 
Pa.,  September  i,  1847,  the  son  of  William  and 
Eleanor  (McMullen)  Pjayley,  natives  respectively 
of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  and  Wayne  County,  Pa.  His 
father,  who  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  educa- 
tion, engaged  successfully  in  teaching  school  and 
gained  an  enviable  reputation  in  educational  cir- 
cles, where  he  was  respected  alike  for  his  breadth 
of  learning  and  his  geniality  toward  all.  His 
death  occurred  at  Green  Ridge,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years,  one  month  and  seven  days. 
His  wife  is  still  living,  and  makes  her  home  in 
Providence,  this  county.  Their  seven  children 
were  named  as  follows:  John  W.,  who  served  for 
three  years  in  the  navy  and  is  now  living  in  Scran- 
ton:  Anson  W. ;  Clara  E.,  deceased;  Judson  O. ; 
Emma,  deceased,  and  Nettie  and  Nellie  (twins), 
of  whom  the  former  is  dead  and  the  latter  a  resi- 
dent of  Providence. 

The  boyhood  years  of  our  sul)j(.ct  passed  un- 
eventfully by  and  the  outbreak  cif  the  i\ebellii)n 
found  him,  a  sturdy  youth,  filled  with  a  spirit  of 
patriotism  that  caused  him  to  determine  to  enter 
the  army,  though  still  very  young.  He  respondecl 
to  the  first  call  for  volunteers  issued  by  President 
Lincoln,  and  was  enrolled  for  nine  months'  ser- 
vice with  Company  E,  Seventy-ninth  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  under  Capt.  George  W.  Ilubbell, 


of  Honesdale.  The  regiment  [)roceeded  to  Phila- 
delphia and  was  detached  for  duty  at  Ft.  Wash- 
ington, v.'here  the  youthful  soldier  remained,  as 
did  also  his  father,  who  was  second  lieutenant  of 
the  company.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Bayley  began  railroad- 
ing, his  first  work  being  the  oiling  of  the  cars  at 
Waymart  on  the  Gravity  road,  his  second  position 
that  of  brakeman  and  his  third  that  of  fireman  on 
Gravity  Plain  No.  18.  Later  he  was  transferred 
to  the  mining  department,  where  he  remained  for 
nine  years,  and  afterward  for  three  years  he  was 
fireman  on  a  locomotive.  From  that  position  he 
was  promoted  to  be  engineer.  He  came  to  Car- 
bondale in  1882  and  now  resides  at  No.  140  Salem 
Avenue.  His  marriage  united  him  with  Miss 
Annie  Tillsly,  of  Waymart,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Nettie.  Mrs.  Bayley  is  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Elizabeth  (Shinton)  Tillsly,  the  former  a 
well  known  and  expert  machinist,  now  deceased, 
and  the  latter  an  estimable  lady  residing  in  this 
city, 

Jn  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Bayley  is  identi- 
fied witli  the  blue  lodge  of  Masonry  and  Cameron 
Lodge  No.  56,  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  the  councils  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  he  has 
for  years  taken  an  active  part  and  has  repre- 
sented the  organization  in  conventions.  In  reli- 
gious views  he  is  a  Methodist,  and  has  been  an 
active  member  of  that  denomination  since  1870, 
having  been  chorister  for  more  than  ten  years, 
and  at  i)resent  serving  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  stewards.  He  is  well  informed  upon  political 
subjects  and  advocates  Repuldican  principles. 


HORACE  M.  EMERSON.  While  farming 
is  not  the  principal  industry  of  Lacka- 
wanna County,  yet  those  who  have  en- 
gaged in  it  with  a  determination  to  succeed  have 
almost  invariably  won  prosperity.  Scott  Town- 
ship has  a  prominent  and  successful  agriculturist 
in  Mr.  Emerson,  the  owner  of  a  neat  farm  where 
he  carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits.  Aside 
from  the  raising  of  such  cereals  as  are  adapted  to 
the  soil  and  climate,  he  also  devotes  considerable 
attention  to  the  dairy  business,  which  has  proved 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


561 


to  be  a  profitable  industry  for  farmers  of  this 
locality. 

A  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  January  3, 
1847,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Sabra  (Potter)  Emerson,  and  a  grandson  of 
Robert  Emerson,  the  first  member  of  the  family 
who  settled  in  the  town  of  Scott.  When  Horace 
was  a  boy  of  ten  years  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  this  place  and  grew  to  manhood  upon  the 
farm  where  he  still  resides,  meantime  attending 
the  neighboring  district  schools  and  acquiring 
a  fair  education.  By  training  and  natural  inclina- 
tions he  preferred  agriculture,  and  has  therefore 
remained  in  the  occupation  in  which  he  was 
reared,  making  his  home  continuously  on  the  old 
place,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Scranton.  Since  the  age  of  twenty-eight  he  has 
had  charge  of  the  homstead  and  owns,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  seventy-five  acres  therein,  another 
farm  of  fifty-nine  acres. 

In  1873  ^fr.  Emerson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Jeannette  Hubbard,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Axa  (Stone)  Hubbard,  and  a  lady  of  estima- 
ble character.  They  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  George  T.,  Harry,  Carrie,  and  Stacy, 
but  all  are  deceased  except  the,  first-named, 
George  T.,  who  married  Aliss  Lillian  X.  Good- 
rich, and  assists  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
homestead.  Interested  in  political  afifairs  and 
local  enterprise,  Mr.  Emerson  votes  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  and  has  served  for  three  years  as 
school  director.  In  the  Methodist  Church,  of 
which  he  is  an  active  member,  he  holds  the  offi- 
cial position  of  steward. 


GEN.  ELISHA  PHINNEY.  It  was  Car- 
lyle  who  said  that  "the  true  delineation 
of  the  most  humble  man  and  his  scene  of 
pilgrimage  through  life  is  capable  of  interesting 
the  greatest  men.  All  men  are  to  an  unspeak- 
able degree  brothers,  each  man's  life  a  strange 
emblem  of  every  man's;  and  human  portraits, 
faithfully  drawn,  are  of  all  pictures  the  welcomest 
on  human  walls."  Our  readers  will  be  interested 
in  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  General  Phinney,  not 
only  because  he  has  resided  in  this  county  so 
many  years,  but  also  on  account  of  his  close  con- 
nection with  the  historv  of  Scranton. 


The  Phinney  family  originated  in  Ireland, 
whence  our  subject's  grandfather,  Elisha,  emi- 
grated to  Connecticut  and  there  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. After  some  years  he  removed  to  New  Jer- 
sey, where  he  died.  Gould  Phinney,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Simsbury,  Conn.,  and  in 
early  life  was  a  manufacturer  in  Elizabeth.  X.  J., 
but  later  was  similarly  engaged  in  Wilkesbarre 
and  Duiidaff,  Pa.  Afterward  he  bought  a  plan- 
tation in  Eredericksburg,  Va.,  where  the  closing 
years  of  his  busy  life  were  spent.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five,  while  on  a  trip  to  New  York  City. 

Our  subject's  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Jane  Price,  was  born  in  Elizabeth,  X.  J., 
and  died  in  Dundaff,  Pa.,  aged  eighty-five.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Price,  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  and  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  fisher- 
man. During  the  Revolution  he  took  part  in  the 
colonial  service  and  was  captured  by  the  British 
army  and  kept  for  a  time  in  a  prison  ship  in  New 
York  harbor.  Our  subject  was  the  fourth  of  six 
children,  but  only  two  of  the  number  attained 
mature  years  and  he  alone  sur\-ives,  his  brother. 
Thomas,  having  died  in  Dundaf?  at  seventy-five 
years. 

The  childhood  years  of  General  Phinney  were 
spent  in  Dundaff,  and  at  an  early  age  he  began 
to  assist  his  father  in  the  store,  remaining  with 
him  until  he  was  twenty-one,  when  he  succeeded 
to  its  management.  At  first  he  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  only,  but  after  a  time  he 
began  to  manufacture  window  glass.  The  burn- 
ing of  his  plant  caused  him  to  turn  his  attention 
to  other  lines  of  work,  and  for  a  while  he  operated 
a  tannery.  In  1856  he  came  to  Scranton  and  em- 
barked in  t)ie  wholesale  flour  and  feed  business  in 
Pranklin  Avenue.  He  also  became  a  stockholder 
in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany and,  under  Col.  George  Scranton,  was  as- 
sistant superintendent  in  the  building  of  the  rail- 
road from  Scranton  to  Greatbend.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  that  job,  he  entered  into  a  contract  with 
the  same  road  to  complete  the  Factoryville  tun- 
nel, twenty-two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  which  he 
accomplished  successfully. 

The  next  venture  in  which  General  Phinney  en- 
gaged was  the  operating  of  the  Greenwood  mines 
below  Scranton  in  partnership  with  E.  C.  Schott, 


-^t2 


r-t  )RTRAIT   AND    rJOGRAPIIICAL   RFXORD. 


under  the  firm  name  of  the  Greenwood  Coal  Com- 
pany. For  ten  years  he  continued  as  a  coal 
operator,  after  which  he  also  became  interested  in 
real  estate  transactions.  He  aided  in  organizing 
the  old  Second  National  Bank,  and  was  one  of 
its  directors.  For  five  years  he  was  president 
of  the  Merchants  &  Mechanics  Bank.  Through 
his  various  enterprises  and  by  means  of  the  exer- 
cise of  sound  judgment  in  every  dealing  he  had 
become  very  wealthy,  but  unfortunately  through 
misplaced  confidence  he  lost  almost  all  he  had. 

In  1882  General  Phinney  went  to  Georgia, 
where  he  has  an  interest  in  a  gold  and  silver  mine, 
and  since  then  he  has  spent  a  portion  of  his  time 
there.  With  three  others,  he  owns  four  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  on  which  are  three  good  fissure 
veins.  During  1894  he  resided  in  Elizabeth, 
X.  J.,  and  engaged  in  business  in  New  York,  but 
the  following  year  he  returned  to  Scranton,  and 
now  resides  in  Green  Ridge  Street.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  is  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  a  Mason  of  the  Royal  Arch  degree. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  militia  of 
Pennsylvania,  which  he  was  afterward  identified 
with  until  1863,  being  lieutenant,  captain,  major, 
colonel,  and  brigadier-general  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Uniformed  Militia  under  Porter.  The 
General  Phinney  Hook  and  Ladder  (now  En- 
gine) Company  was  named  in  his  honor. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemn- 
ized in  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  his  wife  being  Hannah 
Hodge,  who  was  born  there  and  died  in  Dundafif. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children  now  liv- 
ing: Robert,  superintendent  of  the  mill  of  Charles 
P.  Matthews,  Sons  &  Co.;  and  Mary  J.,  wife  of 
Charles  P.  Matthews.  The  present  wife  of  Gen- 
eral Phinney  was  Miss  Eunice  C.  Needhani, 
who  was  born  in  Kingston,  and  received  an  excel- 
lent education  in  Wyoming  Seminary.  Her 
father,  Benjamin  Needham,  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut, was  a  geologist  and  mining  engineer,  and 
was  quite  prominent  in  the  Lackawanna  and 
Wyoming  valleys. 

General  Phinney  is  now  advanced  in  years, 
having  been  born  in  1815,  but  in  spite  of  his  age, 
he  retains  possession  of  his  mental  faculties  and 
also  enjoys  fair  health.  His  life  has  been  spent 
principally  in  Pennsylvania,  though  a  native  of 


Elizabeth,  N.  J.  He  is  devotedly  attached  to  the 
interests  of  Scranton,  the  growth  of  which  he  has 
witnessed  through  ail  tliese  passing  years  and 
the  welfare  of  which  he  has  promoted  by  his 
own  business  energy  and  good  citizenship.  That 
he  may  be  spared  to  see  its  further  progress  for 
years  to  come  is  the  wish  of  his  fellow-citizens, 
by  whom  he  is  helrl  in  the  highest  regard. 


WILLIAM  W\  RUANE,  formerly  a 
j)rominent  member  of  the  select  council 
of  Scranton,  is  one  of  our  leading  and 
public-spirited  citizens.  He  served  at  that  time 
on  a  number  of  important  committees,  which  had 
as  their  object  the  improveinent  of  the  various 
systems  of  city  management  and  our  greater 
commercial  advancement.  He  was  elected  on 
the  Democratic  ticket  in  1874,  serving  three  suc- 
cessive terms,  and  then,  after  an  intermission, 
was  re-elected  for  another  term. 

A  son  of  Anthony  and  Bridget  (Durkin) 
Ruane,  whose  families  had  been  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  border  of  County  Sligo  and 
County  Mayo,  Ireland,  for  many  generations,  our 
subject  was  born  in  the  first-named  district  on 
Christmas  day,  1847.  Until  he  was  fourteen 
years  old  he  followed  the  occupation  of  all  his  an- 
cestors, tilling  the  soil,  but  being  of  an  adventur- 
ous spirit  and  wishing  to  see  the  world,  he  then 
started  out  to  seek  his  fortune.  First  he  pro- 
ceeded from  the  seaport  of  Sligo  to  Glasgow, 
from  there  to  Edinboro,  thence  to  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne  and  Liverpool.  There  he  took  passage  in 
a  sailing-vessel,  "Chancellor,''  bound  for  New 
York,  and  safely  arrived  at  his  destination  in 
thirty  days.  He  found  everybody  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement,  as  it  was  during  the  first  days 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  he  soon  applied  for  enlist- 
ment, but  was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth. 
His  brother,  Anthony,  had  found  a  place  in  Arch- 
bald,  and  our  subject  stayed  with  him  a  short 
time.  Then  he  tried  his  chances  in  Chicago, 
where  he  worked  about  a  year.  Coming  back 
through  Ohio  he  was  at  the  town  of  Steubenville 
at  the  time  the  Cook  family  captured  the  g^ierrilla 
commander,  Capt.  John  Morgan.  Since  that 
period  he  has  lived  in  Scranton,  and  was  formerly 


J.  ALFRKI)  P?;NNINGT0N. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


56s 


with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  but 
at  present  is  an  employe  of  the  Mount  Pleasant 
Coal  Company.  When  he  was  in  office  he  was 
associated  with  such  well  known  men  as  George 
Bushnell,  George  Sanderson,  Frank  Beamish, 
George  Farber,  Reese  T.  Evans,  Jenkin  Nichols, 
Joseph  Phillips,  James  Gillespie,  A.  B.  Stevens 
and  U.  G.  Schoonmaker. 

The  hospitable  home  of  Mr.  Ruane  is  situated 
at  No.  414  Phelps  Street,  and  is  presided  over  by 
his  charming  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Catherine  O'Neil.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Eugene 
O'Neil,  a  cousin  of  Hon.  William  O'Neil,  repre- 
sentative from  Massachusetts.  She  was  born  in 
Chicopee  Falls,  Mass.,  and  by  her  marriage  has 
become  the  mother  of  nine  children:  Mamie, 
Adella,  Katie,  Theresa,  Maggie,  Lucy,  William, 
Jr.,  Eugene  and  Joseph.  The  family  are  members 
of  Saint  Peter's  Cathedral.  Mr.  Ruane  is  one  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and  was  once 
general  secretary  of  lodsfe. 


J  ALFRED  PENNINGTON.  In  former 
years  Americans  were  accused  of  being 
•  so  engrossed  in  business  as  to  exclude 
any  participation  in  art,  but  this  charge,  while 
it  may  have  been  true  then,  would  not  stand  now, 
for  not  only  people  of  wealth,  but  the  middle 
classes  as  well,  are  devoting  considerable  atten- 
tion to  the  study  of  the  arts'  and  especially  of 
music.  Men  and  women  of  culture  invariably 
possess  some  knowledge  of  the  science  and  find 
the  highest  pleasure  in  listening  to  the  renditions 
of  the  old  masters.  Among  the  institutions  in 
Scranton  where  instruction  in  music  is  given,  one 
of  the  most  prominent  is  Professor  Pennington's 
School  for  the  Pianoforte,  Organ  and  Voice, 
located  on  Madison  Avenue  and  Linden  Street. 
The  school  was  opened  in  September,  1896,  and 
is  planned  on  conservatory  lines.  Instruction  is 
given  in  conservatory  classes  or  in  private.  A 
large  class  in  musical  history  has  been  formed, 
frequent  musicals  are  given,  and  it  is  the  aim  of 
the  director  to  afford  students  as  many  as  possi- 
ble of  the  advantages  of  a  thoroughly  equipped 
musical  institution. 

The  family  of  which  Professor  Pennington  is 


a  member  belongs  to  the  ancient  nobility  of  Eng- 
land, its  history  in  that  country  antedating  the 
time  of  William  the  Conqueror.  Several  of  the 
name  took  part  in  the  border  wars  between  Eng- 
land and  Scotland,  and  about  that  time,  the 
English  king,  Henry  VI.,  fleeing  from  the  battle 
for  liis  life,  was  taken  into  Muncaster  Castle,  the 
home  of  the  family,  and  there  secreted  until  es- 
cape was  possible.  While  their  guest,  he  gave  the 
head  of  the  house  a  curiously  wrought  glass  vase, 
asking  that  it  be  kept  unbroken,  and  since  that 
time  it  has  stood  in  a  secure  wooden  case  in  the 
castle.  One  of  the  family  served  as  lord  mayor 
of  London  and  was  a  juryman  in  the  trial  of 
Charles  I.,  but  was  afterward  confined  in  the 
tower  by  Charles  II.,  who  failed  to  keep  the 
promises  made  to  him.  Some  of  the  descend- 
ants still  occupy  the  castle,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  ancient  in  England. 

On  coming  to  America,  the  family  was  first 
represented  in  Virginia,  whence,  In  1790,  the 
Professor's  grandfather,  William  Pennington,  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  settling  in  McDonough  Coun- 
ty, where  his  son,  Rev.  J.  R.,  was  born.  The 
latter  has  been  a  minister  in  the  Baptist  Church 
for  years.  He  married  Martha  P.  Lincoln,  an 
own  cousin  of  Abraham  Lincoln;  she  was  born 
in  Iowa  and  died  in  Blandinsville,  111.,  shortly 
after  the  birth  of  her  only  child,  J.  Alfred,  who 
was  born  November  27,  1862. 

From  his  parents  Professor  Pennington  inher- 
ited musical  talent,  and  from  an  earlv  age  he 
was  given  the  best  advantages  in  that  art.  For 
some  time  he  was  organist  in  St.  John's  Cathe- 
dral, Quincy,  111.  From  1881  to  1883,  '^^  studied 
luider  one  of  the  most  famous  musicians  of  this 
country,  Bruno  Oscar  Klein,  then  of  Quincy, 
later  of  New  York,  now  residing  abroad.  From 
1884  until  1889  he  enjoyed  the  splendid  musical 
advantages  of  Boston,  where  he  was  a  pupil  in 
piano  of  Alfred  D.  Turner  and  Dr.  Louis  IMaas; 
in  organ  of  H.  M.  Dunham;  in  harmony  and 
counterpoint  of  G.  W.  Chadwick,  one  of  the 
leading  composers  of  the  American  school.  Dur- 
ing much  of  this  time  he  was  organist  of  the 
Plarvard  Street  Church,  Boston,  which  at  that 
time  had  a  select  paid  chorus  of  forty  voices  and 
one  of   the   highest  paid   quartet   choirs   in   the 


566 


PORTRAIT    AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


citv.  In  September,  1889.  he  went  to  Europe 
and  studied  under  Alexandre  Ciuilniant,  the  fa- 
mous organist  of  Paris.  He  went  to  Berlin  in 
April  of  the  following  year  to  become  a  pupil 
in  organ  of  August  Haupt,  royal  professor,  and 
teacher  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  organists 
in  the  L'nited  States.  U])on  the  death  of  Pro- 
fessor Hau])t  he  became  a  pu])il  of  Dr.  Heinrich 
Reimann,  organist  of  the  "Philharmonic."  His 
piano  studies  he  continued  with  Heinrich  Ehrlich, 
roval  professor;  and  nutsical  theory  under  Albert 
Becker,  director  of  the  royal  choir,  maintained 
at  the  private  expense  of  the  Emperor. 

While  in  Berlin  Professor  Pennington  hatl  the 
high  honor  of  being  the  organist  for  the  annual 
concerts  given  in  the  Cathedral  by  the  royal  choir. 
Later  he  played  in  a  special  concert  given  at  the 
Emperor's  conuiiand,  in  honor  of  members  of 
the  synod  convened  from  all  parts  of  Germany. 
March  22,  1892,  he  played  in  a  special  concert 
given  in  aid  of  the  Emperor  William  Memorial 
Church,  under  the  patronage  and  in  the  presence 
of  Her  Majesty,  the  Empress.  Afterward  he 
played  at  a  concert  given  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Magdalene  Evangelical  Society,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  tlie  Empress.  No  higher  honor  could 
be  accorded  an  organist  in  Germanv  than  to  plav 
at  concerts  given  by  the  royal  choir,  and  the  fact 
that  he  was  chosen  is  a  proof  of  his  superior  abil- 
ity. In  1894  lie  made  an  extended  tour  of  Eng- 
land, with  especial  reference  to  cathedral  music. 
In  September  of  that  year  he  went  to  Paris  to 
again  study  under  Guilmant;  also  studied  sing- 
ing under  Sbriglia,  who  was  the  teacher  of  Jean 
and  Edouard  de  Reszke. 

Returning  to  America  in  .A.pril,  1895.  Professor 
Pennington  prepared  a  chorus  for  the  perform- 
ance of  the  oratorio  of  the  Messiah  at  Ocean 
Grove,  X.  J.,  under  the  concert  direction  of  Wal- 
ter Damrosch.  On  the  i.st  of  September  he  be- 
came organist  at  the  Elm  Park  Church  in  Scran- 
ton,  where  he  has  since  presided  at  the  magnifi- 
cent three-manual  electric  organ  that  w^as  built 
by  Farrand  Si  Voley  of  Detroit  in  1893.  In  his 
studio  he  has  a  two-manual  and  pedal  vocalion 
organ.  His  assistant  as  vocal  instructor  is  Miss 
Katherine  Timberman,  pupil  of  Madame  Mar- 
chesi,   Paris,   and   solo  contralto   in   concert   and 


oratorio.  While  professor  of  organ  in  Oberlin 
College  in  1892-03,  he  instituted  classes  in  organ 
construction  and  choir  accompaniment.  In  that 
city  he  married  Luella  M.  h'ollansbee,  who  was 
born  in  Cleveland  and  graduated  from  Oberlin 
College.  Professor  Pennington  is  a  member  of 
the  Manuscript  Society  of  Xew  York  City.  Ex- 
tensixe  travel  has  given  him  a  deep  insight  into 
the  customs  and  habits  of  people  and  national 
characteristics,  besides  giving  him  fluency  in  the 
use  of  the  French  and  German  languages  and 
breadth  of  mental  culture. 


F 


REDERICK  KAPMEYER.  of  the  firm  of 
Zang  &  Kapmeyer,  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Hamburg,  Germany,  September  29,  1855, 
the  son  of  Louis  and  Jacobine  (Twesten)  Kap- 
meyer. His  parents  were  bom  in  Germany  and 
spent  their  lives  principally  in  Berlin,  where  the 
father  was  employed  as  an  accountant.  He  was 
a  hard-working,  energetic  luan,  and  as  a  citizen 
maintained  a  close  interest  in  public  afTairs.  The 
best  advantages  which  his  means  jjermitted  he 
gave  to  liis  children,  Frederick,  Charles  and  Ida, 
all  of  whom  are  now  living  in  the  United  States, 
Charles  in  Scranton,  and  Ida,  Mrs.  Borges.  in 
New  Haven,  Conn. 

Reared  principally  in  Hamburg  and  educated 
in  the  city  gymnasium,  the  .subject  of  this  sketch 
became  an  accountant,  and  later  secured  employ- 
ment as  a  traveling  salesman,  then  took  a  posi- 
tion as  bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  dry-goods 
business.  Crossing  the  ocean  in  1882,  he  secured 
a  position  as  salesman  with  a  Xew  York  house, 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  kir  some  years. 
In  April,  1889,  he  caiue  to  Scranton  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Charles 
Zang,  in  buying  out  the  bottling  and  manufact- 
uring business  of  Rudolph  Bloeser  at  No.  121 
Penn  Avenue,  where  he  has  since  continued.  In 
the  fall  of  1896  his  partner  died,  but  the  firm  naiue 
has  remained  the  saiue,  the  widow  carrying  on 
his  interest  in  the  business.  The  trade  is  large, 
and  four  teams  and  wagons  are  in  constant  use 
for  delivery  of  orders.  A  specialty  is  made  of 
lager  beer,  Weiss  beer,  arornatic  ginger  ale,  por- 
ter and   all  kinds  of  mineral   waters,   which  are 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RFXORD. 


567 


sold  in  all  parts  of  the  valley  from  Carbondale  to 
Pittston  and  up  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  to  Factoryville  and  Moscow. 

In  New  York  City  Mr.  Kapmeyer  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Zang,  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  Lillie,  Fred- 
erick, John  and  Francis.  Mr.  Kapmeyer  is  con- 
nected with  a  number  of  German  and  fraternal  or- 
ganizations here,  including  the  Turn  \^erein, 
Arion,  Liederkranz,  Benevolent  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks,  Krieger  \'erein,  Heptasophs,  Amer- 
ican Legion  of  Honor  and  Fortbildungs  Verein. 


WILLIAM  H.  DAVIS,  superintendent  of 
the  Sauquoit  Silk  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany at  Scranton  and  a  pioneer  in  the 
silk  industry,  was  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  the 
son  of  William  H.  and  Adelia  Davis,  natives  re- 
spectively of  New  York  and  NTew  Jersey.  His 
father,  who  was  an  able  business  nian  and  for 
many  years  hotel  manager,  traveled  extensively 
in  South  America  and  Bermuda  and  died  on  the 
latter  island.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  Paterson, 
as  is  their  only  daughter,  while  the  three  sons, 
William  H.,  Edward  R.  and  Franklin  E.,  are  in 
the  employ  of  the  Sauquoit  Silk  Manufacturing 
Company  and  live  in  Scranton. 

The  active  connection  of  Mr.  Davis  with  the 
silk  industry  began  in  1862  and  he  is  thoroughly 
conversant  with  every  department  of  the  work. 
In  the  year  named  lie  secured  work  in  Van 
Winkle's  silk  mill  at  Paterson,  where  he  began 
in  a  humble  position,  working  twelve  hours  per 
day  and  receiving  seventy-five  cents  wages.  After 
eighteen  months  there,  in  1864,  he  began  to  work 
for  Lewis  R.  Stelle,  the  former  president  of  the 
Sauquoit  Silk  Manufacturing  Company,  and 
father  of  A.  D.  Stelle,  the  present  president.  In 
his  silk  mill  he  remained  three  years,  meantime 
gaining  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  various  de- 
partments of  the  work.  Afterward  he  was  en- 
gaged as  foreman  with  his  first  employer  for  two 
years  and  later  became  superintendent  of  the  mill, 
resigning  at  the  expiration  of  four  years  to  take 
the  position  of  superintendent  with  Frederick  S. 
Dale,  of  Paterson.  In  1886  he  went  to  Harris- 
burg  and  opened  a  mill  for  Pelgrim  &  Meyers, 


silk  manufacturers,  placing  the  business  upon  a 
substantial  basis.  On  his  return  to  Paterson  he 
resumed  work  a.s  superintendent  for  Mr.  Van 
Winkle.  In  March  of  1888  he  came  to  Scranton, 
where  he  has  since  resided. 

The  Sauquoit  Silk  Manufacturing  Company 
occupies  a  building  of  four  and  five  stories,  con- 
taining seven  elevators,  a  boiler  capacity  of  four- 
teen hundred  and  fifty,  and  an  engine  of  thirteen 
hundred  horse  power.  .Since  Mr.  Davis  became 
superintendent,  the  capacity  of  the  plant  has  been 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  six  times 
as  large  as  it  was  then,  and  now  covers  about 
four  acres  of  floor  space.  In  the  busy  seasons 
about  sixteen  hundred  hands  are  employed,  and 
the  force  is  large,  even  in  dull  times.  The  suc- 
cess that  has  attended  the  concern  is  largely  due 
to  the  skill,  ability  and  energetic  efforts  of  the 
superintendent,  who  spares  no  time  nor  pains  to 
secure  tb.e  best  results,  and  keeps  abreast  with 
every  improvement  made  in  the  industry.  A  pio- 
neer in  the  silk  business,  he  has  witnessed  its 
rapid  growth  and  development.  At  the  time  he 
began,  in  1862,  the  industry  was  in  its  infancv, 
there  were  none  of  the  modern  improvements, 
and  no  plants  in  the  Lnited  States  save  those  in 
Paterson,  while  now  they  are  scattered  far  and 
wide.  He  resides  at  No.  440  Adams  Avenue. 
Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Heptasophs 
and  a  life  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 


E 


RVIN  H.  STONE.  To  find  men  of 
ability  it  is  not  necessary  to  journey  far 
from  home  and  friends.  We  need  but  to 
look  about  us  to  see  many  who  have  displayed 
an  energy  of  action  that  entitles  them  to  recog- 
nition among  progressive  and  public-spirited  citi- 
zens. In  Carbondale,  as  elsewhere,  opportuni- 
ties are  not  lacking  to  teach  the  power  of  honesty 
and  energy  in  securing  the  individual  and  public 
good.  The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  is 
one  who  is  prospering  in  business  and  who  is  also 
ever  found  ready  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his 
fellowmen  by  assisting  in  their  worthy  under- 
takings. While  his  residence  in  this  city  has 
been  of  comparatively  brief  duration,  his  experi- 


568 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


eiice  in  the  milk  business  covers  an  extended 
period,  and  he  is  still  successfully  engaged  in  this 
occupati.-in.  In  addition  he  also  has  ice  cream 
parlors,  with  soda  fountain  and  confectionery 
store,  near  the  intersection  of  Church  and  Ca- 
naan Streets,  an  excellent  location  for  the  trade. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  W.  Stone, 
was  b(irn  in  Abington  Township,  Lackawanna 
County,  Septeni1)er  4,  1840,  and  .has  always  been 
connected  with  the  occupation  of  farming.  He 
remained  on  the  old  homestead,  interested  in 
farniins^  and  lumbering,  until  of  age.  During  the 
progress  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  K,  Twenty-fifth  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  accompanied  his  regiment  to  Harper's 
l-"erry  and  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  remaining  in 
the  service  for  three  months,  after  which  he  was 
honorably  discharged.  For  thirty  years  or  more 
he  has  resided  in  Fell  Township,  this  county.  In 
addition  to  farming,  for  eleven  years  he  served 
as  a  minister  in  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 

Ethan  A.  Stone,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was 
a  son  of  Welcome  Stone,  a  farmer,  and  was  born 
in  Abington  Township,  this  county.  Between 
the  ages  of  thirteen  and  twenty-one  he  lived  in 
Wilkesbarre,  where  he  learned  the  hatter's  trade. 
Next  he  went  to  Dundafif,  from  there  to  Abington 
Township,  thence  to  Scott,  and  in  1849  settled  in 
Fell  Township,  where  he  died  at  seventy-two 
years.  His  wife,  Lucinda  Pell,  was  the  daughter 
of  a  Frenchman  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
and  first  settled  in  Wilkesbarre,  but  about  1800 
removed  to  (jreenfield  Tow-nship,  tins  countv,  be- 
coming a  pioneer  there.  The  family  of  Ethan  A. 
Stone  consisted  of  eight  children,  and  our  sub- 
ject's father  is  the  eldest  of  the  four  survivors. 

January  i,  1863,  George  W.  Stone  married 
Eliza  Wedeman,  member  of  a  pioneer  family  of 
Fell  Township.  They  became  the  parents  of  five 
children,  namely:  Martha  J.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  thirteen  months;  George  B.,  who  married 
Mary  Everson  and  has  two  children,  Lila  and 
Everett:  Ervin  H.;  Edith,  and  Grace  E.  Our 
subject,  who  was  third  among  tlie  children,  was 
born  January  12,  1872,  and  grew  to  manhood 
upon  the  home  farm,  receiving  a  fair  opjjortunity 
for  an  education.  Early  in  life  he  began  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world,  his  first  work  being 


in  the  milk  L>usiness,  whicli  he  thoroughly  under- 
stands. On  coming  to  Carbondale  in  1895  he 
opened  a  milk  depot  in  Salem  Avenue,  and  has 
since  built  up  a  good  trade  among  the  people 
here.  He  married  Miss  Grace  Purdy,  who  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania;  they  and  their  children, 
Mabel  and  Rexford,  occupy  a  comfortable  resi- 
dence on  Birkett  Street,  which  he  built  for  his 
family.  In  his  political  opinions  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  in  religious  belief  is  identified  with  the 
Baptist  Church. 


CHARLES  H.  CAWLEY,  who  has  been  in 
the  employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  Company  for  more 
than  thirty  years,  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
Scranton  for  about  the  same  period,  was  born  in 
Honesdale,  Pa.,  in  November,  1850,  the  son  of 
Charles  and  Eleanor  (Caveny)  Cawley.  His 
father,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  young  manhood  and  settled  in 
Honesdale,  where  he  married  and  worked  in  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany. In  1857  he  removed  to  Hawley  and  took 
a  position  with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company, 
but  in  1S65  came  to  Scranton,  and  here  contin- 
ued to  reside  until  his  death,  June  15,  1878.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  this  city  April  14,  1871. 
Their  famil}'  consisted  of  six  children  who  at- 
tained years  of  maturity:  Charles  H.;  Tliomas, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Scranton ; 
John,  dispatcher  of  mine  trains  at  Bloomsburg; 
Edward,  who  was  accidentally  killed  on  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  at  Tay- 
lor; James,  a  resident  of  this  city;  and  Andrew, 
who  died  here. 

When  a  child  of  seven  years  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  accompanied  his  parents  to  Hawley,  and 
there  for  some  time  he  was  employed  to  carry 
tools  for  the  men  working  on  the  Hawley  branch. 
For  three  consecutive  winters  after  coming  to 
Scranton  he  attended  the  public  schools  here, 
and  afterward,  wdien  employed  during  the  day, 
devoted  his  evenings  to  study,  thus  acquiring  a 
fund  of  knowledge  that  has  been  of  the  greatest 
value  to  him.  March  18,  1865,  immediately  after 
corning  to  this  city,  he  took  a  position  as  section 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


569 


hand  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Company,  and  after  three  years  was  made  brake- 
man  on  the  line  between  the  yards  and  Clarks 
Summit.  Afterward  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Southern  division,  then  to  the  Bloomsburg  di- 
vision. In  1871  he  was  promoted  to  be  dis- 
patcher or  conductor  of  mine  trains  on  the 
Bloomsburg  division,  witli  headquarters  in 
Scranton,  but  was  transferred  to  Kingston,  No- 
vember 20,  1876,  as  conductor  on  the  coal  trains 
from  Avondale  to  Scranton,  and  from  Kingston 
to  Northumberland. 

In  January,  1879,  Mr.  Cawley  was  transferred 
to  Scranton  as  conductor  on  the  coal  train  be- 
tween this  city  and  Port  Morris,  and  remained  in 
that  capacity  for  some  years.  April  i,  1882,  he 
was  given  his  present  position  that  of  yard  dis- 
patcher in  charge  of  all  the  coal  trains  from  the 
Brisbin,  Cayuga,  Capouse,  Hyde  Park,  Sloan, 
Hampton,  Continental  and  Archbald  mines  to 
the  Clarks  Summit  yards.  He  has  twelve  engines 
nmning  constantly  and  gives  the  order  for  all  the 
coal  trains  from  these  mines.  His  long  experi- 
ence in  this  line,  together  with  his  methodical 
habits,  enables  him  to  discharge  his  responsible 
duties  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  company. 

Politically  Mr.  Cawley  is  a  Democrat,  but  is 
not  a  partisan  in  his  views,  and  has  never  sought 
office  for  himself.  He  is  connected  with  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Mutual  Aid  As- 
sociation and  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Conductors"  Association,  Lackawanna  Divi- 
sion No.  12,  Order  Railway  Conductors.  In  this 
city  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Duffy,  who  was  born 
in  Ireland,  but  crossed  the  ocean  when  a  small 
child  and  has  since  lived  in  Scranton.  They  and 
their  children,  Charles  and  Mary,  reside  at  No. 
225  Railroad  Avenue. 


JAMES  S.  WAGNER.  The  intelligence  and 
ability  shown  by  Mr.  Wagner  as  a  pro- 
gressive farmer  and  the  interest  he  has 
taken  in  the  advancement  of  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, caused  him  long  since  to  be  classed  as  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  his  section.  The  prop- 
ert\-  that  he  now  owns  has  come  as  the  result  of 


his  own  efforts,  and  he  deserves  nuich  credit  for 
the  determined  way  in  which  he  has  faced  and 
overcome  difficulties  that  beset  his  path.  In  early 
boyhood  he  was  obliged  to  become  self-support- 
ing, and  the  road  to  success  he  found  anything 
but  a  rosy  one;  nevertheless,  he  has  become  well- 
to-do  through  his  own  indefatigable  exertions. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Frederick  Wagner, 
was  born  in  Northampton  County,  but  moved  to 
Luzerne  County  about  1803,  and  there  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-nine,  in  1848;  he  married  Catherine 
Conrad,  who  died  on  the  home  farm  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five.  Their  son,  James  S.,  was  born  in 
Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  December  27,  1826,  and 
when  a  mere  child  began  to  earn  his  own  way  in 
the  world  by  assisting  his  father.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  hired  out  to  his  brother-in-law,  C. 
Stark,  for  one  year,  but  his  father's  death  caused 
him  to  make  a  change  in  what  he  had  intended 
for  his  life  occupation.  He  returned  home  and 
afterward  for  ten  years  he  and  a  brother  culti- 
vated the  estate.  In  1859  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent property  adjoining  Clarks  Green,  and  a  num- 
ber of  farms  in  the  neighborhood,  the  majority  of 
which  he  has  sold.  He  also  owns  village  prop- 
erty. His  prosperity  is  due  to  his  own  efforts, 
for  without  doubt  he  is  one  of  the  hardest  work- 
ing men  for  miles  around. 

While  unalile  to  attend  school  for  an  extended 
period  in  boyhood,  Mr.  Wagner  impresses  one  as 
a  well  informed  man,  and  such  indeed  he  is,  for 
being  a  great  reader  and  a  close  observer,  he  has 
gained  a  broad  fund  of  general  information.  He 
is  one  of  seven  forming  a  reading  club  in  Clarks 
Green,  who  'subscribe  for  all  the  leading  period- 
icals and  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  world  of 
thought  and  literature.  With  his  family,  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
His  political  experiences  have  been  varied.  His 
first  vote  was  cast  for  Lewis  Cass,  the  favorite 
of  the  old  Democratic  party,  but  during  the  war 
he  gave  his  ballot  to  Abraham  Lincoln,  for  whom 
he  had  the  greatest  admiration.  The  talented 
statesman,  Horace  Greeley,  received  his  vote  in 
1872.  At  three  consecutive  elections  he  voted  for 
Grover  Cleveland,  and  in  1896,  taking  his  stand 
with  the  gold  champions,  he  voted  for  Major 
McKinlev. 


57° 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


December  i,  1859,  ^Ir.  Wat^ncr  married  Miss 
Sarah  Griffin,  who  was  born  near  Clarks  Green. 
They  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  Hattie  G., 
and  it  was  the  heaviest  sorrow  of  their  wedded 
Hves  when  she  was  taken  from  them  by  deatli  at 
the  age  of  three  years.  Mrs.  Wagner  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  EHas  and  Esther  (Clark)  Griffin,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y., 
and  died  in  this  county  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  Her  grandparents,  James  and  Sarah 
(Clapp)  Griffin,  w-ere  among  the  first  settlers  in 
Providence,  near  Scranton,  but  afterward  they 
went  to  Westchester  County,  X.  Y.,  where  they 
died  in  advanced  years.  Mrs.  Wagner's  maternal 
grandfather  was  William  Clark,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Clarks  Green,  the  place  being  named  in 
honor  of  himself  and  his  brother  leremiah. 


PETER  FINKLER.  Many  of  the  most  pa- 
triotic citizens  of  our  country  have  emi- 
grated hither  from  foreign  lands,  and 
among  them  are  many  of  the  stalwart  sons  of 
Germany.  Coming  with  little  or  no  capital,  some 
in  youth  and  some  in  manhood,  they  have  almost 
invariably,  when  honest  and  industrious,  built  up 
comfortable  homes  and  gained  a  success  that 
would  have  been  impossible  for  them  in  the  old 
country.  When  Mr.  Finkler  crossed  the  ocean 
he  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  but  had  already  learned 
many  lessons  in  the  hard  school  of  poverty.  At 
only  seven  years  he  worked  in  a  cotton  mill  in 
France,  and  the  seven  cents  per  day  earned  in 
this  way  was  an  important  item  in  supporting  the 
family.  His  mother,  too,  worked  "in  the  same 
place,  receiving  fourteen  cents  per  day.  From 
that  condition  of  poverty  he  has,  by  self-exertion, 
raised  himself  to  a  position  of  influence  among 
the  truck  farmers  of  Newton  Townshiii,  where  he 
owns  three  hundred  acres  of  land. 

From  Prussia  Michael  Finkler,  our  subject's 
father,  came  to  America  in  1837,  arriving  in  New 
York  after  a  voyage  of  seventy-two  days,  and 
from  there  going  by  wagon  to  Wilkesbarre.  Six 
days  were  spent  in  this  trip,  the  horse  making  but 
slow  progress  in  pulling  the  wagon  through 
heavy  drifts  and  in  the  face  of  a  blinding  snow. 
After  he  had  been  two  vears  in  W'ilkesbarre,  the 


father  drove  back  to  New  York  to  meet  his  wife, 
son  and  two  daughters,  who  reached  New  York 
after  a  voyage  of  thirty-six  days  from  Havre, 
France.  Afterward  he  was  employed  in  the  Le- 
high \'alley.  He  spent  his  last  days  with  his  son, 
our  subject,  and  died  at  his  home  when  seventy- 
four  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Eleanor  M.  Baris,  died  in  1849, 
at  the  age  of  forty-six.  All  but  two  of  their 
eight  children  are  still  living. 

Born  in  Prussia,  July  n.  1829,  our  subject  was 
deprived  of  educational  advantages  save  those 
which  he  secured  by  self-instruction.  His  first 
work  in  Pennsylvania  was  that  of  carrying  din- 
ners to  railroad  employes  and  running  errands 
for  them,  and  later  he  earned  a  little  by  picking 
huckleberries.  At  nineteen  he  began  to  work  on 
a  farm  for  $13  per  month,  and  of  his  first  wages 
paid  his  father  $35  for  his  time.  After  working 
on  the  farm  for  one  season  he  assisted  in  build- 
ing a  sawmill,  for  which  he  received  seventy-five 
cents  a  day.  Returning  home  he  sold  a  horse  be- 
longing to  his  father  for  $21  and  used  the  money 
in  starting  out  as  a  farmer  for  himself.  At  twenty 
years,  when  his  only  possessions  were  $3  and  a 
pair  of  borrowed  horses,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, April  6,  1850,  with  Miss  Margaret,  daugh- 
ter of  Antonio  and  Mary  A.  (Bothman)  Herold, 
all  natives  of  Germany.  They  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1837  and  rented  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  but 
afterward  settled  in  Luzerne  County  upon  a  farm. 
Mrs.  Marggret  Finkler  died  in  Blakely  Township 
at  the  age  of  twenty-seven ;  of  her  three  children, 
one  is  living,  Catharine. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Finkler  was  to 
Miss  Lena  Miltenberger,  August  22,  1857.  She 
was  born  in  New  York  City  and  became  the  moth- 
er of  eleven  children,  but  only  four  are  living: 
-Margaret,  who  married  Ulrich  Witzigman  and 
had  five  children :  Elizabeth,  Airs.  John  Beyrent, 
who  has  four  children;  Peter  F..  who  married 
Mary  Flenn,  and  Charles  A.,  who  is  wdth  his  par- 
ents. The  father  of  Mrs.  Finkler  was  a  niiiler  by 
trade  and  died  in  Bedford  County.  After  his  first 
marriage  our  subject  settled  on  a  small  place 
bought  by  his  father,  but  on  which  the  latter  had 
made  no  jjayment.  Peter  paid  for  it  and  made  it 
his  home  several  years.     In  1867  he  bought  his 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


0/  ' 


present  property,  for  wliich  lie  paid  $10,000. 
$6,000  iti  cash  at  the  time  of  purchase,  and  the 
remainder  afterward.  As  a  truck  farmer  he  has 
been  quite  successful,  and  has  engaged  in  the 
business  since  the  old  days  when  Scranton  was 
known  as  Slocum's  Hollow.  On  settling  here, 
fifty  acres  of  the  land  had  already  been  cleared, 
but  the  other  one  hundred  acres  were  unim- 
proved. He  built  a  large  barn  and  added  to  the 
farm  until  it  aggregated  three  hundred  acres.  Be- 
sides this  he  owns  a  farm  of  seventy  acres,  on 
which  his  son-in-law  lives.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Franklin  Pierce.  A  Catholic  in  religion,  he  as- 
sisted in  building  the  church  here  and  has  con- 
tributed to  its  support. 


EUGENE  A.  WONNACOrr.  Carbondale 
is  the  home  of  a  large  number  of  railroad 
men,  the  majority  of  whom  have  worked 
their  way  upward  from  humble  positions  to  posts 
of  honor,  responsibility  and  large  trust,  winning 
merited  praise  from  the  ofiicials  of  the  roads  with 
which  they  are  connected.  Such  a  man  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  who  has  i)een  a  citizen  of 
Carbondale  since  1881  and  has  recently  built  a 
comfortable  residence  at  No.  34  Darte  Avenue. 
His  first  work  in  life  was  on  a  railroad  and  he 
has  been  promoted  from  one  position  to  another 
until  now  he  is  serving  in  the  capacity  of  bag- 
gage master. 

The  Wonnacott  family  originated  in  England, 
whence  Daniel,  our  subject's  father,  emigrated  to 
America  in  young  manhood,  settling  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  securing  work  on  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad.  P'or  more  than  forty-five  years 
he  has  been  employed  on  the  Gravity  branch 
of  this  road,  and  his  long  service  testifies  to  his 
industry,  fidelity  and  energy.  He  resides  in  Way- 
mart,  Wayne  County,  of  which  place  he  is  a  re- 
spected citizen.  By  his  marriage  to  Alinerv^a 
Bunnell,  he  had  thirteen  children,  and  of  these 
six  are  living,  namely:  Eugene  A.,  who  was  born 
in  Waymart  June  20, 1859;  Zegonia,  of  Waymart; 
Emma,  wife  of  D.  B.  Robbins,  a  conductor  on 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad;  Ulysses  G., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  laundry  business  in  Car- 


bondale; Minnie,  Mrs.  B.  N.  Peck;  and  Oscar  E., 
of  this  city. 

While  the  recipient  of  only  connnon-school  ad- 
vantages, the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  exception- 
ally well  informed  and  possesses  excellent  clerical 
ability.  When  but  twelve  years  of  age,  he  began 
to  work  for  himself,  his  first  employment  being 
that  of  water  carrier  to  a  gang  of  men  on  a  rail- 
road section.  Next  he  was  given  work  as  brake- 
man  on  the  Gravity  road  between  Waymart  and 
Honesdale,  and  from  that  transferred  to  a  coal 
train.  As  he  proved  capable  and  reliable,  he  was 
promoted  to  be  brakeman  of  a  passenger  train 
and  afterward  was  given  the  position  of  baggage 
master  at  Carbondale,  which  he  has  held  for  a 
number  of  years. 

In  political  views  Mr.  Wonnacott  is  an  advo- 
cate of  Republican  principles.  Since  1893  ^^ 
has  served  as  collector  of  county  taxes  in  the  first 
ward  of  Carbondale.  He  is  identified  with  the 
Brotherhood  of  Trainmen  and  maintains  a  warm 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  his  chosen 
occupation.  An  Odd  Fellow  fraternally,  he  be- 
longs to  Cameron  Lodge  No.  56  and  Encamp- 
ment No.  16.  He  is  an  active,  energetic  man,  a 
congenial  companion,  and  is  very  popular  among 
the  people  of  the  city  where  he  resides. 


P 


W.  COSTELLO,  member  of  the  board 
of  county  auditors  and  with  James  Flem- 
ing joint  proprietor  of  the  Arbor  cafe  at 
No.  221  Wyoming  Avenue,  Scranton,  was  born 
in  Minooka,  this  county,  March  11,  1866,  the  only 
child  of  William  and  Bridget  (Langan)  Costello. 
His  father,  who  was  an  early  settler  in  Minooka, 
was  employed  in  mining  for  coal  with  William 
Connell  &  Co.,  and  remained  there  until  his 
death  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  about  sixty:  the  wife 
and  mother  died  in  1868. 

Like  so  many  of  the  boys  of  Lackawanna 
County,  Mr.  Costello  began  work  as  a  slate  pick- 
er. He  was  a  child  of  ten  years  when  he  secured 
employment  in  a  breaker  and  there  the  three  fol- 
lowing years  were  spent.  Afterward,  for  five 
years,  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  various  gro- 
cery stores  in  Scranton.  In  1886  he  secured  an 
appointment  as  clerk  in  the  city  treasurer's  of- 


572 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


fice  under  P.  J.  l\uaiu-,  with  wIkhii  lie  remained 
six  months,  until  the  expiration  of  his  term.  For 
a  short  time  he  was  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  city 
clerk.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  office  clerk  for 
the  citv  engineer  and  continued  in  that  capacity, 
under  two  incumbents  of  the  office,  until  April 
I,  1896,  when  he  resigned  to  engage  in  business. 
As  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Fleming  &  Costello, 
he  is  turning  his  energies  to  the  management  of 
the  Arbor  cafe,  which  has  been  newly  finished 
and  furnished,  and  is  carried  on  in  a  manner  that 
warrants  the  patronage  of  the  people. 

In  Scranton  Air.  Costello  married  Miss  Agnes 
C.  Mahon,  who  was  born  here,  the  daughter  of 
Patrick  Mahon,  at  one  time  city  treasurer  of 
Scranton.  A  resident  of  the  sixth  ward,  Mr.  Cos- 
tello has  been  active  in  the  Democratic  party  in 
this  ward  and  is  one  of  the  local  workers.  In  1896 
he  was  elected  county  auditor  and  took  the  oath 
of  office  January  i,  1897,  for  a  term  of  three  years. 
While  his  attention  has  been  given  largely  to 
business  and  political  matters,  he  has  found  time 
to  cultivate  his  talent  for  ornamental  work  and 
pencil  sketching.  He  is  considered  an  expert 
penman  and  engrossing  artist  and  has  done  some 
of  the  finest  work  of  this  kind  ever  seen  in  Scran- 
ton, his  ability  in  this  direction  having  brought 
him  considerable  local  reputation. 


EVAN  H.  WILLIAMS.  There  is  no  field 
of  activity  that  calls  for  greater  persever- 
ance and  energy  on  the  part  of  the  one 
entering  it,  than  does  the  railroad  business,  and  in 
it  there  is  no  position  more  important  than  that 
of  engineer.  How  few  who  start  upon  a  journey 
by  rail  give  a  thought  to  the  engineer  at  his  post 
of  duty  or  realize  how  weighty  are  his  responsi- 
bilities, as  every  day  human  lives  are  placed  in 
hJs  keeping.  The  one  who  fills  this  position  with 
fidelity  deserves  the  regard  of  all  true  citizens. 
Of  Mr.  Williams  it  may  be  said  that  he  has  jiroved 
himself  a  trusted  and  trustworthy  employe  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  liy  the  officials  of 
the  road  has  not  been  misplaced.  TTis  service  as 
engineer  covers  the  period  from  February,  1879, 
to  the  present,  and  during  that  long  time  he  has 
never  met  with  any  serious  accident. 


The  parents  of  our  subject,  Hugh  and  Ann 
(Lewis)  Williams,  were  born  in  Wales,  and  came 
to  this  country  after  their  marriage.  The  father, 
while  engaging  principally  in  farming,  to  some 
extent  also  carried  mi  milling,  which  had  been 
his  occupation  in  his  native  land.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-nine,  and  his  wife  when  forty- 
five.  Of  their  six  children,  four  are  living:  Will- 
iam, who  makes  his  home  in  Wyoming  County; 
John,  living  in  Nebraska;  Hugh  L.,  a  resident 
of  Wyoming  County;  and  Evan  H.,  who  was 
born  in  Wyoming  County,  April  21,  1848. 

Reared  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  learned  habits  of  industry 
under  the  training  of  his  parents.  His  first  work 
in  the  employ  of  tlie  Delaware  &  Hudson  Com- 
])any  was  that  of  shovelling  dirt  on  a  section,  and 
later  he  was  employed  at  the  roundhouse.  Faith- 
ful in  humble  duties,  he  was  promoted  to  be  fire- 
man on  an  engine,  and  remained  in  that  capacity 
for  six  years  and  five  months,  in  this  wav  gaining 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  locomotive  in  all 
its  details.  In  1^'ebruary,  1879,  he  was  made  an 
engineer,  and  has  since  held  that  position. 

The  questions  of  the  age  receive  careful 
thought  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Williams,  and  polit- 
ically he  favors  Republican  principles.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  blue  lodge  of  Masonry  and  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  March 
30,  1879,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Jennie  Smith  of  Carbondale,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Alice,  a  bright,  intelligent 
girl,  who  has  been  given  every  advantage  and  is 
the  pride  and  joy  of  the  home.  Since  1871  Mr. 
Williams  has  resided  in  Carbondale  and  now 
owns  and  occupies  No.  54  Terrace  Street,  where 
he  has  a  cozy  home,  tastily  furnished  and  pro- 
vided with  all  the  comforts  of  life. 


JOHN  J.  FAHEY  is  well  kimwn  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  is  a  local  work- 
er for  llie  cause  in  Scranton,  His  official 
relations  with  thi'  ])ublic  dates  from  1878,  since 
which  time  he  has  held  one  position  or  another 
almost  without  intermission.  A  native  of  this 
county,  he  was  born  in  Old  Forge  Township, 
November  2,  1855,  and  was  only  a  year  old  when 


WILLIAM  J.  McMULLHN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORlJ. 


D/O 


he  was  brought  to  Scranton.  He  was  the  eldest 
in  his  father's  family  and  was  seven  years  of  age 
when  he  began  work  as  a  slate  picker  at  the 
Hampton  mine  on  the  western  side  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western.  Then  step  by 
step  he  advanced  until  he  had  occupied  nearly 
every  position  about  the  mine.  As  may  be  in- 
ferred, he  had  very  meager  chances  of  obtaining 
an  education  and  is  literally  self-educated. 

At  the  early  age  of  twenty-two  years  the  pub- 
lic life  of  Mr.  Fahey  commenced,  and  he  filled  the 
place  of  tax-collector  for  the  sixth,  twelfth,  eight- 
eenth,  nineteenth    and   twentieth    wards.      Four 
years  later  he  was  appointed  deputy  under  Sheriff 
Randolph  Crippen  and  served  in  a  like  position 
under  Sheriffs  W.  J.  Lewis  and  Charles  Robin- 
son.   In  the  fall  of  1891  he  ran  against  John  La- 
Touche  for  the  place  of  sherifif  and  defeated  his 
opponent.     His   long   experience    as    a  deputy 
especially  qualified  him  to  ably  fill  his  new  posi- 
tion.    When  the  Lackawanna  County  jail  was 
brought  into   notice   in  the  report  of  the   state 
board  of  charities,  their  only  criticism  was  to  the 
effect  that  the  prisoners  were  too  well  fed  and 
were  made  too  comfortable.    However,  they  gave 
the  institution  the  credit  of  being  the  best-man- 
aged and  having  the  finest  system  of  discipline 
of  any  punitive  place  in  the  state.     At  different 
times  he  has  been  sent  as  a  delegate  to  county 
and  state  conventions,  has  served  on  numerous 
committees  and  has  otherwise  assisted  to  advance 
the  interests  of  his  party.    He  has  been  very  faith- 
ful in  the  performance  of  the  many  duties  de- 
volving upon  him  and  the  citizens  have  rested  in 
security  while  he  has  held  the  reins  in  his  hands. 
Of  late  Mr.  Fahey  has  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,  James,   taking  contracts 
for    paving,    sewers    and    bridges,     in    1896    he 
opened    the    "Palace,"  remodeling  and  improv- 
ing it.     He  is  president  of  the  American  Safety 
Lamp  and  Mine  Supply  Company,  a  very  large 
and  successful  enterprise  of  which  Senator  M. 
E.  McDonald  is  secretary  and  treasurer.    Among 
other  local  concerns  in  which  he  is  financially 
interested  is  the  Union  Transfer  Company.     In 
1881  he  was  married  in  Scranton  to  Miss  Ellen 
Lamb,  who  was  born  in  this  city,  her  father  be- 
ine  Richard  Lamb,  an  old  settler  here.     Four 


children  have  come  to  bless  the  pleasant  home  at 
No.  715  Jefferson  Street  and  are  named  as  fol- 
lows: Catherine,  Thomas,  Estella  and  John  J., 
Jr. 


WILLIAM  J.  McMULLEN,  the  able 
train  and  roadmaster  of  the  Gravity 
branch  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad  at  Carbondale,  was  born  in  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  March  12,  1844,  and  there  his  early 
life  was  spent,  his  education  being  obtained  in 
the  schools  of  the  home  neighborhood.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  became  connected  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  in  the  carpenter 
department  and  three  years  later  was  made  fore- 
man of  a  gang  of  carpenters.  By  gradual  pro- 
motions he  worked  his  way  up  to  the  position  of 
general  foreman,  later  was  made  track  master, 
and  after  a  time  his  employers  testified  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  value  of  his  services  by  pro- 
moting him  to  the  position  of  master  of  trans- 
portation. Through  this  series  of  promotions  he 
was  enabled  to  grasp  every  detail  of  the  work  and 
thoroughlv  familiarize  himself  with  the  different 
departments. 

In  1884,  after  a  steady  and  faithful  service  of 
more  than  twenty  years,  Mr.  McMullen  was  ten- 
dered the  position  of  train  and  road  master  of 
the  Gravity  branch  of  the  road,  a  very  responsi- 
ble office,  but  one  which  he  is  thoroughly  quali- 
fied to  fill.  His  long  years  of  experience  and 
adaptability  in  managing  men  make  his  services 
of  the  greatest  value  to  the  company.  An  inde- 
fatigable worker  and  enterprising  man,  he  has 
not  only  guarded  well  the  interests  of  the  com- 
pany, but  he  has  done  it  in  such  a  manner  as  not 
to  lose  the  confidence  of  the  people.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  is  popular  with  all  classes  of  citizens. 

In  addition  to  his  railroad  duties,  Mr.  McMul- 
len is  superintendent  of  the  Crystal  Lake  Water 
Company.  Since  1870  he  has  made  his  home 
in  Carbondale,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  and  the  blue  lodge  of  Masons. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  was  determined  to  take 
a  part  in  defense  of  his  country  and  twice  en- 
listed at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  but  the 
first  time  was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth, 
and  the  second  time  at  the  request  of  his  widowed 


576 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


mother.  l'"or  particulars  in  regard  to  the  family 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  sketch  of  his  brother, 
S.  A.  McMullcn. 

December  6,  1868,  Mr.  McMullcn  married 
Miss  Mary  A.  Thorp,  daughter  of  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Wayne  County  and  a  lady  of  amiable 
disposition.  In  politics  he  is  always  solid  for  Re- 
publican principles  and  unwaveringly  lends  his 
influence  and  gives  his  suffrage  to  that  party. 
His  busy  life,  however,  does  not  permit  him  to 
take  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  yet  his  in- 
fluence as  a  man  of  business  ability  cannot  but  be 
felt  among  his  fellow-citizens. 


M 


AJ.  ALBERT  I.  ACKERLEY,  super- 
visor of  South  Abington  Township  and 
a  resident  of  the  village  of  Clarks  Green, 
was  born  near  this  place  August  18,  1834.  His 
father,  Isaac  T.  Akerley,  (for  in  that  way  the 
name  was  formerly  spelled)  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  removed  thence  to  this  county  and  here 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  His  first  posi- 
tion in  the  county  was  as  an  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company  and  after  he 
had  been  with  them  for  a  time  he  was  joined  by 
his  father,  John,  also  from  New  York,  the  two 
continuing  to  work  on  the  canal  as  far  as  Hawley. 
The  paternal  grandfather  and  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Townsend,  both  died 
on  the  old  farm  in  South  Abington  Township. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  A.,  daugh- 
ter of  Ephraim  Leach.  (See  sketch  of  Henry 
Leach  for  history  of  that  family.) 

After  completing  the  studies  of  the  common 
schools  the  subject  of  this  sketch  entered  Kings- 
ton Seminary,  where  he  remained  for  five  terms. 
At  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion  he  left  home  to 
take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  country.  Enlist- 
ing August  15,  1861,  he  was  mustered  into  ser- 
vice August  31,  for  a  period  of  three  years,  and 
became  captain  of  Company  K,  Eleventh  Penn- 
sylvania Cavalry.  One  day  was  spent  by  the 
company  in  Philadelphia,  after  which  they  went 
to  Wasiiington,  D.  C,  and  then  to  the  front,  tak- 
ing part  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  corps  to 
which  they  were  assigned.  May  4,  1864,  near 
Norfolk,  Va.,  he  was  promoted  from  captain  to 


major,  and  under  that  title  was  honorably  dis- 
charged October  25,  1864,  on  account  of  wounds 
received  at  Staunton  River  Bridge,  June  25  of 
that  year.  His  injuries  were  so  severe  as  to 
necessitate  the  spending  of  some  time  in  a  hos- 
pital, but  when  he  returned  home  he  had  almost 
entirely  regained  his  health. 

While  on  a  furlough  from  the  army,  Major 
Ackerley  was  united  in  marriage.  December  24, 
1 861,  with  Elizabeth  A.  Swallow,  who  was  born 
near  Pittston,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Mary  (Price)  Swallow.  She  was  well  educated  in 
Wyoming  Seminary,  which  she  attended  several 
terms,  and  is  a  lady  of  broad  information,  and 
an  active  member  of  the  Women's  Relief  Corps. 
Of  the  si.x  children  born  to  this  union,  four  are 
living,  namely:  Albert  S.,  a  railroad  engineer, 
who  is  married  and  has  one  son ;  George  A.,  of 
Wyoming,  who  married  Rose  Dunlap  and  has 
three  children;  Harry  B.,  who  married  Amy 
Casner  and  lives  in  Newton,  Pa. ;  and  Howard  S., 
who  remains  with  his  parents.  The  sons  are  well 
educated  and  were  given  by  their  parents  all  the 
advantages  that  would  be  of  assistance  to  them 
in  the  active  duties  of  life.  The  family  attend 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Inheriting  the  patriotic  spirit  of  Revolutionary 
ancestors,  Major  Ackerley  has  always  been  loyal 
to  our  government  and  intensely  interested  in 
its  welfare.  In  1856  he  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  John  C.  Fremont  and  shortly  before 
this  he  took  part  in  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  this  section.  In  1858  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  local  militia  and  was  com- 
missioned lieutenant  by  the  governor,  William 
F.  Packer.  The  service  he  rendered  in  local  of- 
fices led  the  members  of  his  party  to  believe  that 
he  would  make  an  able  representative  in  the  leg- 
islature, and  accordingly  they  elected  him  to  that 
body  in  1876  and  re-elected  him  two  years  later. 
During  his  first  term  he  was  a  member  of  the 
committees  on  appropriations,  agriculture  and 
judiciary,  and  in  the  second  session  of  the  first 
term  took  an  active  part  in  the  separation  of 
Lackawanna  County  from  Luzerne,  also  was  a 
member  of  the  judiciary  and  agriculture  com- 
mittees, and  chairman  of  the  new  county  com- 
mittee in  the  second  term. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


577 


In  the  organization  of  the  Captain  Hall  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  now  disbanded.  Major  Ackcrley  took 
an  active  part,  being  a  charter  member  of  the 
same  and  first  commander.  He  was  a  charter 
member  of  Sergeant  George  Fell  Post  at  Wav- 
erly,  and  npon  the  disbandment  of  the  Captain 
Hall  Post  returned  to  Sergeant  George  Fell  Post 
at  Waverly.  He  has  been  master  mason  of  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Waverly  and  has  passed  the 
chairs  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge  and  encamp- 
ment at  Clarks  Green. 


HON.  M.  E.  McDonald.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  born  in  Hawley,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  September  26,  1856.  In  1864 
he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Dunniore,  Luzerne 
County,  (now  Lackawanna)  and  resided  there  un- 
til 1893,  when  he  established  a  residence  in  the 
city  of  Scranton.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Dunmore,  and  sub- 
sequently C(.implcted  his  education  in  Wyoming 
Seminary.  In  1881  he  registered  as  a  law  stu- 
dent in  the  office  of  Hon.  Lemuel  Anierman, 
under  whose  instruction  he  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  the  law,  and  in  October,  1883,  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  several  courts  of  Lackawanna 
County;  in  1886  he  secured  admission  to  the  su- 
preme court  of  the  state,  and  also  to  the  United 
States  circuit  court.  Since  his  admission  to  the 
bar  he  has  conducted  a  general  law  practice,  and 
is  now  actively  engaged  in  the  performance  of 
his  professional  duties  as  an  attorney  and  coun- 
selor at  law.  Early  in  life  he  manifested  an  ambi- 
tion and  natural  adaptability  for  politics.  He  was 
elected  borough  auditor  on  attaining  his  major- 
ity, and  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  during 
a  period  of  three  years,  he  evinced  those  traits 
of  character  and  sterling  qualities  as  a  public 
official,  which  have  marked  his  political  career 
in  every  office  of  public  trust  to  which  he  has 
since  been  elected. 

In  1884  he  was  elected  school  director  and 
served  three  years,  two  of  which  he  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  president  of  the  board.  He  was  nom- 
inated in  1886  by  the  Democratic  county  con- 
vention of  the  eighth  legislative  district  of  Lu- 
zerne County,  as  a  candidate  for  representative, 


and  in  the  general  election  that  followed  defeated 
his  opponent  by  a  very  large  majority.  During 
the  term  for  which  he  wa,s  elected,  he  actively 
participated  in  the  enactment  of  all  legislation 
that  had  for  its  object  the  amelioration  of  the 
condition  of  his  constituents,  and  the  promotion 
of  the  welfare  of  his  state.  In  1888  he  was  re- 
elected for  the  same  office  in  the  fourth  legisla- 
tive district  of  Lackawanna  County,  which  was 
organized  by  the  apportionment  of  1887.  Recog- 
nizing in  him  those  aggressive  qualities  of  lead- 
ership which  invariably  portend  success  in  po- 
litical campaigns,  his  party  selected  him  as  a 
candidate  for  senator  in  1890;  and  as  leader 
of  the  Democratic  forces  in  the  twentieth  sena- 
torial district,  he  was  successfully  elected  after  a 
hard  fought  campaign.  In  1883  he  was  appointed 
by  the  court  as  auditor  of  the  Scranton  poor  dis- 
trict, in  which  capacity  he  served  very  success- 
fully and  satisfactorily  during  a  period  of  three 
years.  He  was  selected  as  solicitor  for  the  bor- 
ough of  Dunmore,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
during  a  period  of  six  years;  under  his  vigilant 
care  and  legal  ability  the  interests  of  the  borough 
were  skillfully  protected. 

During-  his  legislative  career  in  the  sessions  of 
1887,  1889,  1891  and  1893  he  was  conspicuously 
associated  with  the  most  important  committees 
of  both  the  lower  and  upper  branches  of  the  leg- 
islature; he  served  on  the  appropriations,  rail- 
roads, mines  and  mining,  judiciary  general,  ju(H- 
ciary  special,  corporations,  municipal  corpora- 
tions and  election  committees  with  marked  abil- 
ity, evincing  a  decided  taste  for  all  the  details  of 
legislative  activity.  He  was  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  active  legislators  in  the  house  and 
senate  during  the  terms  that  he  served  in  a  legis- 
lative capacity.  By  tireless  work  and  persistent 
labor,  he  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  providing 
for  the  establishment  of  an  additional  law  judge 
in  Lackawanna  County,  thus  increasing  the  num- 
ber of  judges  learned  in  the  law,  to  three  instead 
of  two.  His  mind,  ever  active  in  protecting  the 
interests  of  his  constituents,  grasped  in  one  com- 
prehensive view  all  matters  pertaining  to  charit- 
able, educational  and  municipal  advancement. 
He  was  specially  active  in  securing  appropriations 
for  the  Lackawanna  Hospital,  the  Oral  School, 


578 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RICO  )RD. 


Carboridale  Hospital,  Miners  Hospital  at  Pittston 
and  the  public  schools.  The  rights  of  the  laborer 
on  every  occasion  were  scrupulously  promoted 
and  protected  by  him.  The  passage  of  the  me- 
chanics lien  law,  extending  to  the  laborer  and 
the  mechanic  equal  rights  with  the  material  men, 
was  largely  the  result  of  his  personal  efforts  dur- 
ing the  first  legislation  session  in  which  he  ap- 
peared. The  employers  liability  bill  was  intro- 
duced by  him  in  two  sessions.  Several  important 
bills  of  special  note  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  bor- 
oughs of  the  state  were  introduced  by  him,  and 
through  his  active  advocacy  enacted  into  organic 
law  of  the  state. 

He  has  always  exhibited  a  decided  predilection 
for  political  activity  and  ever  since  his  retirement 
from  public  ofifice  has  been  actively  engaged  in  a 
political  way,  in  securing  and  introducing  purer 
methods  into  the  political  life  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lives.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  state 
Democratic  convention  in  1882,  at  which  Robert 
E.  Patterson  was  nominated  as  the  Democratic 
standard  bearer  for  the  office  of  governor.  Dur- 
ing the  following  year  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  state  central  committee,  and  subsequently  has 
served  for  several  years  as  a  member  of  the 
county  committee,  in  which  his  qualities  as  an 
organizer  and  leader  have  been  productive  of 
most  successful  results.  He  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  leaders  of  his  party,  and  the  services  ren- 
dered his  fellow-citizens  of  this  commonwealth 
and  of  Lackawanna  County  have  won  distinction 
for  him,  and  a  high  rank  among  the  leading  and 
influential  citizens  of  the  state.  He  has  been 
generously  favored  by  nature  with  a  vigorous 
and  robust  physical  organization  and  an  active, 
intellectual  and  progressive  mind,  qualities  which 
have  enabled  him  to  win  an  enviable  distinction 
in  the  public  positions  to  which  he  has  been 
elected. 

In  the  performance  of  his  legislative  and  pro- 
fessional duties,  he  was  quick  to  recognize  an 
important  situation,  and  f(iually  quick  in  devis- 
ing means  of  meeting  it.  This  quality  especially 
enabled  him  to  perform  most  efficiently  the  ex- 
acting duties  of  public  office,  and  has  also  given 
him  worthy  prominence  as  a  lawyer,  legislator 
and  politician.    In  addition  to  his  manifold  duties 


as  a  public  ofiticer  and  professional  practitioner, 
he  has  also  taken  active  interest  in  the  establish- 
ment of  industrial  enterprises  in  the  city  of  Scran- 
ton.  He  is  financially  interested  in  the  manu- 
facture of  brass  and  metal  goods,  and  occupies 
the  responsil)le  position  of  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  American  Safety  Lamp  &  Mine  Supply 
Company.  Possessing  a  philanthropic  nature, 
he  has  worked  actively  in  a  humanitarian  way  for 
the  relief  of  his  fellowmen,  and  is  conspicuously 
identified  with  several  charitable  and  benevolent 
associations. 

Pie  married,  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  November 
23,  1892,  Miss  Martha  L.  Mellon,  daughter  of 
Edward  Mellon.  This  happy  union  has  been 
blessed  by  two  interesting  sons,  Randal  and 
Maurice. 


J  JAMES  TAYLOR,  proprietor  of  Taylor's 
Directory  Company,  was  born  in  Balti- 
•  more,  Md.,  June  28,  1868,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  a  family  long  identified  with  American 
history,  his  paternal  great-grandfather  having 
participated  in  the  revolution  and  rendered 
service  in  the  army  at  Fort  McHenry  and 
other  places.  His  father,  William  H.,  also 
a  native  of  Baltimore,  was  a  publisher,  and 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Sheriff  &  Taylor,  publishers  of  the  Bal- 
timore directory.  During  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  he  was  manager  of  the  directory  for  Williams, 
of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  at  Scranton,  and  his  res- 
idence continued  here  until  he  died.  Fraternally 
he  was  a  Knight  Templar.  His  wife,  Mary,  who 
now  resides  with  our  subject,  was  born  in  York 
State  and  is^  daughter  of  William  Cornell,  mem- 
ber of  an  old  Quaker  family. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  only 
child  of  his  parents,  was  reared  in  Baltimore, 
where  he  attended  high  school  and  business  col- 
lege. From  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  in  the 
directory  business  with  his  father,  and  five  years 
afterward  he  went  out  on  the  road  for  James 
Gopsill's  Sons,  of  Philadelphia,  but  later  trav- 
eled for  the  C.  E.  Howe  Company,  of  the  same 
city,  and  W.  H.  Kerwin,  of  Lockport.  His  route 
included  the  cities  of  Allentown,  Bethlehem  and 


ALEXANDER  JEFFREYS  VON  STORCII. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


^8t 


South  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  Niagara  County, 
N.  Y. 

Upon  leaving  the  road  Mr.  Taylor  came  to 
Scranton,  where  he  had  established  his  home  in 
1890.  In  1S95  hs  published  his  first  directory, 
that  of  Scranton,  which  he  purchased  of  Williams, 
of  Binghamton,  under  the  firm  name  of  Taylor's 
Directory  Company.  Later  he  published  Car- 
bondale,  Bloomsburg,  Danville,  Berwick  and 
Catawissa.  He  has  since  published  a  second  edi- 
tion of  Scranton,  and  now-  has  a  directory  of  Lack- 
awanna County  in  process  of  compilation.  At  this 
writing  he  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  Wilkesbarre 
directory,  his  partner  being  T.  P.  Robinson.  The 
Scranton  directory  of  1896,  in  which  the  Block 
system  was  used,  is  the  most  complete  ever  pub- 
lished here.  During  the  busy  season  forty  peo- 
ple are  employed  in  connection  with  the  work. 
In  addition  to  the  directory,  he  compiles  the  tele- 
phone index  for  Scranton,  Wilkesbarre,  Carbon- 
dale,  Pittston  and  Williamsport. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  married  in  Baltimore  to  Miss 
Mary  P.  Harden,  who  was  born  there.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trade,  politically  adheres 
to  Repul)lican  principles,  and  in  religious  belief 
is  a  member  of  the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. 


ALEX.  JEFFREYS  VON  STORCH.  An 
early  life  of  rare  patriotism  and  beauty 
closed  in  the  grave  of  Mr.  von  Storch. 
Yet,  while  his  was  a  short  life,  it  was  a  most 
useful  one.  When  death  called  him  home,  No- 
vember 6,  1880,  all  classes  of  citizens  mourned 
his  loss.  The  friends  of  his  business  life,  the 
mtimatcs  of  his  conversational  hours,  the  aspir- 
ing whom  he  had  aided,  and  the  poor  whose 
necessities  he  had  relieved,  alike  gave  a  tribute 
of  aftection  to  his  memory.  His  regard  for  the 
advancement  of  his  townsmen  was  one  of  the 
noblest  of  his  many  noble  characteristics.  To 
see  Scranton  prosper  and  enlarge  was  one  of  the 
prompting  motives  for  which  he  toiled.   He  ever 


welcomed  the  newcomer  whose  intelligence  and 
industry  would  make  him  a  useful  citizen. 

At  the  old  homestead  in  Providence,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  August  i,  1842,  a 
son  of  Ferdinand  von  Storch.  Reference  to  the 
family  history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
He  received  a  common  school  education  and 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  youth  cultivating  his 
father's  farm  in  Scott  Township.  In  August, 
1861,  he  volunteered  in  Company  K,  Eleventh 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  but  on  the  arrival  of  the 
regiment  in  Philadelphia,  he  was  rejected  on  ac- 
count of  an  eye  having  been  injured  by  a  cross- 
bow when  a  boy.  So  desirous  was  he  of  going  to 
the  front  that  he  was  finally  taken  on  the  cap- 
tain's stafif,  where  he  remained  six  months.  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1862,  he  was  accepted  as  a  private  in 
the  same  company  in  which  he  had  originally 
enlisted,  and  from  the  ranks  was  promoted  to  be 
corporal,  later  became  sergeant.  With  his  com- 
pany he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Cedar 
Mountain,  Gainesville,  second  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
Antietam,  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North 
Anna  River,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg  (June  15 
to  July  31),  Weldon  Railroad,  Petersburg  (Sep- 
tember I  to  October  30),  Hatchie's  Run  (Octo- 
ber 27,  1864,  and  February  5-7,  1865),  White 
Oak  Roads,  Five  Forks  and  Appomattox  Court 
House.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was 
honorably  discharged  January  31,  1865.  In  a 
skirmish  on  the  Black  River,  ^larch  17,  1863, 
at  sunrise,  he  was  shot  through  the  right  thigh 
and  fell  to  the  ground,  where  a  horse  stepped 
oh  his  head.  He  was  carried  in  an  ambulance 
to  the  hospital,  where  he  remained  until  his  re- 
covery. 

After  the  war  Mr.  von  Storch  was  employed 
by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  as  fireman 
at  Leggett's  Creek  shaft,  but  during  the  last  year 
he  served  as  engineer.  For  five  years  afterward 
he  was  stationary  engineer  at  Carbondale  in  the 
employ  of  the  same  company.  On  his  return  to 
Scranton  he  was  employed  in  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  machine  shops.  In  1877  he  embarked 
in  the  grocery  and  meat  business  in  West  Market 
Street,  Providence,  in  which  he  continued  until 
his  death.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican.  In 
February,  1878,  he  ran  for  city  treasurer  on  the 


y,S2 


PORTRAIT   AND    lUOClRAF'lIICAL   RECORD. 


Greenback  labor  ticket,  and  was  elected,  but  was 
counted  out.  He  died  at  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  had  gone  for  the  purpose  of  receiving-  medi- 
cal treatment.  His  remains  were  brought  to 
Scranton  and  interred  in  the  family  graveyard. 

In  Abington  Township,  this  county,  March 
23,  1867,  Mr.  von  Storch  married  Miss  Ann 
Tague,  who  was  born  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  the  eldest 
of  SIX  children,  and  received  her  education  in  the 
Abington  schools,  after  which  she  taught  school 
in  Blue  Ridge.  Her  marriage,  founded  on  strong 
mutual  regard,  was  in  all  respects  a  happy  one, 
the  union  lasting  unchanged  through  the  vicis- 
situdes of  life  and  growing  more  affectionately 
interblended  w'ith  the  flight  of  time.  Four  chil- 
dren came  to  bless  them:  Ada  L. ;  Harriet  C, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  months;  Ralph  Alex- 
ander, a  florist;  and  Ruie  A.,  who  died  at  five 
years.  Six  months  after  her  husband's  death  she 
closed  out  the  grocery  business,  and  has  since 
lived  quietly  at  her  home,  No.  608  East  Market 
Street. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  von  Storch,  Patrick  Tague, 
was  born  in  Ireland,  of  Irish  ancestry,  but  prob- 
ably of  remote  French  lineage.  In  boyhood  he 
remained  with  his  father,  Peter,  but  in  early  man- 
hood came  to  America  and  followed  the  stone- 
mason's trade  in  Pittston,  Pa.  Later  he  bought 
and  improved  a  small  farm  in  Abington  Town- 
ship, this  county,  where  he  died  June  24,  1861, 
aged  fiftv  years.  While  in  Pittston  he  married 
I^ovina  .Snyder,  who  was  born  in  Monroe 
(then  Northampton)  County,  March  29,  1823, 
daughter  of  John  and  .Susanna  (Wise)  Snyder. 
Her  OKjther  had  been  previously  married  to  a 
Mr.  Brong,  who  died  while  serving  in  the  War 
of  i8t2.  John  Snyder  also  took  part  in  the  same 
conflict.  Mrs.  Lovina  lague  is  still  living,  and 
resides  with  a  son  in  Lemon  Townsliip,  Wyom- 
ing County.  Of  her  six  ciiildren,  all  but  one  are 
living.  John  served  in  the  same  company  and 
regiment  with  Mr.  von  Storch;  Isaac  lives  in 
Wyoming  County;  Thomas  is  a  stationary  en- 
gineer;  Peter  resides   in   Hyde  Park. 

In  religious  belief  Mrs.  von  Storch  and  her 
children  are  identified  with  the  Green  Ridge 
Presbyterian  Church.  In  former  years  she  was 
actively  connected   with  the  Women's  Cln-istian 


Temperance  Union,  and  at  one  time  was  junior 
vice-president  of  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Woman's 
Relief  Corps  No.  50.  She  is  associated  with 
Beatrice  Lodge  No.  70,  Daughters  of  Rebekah, 
and  the  Equitable  Aid  Union.  By  her  amiable 
disposition  and  kind  courtesy  to  all,  she  has 
won  the  confidence  of  acquaintances  and  the 
warm  regard  of  friends. 


EDWARD  M.  CLARKE,  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Clarke  Brothers,  and  president 
of  the  West  Side  Board  of  Trade,  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  this  citj'  and  has  spent  his  en- 
tire life  here.  He  is  a  son  of  M.  W.  Clarke,  who 
came  to  Scranton  when  a  young  man  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business  on  North 
Main  Avenue,  beginning  in  a  small  frame  build- 
ing, but  after  the  war  erecting  a  building  which 
now  stands  at  the  comer  of  North  Main  and 
We.st  Lackawanna  Avenues.  In  1885  he  retired 
from  the  business,  in  which  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  sons,  E.  M.  and  G.  W.  Clarke.  M.  W.  Clarke 
was  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  city,  and  was 
at  one  time  president  of  the  school  board;  also 
sensed  as  director  in  the  \Vest  Side  Bank.  In 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1889,  the  city  lost 
one  of  its  ablest  and  best  citizens,  a  man  who 
had  ever  assisted  in  progressive  enterprises  and 
co-operated  in   i)iiblic  projects. 

By  his  ntarriage  to  Mary  W.  Clark  our  sub- 
ject's father  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, 
of  whom  the  latter  and  two  of  the  sons  are  liv- 
ing. Edward  M.  was  reared  in  Hyde  Park,  and 
when  quite  young  Ijegan  to  assist  his  father  in 
the  mercantile  business,  to  which  he  and  his 
brother,  George  W.,  succeeded.  A  credit  sys- 
tem was  followed  until  April  15,  1893,  when  the 
firm  Ijegan  on  an  exclusively  cash  basis,  and  l)v 
this  means,  cou])led  with  an  abundance  of  energy 
on  their  jiart,  they  have  built  up  a  large  depart- 
ment store.  Within  three  and  one-lialf  years  they 
have  increased  the  number  of  their  clerks  from 
two  to  one  hundred  and  forty. 

On  North  Main  Avenue  tiic  firm  now  occupies 
almost  the  entire  block  from  West  Lackawanna 
Avenue  to  Lafayette  Street.  Here  they  have  a 
fniiitatjr  (if  diic  liuiidred  and  furtv-six  feet  and  oc- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


583 


cupy  four  floors,  extending-  two  hundred  feet  back. 
The  building  is  divided  into  nine  large  depart- 
ments, is  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by  electric- 
ity. Elevators  and  meters  are  also  operated  by 
electricity.  The  establishment  is  the  largest  in 
the  state,  outside  of  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburg, 
and  in  rapidity  of  growth  it  has  been  unparalleled. 
In  addition  to  their  retail  business  they  have  a 
large  wholesale  trade. 

While  the  many  responsibilities  connected 
with  the  business  demand  Mr.  Clarke's  close  at- 
tention, yet  he  keeps  himself  well  posted  regard- 
ing local  affairs,  and  is  an  enthusiastic  supporter 
of  all  measures  for  the  benefit  of  the  city.  In 
the  paving  of  Lackawanna  Avenue  he  was  in- 
terested, as  also  in  that  of  Robinson  Street.  Agi- 
tation regarding  sewers  and  viaducts  receives 
his  support,  and  no  plan  for  the  betterment  of 
the  west  side  fails  to  win  his  endorsement  if 
he  believes  it  practicable.  His  life  has  been  a 
successful  one.  Starting  with  small  capital,  by 
his  force  of  character  and  determination  he  has 
risen  to  an  enviable  position  among  his  fellow- 
men.  He  deservedly  ranks  as  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  citizens  of  Scranton,  and  one  who, 
by  his  strict  sense  of  probity  and  energ}-,  has 
won  the  position  for  himself. 

G.  W.  Clarke,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
■Clarke  Brothers,  has  been  equally  identified  with 
his  brother  in  the  development  of  their  extensive 
business  enterprises,  also  takes  a  prominent  part 
in  all  public  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  west  side. 


PARDON  LEWIS.  While  this  county  is 
noted  principally  for  its  steel  industries 
and  coal  mines,  yet  the  occupation  of  agri- 
culture is  by  no  means  neglected,  and  especially 
in  the  department  of  truck  farming  has  been  car- 
ried on  with  success.  Air.  Lewis  is  well  known 
among  the  residents  of  Benton  Township,  where 
he  has  owned  and  operated  a  truck  farm  since 
1886.  A  man  of  energetic  nature,  he  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  growth  of  the  town- 
ship in  the  years  that  have  since  followed,  and 
has  ever  been  ready  to  co-operate  in  matters  of 
local  improvement. 


The  father  of  our  subject,  Ethan  Lewis,  was 
born  in  Rhode  Island  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
came  to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  Abington 
Township,  this  county,  where  he  cleared  a  farm 
out  of  the  woods.  Much  of  his  life  was  devoted 
to  pioneer  work,  and  at  different  times  he  cleared 
several  places.  His  death  occurred  on  the  old 
homestead  at  the  age  of  fifty-four.  He  married 
Asenia  Frceiand,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  County 
and  died  in  Abington  Township,  aged  seventy- 
two;  her  father,  Robert  Freeland,  was  a  member 
of  an  old  New  England  family  and  participated 
in  the  War  of  181 2. 

On  the  farm  in  Abington  Township,  where  he 
was  born  August  10,  1834,  Pardon  Lewis  passed 
the  days  of  youth,  and  during  a  portion  of  this 
time  he  attended  the  district  schools.  Learning 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  he  followed  this  until  the 
death  of  his  father,  when  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  homestead.  May  25, 
1855,  he  married  Elizabeth  Alice  Delevan,  who 
was  born  in  Abington  Township  December  6, 
1836,  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Esther  (John- 
son) Delevan,  both  natives  of  this  county,  and 
deceased  in  Benton  Township,  Mr.  Delevan  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  and  his  wife  when  sixty- 
two.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Lewis 
were  Charles  and  Betsey  Delevan,  who  were  born 
in  New  England  and  died  in  this  county.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Charles  Johnson,  was  born 
in  Ireland,  emigrated  to  this  county  and  died  here 
when  very  old;  his  wife,  Sarah,  also  attained  an 
advanced  age. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  consists  of 
six  living  children,  and  they  have  lost  three  by 
death.  Ida  is  married  and  the  mother  of  seven 
children;  Ella  resides  with  her  parents;  James, 
who  resides  in  Benton  Township,  has  a  family 
of  three  children;  William,  who  is  married  and 
has  one  child,  lives  in  Benton  Township;  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Elmer  Ridgway,  of  Lenox  Town- 
ship; and  Myrtie  is  with  her  parents  on  the  home 
farm. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lewis  settled  in  Benton 
Township,  but  three  years  later  removed  to 
Springville  Township,  Susquehanna  County  and 
after  a  residence  of  eight  years  on  a  farm  there, 
went  to  Scranton,  engaging  in  the  railroad  busi- 


584 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ness  much  of  the  time  during  the  ensuing  eight 
years.  Going  back  to  Susquehanna  County,  he 
resumed  farming  work  there,  but  later  went  back 
to  railroading  and  was  employed  in  different  lo- 
calities. After  about  five  years  in  Scranton,  he 
came  to  Benton  Township  and  in  1886  bought 
the  truck  farm  on  which  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  I  lis  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
James  Buchanan  and  he  has  advocated  Demo- 
cratic principles  ever  since  that  time.  In  1864 
ho  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Two 
Hundred  and  Third  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  in 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  re- 
ceiving an  honorable  discharge  at  Newburgh,  N. 
Y.  During  his  term  of  service,  he  took  an  active 
part  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  ex- 
cept when  sickness  prevented  him  from  respond- 
ing to  the  roll  call  of  his  company.  The  spirit 
of  loyalty  which  led  him  to  enlist  in  his  coun- 
try's defense  in  time  of  war  has  been  character- 
istic of  him  in  times  of  peace,  and  he  is  univers- 
ally regarded  as  an  honorable,  public-spirited  and 
industrious  man. 


Pl'.TER  J.  McCANN,  member  of  the  board 
nf  ])ark  commissioners  of  Scranton  and  a 
successful  merchant  of  this  city,  was  born 
in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  in  1848,  and  was  the 
only  child  of  Michael  and  Margaret  (McCann) 
McCann,  natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself. 
His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  in  County  Mayo, 
died  there  when  a  young  man,  and  his  wife 
also  passed  away  in  early  life.  Though  bearing 
the  same  family  name,  they  were  not  related, 
unless  very  remotely. 

On  the  death  of  his  parents,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  taken  into  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
Patrick  McCann,  by  whom  lu-  was  brought  to 
America  in  early  childhood.  'I'lie  first  home  of 
the  family  was  in  Philadelphia,  but  in  1854  Mr. 
McCann  came  to  Scranton  and  the  following 
year  opened  a  general  mercantile  store  in  a  frame 
building  in  Pleasant  Street.  Afterward  he  erected 
a  brick  structure  at  the  corner  of  Chestnut  and 
West  Linden  Streets,  and  there  carried  on  Inisi- 
ness  until  his  death,  in  1893.  In  the  early  days  of 
his  residence  here  he  was  a  member  of  the  coun- 
cil of  the  borough  of  Hyde  Park.     On  his  death 


his  nephew,  our  subject,  succeeded  to  the  busi- 
ness. 

From  early  boyhood  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
assisted  his  uncle  in  the  store  and  thus  he  gained 
in  youth  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  since  been  enabled  to  carry 
on  with  pecuniary  success.  At  this  writing  (1897) 
he  is  building  a  double  store,  three  stories  and 
basement,  on  the  corner  of  Svvetland  Street  and 
North  Main  Avenue.  In  the  organization  of  the 
Scranton  Packing  Company  he  took  an  active 
part  and  is  still  interested  in  the  concern.  He 
is  also  a  director  in  the  wholesale  provision  busi- 
ness of  T.  H.  Watts  &  Co.,  Limited.  Under 
Mayor  Bailey  he  received  the  appointment  as 
member  of  the  board  of  park  commissioners,  his 
associates  in  this  work  being  Colonel  Ripple  and 
Thomas  J.  Moore. 

A  Catholic  in  religious  belief,  Mr.  McCann 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  Catholic  Mutual 
Benefit  Association  in  Hyde  Park  and  served 
as  its  treasurer  for  three  years.  For  more  than 
twenty  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Father  Matthew  Society  and  was  the  first  treas- 
urer of  the  first  society  organized  in  Scranton, 
afterward  serving  as  treasurer  of  the  one  in  Hyde 
Park  for  ten  years.  In  this  city  he  married  Miss 
Ann  Kearns,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  si.x  children,  namely:  Margaret 
A.,  Mary,  Michael,  Florence,  John  and  Edward. 


GEORGE  S.  ATKINS,  superintendent  of 
the  Scranton  Forging  Company,  was 
born  in  Southington,  Hartford  County, 
Conn.,  in  1856,  and  is  a  descendant  of  Eng- 
lish ancestors.  His  father,  Solon  R.,  was  a 
son  of  .Sylvester  Atkins  and,  like  him,  was  a 
mechanic  in  iron,  working  at  his  trade  in  South- 
ington. In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  I, 
Twelfth  Connecticut  Infantry,  and  fought  bravely 
until  wounded  in  the  skirmish  line  at  Springfield 
Landing,  near  Port  Hudson.  Pie  died  on  the 
boat  while  he  was  being  conveyed  to  the  hospital. 
His  life  was  brief,  covering  a  period  of  only 
twenty-eight  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  in  maidenhood 
Clarissa  Megiim,  was  Ixirn  in  Hamden,  Conn., 
and  now  resides  in  I~-outliington,  having  married 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


587 


a  second  time.  Of  her  first  union  four  children 
were  born,  and  of  these  George  S.  was  the  eldest. 
He  was  reared  in  Southington,  where  he  attended 
the  pubhc  schools  and  academy.  In  early  child- 
hood he  lived  on  a  farm,  but  at  the  age  of  eleven 
began  to  work  in  a  factor}',  commencing  at  the 
bottom  and  working  his  way  upward  through 
each  department  until  he  had  a  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  business,  and  was  considered 
an  expert  die  maker.  The  works,  which  were 
owned  by  J.  B.  Savage,  of  Southington,  were 
among  the  largest  in  that  locality,  and  for  some 
time  he  held  the  responsible  position  of  foreman. 
In  August  of  1887,  Mr.  Atkins  came  to  Scran- 
ton,  where  for  a  year  he  was  foreman  for  the 
Scranton  Forging  Company,  but  has  since  been 
general  superintendent  of  the  plant,  which  is  one 
of  the  best  equipped  in  the  United  States,  and 
which  turns  out  iron  and  steel  drop  forgings  of 
best  quality.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  com- 
pany. Politically  he  advocates  Republican  prin- 
ciples and  always  votes  his  party  ticket.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church, 
by  whose  members  he  is  highly  respected.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  identified  with  the  Heptasophs,  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  Rebekah  Lodges  in  Green 
Ridge,  and  Green  Ridge  Lodge  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Melita  Com- 
mandery  No.  68,  K.  T.,  in  Scranton. 


T  T  7  ILLIAM  D.  DONNE,  M.  D.  A  con- 
\/\/  siderable  proportion  of  the  population 
'  '  of  Scranton  is  made  up  of  citizens  who 
trace  their  ancestry  to  Wales  and  not  a  few  of 
the  number  are  natives  of  tliat  rock-ribbed  land, 
having  left  there,  not  through  a  lack  of  deep 
affection  for  its  shores,  but  in  the  hope  of  gain- 
ing in  America  a  broader  field  of  labor  than 
could  be  found  at  home.  In  the  list  of  this  class 
stands  the  name  of  Dr.  Donne,  physician  and 
surgeon,  with  office  at  No.  137  West  Market 
Street.  Born  in  March,  1863,  he  is  a  native  of 
Glamorgan,  the  southernmost  shire  of  Wales, 
whose  borders  are  washed  by  Bristol  Channel 
and  whose  soil  is  rich  in  iron  ore  and  coal  depos- 
its. His  parents,  John  and  Jane  (Simms)  Donne, 
were  born  in  the  same  shire,  the  former  spend- 


ing his  active  years  in  mining,  but  living  in  re- 
tirement for  a  number  of  years  before  his  death. 
The  grandfather,  John  Donne,  Sr.,  was  also  a 
native  of  Glamorgan. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  si.v  sons  and 
one  daughter,  all  of  whom  arc  still  living  except 
the  (laughter,  but  the  Doctor  is  the  only  one  of  the 
number  who  resides  in  Scranton.  His  boyhood 
years  were  spent  in  attendance  upon  the  schools 
of  Swansea,  his  native  town.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  Martin  Luther 
Bevan,  a  prominent  chemist  and  the  village  post- 
master. While  studying  chemistry  there  for  four 
years,  he  employed  his  leisure  hours  in  learning 
telegraphy.  At  the  close  of  his  apprenticeship 
he  went  to  Pembroke  in  Pembrokeshire  as  as- 
sistant to  John  Eyer,  pharmacist  and  postmaster, 
remaining  there  for  fourteen  months.  Next,  go- 
ing to  Llandyssil,  Cardiganshire,  he  was  assistant 
[)harmacist  and  assistant  postmaster  for  fifteen 
months. 

Meantime,  our  subject  had  heard  much  con- 
cerning the  opportunities  offered  in  America,  and 
realizing  that  it  would  be  difticult  for  him  to 
gain  a  competence  in  his  native  land,  he  resolved 
to  cross  the  ocean  to  this  country.  This  he  did 
in  the  fall  of  1882,  coming  direct  to  Scranton, 
where  he  secured  a  position  as  assistant  piiar- 
macist  to  Col.  T.  G.  Lewis.  In  1884  he  started 
in  business  for  himself,  opening  a  drug  store 
at  No.  125  West  Market  Street  and  continuing 
there  until  1891.  In  the  meantime  he  entered  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Balti- 
more, and  after  two  years  of  study  there,  grad- 
uated in  J  888  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  On 
completing  his  studies  he  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  which  gradually  demanded  an  in- 
creasing amount  of  his  time,  thus  inducing  him 
to  close  out  his  drug  business.  For  three  years 
he  was  outdoor  physician  for  the  north  end  poor 
district,  but  with  that  exception  he  has  given 
his  time  closely  to  private  practice. 

Interested  actively  in  politics.  Dr.  Donne  votes 
for  the  platform  advocated  by  the  Repulilican 
part}-,  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  county  and 
executive  committees.  Fraternally  he  is  identi- 
fied with  Lincoln  Lodge,  No.  492,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Since  coming  to  this  city  he   has  married,   his 


:;88 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


wife  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Jenkins,  wlio  was  born 
near  Aberdare,  Glamorganshire,  and  accompa- 
nied her  parents  to  Scranton  in  earl)'  girlhood. 
A  daughter,  Lois,  blesses  the  union. 


BIRDSALL  C.  GREENE,  superintendent 
of  the  Bellevue  mine  and  station  agent  at 
Bellevue,  was  born  in  CoIumlMa,  Warren 
County,  N.  J.,  in  May,  1853,  and  is  a  descendant 
of  French-Huguenot  ancestors  who  were  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  New  Jersey. 
His  father,  James  F.,  was  a  son  of  Charles 
Greene,  and  was  born  in  Hope,  that  state,  grow- 
ing to  manhood  upon  the  home  fann.  During 
the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  Union 
and  held  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant  in  Com- 
pany G,  Thirty-first  New  Jersey  Infantry,  serv- 
ing with  patriotism  and  bravery.  For  thirty-two 
years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Conti- 
nental mines  and  makes  his  home  in  South  Key- 
ser  Avenue,  Scranton.  By  his  marriage  to  Caro- 
line Van  Kirk,  member  of  an  old  family  of  New 
Jersey,  he  became  the  father  of  five  children, 
but  only  two  are  living. 

The  childhood  years  of  our  subject  were 
passed  in  attendance  at  the  public  schools  of 
Columbia.  He  was  a  lad  of  fourteen  when,  in 
1865,  the  family  removed  to  Scranton  and  in  the 
fall  of  1868  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  employ 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany at  the  Continental  mines.  In  1872  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  outside  foreman  at 
Archbald,  thence  transferred  to  Hampton,  and 
later  to  the  Hallstcad  mines  at  Duryea;  next 
went  to  Avondale,  returning  from  there  to  Hall- 
stead,  and  in  1889  was  made  superintendent  of 
the  Bellevue  mine.  The  breaker  has  two  open- 
ings and  employment  is  given  to  about  five  hun- 
dred men,  the  whole  comprising  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  coal  industries  in  this  section.  In 
addition,  he  is  station  agent  at  Bellevue  for 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  road. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Greene  was  solemnized 
in  1873  in  Scranton,  in  the  house  where  he  now 
resides.  His  wife,  Mary  E.,  was  born  in  Hawley, 
Pa.,  a  daughter  of  John  M.  Acker,  who  was  a 
native  of  Easton,  by  trade  a  plasterer,  and  em- 


ployed in  tliat  capacity  with  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  for  a  short  time,  and  for 
twcntv-six  years  he  was  outside  foreman  at  Belle- 
vue. W'lien  ill  health  forced  him  to  retire,  he 
was  succeeded  by  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Greene. 
His  wife  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  at 
No.  418  South  Main  Avenue,  Hyde  Park.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  ^Irs.  Greene,  William 
Ridall,  emigrated  to  America  from  England  and 
built  one  of  the  first  canal  boats  on  the  Lehigh 
Canal,  residing  first  at  Eaton  and  later  at  Wilkes- 
barre.  He  still  makes  his  home  in  the  latter  city 
and  is  now  eighty-eight  years  of  age.  In  earlier 
years  he  \vas  known  as  a  skilled  musician  and 
not  only  played  the  violin  well,  but  constructed 
a  number  of  them.  His  family  consisted  of  six 
sons  and  six  daughters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greene 
are  the  parents  of  three  children:  B.  C,  Jr.,  who 
is  foreman  at  the  Bellevue  mine  and  his  fathers 
assistant;  Stella  and  Laura. 

In  his  political  views  allied  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  \It.  Greene  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  city  committee  and  as  delegate  to  local 
conventions  of  the  party.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  is  a  well  informed  man,  with  broad 
and  liberal  views  concerning  the  practical  ques- 
tions that  form  the  topics  of  the  hour,  and 
through  his  liberal  spirit  and  progressive  char- 
acter the  community  has  been  benefited  and  its 
interests  advanced. 


COL.  n-^A  TRIPP.  The  Tripp  family  is 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honored  in 
the  Lackawanna  Valley.  The  records  of 
its  members  since  the  first  settlement  in  Pennsyl- 
vania prove  that  they  have  been  a  race  of  noble, 
energetic  and  upright  men  and  women.  The 
first  of  the  name  to  seek  a  home  in  this  state  was 
Isaac  Tripp,  great-grandfather  of  Colonel  Tripp, 
who  moved  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  to  the  Wyom- 
ing Valley,  settling  in  Wilkesbarre  in  1769.  A 
Quaker  in  religious  belief,  he  carried  the  tenets 
of  that  society  into  his  private  life,  and  was  al- 
ways kind  in  his  intercourse  with  the  Indians.  At 
one  time,  when  taken  a  prisoner  at  Capouse,  he 
was  dismissed  unliarmed,  having  been  properly 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


589 


painted  lest  some  other  band  of  marauders  would 
harm  him.  Frequently  British  soldiers  inquired 
of  the  Indians  why  Tripp  was  not  slain,  and  the 
answer  always  was,  "Tripp  is  a  good  man."  But 
unfortunately,  in  his  efforts  to  protect  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Wyoming  Colony  at  Harford,  he 
made  himself  inimical  to  the  Tories,  and  a  double 
reward  was  offered  for  his  scalp.  As  he  had  for- 
feited the  protection  given  him  by  Chief  Capouse, 
by  removing  his  war  paint,  also  incurred  hostility 
by  his  loyal  struggles  for  the  life  of  the  young 
republic,  he  was  shot  and  scalped  by  the  Indians 
the  first  time  he  was  seen. 

Isaac,  son  of  the  above  named,  settled  in  the 
Lackawanna  Valley  about  1774,  and  took  up  a 
tract  of  about  one  thousand  acres,  some  of  which 
lies  in  the  heart  of  the  present  city  of  Scranton. 
His  children  were  William,  Amasa,  Stephen, 
Isaac,  Holden.  Polly,  Patty,  Betsey,  Catherine, 
Susan  and  Nancy,  all  of  whom  married 
and  reared  families.  Isaac  Tripp,  our  subject's 
father,  by  inheritance  from  his  father  and  by  pur- 
chase from  his  brothers  and  sisters,  became  own- 
er of  six  lumdred  acres  in  the  central  part  of 
Scranton.  By  his  marriage  with  Catherine  La 
France,  a  native  of  Providence  Township,  he  had 
nine  children,  namely:  Benjamin,  Ira,  Isaac, 
Holden,  Diana,  Phoebe,  Maria,  Catherine  and 
Mahala.  Tiie  only  one  now  living  is  Isaac,  who 
resides  at  Fortyfort,  two  miles  from  Wyoming. 

Born  in  the  old  township  of  Providence,  Jan- 
uary 6,  1814,  Ira  Tripp  spent  his  youthful  years 
on  the  home  farm  and  received  a  limited  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  Providence.  For 
a  few  years  he  was  proprietor  of  a  store  there, 
and  afterward  was  similarly  engaged  in  Scran- 
ton. Always  fond  of  horses,  in  early  life  he  was  a 
drover  and  sold  horses  and  cattle  in  New  York 
City.  He  owned  a  number  of  standard-bred 
horses  that  were  among  the  finest  in  the  county. 
In  addition  he  also  had  a  large  number  of  cattle 
of  theAlderney  breed  and  had  a  dairy  on  his  home 
farm,  also  on  his  stock  farm  at  Dalton,  this  coun- 
ty. The  state  fair  was  held  on  his  farm,  where 
he  had  a  fine  race-track  and  driving  park.  At 
all  the  local  fairs  where  his  stock  were  exhibited 
they  took  the  first  premiums. 

In  1861  our  subject  enlisted  as  a  private  in  tlie 


Eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  and  served  for 
nine  months  as  hospital  steward.  He  was  ap- 
pointed aide-de-camp,  with  the  rank  of  lieuten- 
ant-colonel, on  the  staff  of  Governor  Pollock. 
In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  later  a  Re- 
publican, but  never  sought  political  honors  or 
local  offices.  At  one  time  he  was  a  stockholder 
in  the  old  Peoples  Street  Railway.  During  his 
lifetime  the  old  house  built  by  his  father  was  re- 
modeled, and  this  beautiful  place  is  now  the 
home  of  his  widow.  When  the  farm  first  came 
mto  the  possession  of  the  family  it  was  covered 
with  the  forest  groves,  and  considerable  "grub- 
bing" was  necessary.  The  first  coal  found  here 
was  dug  out  by  hand  in  a  ravine  on  the  farm, 
where  it  cropped  out,  and  was  carried  to  the 
house  in  a  basket.  Much  of  tiie  land  was  richly 
underlaid  with  coal,  which  greatly  enhanced  its 
value.  Colonel  Tripp  opened  the  Tripp  shaft  and 
worked  it  until  the  supply  of  coal  was  exhausted. 
He  had  a  host  of  friends  throughout  this  section 
of  the  state,  and  his  death,  August  3,  1891,  called 
forth  many  tributes  of  respect  to  his  memory. 

At  Wyoming,  February  20,  1838,  Colonel 
Tripp  married  Miss  Rosanna  Shoemaker,  who 
was  bom  there,  received  a  good  education  and 
careful  training  in  the  domestic  arts.  She  is  a 
lady  of  business  ability  and  gives  personal  atten- 
tion to  the  management  of  the  estate.  Travel  has 
broadened  her  mental  faculties,  and  her  ample 
means  have  enabled  her  to  spend  some  time 
abroad  as  well  as  in  different  parts  of  this  coun- 
try. Her  winters  are  usually  spent  in  California. 
In  childhood  she  attended  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  for  some  years  has  had  her  religious 
home  in  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church.  In  addi- 
tion to  her  bereavement  in  the  loss  of  her  hus- 
band, all  of  her  children  have  been  taken  from 
her  by  death;  upon  her  two  grandchildren  and 
great-grandchildren  all  her  hopes  are  centered. 
Her  eldest  son,  Isaac  C,  who  was  corporal  of  a 
Pennsylvania  regiment  during  the  war  and  an 
active  Grand  Army  man,  died  in  Scranton.  Le- 
ander  S.,  who  was  an  engineer  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  road,  died  in  this  city, 
leaving  his  wife  and  two  children.  William  died 
when  an  infant  and  Gertrude  when  about  the  age 
of  twenty-six;  she  was  a  well  known  and  beloved 


590 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


young  lad}-,  and  had  received  careful  training 
and  an  excellent  education  in  Kingston  Sem- 
inary and  a  convent  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and 
her  mind  had  been  broadened  by  extensive 
travel.  .     '    i      I 

The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Tripp,  Isaac  Shoe- 
maker, was  of  German  descent.  He  settled  in 
Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  and  there  cultivated 
a  farm.  His  son,  Jacob  I.,  was  born  in  Easton, 
accompanied  the  family  to  Wyoming  County  and 
in  after  years  became  proprietor  of  Shoemaker's 
hotel,  which  is  still  standing  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  where  the  road  forks  to  the  old  home 
place.  There  he  remained  until  death.  His  wife, 
who  was  born  in  New  York,  was  a  member  of  an 
old  family  of  that  state.  Their  children  were 
named  as  follows:  Isaac,  who  owned  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  Luzerne  County;  William,  a  far- 
mer who  died  in  Wyoming;  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Tut- 
tle;  Margaret,  Mrs.  Isaac  Tripp,  who  died  in 
Forty  fort;  Mrs.  Rosanna  Tripp,  the  only  survi- 
vor of  the  family;  and  Sallie,  Mrs.  Holden  Tripp, 
who  died  in  Wyoming. 


CHARLES  KENWOOD,  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  C.  Henwood  &  Co.,  of 
Scranton,  and  the  oldest  pharmacist  of 
the  north  end,  was  born  in  Penzance,  Cornwall, 
England,  Alay  28,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles 
P.  and  Sarah  (Hosking)  Henwood,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Liskeard  and  Penzance.  The  fam- 
ily was  one  of  the  very  oldest  of  that  English 
shire,  and  the  grandfather  of  Charles,  who  bore 
the  name  of  William,  was  a  farmer  there.  For 
some  years  Charles  P.  was  emplpyed  in  the  in- 
ternal revenue  department  of  the  civil  service, 
and  was  stationed  at  different  places  in  England 
and  Scotland,  but  finally  retired  to  Wellington, 
Somerset  County,  where  he  died  eight  years 
later.  The  mother  of  our  subject  traced  her  an- 
cestry back  to  Thomas  Harris  and  Amy  Harvey, 
the  descendants  of  whom  are  interested  in  the 
famous  Harris-Hartley  estate,  now  in  litigation 
in  the  courts  of  England.  She  died  when  Charles 
was  about  seven  years  of  age,  leaving,  besides 
him,  a  daughter,  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Scott  Hani- 
mett.  of  Wellington. 

Tlie  Ixjyhood  years  of  our  subject  were  passed 


in  different  places  until  he  was  thirteen,  when  he 
removed  with  his  father  to  Wellington.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  Ottery,  St.  Mary, 
Devonshire,  and  in  William  Corner's  Academy, 
after  which,  in  March,  1861,  he  was  apprenticed 
to  Thomas  E.  Hooker,  pharmacist,  who  became 
a  noted  electrician  and  afterwards  removed  to 
London.  Five  years  were  spent  in  that  place, 
after  which  he  went  to  Bath  and  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  assistant  pharmacist.  In  November,  1867, 
he  came  to  America  and  at  once  proceeded  to 
Scranton,  where  he  became  pharmacist  for  Mat- 
thews Brothers.  January  i,  1870,  he  purchased 
the  store  of  Richard  Matthews,  on  the  corner  of 
North  Main  Avenue  and  Market  Street,  and  re- 
mained there  until  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
his  present  location  at  No.  1909  North  Main 
Avenue. 

In  January,  1886,  Mr.  Henwood  took  into 
partnership  his  cousin,  Sydney  R.  Henwood, 
with  whom  he  has  since  been  connected.  Sydney 
R.  was  born  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  in  1859,  the  third 
son  of  Richard,  who  was  a  son  of  William,  our 
subject's  grandfather.  Richard  Henwood  was  a 
native  of  England,  whence  he  emigrated  to 
America  in  1834,  settling  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  and 
engaging  at  different  times  in  the  meat  business 
and  farming.  In  1874  he  came  to  Scranton, 
where  he  now  resides,  being  eighty-one  years  of 
age.  Sydney  R.  attended  the  common  schools 
in  youth,  and  about  1876  began  to  study  phar- 
macy under  his  cousin,  Charles,  whose  partner 
he  became  in  1886.  He  married  Miss  Anna, 
daughter  of  Christopher  Lane,  of  Honesdale. 

The  firm  of  C.  Henwood  &  Co.  has  always 
ranked  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  in  the 
city  and  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  prescription 
business  and  the  manufacture  of  their  own  phar- 
maceutical preparations  from  the  purest  materials. 
They  also  carry  a  full  line  of  stationery,  blank 
books,  wall  paper,  paints,  oils,  window  glass,  etc. 
In  addition  to  the  drug  business  Mr.  Henwood 
has  been  intimately  connected  with  various  con- 
cerns f(jr  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of  the 
city  and  county,  and  deservedly  ranks  among  the 
|)ublic-spirited  citizens.  In  the  .Scranton  Wood 
Turning  Comiiany  he  is  secretary  and  treasurer, 
also  one  of  the  directors. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


591 


At  No.  2016  North  Main  Avenue  Mr.  Hen- 
wood  has  established  liis  home.  He  was  married 
in  this  city  to  Miss  Ada  Hartley,  who  was  born  in 
Glenwood,  Susquehanna  County,  daughter  of 
James  Hartley,  and  a  descendant  of  Scotch- 
Irisli  ancestry.  They  are  tlie  parents  of  three 
living  children,  Elizabeth  May,  Julia  Alice  and 
Charles  Hartley.  Mr.  Henwood  is  a  deacon  in 
and  active  supporter  of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist 
Church.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  North  IMain 
Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  is  a  trustee.  For 
some  years  he  served  as  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent, and  is  now  assistant.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trade  and  in  politics  has  taken  a 
firm  position  in  advocating  Republican  princi- 
ples, being  now  a  member  of  the  Republican 
city  centra!  committee  and  aiding  his  party  by 
influence  and  ballot. 


BICKNELL  BENNETT  ATHERTON, 
superintendent  of  the  Alanville  mines  of 
Delaware  &  Hudson  and  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Companies,  is  a  native  of  the 
city  of  Scranton,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
was  born  on  the  west  side.  May  30,  1842,  and  is 
of  remote  English  ancestry,  a  member  of  a  fam- 
ily that  was  represented  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Massachusettts.  His  father,  J.  A.,  was  born 
in  Springfield,  that  state,  and  was  the  son  of  a 
farmer  there.  A  shoemaker  by  trade,  soon  after 
his  marriage,  he  settled  in  Troy  (now  Wyoming), 
and  later  removed  to  Hyde  Park,  in  both  places 
following  his  chosen  occupation,  and  it  is  said 
that  he  made  the  fiirst  hob  nails  for  the  first  min- 
ers here.  From  Harmon  Dailey  he  purchased, 
for  $10  per  acre,  the  farm  on  which  the  Arch- 
bald  mine  is  now  located,  and  afterward  sold  the 
place  to  the  Scrantons  and  Throop  for  $100  an 
acre.  He  then  traveled  over  the  west  seeking 
a  suitable  location,  but  finding  no  place  satisfac- 
tory, he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  purchased 
a  farm  two  miles  from  Montrose,  in  Susquehanna 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  retirement  from  active  business. 
His  home  is  now  at  No.  329  West  Market  Street, 
Scranton,  and  he  is  hale  and  hearty,  notwith- 
standing his  eighty-seven  years  of  life. 


The  motlier  of  our  subject  was  Ellen  Ben- 
nett, a  native  of  Burlington,  V't.,  and  member  of 
an  old  eastern  family.  She  died  in  i860,  at  the  age 
of  forty-seven.  Her  family  consisted  of  ten  chil- 
dren, who  attained  years  of  maturity,  and  of 
these,  Fred  died  in  Montrose  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  and  John  in  Hyde  Park  when  thirty 
years  of  age.  Three  daughters  and  three  sons 
•  are  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Sophia  Lake,  of  Bing- 
hamton;  Florence,  Mrs.  Shearer,  of  Montrose; 
Airs.  Rosa  Lewies,  of  Wilkesbarre;  Henry  F.;  J. 
L.,  and  Bicknell  B. 

From  the  age  of  fourteen,  when  he  ceased  to 
attend  the  public  school,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  employed  in  farming  near  Montrose 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  fired  every 
patriotic  heart  with  a  spirit  of  enthusiastic  loyalty 
to  the  Union  cause.  Nor  was  he  behind  others  in 
giving  tangible  evidence  of  his  patriotism.  When 
just  nineteen  years  of  age,  in  June,  1862,  he  vol- 
unteered in  defense  of  the  old  flag,  enlisting  in 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at 
Harrisburg.  Among  the  eighteen  engagements 
in  which  he  bore  a  valiant  part  may  be  men- 
tioned the  first  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  first  and  second  battles  of 
Hatcher's  Run,  Deep  Bottom,  Strawberry  Plains, 
Weldon  Railroad,  in  front  of  Petersburg  and 
Appomattox,  followed  by  the  sun"ender  of  Gen- 
eral Lee.  At  Spottsylvania  Court  House  he  was 
wounded  in  the  right  foot  and  was  obliged  to 
remain  for  a  time  in  Washington  Hospital;  while 
still  using  crutches,  he  was  on  hand,  with  others, 
to  assist  in  holding  the  fort  at  the  time  of  Lee's 
threatened  invasion  of  Washington.  During  the 
second  day's  engagement  at  Gettysburg  he  re- 
ceived a  flesh  wound  in  the  right  hip,  but  he  kept 
his  place  in  the  ranks  until  the  day  closed,  when 
the  wound  was  dressed.  At  Chancellorsville  he 
was  struck  by  a  minie-ball,  but  was  saved  by 
his  sabfe  belt  that  caused  the  ball  to  glance  to 
one  side  and  lodge  in  his  coat  pocket,  a  ver\-  nar- 
row escape.  Enlisting  as  a  private,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  corporal,  then  fifth  sergeant, 
and  acted  as  orderly  for  si.x  months.  After  Chan- 
cellorsville he  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant 


592 


PUKTKAIT   AND   UlUGRAiniiCAL   RliCURU. 


by  Governor  Curtin,  and  served  as  acting  adju- 
tant from  the  fall  of  Petersburg  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  When  the  conflict  ceased  he  was  de- 
tailed in  charge  of  all  papers,  books,  etc.,  to  l)e 
delivered  in  Ilarrisburg,  and  was  then  mustered 
out  of  the  service  in  that  city  May  28,  1865. 

On  his  return  to  civic  affairs  Mr.  Atherton 
spent  four  month.s  in  Montrose  and  then  removed 
to  Olyphant,  where  he  was  em.ployed  as  weigh-" 
master  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany. Shortly  afterward  he  was  promoted  to 
the  position  of  general  coal  inspector  of  the 
south  division  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson,  with 
headquarters  in  Wilkesbarre.  In  1869  he  was 
made  superintendent  of  the  Rocket  Brook  col- 
liery, on  the  mountain  above  Carbondale,  where 
he  remained  one  year.  Next  he  was  sent  to 
Wilkesbarre  and  given  charge  of  the  Mill  Creek 
colliery  under  the  Union  Coal  Company,  filling 
the  position  for  nine  years.  Two  years  were 
then  spent  on  the  old  homestead  near  Montrose, 
after  which  he  came  to  Scranton  as  superintend- 
ent of  the  I.eggett's  Creek  mine  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company.  Later  he  held  a  sim- 
ilar position  at  the  Marvine  shaft,  and  then  for 
two  years  served  as  assistant  paymaster  in  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  office,  resigning  in  July, 
1892,  to  accept  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  Manville  mine. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Atherton  took  place 
in  Olyphant  on  Christmas  day  of  1866,  his  wife 
being  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
(Black)  Deary.  She  was  born  in  Carbondale,  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  and  died  in  Montrose,  leaving 
three  sons:  Avery,  who  is  employed  as  book- 
keeper at  the  Marvine  shaft;  Arthur,  a  civil  en- 
gineer in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
at  Plymouth ;  and  Harry,  a  carpenter  at  the  Man- 
ville mine.  The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Atherton, 
whom  he  married  in  Montrose,  was  Amanda, 
daughter  of  Jedediah  Safford,  a  farmer  of  Lath- 
rop,  Susquehanna  County,  where  she  was  born. 
She  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  Dudley, 
Grace  and  Fred,  who  reside  with  their  parents 
at  No.  2094  North  Main  Avenue. 

Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Atherton  has 
served  his  ])arty  as  delegate  to  local  and  state 
conventions,  but  has  never  desired  public  ofticc. 


as  his  business  responsibilities  occupy  his  entire 
time.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  secretary 
of  the  school  board  at  Plains,  Luzerne  County, 
but  resigned  on  his  removal.  Fraternally  he  is 
identified  with  the  Loyal  Legion  and  Lieut.  Ezra 
S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  in  religious 
connections  is  identified  witli  Pri)\'idence  Pres- 
byterian Cliurch. 


ANDREW  SMITH  comes  of  a  long  line  of 
sturdy.  God-fearing  Scots,  noted  for  their 
honorable  dealings  with  all  men  and  their 
unquestioning  allegiance  to  whatever  they  be- 
lieve to  be  the  true  and  right.  From  bovhood 
he  has  led  a  very  industrious  life  and  that  he 
now  enjo\s  a  fair  measure  of  success  is  entirely 
owing  to  his  own  unaided  efforts.  His  father, 
James  Smith,  was  born  in  Pennston,  Haddington, 
Scotland,  and  was,  like  his  father,  who  bore  the 
same  Christian  name,  a  miner  by  occupation. 
The  family  was  an  old  and  respected  one  in  that 
locality.  James  Smith,  Jr.,  departed  this  life 
when  in  his  sixty-seventh  year.  His  wife,  Cath- 
erine, was  a  daughter  of  George  Hogg,  a  mine 
foreman  and  descendant  of  the  James  Hogg 
whom  Sir  Walter  Scott  immortalized  as  the  "Et- 
trick  shepherd."  Her  death  occurred  November 
10,  1895.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven  children 
who  grew  to  maturity  and  all  but  two  of  these 
are  still  living.  They  are  James,  George  and 
Robert  of  Scotland;  John  and  Richard  of  Bos- 
ton; Andrew  of  this  sketch;  Isabella,  Mrs.  Neil, 
of  Scotland;  Catherine,  Mrs.  Ormiston,  of  Scot- 
land, and  Ellen,  Mrs.  Fortune,  of  Scotland. 

The  birth  of  Andrew  Smith  took  place  in  Dean- 
head,  Haddington,  Scotland,  June  25,  1849,  and 
his  first  years  were  passed  in  Pennston.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  parish  schools  of 
Gladsmuir  and  was  only  ten  years  old  when  he 
began  working  in  the  mines.  There  were  then 
no  modern  appliances  and  the  miners  were  ob- 
liged to  slide  down  a  rope  from  three  hundred  to 
five  hundred  feet.  It  was  his  duty  to  push  the 
cars  to  the  foot  of  the  shaft,  but  as  time  went  on 
he  became  a  practical  miner  and  was  promoted 
to  be  assistant  foreman  when  he  was  only  twenty 
years  old.    In  1872  he  was  made  mine  foreman  at 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


593 


Fountain  Hall,  remaining  there  eight  years.  Feel- 
ing the  need  of  a  better  education  he  attended 
school  three  years  at  Prestonpans,  pursuing  a 
general  course  of  study.  Then  resuming  his 
work  he  superintended  three  collieries  at  Preston 
Grange.  During  this  time  he  took  a  course  of 
night  lectures  in  medicine  in  Glasgow.  How- 
ever, he  soon  turned  his  whole  attention  to  the 
subject  of  mining  and  in  1884  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. Finding  employment  with  Linderman 
&  Skeer  as  a  miner  in  their  Hazleton  collieries 
he  stayed  there  until  1887,  when  he  became  out- 
side foreman  for  Thomas  Waddell.  Soon  he  was 
■  given  the  place  of  inside  foreman  with  the  Mount 
Jessup  Coal  Company,  having  his  home  in  Win- 
ton  at  this  time.  For  a  year  or  more  he  worked 
for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  at 
Grassy  Island  and  for  the  past  seven  years  has 
been  inside  foreman  at  the  Marvine  shaft  with  the 
same  firm. 

In  1871  Mr.  Smith  married  in  Edinburgh,  Mar- 
garet McLcod,  of  the  old  family  of  McLeods  of 
Caithness,  Scotland.  Her  parents  were  George 
and  Janet  (P)arnetson)  McLeod.  The  former, 
who  was  a  mason  by  trade,  died  in  early  man- 
hood, but  his  wife  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  have  five  children:  James  B.,  on  the  city 
engineer  corps;  Jessie,  at  home;  George,  station- 
ary engineer  at  the  Marvine  mines;  Kate,  and 
Andrew,  Jr.  The  family  residence  is  at  No.  116 
Throop  Street,  Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  in  which 
he  is  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  also 
the  treasurer.  Socially,  he  belongs  to  Peter  Will- 
iamson Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Improved 
Order  of  Red  Men  at  Peckville  and  the  Cale- 
donian Society  of  Scranton.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican. 


JOHN  H.  HOFFMAN.  In  the  desperate 
struggle  that  threatened  the  life  of  our 
nation,  many,  who  had  before  led  the  quiet 
lives  of  private  citizens,  proved  their  patriotism 
and  heroism  and  offered  their  services  in  behalf 
of  the  Union.  Among  those  who  responded  to 
the  country's  call  was  Mr.  HoiTman,  who,  in 
those  times  that  tried  men's  souls,  was  one  of  the 


foremost  in  the  field  of  battle,  and  whose  stand- 
ard of  duty  and  zeal  was  ever  of  the  highest. 
Though  less  than  nineteen  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  enlistment,  he  displayed  the  patriotism, 
courage  and  determination  of  a  veteran,  and  was 
one  of  the  countless  brave  men  whose  fidelity 
to  duty  was  the  secret  of  the  success  of  the  army. 

Coming  of  worthy  ancestors,  John  H.  Hoffman 
was  born  in  Llewellyn,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa., 
July  9,  1845,  a  son  of  Peter  and  Catherine  (Lewis) 
Hoffman,  natives  respectively  of  Dauphin  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  South  Wales.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Jacob  Hofifman,  was  a  member  of  an  old 
Pennsylvania  family  and  engaged  in  farming  in 
Dauphin  County;  the  maternal  grandfather,  Lew- 
is Lewis,  a  Welshman,  brought  his  family  to 
America  and  settled  in  Schuylkill  County,  where 
he  spent  his  remaining  years.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  engaged  as  a  contractor  at  Llewellyn 
and  other  places,  and  died  at  Frackville,  Schuyl- 
kill County,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six;  his  wife 
is  still  living  in  Frackville. 

The  eldest  of  eight  children,  of  whom  all  but 
one  are  living,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  spent 
his  boyhood  days  in  the  various  places  where 
his  father  resided,  and  when  only  nine  years  of 
age  began  to  work  in  a  colliery.  For  two  years 
he  was  stationary  engineer  for  the  Pennsylvania 
&  Reading  Railroad.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Six- 
teenth Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  mustered 
in  as  a  private  for  three  years,  or  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  Among  the  battles  in  which  he  took 
part  were  those  of  the  Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor, 
Spottsylvania,  Petersburg,  Reams  Station,  Appo- 
mattox, and  was  within  one  hundred  yards  of 
General  Lee  when  he  siu-rendered  to  the  Union 
forces.  At  Appomattox  Court  House  his  life 
was  endangered  by  a  bayonet  thrust  at  him,  but 
he  succeeded  in  warding  it  ofif.  At  the  same  place 
a  gunshot  grazed  his  face,  and  at  Cold  Harbor 
a  bullet  took  the  cap  oS  his  head.  He  took  part 
in  the  grand  review  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Harrisburg  in  July,   1865. 

Going  back  to  Gordon,  Mr.  Hofifman  soon 
moved  from  there  to  Frackville,  and  in  1869 
came  to  Scranton  in  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  car  shops,  but  after 


S94 


PORTkAlT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  short  time  went  back  to  Schuylkill  County.  In 
the  spring  of  1870  he  again  came  to  Scranton, 
this  time  securing  work  in  the  Diamond  mines, 
and  later  in  Central  mines.  In  1880  he  was 
promoted  to  be  outside  foreiuan  of  the  Wood- 
ward colliery  at  Kingston,  but  after  one  year 
took  a  position  with  the  Scranton  Coal  Com- 
pany near  P.ellevue,  operated  by  the  Delaware, 
Lackawaima  &  Western.  Next  he  was  foreman 
in  Wyoming,  and  in  November,  1886,  became 
outside  superintendent  of  the  Hampton  mines, 
the  oldest  belonging  to  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western,  and  with  one  of  the  finest 
breakers  in  the  county.  This  position  he  has 
since  held,  filling  it  with  such  marked  efficiency 
as  to  materially  promote  the  interests  of  the  com- 
pany here. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Hofifman  married  Miss  Marga- 
ret Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Wales,'the  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Reynolds,  now  living  in  this  city. 
They  are  the  parents  of  seven  living  children: 
George  W.,  Harry,  Mrs.  Ida  Williams,  May, 
William,  Lewis  and  Arthur.  The  four  eldest 
sons  are  in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western,  and  are  capable  young  men, 
whose  future  is  full  of  promise.  The  family  are 
connected  with  the  Baptist  Church.  In  politics 
Mr.  Hofifman  is  a  Republican  and  has  ever  stood 
firmly  by  the  party.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grififin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R. 


W]  LLIAM  McCLAVE  is  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  McClave,  Brooks  & 
Co.,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
in  the  business  world  of  Scranton.  He  has  taken 
out  no  less  tlian  twcnty-si.K  patents  and  has  been 
unusually  successful  as  an  inventor.  A  native  of 
Scotland,  he  was  born  February  7,  1844,  and  was 
briHight  to  America  when  only  two  years  of  age, 
living  for  four  years  in  Boonton,  N.  J.  Coming 
to  this  city  in  1850,  he  has  since  made  his  home 
here  with  tlie  exception  of  twelve  years  spent  in 
Pittston  and  two  years  in  Carbondale.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Rowland, 
who  was  born  in  Wales,  and  they  have  one  son, 
William   R.,  now  in  business  with  liis  fatlier  and 


formerly  connected  with  the  Scranton  steel  works 
as  assistant  paymaster. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1858  Mr.  McClave  began 
learning  the  tinsmith's  trade  with  the  firm  of  W. 
G.  Doud  &  Co.,  of  Hyde  Park,  and  was  thus  em- 
pk;yed  when  the  war  broke  out.  At  the  first  call 
for  troops  he  enlisted  for  three  months'  service, 
joining  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  of  state  volun- 
teers, as  a  member  of  Company  K.  In  1862  he 
re-enlisted  and  was  mustered  into  Company  K, 
Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  as  first  ser- 
geant. He  served  under  McClellan  through  the 
entire  Pennsylvania  campaign  and  received  an 
honorable  discharge  at  Yorktown  on  account  of 
physical  disability,  as  he  had  been  having  a  very 
severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever.  He  returned  home 
and  after  careful  nursing  and  treatment  recovered 
his  health  and  went  back  to  his  trade.  After 
working  several  years  as  a  journeyman  he  started 
in  business  for  himself  in  Pittston,  where  he  car- 
ried a  fidl  line  of  stoves  and  hardware. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1877  that  Mr.  McClave  in- 
vented a  grate  for  stoves,  commonly  known  as 
the  Dockash  grate.  It  was  first  placed  in  the 
stoves  manufactured  by  the  Scranton  stove 
works,  and  proved  such  an  advantage  to  the 
trade  that  the  owner  sold  out  his  hardware  store 
in  order  to  give  his  whole  attention  to  tlie  busi- 
ness. For  three  years  he  traveled,  introducing 
the  new  grate,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  was 
induced  to  sell  his  interest  in  it  to  Col.  J.  A.  Price, 
of  the  Scranton  stove  works.  Then  Mr.  Mc- 
Clave set  to  work  to  invent  a  method  of  more 
effectively  burning  the  waste  products  of  the 
anthracite  coal  fields,  called  culm  and  buckwheat. 
There  had  been  several  attempts  in  this  direction 
before,  but  the  results  were  only  partially  success- 
ful. Flowever,  he  would  not  give  up  until  he 
had  reached  a  satisfactory  result,  and  at  the  end 
of  a  year  or  so  he  brought  out  the  McClave  grate 
and  Argand  steam  blower.  He  associated  with 
himself  Reese  G.  Brooks,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  the  new  invention  was  manufactured  in  the 
machine  shops  of  1.  A.  Finch  &  Co. 

The  trade  increasing  rapidly,  it  became  neces- 
sary at  length  to  manufacture  on  a  much  larger 
scale,  and  forming  a  new  partnership  under  the 
firm  name  of  McClave,  Brooks  &  Co.,  they  rented 


GKORCli  W.   BEEMER. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


597 


the  old  foundry  of  the  Scranton  stove  works  in 
West  Lackawanna  Avenue.  Since  then  the  pres- 
ent site,  having  a  six-story  brick  building  upon 
it,  was  purchased,  and  a  conunodious  foundry  and 
offices  are  now  being  erected,  sufficient  to  meet  all 
future  demands  of  the  constantly  increasing  or- 
ders. The  grates  are  adapted  to  all  kinds  of  fuel 
and  can  be  placed  in  boilers  and  furnaces  of  any 
description,  though  the  blower  is  only  required 
when  waste  products  are  to  be  consumed.  Not 
only  can  the  waste  of  anthracite,  but  of  bitumin- 
ous coal,  known  as  slack  and  duff,  be  burned 
in  a  thorough  manner.  Branch  offices  of  the 
company  are  located  in  Chicago  and  in  many 
of  the  chief  cities  of  the  United  States.  James 
Beggs  &  Co.,  No.  9  Dey  Street,  New  York,  have 
the  exclusive  right  of  manufacture  and  sale  in 
the  eastern  half  of  that  state  and  in  all  the  New 
England  states. 

Mr.  McClave  is  a  member  of  Peter  William- 
son Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Lieut. 
Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Scranton  Board  of  Trade  and  the 
Engineers'  Club.  One  of  the  active  pillars  of 
the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  he  serves  as  a 
trustee.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  It  has 
been  his  privilege  to  travel  extensively  through- 
out most  of  the  southern  and  western  states  and 
he  is  a  man  of  wide  information.  His  son  was  for 
five  years  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
belonging  to  Company  A,  and  is  a  young  man 
who  is  well  thought  of  by  all  who  know  him. 


GEORGE  W.  BEEMER.  The  life  of  a 
farmer  is  not  devoid  of  opportunities  for 
the  practice  of  the  sterling  virtues  of  in- 
dustry, perseverance  and  brotherly  kindness.  On 
the  contrary,  it  affords  abundant-chance  to  those 
who  wish  to  build  up  an  irreproachable  character, 
while  carrying  on  the  vocation  in  which  they 
hope  to  secure  a  competence.  That  this  is  true 
may  be  seen  in  the  record  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  for  some  years  has  had  charge  of 
Hillside  Home,  the  poor  farm,  in  Newton  Town- 
ship. Much  of  his  attention  through  life  has  been 
given  to  this  work,  in  which  he  is  considered 
very  efficient.  He  is  proprietor  of  one  of  the 
24 


largest  dairy  farms  in  this  section,  having  about 
seventy  milch  cows  on  his  place,  and  also  is  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  fine  trotting  horses. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Henry  Beemer, 
was  born  of  German  descent  in  Sussex  County, 
N.  T-,  January  20,  1781,  and  in  1820  came  to 
Lackawanna  County,  where  he  developed  a  farm 
out  of  the  woods,  doing  considerable  pioneer 
work.  On  this  place  he  died  September  24,  1S63. 
He  married  Mary  Spangenburg.  who  was  born 
July  4,  1783,  in  the  same  county  as  himself,  and 
died  at  the  old  homestead  August  10,  1862.  Of 
their  ten  children  six  are  yet  living.  One  of  their 
sons,  Sidney,  was  born  June  18,  1821,  in  New- 
ton Township,  where  he  now  resides.  Another 
son,  Ehas,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  New 
Jersey  in  1806,  came  to  this  county  with  his  par- 
ents, and  here  married  Phoebe  Albright,  a  native 
of  New  York.  Their  seven  children  are  all  liv- 
ing, and  one,  a  son,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  and  banking  business  at  Beemer,  Neb., 
has  served  as  sheriff  of  his  county  and  warden  of 
the  state  penitentiary. 

Born  in  this  county  April  14,  1848,  our  sub- 
ject was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his 
education  in  the  district  schools,  Waverly  Acad- 
emy and  Binghamton  Commercial  College,  grad- 
uating from  the  last-named  in  1867.  At  the  age 
of  thirty  he  took  charge  of  the  Abington  poor 
farm,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  No- 
vember 24,  1S78,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Young, 
who  was  born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Nicholas  and  Harriet  (McEwen)  Young. 
Her  father,  a  native  of  Germany,  came  alone  to 
the  United  States  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  His 
principal  occupation  has  been  that  of  a  tanner, 
and  he  now  makes  his  home  at  Salamanca,  N.  Y. 
Two  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beemer,  but  only  one  is  living,  Floyd  D., 
an  unsually  clever  lad,  whose  future  is  full  of 
promise. 

About  two  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Beemer 
became  superintendent  of  the  poor  farm  in  Ab- 
ington, remaining  there  for  five  years.  The  next 
five  years  were  spent  in  the  position  he  now  oc- 
cupies. Resigning  in  1888,  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  he  was  again  appointed  in  1891,  and 
since  the  latter  year  has  given  his  attention  prin- 


598 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cipally  to  his  work  as  superintemlcnt.  He  is  one 
of  the  well  known  men  of  Lackawanna  County 
and  has  a  large  number  of  friends  among  the 
people  here.  For  thirteen  years  he  has  been  ac- 
tive in  educational  work  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  school  directors,  during  which  time  he  has  ad- 
vanced the  interests  of  the  schools  in  his  district. 
Since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  U. 
S.  Grant,  he  has  always  been  a  firm  adherent  to 
Republican  principles.  He  is  active  in  local  pol- 
itics and  in  those-  movements  which  tend  to  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  the  community  in  material 
affairs. 


CARL  W.  McKINNEY.  The  connection  of 
Mr.  McKinney  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Steel  Company  as  its  general  manager 
brought  him  into  prominence,  not  only  among 
the  large  force  of  employes  of  that  corporation, 
but  also  in  the  business  circles  of  Scranton,  where 
he  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  superior  executive 
ability,  fitted  to  superintend  large  and  important 
interests.  When,  in  1895,  ill  health  made  it  ad- 
visable for  him  to  resign  the  position,  it  was  felt 
by  the  company's  officials  and  the  general  public 
that  his  retirement  was  greatly  to  be  regretted. 

A  glance  at  the  life  of  Mr.  McKinney  shows 
that  by  resolution  of  character  he  worked  his  way 
from  the  modest  position  of  office  boy  to  the  re- 
sponsible post  of  general  manager,  and  that  he 
was  able  to  do  so  proves  him  to  be  a  man  of  large 
ability,  determination,  energy,  ambition  and  per- 
severance. He  started  out  with  no  greater  ad- 
vantages than  almost  every  young  man  has,  but 
the  most  of  his  companions  he  passed,  rising- to 
higher  position  than  they,  because  he  possessed 
determination  of  character  which  they  did  not. 

The  McKinneys  came  to  Pennsylvania  from 
Connecticut,  where  the  family  was  first  estab- 
lished in  America.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  one  of  the  four  children  of  James  McKinney 
and  was  born  in  Schuylkill  Haven,  Schuylkill 
County,  Pa.,  in  1841.  From  that  place  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Scranton  in  1845,  ^"^1 
here  his  active  business  life  began.  His  first 
position  was  that  of  office  boy  for  the  Lackawan- 
na  Iron   &  Coal  Company,   with   whicli   he  re- 


mained for  twenty-four  consecutive  years.  From 
the  office  he  became  timekeeper  at  the  blast  fur- 
nace and  during  the  last  eight  years  of  his  em- 
ployment was  in  charge  of  the  blast  furnace  de- 
partment. 

When  W.  W.  Scranton  organized  the  Scranton 
Steel  Company,  Mr.  McKinney  resigned  his  po- 
sition to  become  superintendent  of  the  new  com- 
pany's plant,  now  known  as  the  south  works. 
On  the  consolidation  of  the  Scranton  Steel  and 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Companies  he  accepted 
the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  converting 
works  and  rail  mill  of  the  Maryland  Steel  Com- 
pany's plant  at  Sparrow  Point,  Md.,  the  com- 
pany's bessemer  and  rail  mill  department.  No- 
vember 15,  1893,  he  returned  to  Scranton  to  be- 
come general  manager  of  all  the  mills,  furnaces 
and  plants  of  the  present  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company,  a  corporation  whose  interests 
and  plant  value  are  equaled  by  few  and  exceeded 
by  still  fewer  companies  in  this  or  any  other 
country.  To  judge  of  the  responsibilities  of  his 
position,  it  is  but  necessary  to  glance  at  the  com- 
pany's plants.  In  this  city  the  north  and  south 
works  of  the  corporation  furnish  employment  to 
several  thousand  hands;  at  Mt.  Carmel,  N.  Y., 
are  the  Tilly  Foster  ore  mines;  other  mines  are 
located  at  Mt.  Hope,  N.  J.,  and  at  Franklin,  N.  J., 
there  is  a  furnace  that  is  not  now  in  operation. 
By  far  the  most  extensive  plant  outside  of  Scran- 
ton are  the  Cole  Brook  furnaces  at  Lebanon,  for- 
merly owned  by  Robert  Coleman  and  recently 
purchased  by  the  company. 

The  resignation  of  Mr.  McKinney  as  general 
manager,  which  took  effect  January  i,  1896, 
marked  the  close  of  a  long,  able  and  honorable 
connection  with  the  company.  The  immediate 
cause  of  his  retirement  was  the  condition  of  his 
health,  which  was  far  from  good;  in  fact,  his 
doctors  had  long  urged  upon  him  the  necessity 
for  rela.xation  from  his  arduous  duties,  and  had 
urged  him  to  travel  or  at  least  to  rest.  A  serious 
illness  left  him  unable  to  undergo  the  strain 
caused  by  many  duties,  and  at  last  he  determined 
to  act  upon  the  advice  of  physicians,  though  re- 
gretting to  sever  the  connection  that  has  lasted 
through  so  many  years. 

In  llie  riots  of  1877  Mr.   McKinney  took  an 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


599 


active  part  in  defending  city  and  company  inter- 
ests. With  others,  among-  them  W.  W.  Scranton, 
he  was  on  his  way  to  the  mayor's  office,  intending 
to  offer  his  services  to  assist  in  the  protection  of 
the  city,  when  he  was  shot  in  the  knee.  After 
the  riots  were  over  he  assisted  in  establishing  the 
coal  and  iron  police,  a  state  organization,  and 
was  commissioned  captain  by  the  governor. 
Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  Peter  William- 
son Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Order  of  Elks,  and  in 
politics  is  a  Republican. 

In  this  city  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinney  to  Isabella  Lucas,  who  was  born  in 
Lowell,  Mass.  She  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral  and  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith  their 
three  children,  Florence,  William  and  Carl.  Mrs. 
McKinney  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Agnes 
(MacDonald)  Lucas.  Thomas  Lucas  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  in  Massachu- 
setts, later  removed  to  Portland,  Me.,  and  in 
1872  brought  his  family  to  Scranton,  where  he 
continued  merchandising  and  also  engaged  in 
coal  operations.  After  some  years  he  went  to  Ft. 
Wayne,  Ind.,  and  there  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
six.  His  wife,  who  died  in  Scranton,  was  the 
daughter  of  a  Scotchman  who  was  a  successful 
attorney  in  that  country. 


FINLEY  ROSS,  assistant  superintendent  of 
the  coal  department,  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company,  and  a  prominent  Repub- 
lican of  Scranton,  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scot- 
land, in  1839,  the  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Janet 
(Frazier)  Ross,  also  of  that  shire.  His  grand- 
father. Finley  Ross,  a  native  of  Ross^hire,  re- 
moved in  young  manhood  to  Ayrshire,  where 
he  was  employed  as  a  miner.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Robert  Frazier,  was  a  miner  of 
Ayrshire,  and  married  Miss  Margaret  Jeanfrey, 
of  the  same  place.  Nathaniel  Ross,  who  was  a 
miner,  became  foreman  with  the  Summerlee  Iron 
Company,  and  was  connected  with  their  coal 
department  for  many  years.  Three  of  his  chil- 
dren are  living:  Janet  Ross,  wife  of  Aaron  Her- 
bert, who  is  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Com- 
pany at  Providence;  Finley;  and  Nathan,  an  en- 
gineer at  The  Plains,  Luzerne   County. 


With  the  Summerlee  Iron  Company  of  Glas- 
gow, the  subject  of  this  sketch  worked  for  some 
years,  becoming  their  foreman  after  a  time;  he 
also  attended  the  mining  school  in  that  city.  In 
i860  he  came  to  Scranton  and  engaged  as  a 
machinist  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  becoming  inside  foreman  at  Leggett's 
Creek  sliaft.  Later  he  was  traveling  assistant 
superintendent,  then  foreman,  and  in  1893  was 
promoted  to  be  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
coal  department,  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  which  position  he  has  since  held.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  build  on  the  extreme  north 
end  of  Main  Avenue,  his  residence  being  No. 
2801  that  street. 

In  1867  Mr.  Ross  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Jones,  who  was  born  in  Jeanesville,  Pa.,  the 
second  of  eight  children,  her  sisters  and  brothers 
being  Mrs.  Mary  Joles,  of  Pittston;  Reese,  who 
was  accidentally  killed  in  the  mines  at  fourteen 
years;  David,  a  miner  at  Leggett's  Creek  shaft; 
Simon,  who  is  similarly  engaged;  Margaret,  who 
died  in  girlhood;  Daniel,  inside  mine  foreman; 
and  Reese  (2d),  member  of  the  Scranton  police 
force.  The  father  of  this  family,  Manasseh,  was 
born  in  Caermarthenshire,  Wales,  and  in  youth 
assisted  in  his  father's  copper  works  there,  but 
in  early  manhood  came  to  America,  settling  in 
Carbondale,  removing  thence  to  Pittston,  and 
afterward  going  to  Beaver  Meadows,  where  he 
married.  Returning  to  Pittston,  he  was  employed 
as  a  contractor  in  sinking  shafts  in  Luzerne  and 
Schuylkill  Counties,  and  made  that  city  his  home 
until  he  died  in  1865.  During  the  war  he  enlisted 
as  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  but 
the  close  of  the  conflict  rendered  his  services 
imnecessary.  His  wife,  Rachael,  a  native  of  Gla- 
morganshire, Wales,  was  the  daughter  of  Griffith 
Gwyne,  a  manufacturer  there.  After  the  death 
of  her  husband  she  reared  the  family  and  still 
lives  in  Pittston,  now  about  seventy  years  of  age. 
For  more  than  half  a  century  she  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  The  living  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  are  Finley  E.,  Agnes 
and  Rachael  Gwyne,  and  two  died  in  infancy. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Ross  is  identified  with  the 
Heptasophs  and  Hiram  Lodge  of  Masons.  For 
many   years   he  was  a  deacon  in   the   Christian 


CXX3 


[PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(Jluirch  of  Providence,  l)ut  is  now  connected 
with  tlie  Providence  Presbyterian  Church.  In- 
terested in  politics,  he  is  always  in  the  front  rank 
of  local  workers.  Though  his  responsible  posi- 
tion demands  thoughtful  attention,  yet  he  finds 
time  to  sec  that  the  affairs  of  his  ward  are  prop- 
erly conducted  and  the  people  well  represented. 
In  1884  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  first  ward 
in  the  common  council  for  four  years,  but  by  a 
legislative  enactment  governing  cities  of  this 
class  the  term  \vas  reduced  to  three  years.  In 
1 89 1  he  was  re-elected,  and  in  1895  was  chosen 
to  serve  four  years  more  in  the  same  position. 
He  has  also  done  effective  work  as  a  member  of 
tlic  countv  committee. 


JAMES  McKINNEY.  The  family  of  which 
this  gentleman  w'as  the  first  representative 
in  Scranton  has  borne  a  worthy  part  in 
American  history  for  several  generations.  The 
first  of  the  name  in  this  country  crossed  the  ocean 
from  Scotland  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  which 
then  presented  an  appearance  in  marked  con- 
trast with  its  present  cultivation  and  improve- 
ments. The  home  farm  was  situated  at  Elling- 
ton, about  fifteen  miles  from  Hartford,  but  the 
journey  was  not  performed  in  those  days  as 
rapidly  as  now,  through  the  medium  of  the  swift 
steam  cars.  Instead,  it  was  necessary  to  ride 
horseback,  picking  one's  way  through  the  thick 
woods  that  laid  on  every  hand.  In  clearing  the 
land  and  cultivating  the  soil,  the  family  bore  its 
part,  and  its  members  were  people  of  genuine 
worth  of  character. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Justus  McKinney, 
was  born  in  Ellington,  and  spent  his  entire  life 
engaged  in  farm  pursuits  there.  James,  also  a 
native  of  Ellington,  born  in  1809,  grew  to  man- 
hood on  the  home  farm,  gaining  a  thorough 
familiarity  with  farm  pursuits.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he.  started  out  for  himself  and  went  to 
Phillipsburg,  N.  J.,  and  in  1836  married  Mary 
Carling,  of  that  city.  After  a  time  in  Easton, 
Pa.,  he  went  to  Schuylkill  Haven,  and  four  years 
later  removed  to  Kutztown,  where  he  spent  one 
year.  In  1846  he  came  to  Scranton  and  engaged 
in  the  meat  business,  later  becoming  constable 


and  then  crier  of  the  courts,  and  was  holding  the 
latter  position  at  the  time  he  died  in  October, 
1872,  at  the  age  of  si.xty-three.  Fraternally  he 
was  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 

The  lady  who  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mr. 
McKinney  in  1836  and  who  remained  his  faithful 
helpmate  and  devoted  wife  from  that  time  until 
his  death  thirty-six  years  afterward,  was  born  in 
Stewartsville,  N.  J.,  the  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Maiy  (Tomer)  Carling,  natives  of  New  Jersey. 
Her  grandfather,  Baltzer  Tomer,  was  a  saddler 
near  Finesville.  Her  father  was  for  some  years 
proprietor  of  the  Phillipsburg  Hotel  and  on  re- 
tiring from  business  came  to  Scranton  in  185 1, 
remaining  here  until  his  death  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine.  Mrs.  McKinney  resides  at  No.  128 
Adams  Avenue.  Her  old  homestead  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Adams  and  Spruce  was  for  years  marked 
by  the  large  willow  tree,  a  landmark  here,  and 
not  cut  down  until  1896.  In  girlhood  she  re- 
ceived such  educational  advantages  as  could  be 
had  at  that  time,  which  were  by  no  means  of  the 
best,  for  the  schools  were  held  in  buildings  rudely 
constructed  and  inadequately  equipped,  and  were 
presided  over  by  teachers  whose  learning  ex- 
tended but  little  beyond  the  three  R's.  However, 
she  was  bright  and  intelligent,  and  made  the  most 
of  her  opportunities.  Having  always  kept  in 
touch  with  advances  in  literature  and  the  reahn 
of  thought,  she  is  well  informed  upon  current 
topics.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  daughters  and 
a  son :  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Gage,  of  Huntington,  Pa. ; 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Klock,  who  died  in  Scranton;  Carl 
W.,  and  Maggie,  Mrs.  Renshaw,  of  Newark,  N.  J. 


JESSE  H.  SNYDER,  a  resident  of  Elmhurst 
since  March,  1864,  is  of  English  descent 
and  remote  German  extraction.  His  grand- 
father, George  Snyder,  was  born  in  England  and 
emigrated  to  America,  where  he  became  a  farmer. 
From  the  records  of  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  he 
appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  considerable 
prominence,  as  his  name  is  found  on  many  docu- 
ments and  public  papers,  among  them  being  peti- 
tions to  the  governor  for  more  freedom  and  ex- 
tended religious  liberty,  also  a  petition  against  the 


,  ^•x>'^ 


■y 


■■>v. 


PETER  STIl'l". 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


603 


mobilization  of  lands  and  rents.  His  name  also 
appears  in  old  histories  of  York  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  Snyder,  was 
bom  in  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  and  spent  his  entire  life 
there,  dying  when  seventy-two  years  of  age.  He 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Shultz,  a  pioneer 
of  York  State,  and  she  died  at  seventy-eight  years 
of  age.  Their  eight  children  were  named  as  fol- 
lows: Benaiah,  who  resides  in  Kingston;  Emma 
and  Eugene,  deceased;  Catharine,  who  has  spent 
her  life  in  her  native  town  of  Rhinebeck ;  Robert, 
also  a  resident  of  Rhinebeck;  Rutsen,  of  New 
Jersey;  John  B.,  deceased,  and  Jesse  H.  The 
last-named  was  born  in  Rhinebeck  January  26, 
1839,  and  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  the  fall  of  1862.  Tlie  best  edu- 
cational advantages  of  the  localitv  were  given  to 
him,  and  his  education  was  an  excellent  one  for 
that  day. 

From  the  home  farm  Mr.  Snyder  went  to 
Ellenville,  Ulster  County,  and  worked  in  the  tan- 
nery of  Shultz  Sons  until  the  spring  of  1864. 
He  then  came  to  Elmhurst  and  continued  in  the 
same  business  for  years.  His  clerical  ability  was 
utilized  in  keeping  the  books.  Keen  and  clear 
in  insight,  he  has  always  been  regarded  as  a 
capable  office  man  and  his  management  of  the 
tannery  was  very  satisfactory.  In  the  summer 
of  1896  he  retired  from  the  business  in  which  he 
had  so  long  engaged.  His  first  presidential  vote 
was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  he  has  since 
adhered  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 
being  in  favor  of  protective  tarifT.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school, in  which  he  is  deeply  interested. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Snyder  was  Adeline  Bird 
of  New  York,  who  died  in  the  spring  of  1867. 
The  only  child  of  this  union  died  in  infancy.  The 
present  wife  of  our  subject  was  Sarah  E.  Wal- 
lace, a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  five  children,  to  whom  they  have  given 
every  advantage,  training  them  for  useful  posi- 
tions in  the  world.  Lillian,  who  graduated  from 
Scranton  Business  College,  is  the  wife  of  A.  B. 
Clay,  of  Elmhurst.  and  they  have  two  children, 
Grace  and  I'"aimon.  Addie  B.  graduated  from 
the  state  normal  school  and  at  tlie  age  of  seven- 


teen began  teaching,  which  profession  she  fol- 
lowed for  three  years  very  successfully.  She 
is  now  the  wife  of  A.  E.  Cobb,  of  Jefiferson  Town- 
ship. Wallace  is  a  student  in  the  normal  school, 
where  he  is  fitting  himself  for  the  teacher's  pro- 
fession. Robert  F.  is  attending  a  business  col- 
lege in  Scranton.  Mary  E.,  the  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  is  with  her  parents. 


PETER  STIPP,  a  contractor  and  builder, 
who  has  resided  in  Scranton  since  1884, 
was  born  in  Rheinpfalz,  Bavaria,  Germany, 
September  30,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Ludvig  and 
]\Iary  A.  (Deitrich)  Stipp,  natives  of  the  same 
place  as  himself.  His  father,  who  served  in  the 
German  army,  was  a  builder  by  trade  and  spent 
his  entire  life  in  his  native  province,  but  after 
his  death  his  widow  came  to  America  and  died 
November  27,  1896,  in  Scranton.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Peter  Stipp,  was  born  in  1801, 
served  in  the  German  army  for  twelve  years,  and 
after  returning  from  the  army  lived  retired  until 
his  death,  when  more  than  sixt>'  years  of  age. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  five  sons,  of 
whom  four  are  in  America,  all  being  in  Scran- 
ton. Peter,  who  is  the  eldest  of  the  number, 
was  educated  in  the  German  schools  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of 
a  mason  and  bricklayer  under  his  father.  Upon 
completing  his  apprenticeship  he  worked  at  the 
trade  until  1879,  when  he  was  mustered  into  the 
German  army  and  served  for  three  years  as  a 
non-commissioned  officer.  In  January,  1883,  he 
came  to  the  L^nited  States,  and  for  a  short  time 
worked  in  the  mines  at  Oxford  Furnace,  N.  J., 
after  which,  in  1884,  he  came  to  Scranton  and 
was  employed  by  others  for  a  year.  He  and  his 
brother  Matthias  then  began  together  as  con- 
tractors, continuing  for  three  years,  but  in  1888 
the  partnership  was  dissolved.  Our  subject  con- 
tinued in  the  stone  quarry  business,  opening  a 
quarry  near  Nay-Aug  Falls,  which  he  has  since 
carried  on  and  which  furnishes  him  a  valuable 
quality  of  blue  stone.  Tlie  quarry  is  provided 
with  steam  power,  drills  and  derricks,  and  is  one 
of  the   best   in   the   locality. 

As  a  contractor  Mr.  Stipp  has  done  sonic  of 


6oi] 


PORTRAIT   AND    P.IOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


the  most  important  work  in  Scranton,  having 
erected  many  of  the  most  substantial  structures 
of  the  city,  among  thcni  the  Schimpff,  Wagner, 
Williams  and  O'lTara  buildings,  and  school  No. 
i6,  in  Chestnut  Street.  Two  hundred  men  are 
employed,  and  at  times  the  press  of  work  obliges 
him  to  hire  a  much  larger  number  than  that.  In 
Scranton  he  married  Miss  Lena  C.  Wehrung, 
daughter  of  George  and  Catharine  Wehrung, 
and  they  and  their  sons,  Harry  and  Peter,  Jr., 
have  a  comfortable  home  on  the  corner  of  Harri- 
son Avenue  and  Olive  Street.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Stipp  is  a  member  of  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Liederkranz  and  Kreigerbunde.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  ward  committees  and  in  other  local  posi- 
tions. 


WILLIAM  THOMAS.  Should  a  new- 
comer in  Spring  Brook  Township  wish 
to  learn  the  history  of  the  early  days 
of  this  section,  he  would  doubtless  call  upon  Mr. 
Thomas,  who,  having  resided  here  since  1849, 
may  justly  be  termed  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
town.  He  belongs  to  that  class  of  early  settlers 
to  whom  so  large  a  debt  of  gratitude  is  due  from 
the  rising  generation,  owing,  as  it  does,  all  its  ad- 
vantages for  a  higher  degree  of  culture  and  the 
refinements  of  life  to  the  noble  hearts  who  en- 
dured privations  and  cleared  the  dense  forests. 
About  a  half  century  has  passed  since  he  sought 
a  home  here.  He  was  then  a  young  man,  rugged 
and  robust,  and  now  he  is  old,  but  still  athletic 
and  strong,  equaling  many  younger  men  in  the 
amount  of  work  he  is  able  to  accomplish.  Many 
changes  have  been  wrought  since  those  times 
when  there  was  not 

"In  all  tiie  land  from  zone  to  .-^one, 
A  telegraph  or  telephone." 

The  parents  of  our  subject.  Rev.  Tiiomas  and 
Harbara  Thomas,  were  natives  of  Wales,  where 
much  of  their  lives  was  passed.  When  the  fath- 
er was  sixty  years  of  age,  in  1852,  he  brought  his 
wife  to  America  and  settled  in  this  community, 
liaving  been  preceded  here  by  his  son,  who  came 


in  1849.  He  soon  gained  prominence  as  a  local 
preacher,  helpful  friend  and  capable  farmer.  His 
advice  was  frequently  sought  by  those  in  the 
neighborhood  and  his  opinion  was  deferred  to  in 
important  matters.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight,  and  his  wife  was  about  the  same 
age  when  she  passed  away.  Their  only  child, 
Williaiu,  was  born  in  Wales,  February  12,  1822, 
and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  took  passage 
on  the  sailing  vessel,  "William  Penn,"  which 
landed  in  Philadelphia  after  a  voyage  of  five 
weeks.  His  first  work  in  this  country  was  min- 
ing coal,  iron  and  mineral,  in  which  he  became 
an  expert.  He  also  assisted  his  father  in  clear- 
ing and  placing  under  cultivation  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides,  and  which  has  been  his  home 
since  September,  1849. 

By  his  marriage  to  Mary  Evans,  Mr.  Thomas 
had  eleven  children,  one  of  whom  died  unnamed 
in  infancy.  The  others  are  named  as  follows: 
John  T.,  deceased;  Margaret,  whose  home  is  in 
Hyde  Park;  Thomas,  who  died  December  12, 
1896;  Mary  Ann,  Aaron,  Martha,  Richard, 
David;  Martha,  deceased,  and  Jane.  In  his  po- 
litical views  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  Republican.  In 
1864  he  enlisted  in  the  L'nion  army  as  a  member 
of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  remained  in  service 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  is  now  identified 
with  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Moscow.  From 
his  earliest  residence  here  he  has  identified  him- 
self with  every  interest  of  the  township,  political, 
social  and  agricultural,  and  is  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  her  law-abiding  and  public-spirited  citi- 
zens. 


GEORGE  W.  JENKINS,  druggist,  at  No. 
loi  South  Main  Avenue,  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Prompton,  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
April  10,  1852.  The  family  is  of  Welsh  extrac- 
tion and  in  this  country'  was  first  represented  in 
Connecticut,  the  birthplace  of  his  great-grand- 
father, Edward  Jenkins.  That  gentleman,  who 
was  born  December  17,  1744,  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  in  1813.  By  his  mar- 
riage to  Jerusha  Neal,  he  had  sixteen  children, 
of  whom,  Asa,  our  subject's  grandfather  and  the 
tenth  in  order  of  birth,  was  born  in  Connecticut 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


60: 


May  25,  1777,  married  Ann  Fisk,  and  became 
the  father  of  thirteen  children.  An  early  settler 
of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  he  engaged  in  farming 
there,  but  later  located  in  Prompton,  Pa.,  when 
the  surrounding  country  was  a  wilderness,  and 
there  contributed  to  the  development  of  the  land 
until  his  death. 

William,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  sixth 
among  thirteen  children,  and  was  born  near 
Rome,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  With  his  parents 
he  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Wayne 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  the 
lumber  business.  In  1845  he  made  the  first  as- 
sessment of  the  borough  of  Prompton.  Form- 
ing a  partnership  with  a  brother,  he  engaged  in 
railroad  building  and  contracting.  He  built  two 
sawmills  on  the  Lackawaxen  and  rafted  logs 
down  to  Prompton  from  lumber  camps,  after- 
ward shipping  the  lumber  by  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad.  In  1865  he  came  to  Scranton 
and  settled  in  Hyde  Park,  where  he  died  at 
seventy-nine  years.  Until  he  removed  from 
Prompton,  he  held  the  position  of  justice  of  the 
peace.  His  wife,  who  died  in  Scranton,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Sherman  and  was  born 
at  Pleasant  Mount,  Wayne  County,  of  which 
place  her  paternal  grandfather  was  a  pioneer 
settler  from  Connecticut. 

Of  the  four  children  of  William  and  Mary 
Jenkins,  one  son  and  three  daughters  are  living. 
George  W.,  who  is  the  eldest  of  the  family,  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Hyde  Park  in  boy- 
hood. At  that  time  most  of  the  business  build- 
ings in  Flyde  Park  were  small  and  of  frame,  and 
later,  when  he  began  in  business,  his  store  and 
another  in  South  Main  Avenue  were  the  only 
brick  buildings  here,  while  on  both  sides  spread 
unoccupied  commons.  He  has  seen  the  frame 
buildings  replaced  by  brick  structures,  the  waste 
land  built  up,  and  a  great  transformation  wrought 
here  and  in  Scranton  proper.  In  1870  he  entered 
the  pharmacy  of  Albert  Crees  and  continued  with 
him  and  others  at  the  same  location  until  1881, 
when  he  started  in  the  drug  business  at  this  cor- 
ner and  has  continued  here  since.  This  is  the 
oldest  drug  store  in  Hyde  Park,  and  its  pro- 
prietor is  known  as  an  efficient  business  rnan 
and  skilled  pharmacist. 


In  Schwenkville,  Montgomery  County,  Pa., 
occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Jenkins  and  Miss 
Jennie,  daughter  of  L.  H.  Swank,  a  merchant  of 
that  place.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Bertha  L.,  wife  of  D.  J.  Davis,  assistant 
city  solicitor  of  Scranton;  Harry  S.,  an  assistant 
in  the  pharmacy,  and  Jennie  M.  Mr.  Jenkins  is 
a  member  of  the  West  Side  board  of  trade,  the 
New  England  Society,  the  Washburn  Street 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  fraternally  is  associated 
with  Hyde  Park  Lodge,  F.  «&:  A.  M.,  Lackawanna 
Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Coeur  de  Lion  Command- 
ery  No.  17,  K.  T.  In  his  political  views  he  be- 
lieves in  Republican  principles  and  upholds  them 
upon  all  occasions.  Personally  he  is  a  man  of 
genial  temperament,  fine  physique  and  indomit- 
able energy,  and  is  justly  numbered  among  the 
popular  business  men  of  Hyde  Park. 


FREDERICK  WARNKE,  proprietor  of  the 
Mechanics  Hotel  at  No.  115  North  Main 
Avenue,  Scranton,  and  assistant  chief  of 
the  fire  department,  was  born  in  this  city,  on  the 
west  side,  September  12,  1866.  He  is  the  son  of 
Frederick  Warnke,  a  native  of  Oldenburg,  Ger- 
many, and  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  who  in  early 
manhood  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Scranton  some  time  during  the  '50s. 
For  a  few  years  he  was  employed  as  blacksmith 
with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany, but  afterward  resigned  in  order  to  start  in 
business  for  himself.  He  bought  property  in 
North  Main  Avenue,  where  his  family  now  live, 
but  was  unfortunate  in  losing  the  building  by 
fire.  However,  he  at  once  rebuilt,  and  in  partner- 
ship with  Jacob  Hower,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Warnke  &  Hower,  carried  on  a  profitable  groc- 
ery business  until  he  retired.  His  death  occurred 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  During  his 
entire  residence  in  Scranton  he  was  an  active 
factor  in  the  German  societies  and  also  in  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

After  coming  to  Scranton  Frederick  Warnke 
married  Miss  Mary  Hower,  who  was  born  in 
Leistadt,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  with 
her  mother  and  other  members  of  the  family, 
settling  in  this  city,  where  she  has  since  resided. 


6o6 


rcjRTKAlT   AND   lilUGl'LVrHlCAL   RECORD. 


Slie  is  the  iii')thcr  of  six  children,  of  whom  four 
are  hving:  Jacob  W.,  of  the  firm  of  Heiser  & 
Warnke,  on  the  west  side;  Frederick;  Charles, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  meat  business  on  the  south 
side,  and  George,  a  clerk  on  the  west  side.  In 
boyhood  our  subject  attended  the  grammar 
school.s,  and  for  one  year  was  a  student  in  the 
Hyde  Park  high  school.  When  about  fifteen  he 
began  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade  under  John 
Nelson,  inspector  of  buildings,  and  followed  that 
occupation  about  '  twelve  years.  In  1893  he 
opened  the  Mechanics  Hotel,  which  he  has  since 
conducted.  He  is  the  father  of  three  sons,  Fred, 
\\  illard  and  Charles,  by  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Gertrude  Van   Camp,  of  this  city. 

Politically  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Warnke  has  served 
on  both  city  and  county  committees  and  as  chair- 
man of  the  first  legislative  committee.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Turn  Verein,  Veteran  Fire- 
men's Association  and  German  Benevolent  As- 
sociation. During  the  last  year  of  D.  W.  Con- 
nolly's service  as  postmaster,  he  was  employed  in 
the  postoffice.  He  is'  a  member  of  Franklin  En- 
gine Company  No.  i,  and  in  April,  1896,  was 
appointed  by  Mayor  Bailey  assistant  chief  of  the 
fire  department. 


CHARLES  T.  RAFFELT,  foreman  of  the 
boiler  department  of  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Steel  Company,  is  thoroughly 
master  of  everything  pertaining  to  the  business. 
He  has  been  steadily  employed  at  this  trade,  as 
man  and  boy,  for  about  forty-six  years,  and  was 
the  first  boiler-maker  in  .Scranton,  where  he  has 
been  one  (if  the  respected  inhabitants  for  many 
decades.  By  all  who  know  him  he  is  greatly  liked, 
and  his  stories  of  the  days  of  Scranton's  infancy 
are  very  entertaining.  He  was  born  in  Schleswig, 
Germany,  in  1835.  His  father,  Charles,  was  a 
mason  by  trade,  and  followed  this  vocation  after 
he  came  to  America.  Jn  1842  he  crossed  the 
ocean  with  his  family,  leaving  llandmrg  in  the 
sailer,  "Fire  Island,"  and  settled  in  Reading, 
Pa.  His  death  occurred  there  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years.  Grandfather  John  Rafifelt  was 
a  farmer,  and  was  in  liie  army  of  Napoleon. 
Charles  Raffelt  chose  for  his  wife  Jennie,  daugh- 


ter of  Michael  Arlt,  who  was  a  gardener  and 
hunter.  Mrs.  Rafi'elt  departed  this  life  in  Read- 
ing, at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  and  was 
survived  by  her  three  children. 

Until  he  was  twelve  years  old  C.  T.  Rafl'i'lt 
attended  the  public  schools,  but  it  then  becoming 
necessary  for  him  to  make  his  own  livelihood, 
he  worked  as  a  stocking-weaver  about  two  years, 
and  then  was  an  apprentice  with  a  shoemaker  a 
like  period.  These  occupations  were  not  to  his 
taste,  however,  and  therefore  he  determined  to 
try  his  hand  at  boiler-making.  Entering  the 
shops  of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  at 
Reading,  he  remained  about  four  years,  after 
which  he  went  to  Harrisburg  and  was  employed 
in  Dunnings'  shop  for  a  short  time.  He  was  next 
in  Pottsville,  and  from  there  was  sent  to  overhaul 
the  switch-back  engine,  at  Nesquehoning.  When 
the  Dickson  works  were  started  here,  he  put 
in  their  first  stationary  boiler,  and  worked  for 
that  concern  a  year  and  a  half.  Subsequently, 
he  became  an  employe  of  the  railroad,  and  until 
1866  was  in  the  boiler  shop  under  James  Hughes. 
The  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company  now 
secured  his  services,  and  for  some  time  he  was 
in  the  old  boiler  shops,  or  until  the  fine  new  ones 
were  built  on  South  Washington  Avenue.  They 
are  as  well  equipped  as  any  to  be  found  in  the 
state,  and  are  300x65  feet  in  dimensions.  He  has 
been  foreman  in  the  several  shops  ever  since  he 
came  to  Scranton: 

In  this  city  Mr.  Raffelt  and  Anna  E.  Homeis- 
ter,  a  native  of  Kur-Hessen,  Germany,  were  mar- 
ried in  1858.  They  have  had  ten  children:  Jennie, 
George,  Charles,  Anna  and  Louise,  who  are  de- 
ceased; Mrs.  Matilda  Wachtel  and  Mrs.  Carrie 
Stipp,  of  .Scranton;  Lizzie,  Edward  and  Harry, 
who  are  at  home.  The  family  residence  is  at 
the  corner  of  Mulberry  Street  and  Taylor  Ave- 
nue. 

When  he  left  his  Fatherland,  a  lad  of  seven 
years,  Mr.  Raffelt  had  little  idea  of  what  was  in 
store  for  him.  in  conuuon  with  the  other  mem- 
bers of  th-C  family.  The  slow-sailing  vessel  was 
not  sufficiently  well-stocked  with  provisions  and 
water,  and  ere  the  welcome  shores  of  the  western 
continent  came  into  view,  thirteen  weeks  after 
leaving  Germany,  they  had  nearly  starved  for  the 


(U)I)I'"RKV  VON  STORCII. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


609 


want  of  food.  A  strange  contrast,  truly,  between 
ocean-travel  then  and  today.  In  1856  Mr.  Raffelt 
joined  Capouse  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Hyde  Park, 
and  later  he  became  identified  with  Residenz 
Lodge,  of  which  he  is  past  noble  grand.  During 
the  riots  of  1877  here,  he  was  one  of  the  fifty 
picked  men  who  were  constituted  guards,  for 
the  protection  of  property  and  lives.  At  present, 
he  is  chief  of  the  special  fire  department  of  the 
Lackawanna  iron  and  steel  works.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  religiously  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Hickory  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 


GODFREY  VON  STORCH.  Lord  Bacon 
has  somewhere  written  that  "a  good  man 
is  like  the  sun,  passing  through  all  cor- 
ruption and  still  remaining  pure."  In  no  case 
can  this  be  applied  with  greater  justice  than  to 
the  career  of  Godfrey  von  Storch.  His  entire  life 
was  passed  in  Scranton,  and  those  of  his  asso- 
ciates who  still  survive  unite  in  bearing  testimony 
to  the  noble  character  that  "through  all  the  tract 
of  years  he  wore  the  white  flower  of  a  blameless 
life'" 

At  the  old  family  homestead  in  Providence, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  1821,  being 
a  son  of  Henry  L.  C.  von  Storch,  whose  personal 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  At 
an  early  age  he  ran  on  the  Lehigh  Canal  sev- 
eral seasons,  then  engaged  in  farming,  and  after- 
ward carried  on  a  saw-mill  business.  He  was 
superintendent  in  the  sinking  of  the  von  Storch 
shaft,  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  Delaware 
&  LIudson  Company.  Afterward  he  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  sinking  of  the  Leggett's  Creek 
shaft,  putting  in  the  brick  and  stone  work.  About 
1866  he  resigned  his  position  with  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson,  and  from  that  time  looked  after  his 
various  interests.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he 
served  for  several  terms  as  burgess  of  the  borough 
of  Providence,  and  for  three  years  was  a  member 
of  the  select  council  from  the  second  ward.  His 
death  occurred  at  his  home.  No.  1648  North  Main 
Avenue,  December  3,  1887,  at  the  age  of  sixty-si.x 
years,  four  months  and  nine  days. 

In  1859  Mr.  von  Storch  married  Miss  Mary 
Rogers,  who  was  born  near  Tunkhannock,  Wyo- 


ming County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  eldest  of  eleven 
children,  all  of  whom  attained  maturity.  They 
were  named  as  follows:  Mary;  John,  of  Cedars- 
ville,  Kan.;  Mrs.  Hannah  Tripp;  Almira,  who 
died  in  Wyoming  County;  Lewis,  residing  in 
Wyoming  County;  Jane,  Mrs.  Leander  von 
Storch,  of  Scott  Township,  this  county;  George, 
who  lives  in  Wyoming  County;  Joel,  who  is  with 
Mrs.  Mary  von  Storch;  Belle,  Mrs.  Robert  von 
Storch,  of  Scranton;  Francis  M.,  of  this  county; 
and  Mrs.  Lydia  B.  Hallock,  of  Wyoming  County. 

Nelson  Rogers,  the  father  of  Mrs.  von  Storch, 
was  born  in  Maine  on  Christmas  Day  of  1805, 
and  at  an  early  age  accompanied  his  father  to 
Wayne  County,  Pa.,  settling  in  the  woods  near 
Damascus.  In  young  manhood  he  went  to  Wyo- 
ming County,  where  at  first  he  followed  the  mill- 
er's trade,  but  afterward  bought  a  farm  near 
Eatonville,  where  he  remained  until  his  death. 
February  6,  1875.  His  wife,  whom  he  married 
March  20,  1828,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane 
Durland,  and  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Octo- 
ber 6,  181I.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Shubald  Dur- 
land, a  farmer  of  Susquehanna  County,  who  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Manning,  from  Orange  County, 
N.  Y.     Mrs.   Rogers  died  June  2,   1884. 

In  1846  Mrs.  von  Storch  came  to  Scranton 
and  mafle  her  home  with  Mr.  Benjamin  Tripp, 
until  her  marriage  in  1859.  She  is  the  mother  of 
two  children,  Charles  H.  and  Belle.  The  for- 
mer attended  the  public  schools  of  Scranton  and 
Professor  Merrill's  Academic  School,  graduated 
from  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1887  with  the  degree  of  LL.B., 
and  has  since  practiced  law  in  Scranton.  From 
1892  until  1896  he  served  on  the  board  of  school 
control  from  the  second  ward,  and  was  its  presi- 
dent for  one  year.  On  the  home  place  in  Provi- 
dence is  the  family  burying  ground,  where  the 
remains  of  many  members  of  the  family  rest.  It 
is  a  pleasant  place  and  neatly  kept,  Mr.  von 
Storch  having  had  charge  of  it  for  more  than 
thirty  years. 

The  character  of  Mr.  von  Storch  presented  a 
happy  combination  of  great  refinement  of  mind 
and  the  practical  adaptation  of  the  qualities  which 
enabled  him  to  carry  on  his  life  pursuits  with 
honor  and  success.    Modest  and  retiring  in  dis- 


6io 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


position,  yet  progressive  and  public-spirited,  lie 
was  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  Scranton.  Men- 
tally and  morally  he  was  a  model  man.  He  was 
never  too  busy  to  listen  to  a  tale  of  distress,  and 
no  worthy  person  was  ever  turned  from  him  with- 
out substantial  aid.  He  will  be  remembered  in 
this  city  long  after  those  who  knew  him  the  most 
intimately  shall  have  passed  away. 


JOHN  McWILLIAM,  who  is  one  of  the  old 
and  efficient  employes  of  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Steel  Company  at  Scranton  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  August  8, 
1855,  was  born  in  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  November 
5,  1823.  He  is  a  representative  of  an  old  and 
prominent  Scotch  family  whose  members  formed 
a  well  known  Highland  clan.  His  father,  Robert, 
was  a  son  of  James  McWilliam,  a  carpenter  and 
builder  in  Aberdeenshire.  The  former  was  born 
in  Banf^hire,  and  in  youth  learned  his  father's 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  Aberdeen  throughout 
his  entire  active  life.  He  died  in  that  place  at 
eighty-six  years.  Like  many  of  the  best  Scotch- 
men, he  was  a  strict  adherent  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  aimed  in  his  life  to  carry  out  its 
teachings.  Pie  married  Elizabeth  Willox,  wlio 
was  born  in  Aberdeen  and  died  there  at  eighty- 
five  years;  her  father,  a  captain,  was  lost  at  sea, 
and  many  of  her  male  relatives  also  lost  their 
lives  while  on  the  high  seas  as  sailors. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter  who 
attained  mature  years,  and  of  these  he  and  a 
sister  are  the  only  survivors.  His  brother.  Rev. 
James  McWilliam,  was  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man at  Oxford  Furnace,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  Sus- 
sex County  while  holding  the  position  of  prin- 
cipal of  the  Towanda  (Pa.)  Seminary.  John, 
who  was  next  to  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was 
reared  in  Aberdeen  and  prepared  for  college 
there.  However,  instead  of  continuing  his  class- 
ical education,  he  determined  to  become  a  busi- 
ness man  and  accordingly  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
began  an  apprenticeship  of  five  years  to  the 
wholesale  grocery  business.  On  the  conclusion 
of  the  time  he  engaged  in  business  in  Edinhtu-L;li 
and  Glasgow. 


July  4,  1855,  Mr.  McWilliam  set  sail  from 
Liverpool  on  the  ship,  "Frances  A.  Palmer,'"  and 
landed  in  New  York  City  after  a  voyage  of  six 
weeks  and  three  days.  He  at  once  joined  his 
brother  in  Towanda,  Pa.,  but  after  a  few  weeks 
started  for  Philadelphia  via  Scranton,  stopping 
off  at  this  place.  Reaching  here  on  Sunday,  he 
interviewed  J.  J.  Albright  and  Selden  T.  Scranton, 
and  was  asked  by  them  to  remain  over  until  Mon- 
day. He  did  so  and  was  engaged  by  them  to 
ship  rails  at  the  old  rolling  mill,  under  Piatt. 
After  a  year  in  that  capacity  he  was  made  time- 
keeper, and  in  1875  when  tlie  north  mill  was  built, 
he  was  made  its  first  timekeeper,  a  position  he 
has  since  filled  with  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  his 
employers. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  McWilliam  is  at  No.  61 1 
Lackawanna  Avenue.  Prior  to  coming  to  the 
United  States,  he  was  married  in  Aberdeen  to 
Miss  Elsie  Wright,  a  native  of  Morayshire,  and 
daughter  of  James  Wright,  a  shoe  merchant 
there.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children 
living:  James,  who  is  employed  as  clerk  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company;  Alexander, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  gents'  furnishing  business 
in  this  city;  and  Mrs.  Lizzie  Hyfield,  of  Scran- 
ton. In  1866  Mr.  McWilliam  aided  in  organiz- 
ing the  Caledonian  Society,  of  which  he  was  the 
second  chief,  succeeding  Thomas  Dickson.  Po- 
litically he  always  votes  the  straight  Republican 
ticket,  believing  the  principles  of  this  party  best 
adapted  to  promote  our  country's  welfare.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  and 
a  regular  contributor  to  its  good  works. 


FRANCIS  E.  LOOMIS,  attorney-at-law,  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Harford,  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pa.,  February  7,  1834,  and 
is  of  remote  English  descent.  The  founder 
of  the  family  in  America  was  Joseph  Loomis, 
a  woolen  draper  in  P)raintrim,  England,  who,  in 
1638,  settled  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  and  embarked 
in  tile  mercantile  business.  In  England  the  name 
was  usually  spelled  Lomis  or  Lomas,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  family  were  prominent  in  parliament 
and  business  circles  there.  Nor  have  their  de- 
scendants  in   America   been   less   patriotic   and 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


6ii 


prominent;  it  is  estimated  that  over  four  Inmdrcd 
of  the  different  branches  took  part  in  the  Civil 
War,  upholding  the  government  and  the  old  flag, 
and  serving  some  as  privates,  some  as  officers. 

The  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  Eldad  Loomis,  born  in  Coventry,  Conn., 
and  a  participant  in  the  War  of  1812.  About 
1822  he  removed  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
in  the  wilds  of  Harford  Township,  Susquehanna 
County,  where  he  cleared  a  farm  from  the  pri- 
meval wilderness  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  A  man  of  resolute  will  and  fixedness  of 
purpose,  he  was  fitted  for  the  pioneer  task  of 
evolving  a  farm  from  the  wilds  around  him. 
Our  subject's  father,  Dr.  E.  N.  Loomis,  was  born 
in  Coventry,  Conn.,  in  1809,  and  in  youth  began 
the  study  of  medicine  under  a  preceptor,  later 
was  examined  by  the  Syracuse  University,  from 
which  he  received  his  diploma  and  the  degree 
of  M.  D.  Locating  in  Harford,  he  carried 
on  an  extensive  practice  throughout  the 
surrounding  country,  and  among  the  people 
there  few  were  better  known  than  he.  It  was  a 
frequent  sight  to  see  him  pass  on  horseback 
with  his  saddlebags,  in  response  to  a  frightened 
and  hurried  summons  from  some  one  suddenly 
taken  ill.  His  was  a  busy,  useful  life,  devoted 
to  professional  duties,  which  engrossed  his  atten- 
tion to  such  an  extent  that  he  had  little  oppor- 
tunity for  entering  public  life,  had  such  been  his 
inclination.  He  died  in  Harford  on  the  sixty- 
fifth  anniversary  of  his  birth. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Rowena, 
daughter  of  Maj.  Laban  Capron,  who  was  born 
in  Attleboro,  Mass.,  came  to  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty about  1816,  and  settled  upon  a  farm  near  Plar- 
ford.  His  title  was  gained  through  service  in 
the  Pennsylvania  militia.  He  was  the  first  county 
commissioner  of  Susquehanna  County  and  also 
held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  The  fam- 
ily of  which  he  was  a  member  originated  in  Eng- 
land and  was  represented  among  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Rowena  Loomis 
was  born  in  Susquehanna  County  and  died  there 
at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  Her  family  con- 
sisted of  four  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  is  our 
subject.  Alonzo,  who  now  resides  on  the  old 
Loomis  homestead,  responded  to  the  first  call 


for  soldiers  in  1861  and  served  for  three  months; 
Roscoe  S.,  who  was  appointed  a  naval  cadet,  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
first  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  mortally 
wounded  at  Chanccllorsville,  dying  in  the  hospi- 
tal there  May  24,  1863;  Gordon  died  in  Sus- 
quehanna  County  in    1866. 

Francis  E.  Loomis  was  reared  upon  one  of  his 
father's  two  farms  in  Susquehanna  County  and 
attended  the  public  school  and  Harford  Univer- 
sity, after  which  he  taught  school  in  Lathrop 
Township,  that  county.  In  October,  1854,  he 
went  west  and  taught  three  terms  in  Dallas  City, 
Hancock  County,  111.,  after  which  he  traveled 
in  both  the  north  and  south.  During  this  time, 
and  later,  many  serial  stories  and  sketches  from 
his  pen  appeared  in  the  papers  of  Pennsylvania, 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  In  1857  he  began  the 
study  of  law  under  William  and  William  H.  Jes- 
sup,  of  Montrose,  Pa.,  and  while  carrying  on 
his  studies  also  held  a  position  as  one  of  the 
editors  of  the  "Montrose  Republican."  Going 
back  to  Illinois  in  i860,  he  was  connected  with 
a  newspaper  of  Dallas  City  for  nine  months,  after 
which  he  located  in  Rockford,  111.,  as  a  partner 
of  James  LeRoy,  and  was  a  contributor  to  the 
"Rockford  Republican"  and  "Janesville  Gazette," 
of  janesville,  Wis.  One  of  his  most  interesting 
early  experiences  was  in  his  capacity  as  reporter 
at  the  Chicago  convention  of  i860  that  nom- 
inated Abraham   Lincoln   for  president. 

With  the  practical  knowledge  acquired  through 
travel  and  intercourse  with  the  prominent  men 
of  the  day,  Mr.  Loomis  returned  to  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  in  the  fall  of  1862  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  having  passed  an  e.xamination  at  Montrose. 
September  8,  1863,  he  opened  an  office  in  Scran- 
ton,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  a  general 
law  practice.  For  a  time  he  was  'n  partnership 
with  Judge  B.  S.  Bentley  until  the  removal  of 
the  latter  to  Williamsport,  after  which  he  was 
connected  with  Hon.  S.  B.  Chase,  and  still  later 
with  Daniel  Hannah.  His  career  as  a  lawyer 
was  successful.  However,  failing  health  and  the 
multiplicity  of  other  interests  have  induced  him 
to  retire  to  a  large  extent  from  the  practice. 
Much  of  his  time  is  given  to  selling  timber  lands 
and  to  the  development  of  his  real  estate  interests, 


6l2 


PORTRAIT. AND   BI(3GRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


whicli  are  large  and  valuable.  At  one  time  he 
was  treasurer  and  a  director  of  the  Scranton  & 
North  Carolina  Land  &  Lumber  Company,  and 
is  still  one  of  its  stockholders.  For  many  years 
he  made  his  home  in  Mifflin  Avenue,  where  he 
still  owns  property,  but  he  now  resides  on  the 
hill. 

In  Lathrop,  Pa.,  Mr.  Loomis  married  Miss 
Fannie  M.  Lord,  the  daughter  of  John  Lord, 
Sr.  She  died  in  Scranton  in  1872.  Five  chil- 
dren were  born  of  this  union:  Arthur  B.,  pas- 
senger engineer  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  road,  with  headquarters  at  Bingham- 
ton;  Hattie  ]\I.,  Mrs.  Edward  D.  Lathrop,  of  Car- 
bondale;  Edgar  E.,  a  resident  of  Kendallville, 
Ind.,  engaged  in  the  hardware  business;  Wil- 
liam G.,  of  Binghamton;  and  Charles  E.,  who 
is  connected  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad  at  the  same  place.  The  pres- 
ent wife  of  Mr.  Loomis  was  Rebecca  Van  Fleet, 
daughter  of  Alvan  Van  Fleet,  a  farmer  and  mer- 
chant of  Benton  Township,  this  county,  where 
she  was  born.  A  daughter,  Minnie  Estelle, 
blesses  this  union. 

From  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
Mr.  Loomis  was  a  stalwart  champion  of  its  prin- 
ciples. His  first  vote  was  cast  for  J.  C.  Fremont 
in  1856.  Frequently  he  has  served  his  party  as 
delegate  to  county  and  city  conventions,  and  has 
been  a  judicious  worker,  doing  effective  service 
during  campaigns.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
Central  Grant  Club  in  the  campaign  of  1868. 
When  Benjamin  Jay,  by  reason  of  extreme  age, 
became  incapacitated  for  the  ofifice  of  alderman, 
Mr.  Loomis  served  his  term  from  the  eighth  ward. 
In  1882,  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Repub- 
lican convention,  he  was  nominated  for  represen- 
tative to  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  but, 
owing  to  the  work  against  him  by  the  Liquor 
League,  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  demittcd  Mason.  He  is  a  deacon 
in  All  Soul's  UnivcrsalLst  Church  and  one  of  its 
active  workers. 

In  the  course  of  his  active  career,  Mr.  Loomis 
has  been  successful  as  attorney,  editor,  news- 
paper correspondent,  politician  and  real  estate 
dealer,  which  indicates  that  he  is  a  man  of  ver- 
satile ability.    As  a  writer  he  is  keen,  thoughtful. 


grasping  the  salient  points  of  the  topic  under 
consideration  and  presenting  his  arguments  log- 
ically and  clearly.  As  a  lawyer  he  grapples  al- 
most by  intuition  the  principal  points  of  his  case 
and  identifies  himself  earnestly  with  his  client's 
interests.  As  a  citizen  he  is  progressive  and  con- 
sistent, and  always  identifies  himself  with  move- 
ments for  the  benefit  of  the  city. 


CHARLES  VOSBURG.  Of  many  of  the 
once  prominent  men  of  South  Abington 
Township  it  may  be  said  that  though  "they 
rest  from  their  labors,  their  works  do  follow 
them."  After  struggles  to  secure  success,  after 
hardships  and  toil,  "after  life's  fitful  fever,  they 
sleep  well.''  His  business  life  was  alternated  be- 
tween farm  work  and  the  management  of  a  hotel, 
these  enterprises  proving  the  source  of  a  good 
income.  In  his  old  age  he  retired  from  active 
labors  and  his  last  days  were  spent  quietly  on  the 
homestead,  where  he  died  Jaiuiary  16,  1890. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Cornelius  and  Per- 
melia  (Pulver)  Vosburg,  were  born  in  Columbia 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  married  and  settled  on 
a  farm.  In  an  early  day  they  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  settled  in  Lackawanna  Township, 
this  county,  near  Hyde  Park,  but  about  1855 
they  went  to  Illinois  ,  and  settled  near  Paw 
Paw  Grove,  Lee  County.  There  they  died,  he 
when  eighty-one  years  and  she  at  ninety-six 
years.  They  had  twelve  children,  but  only  four 
are  yet  living.  Charles,  who  was  born  dur- 
ing the  residence  of  the  family  in  Columbia 
County,  N.  Y.,  November  i,  1809,  was  a  small 
child  when  his  parents  came  to  this  county,  and 
here  obtained  his  education  in  the  district  schools. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Vosburg  married 
Miss  Milicent  Van  Luvnee,  who  was  born  in 
Pittston,  Pa.,  in  1816,  the  daughter  of  Israel  and 
Rachel  (Burns)  Van  Luvnee,  natives  of  Bucks 
County,  this  state.  The  family  of  which  she  was 
a  member  consisted  of  si.K  children,  but  only  one 
is  yet  living.  Her  father  died  at  the  home  of  ^Ir. 
Vosburg  when  m'nety-one  years  of  age,  and  her 
mother  died  at  the  old  home  in  Pittston,  aged 
sixty-nine.  According  to  family  tradition,  the 
Burns  ancestors  came  from  France,  the  Vosburgs 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


613 


are  of  German  lineage,  and  the  Van  Luvnee  fam- 
ily of  Irish  origin. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Vosburg  settled  on  a 
portion  of  his  father's  old  home  and  there  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  eighteen  years,  after  which 
for  eight  years  he  rented  a  farm  near  that  place. 
Next  moving  to  Newton  Township,  he  bought 
a  farm  and  continued  its  cultivation  for  fifteen 
years.  In  1867  he  purchased  Clarks  Summit 
Hotel,  of  which  he  was  proprietor  for  fifteen 
years,  his  sons  meantime  operating  the  home 
farm.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  traded  for 
the  old  George  Swallow  farm,  retired  from  the 
hotel  business  and  settled  on  his  new  purchase, 
where  he  lived  practically  retired  from  that  time 
until  his  death. 

While  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  Mr.  Vos- 
burg was  bereaved  by  the  death  of  his  wife,  June 
28,  1885.  She  was  the  mother  of  thirteen  children 
and  all  attained  mature  years  and  are  still  living 
except  Ziba  B.,  who  died  near  Clarks  Summit 
aged  fifty-three  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  three 
daughters.  Cornelius,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Ne- 
braska, is  married  and  has  four  children ;  Surdias, 
with  his  wife  and  three  children,  lives  on  a  farm 
in  Lee  County,  111.;  Zora  (twin  of  Ziba)  is  a  re- 
tired farmer  of  Michigan,  and  Charles  is  a  retired 
farmer  of  Lee  County,  111.,  both  sons  having  two 
children;  Rachel,  wife  of  Durand  Bell,  lives  near 
Clarks  Summit;  Israel  (twin  of  Rachel)  owns  and 
operates  a  farm  in  Newton  Township;  Jane,  also 
a  resident  of  that  township,  is  married  to  Solomon 
Van  Sickle,  and  has  two  children;  MiHcent,  Mrs. 
Samuel  Ringsdorph,  has  two  children  and  lives 
in  Scranton ;  John,  who  rents  his  own  farm,  re- 
sides at  the  old  homestead,  and  cultivates  it  in 
partnership  with  his  younger  brotiier,  George;  the 
latter  has  a  fine  home  in  this  vicinity;  Mary  su- 
perintends the  household  interests  of  the  old 
homestead  and  resides  with  her  brother,  John; 
William,  an  engineer  living  near  Clarks  Summit, 
is  married  and  has  one  child. 

The  family  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  are  interested  in  religious  causes. 
Though  taking  no  active  part  in  politics,  our 
subject  always  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  and 
supported  the  measures  advocated  by  that  party. 
His  son,  John,  is  one  of  the  progressive  farmers 


of  the  township,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his 
acquaintances.  While  he  inherited  considerable 
property,  his  possessions  have  been  increased  by 
economy,  perseverance  and  industry,  and  by 
accurate  judgment  and  discretion  he  has  in- 
creased the  value  and  amount  of  his  property 
holdings. 


ABEL  GARDNER  was  born  in  North  Ab- 
ington  Township,  this  county,  May  14, 
181 5,  and  died  in  Dalton  March  12,  1882. 
The  family  of  which  he  was  an  honored  member 
was  represented  among  the  pioneers  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  first  of  the  name  to  come  here  being 
his  grandparents,  Abel  and  Dorothy  (Sweet) 
Gardner,  who  were  born  in  Exeter,  R.  I.,  he  on 
the  2d  of  September,  1747.  They  became  pio- 
neers of  this  section  and  remained  here  until 
death.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  en- 
listed and  fought  in  defense  of  the  colonies. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  Gardner, 
was  born  in  Exeter,  R.  I.,  August  9,  1775,  and 
\\as  luiited  in  marriage,  February  20,  1800,  with 
Abigail  Dean,  who  was  born  in  West  Greenwich 
Center,  R.  I.  They  removed  to  Pennsylvania 
and  died  in  Dalton,  he  on  the  15th  of  April,  1855. 
Throughout  life  he  had  engaged  in  farm  pur- 
suits. His  son,  our  subject,  received  a  district 
school  education  and  remained  on  the  home  farm 
until  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  after  which 
he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  a  time 
and  then  became  interested  in  the  meat  busi- 
ness. He  became  the  first  butcher  of  Scranton, 
to  which  place  for  a  time  he  hauled  his  meats 
from  Abington  Township;  later  the  slaughtering 
was  done  in  Scranton.  After  his  marriage  he 
opened  what  was  the  first  store  in  the  borough 
of  Dalton,  in  1849,  before  the  railroad  was  built 
through  here.  The  business  which  he  estab- 
lished was  carried  on  with  success  until  increas- 
ing deafness  obliged  him,  in  1865,  to  retire  there- 
from. Afterward  he  gave  his  attention  to  the 
supervision  of  his  property  interests  and  a  flour 
mill  in  which  he  had  invested  some  of  his  means. 
Energetic  by  nature,  he  succeeded  in  amassing  a 
competency  and  leaving  his  family  in  good  cir- 
cumstances.    Politically  he  was  a  Whig  in  early 


6i4 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


life.  In  1856  he  voted  for  J.  C.  Fremont,  and 
two  years  previous  had  taken  a  part  in  organiz- 
ing the  Republican  party  in  this  locality. 

In  Scranton,  February  10,  1845,  Mr.  Gardner 
married  Sarah  Hitchcock,  who  was  born  in  Clare- 
mont,  N.  H.,  October  14,  1817.  Her  father, 
Elisha  Hitchcock,  also  a  native  of  Claremont,  was 
born  January  21,  1778,  and  died  in  Scranton 
October  16,  1858;  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ruth  Slocuni,  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre, 
Pa.,  September  13,  1791,  and  passed  away  May 
23,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gardner  became  the 
parents  of  four  daughters,  namely:  Helen  E., 
who  died  at  six  months;  Ruth,  who  died  at  thirty 
years;  Adelaide,  who  married  Herbert  D.  Gard- 
ner, M.  D.,  and  has  one  son  living,  Robert  A.; 
and  Mary,  who  received  an  excellent  education 
in  the  schools  of  the  state,  and  resides  with  her 
mother,  for  whom  she  tenderly  cares  in  her  de- 
clining years.  The  family  are  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Church  and  occupy  a  high  position 
among  the  people  of  Dalton,  where  they  have 
resided  for  so  many  years. 


THOMAS  WOODBRIDGE.  There  are 
very  few  persons  who,  even  if  spared  to  a 
good  old  age,  can  say  that  they  have  spent 
more  than  fifty  years  upon  the  same  place,  for 
the  vicissitudes  of  life  usually  bring  many 
changes  of  environment;  but  such  has  been  the 
record  of  Mr.  Woodbridge,  of  North  Abington 
Township.  His  declining  years  are  being  quietly 
and  happily  passed  upon  the  spot  where  the  years 
of  youth  and  manliood's  prime  were  busily  spent 
in  the  cultivation  of  liis  farm.  No  one  in  the 
locality  is  more  conversant  with  its  early  history 
than  he,  and  it  is  a  privilege  to  meet  him  in 
social  intercourse,  especially  if  one  desires  to 
learn  facts  in  regard  to  the  early  settlement  of  the 
county.  In  the  days  when  there  were  only  a 
dozen  or  two  inhabitants  in  Scranton,  he  fre- 
quently hauled  meat  to  that  place,  that  now 
boasts  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  people. 
The  transformation  efifected  during  tlie  interven- 
ing years  has  been  noted  by  liim  with  interest 
and  satisfaction. 

In   the   townsliip  where   he   now   resides   Mr. 


Woodbridge  was  born  October  24,  1817,  being 
a  son  of  Ashbel  and  Parmelia  (Stratton)  Wood- 
bridge.  His  grandfather,  who  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  settled  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  in  an 
early  day,  and  while  residing  there  served  as  an 
officer  in  the  War  of  1812.  About  1815  Ashbel, 
the  father  of  our  subject  and  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, moved  into  Abington  Township  about 
one  and  one-half  miles  from  the  present  borough 
of  Dalton.  Here  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five. 

The  education  of  our  subject  was  obtained  in 
the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
began  to  work  by  the  month  on  a  farm,  receiving 
$10  per  month  at  first  and  later  $12,  and  in 
this  wa}'  he  secured  his  start  in  life.  When 
quite  young  he  married  and  had  one  son,  but 
lost  his  wife  and  child  by  death.  May  30,  1844, 
he  was  united  with  Miss  Jemima  Dershimer,  who 
was  born  in  Luzerne  County  in  1820,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Christina  (Siglen)  Dershimer.  Her 
parents  were  born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa., 
and  died  in  Exeter,  this  state,  her  father  at 
seventy-five  and  her  mother  when  sixty-two. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodbridge  became  the  parents  of 
five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living,  Frank, 
Helen,  John  and  Clara,  all  of  whom  are  married. 

The  family  is  connected  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  early  life  Mr.  Woodbridge  was  a 
Whig  and  became  a  Republican  upon  the  organ- 
ization of  the  party,  since  which  time  he  has 
always  stood  firmly  by  the  principles  he  believes 
calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  people. 
He  is  justly  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  has  voted 
at  every  presidential  election  for  the  past  sixty 
years.  After  fifty  years  of  happy  married  life, 
he  and  his  good  wife  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding,  at  which  time  they  were  the  recipients 
of  congratulations  from  friends  far  and  near. 

The  old  homestead  where  Mr.  Woodbridge  has 
so  long  resided  is  now  managed  by  his  son,  John 
A.,  who  was  born  here  February  9,  1853,  and  was 
educated  in  the  district  schools  and  Keystone 
Academy.  December  31,  1879,  he  married  Miss 
Amy,  daughter  of  Milton  and  Margaret  Britton, 
of  Factoryville,  and  afterward  for  a  time  he  re- 
sided on  the  old  Griffin  farm,  but  since  1880  he 
has  been  in  charge  of  the  home  farm.     A  Repub- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


615 


lican  in  politics,  he  has  served  as  assessor  and 
justice  of  the  peace  and  takes  an  interest  in  all 
public  affairs.  With  his  wife,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Prudent 
and  industrious,  he  and  his  wife  share  in  the  re- 
spect so  long  accorded  his  father  and  mother. 

By  his  first  marriage  Thomas  Woodbridge  had 
one  son  named  Theodore,  who  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen enlisted  as  a  soldier  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  and  served  for  three  years.  On  his  return 
he  stayed  with  his  parents  for  a  year.  He  then 
went  to  Virginia  and  subsequently  to  Murphys- 
boro.  111.,  where  he  died  at  twenty-four  years  of 
age. 


M- 


AJ.  JAMES  W.  OAKFORD,  attorney- 
at-law,  of  Scranton.    The  Oakford  fam- 
ily has  been  identified  with  the  history 
of  Pennsylvania  from  an  early  period  of  its  set- 
tlement, when  the  first  of  the  name  in  America 
crossed  the  ocean  from  England  and  established  a 
home  among  other  Quaker  residents  of  Philadel- 
phia.    Both  the  grandfather,  Joseph,  and  great- 
grandfather, Isaac,  of  Major  Oakford,  were  large 
importers  of  china  and  tea,  and  in  that  line  carried 
on  one  of  the  heaviest  trades  in  the  city,  at  a 
time  when  the  merchants  of  Philadelphia  were 
the  most  enterprising  in  the  New  World.    Of  the 
public-spirited  citizens  whom  the  family  has  given 
to  the  United  States,  doubtless  the  most  eminent 
was  Col.  Richard  A.  Oakford,  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.    He  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
December  8,  1820,  received  an  excellent  educa- 
tion   in    the    schools   of   that    city    and    in    La- 
fayette College,  Easton.     In  his  student  days  he 
showed  considerable  aptitude  in  the  study  of  the 
classics,  and  after  graduation  kept  up  his  study 
of  modern  languages,  reading  and  speaking  Ger- 
man, Erench,  Spanish  and  Italian.    On  the  com- 
pletion of  his  literary  education  he  studied  en- 
gineering   and    became    a    good    draughtsman. 
Owing  to  failing  health  he  removed  to  the  Wy- 
oming Valley.     Shortly  before  the  outbreak  of 
the   war   he   traveled   extensively   in    the   south, 
through  which  means  he  gained  a  knowledge 
of  the  character  of  the  people  and  knew  better 
than  most  northerners  the  serious  nature  of  the 
approaching  civil  crisis. 


A  resident  of  Scranton  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  he  at  once  volunteered  for  three  months, 
and  was  elected  colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry,  commanding  the  post  at  Camp 
Curtin,  Harrisburg,  until  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  the  front,   and  then   commanding  the 
regiment  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.     When  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second   Pennsylvania 
Infantry  was  mustered  in,  August  15, 1862,  he  was 
chosen  colonel.    At  the  battle  of  Antietam,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1862,  he  gallantly  led  his  men  into  ac- 
tion and  remained  at  their  head  until,  shortly  after 
giving  the  command  to  advance,  a  bullet  from 
the  enemy's  ranks  killed  him  instantly.     In  the 
official  report  forwarded  to  Washington  by  Brig- 
adier-General Kimball,  the  following  words  oc- 
cur:   "Among  the  killed  and  wounded  are  many 
brave  and  gallant  officers.     Col.  R.  A.  Oakford, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first  Pennsylvania,  was 
killed  while  leading  his  regiment.      He  was    a 
brave  officer  and  died  like  a  hero."     The  com- 
missioned officers  of  his  regiment  drew  up  resolu- 
tions deploring  his  loss  and  testifying  to  his  rec- 
ord as  a  brave,  gallant  and  fearless  officer,  un- 
blemished patriot  and  hero,  and  a  colonel  whose 
experience  and  ability  to  command,  decision  of 
character  and  kindly  deportment  to  officers  and 
privates  inspired  all  with  confidence  and  cour- 
age.    It  was  the  judgment  of  his  fellow-citizens, 
voiced  by  one  of  the  city  papers,  that  "Leaving 
aside  his  deserts  as  a  citizen  and  eminence  as  a 
member  of  the  bar,  he  has  well  earned  for  him- 
self a  name  worthy  to  be  placed  first  among  the 
lists  of  our  country's  heroes.    He  was  one  of  the 
first  to  respond  to  the  call  of  his  country  in  time 
of  need,  and,  when  it  became  necessary  to  mus- 
ter the  men  of  Luzerne  a  second  time  in  defense, 
he  was  again  at  their  head  to  give  evidence  of 
his  unflinching  loyalty  to  the  flag  of  his  country. 
He  sealed  his  patriotism  with  his  blood." 

On  his  mother's  side  Major  Oakford  is  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Slocum  family,  one  of  the  oldest 
in  Scranton  and  of  English  origin.  On  the  rec- 
ords of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  appears  the  certificate 
of  the  marriage,  February  23,  1758,  of  Jonathan 
Slocum  and  Ruth  Tripp,  both  of  Portsmouth, 
Newport  County,  R.  I.  In  November,  1777, 
Jonathan  Slocum  settled  in  the  Wyoming  Val- 


6i6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPITTCAL  RECORD. 


ley,  where  he  liad  purchased  land  two  years  be- 
fore. November  2,  1778,  his  daughter,  Frances, 
about  four  years  of  age,  was  carried  into  captivity 
by  the  Indians  and  was  not  found  by  her  relatives 
for  fifty-nine  years,  when,  after  a  long  search, 
they  found  her  living  near  Logansport,  Ind.  She 
was  visited  there  by  her  brothers,  but  they  had 
to  converse  with  her  by  the  aid  of  an  interpreter, 
as  she  had  forgotten  what  little  English  she  had 
known.  She  was  married  and  had  children,  and 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  Indians,  who  con- 
sulted her  on  all  important  questions.  She  died 
near  Peru,  Wabash  County,  Ind.,  March  23,  1847. 
December  16,  1778,  Jonathan  and  his  father-in- 
law,  Isaac  Tripp,  were  both  killed  by  Indians 
at  Wilkesbarre,  and  were  scalped.  The  former 
left  ten  children,  of  whom  William,  the  third, 
was  born  January  6,  1762,  served  as  sheriff  of 
Luzerne  County  from  1796  to  1799,  and  on  the 
9th  of  March,  the  year  last  named,  he  bought 
property  in  Pittston,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death,  October  20,  1810.  January  4,  1786, 
he  married  Sarah  Sawyer,  and  they  had  nine 
children.  The  fourth,  Laton,  was  bom  in  Pitts- 
ton  August  16,  1792,  became  the  owner  of  a  beau- 
tiful farm  in  Exeter  Township,  Luzerne  County, 
where  he  died  January  16,  1833.  The  home- 
stead is  now  occupied  by  his  son  James. 

February  i,  1819,  Laton  Slocum  married 
Gratey,  daughter  of  James  Scoville,  and  a  native 
of  Exeter  Township.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  came  to  the  valley  before  the 
Wyoming  massacre,  at  which  time  thev  escaped 
unharmed,  returning  afterward  to  the  farm.  La- 
ton Slocum  had  three  children:  Frances  Carey, 
who  was  born  May  23,  1822,  became  the  wife 
of  Richard  A.  Oakford  December  27,  1843,  and 
now  resides  at  No.  332  Jefferson  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton;  James,  on  the  old  homestead;  and  William, 
who  died  there  in  1895.  ^i^s.  Oakford  became  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Mrs.  Anna  W.  Cox, 
of  Philadelphia;  Laton  S.,  a  business  man  of 
Scranton,  who  died  in  West  Virginia;  and 
James  W. 

Born  in  Scranton  June  5,  1859,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  attended  the  School  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna in  boyhood  and  in  1880  entered  Yale  Col- 
lege, from  which  lie  graduated  four  years  later 


with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Returning  to  this  city, 
he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Archbald, 
and  when  that  gentleman  was  chosen  to  serve 
upon  the  bench  he  continued  to  read  under  S. 
B.  Price.  On  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  prac- 
ticed law  with  Mr.  Price  for  one  year,  but  has 
since  been  alone.  For  six  years  he  was  a  private 
in  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P. 
In  1892  he  was  commissioned  quartermaster  and 
the  following  year  became  brigade  judge  advo- 
cate of  the  third  brigade,  with  the  rank  of  major, 
which  he  has  since  held.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Melita  Com- 
mandery,  K.  T.  He  fills  the  position  of  treas- 
urer of  the  Lackawanna  Law  &  Library  Asso- 
ciation. Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has  voted 
the  Republican  ticket  at  all  elections,  and  in  re- 
ligious connections  he  is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's 
Episcopal  Church. 


JW.  HOUSER,  M.  D.  For  miles  in  every 
direction  from  Taylor  the  people  are  ac- 
•  quainted  with  Dr.  Houser  and  can  testify 
as  to  his  skill  in  the  medical  science  and  his  up- 
right character  as  a  man.  During  the  long 
period  of  his  residence  in  this  village  he  has 
gained  a  valuable  patronage  and  the  regard  of 
the  people  among  whom  he  has  lived  and  labored. 
In  1875,  within  a  week  after  his  graduation  from 
medical  college,  he  opened  an  office  in  this  place 
and  has  since  practiced  here  continuously,  with 
tiie  sole  exception  of  a  vacation  of  twelve  days. 
His  constant  devotion  to  professional  duties 
would  have  resulted  disastrously  to  his  health 
were  it  not  that  he  possesses  a  strong  constitu- 
tion, capable  of  long  endurance. 

A  lifelong  resident  of  Lackawanna  Comity,  Dr. 
Houser  was  born  in  Scranton  July  i,  1856,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  Houser,  who  for  many  years 
has  been  an  employe  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company.  liis  education  was 
begun  in  the  common  schools  of  the  city,  where 
he  was  a  student  until  fifteen  years  of  age.  Then 
desiring  to  further  extend  his  fund  of  information, 
lie  entered  Pennington  Seminary,  where  he  re- 
mained a  short  time.     jMeantime  he  had  become 


RANDOLPH  CRIPPEN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


619 


interested  in  the  study  of  medicine  and  this  he 
carried  on  under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  Allen 
for  some  years.  Later  he  entered  the  Auburn 
Medical  College  and  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution with  the  class  of  1875. 

September  23,  1878,  Dr.  Houser  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sophia  Mahoney,  of  Waver- 
ly,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  daughters: 
Edith  A.,  Alida,  Christine,  Helen  and  Gretchen. 
For  two  years  Dr.  Houser  was  treasurer  of  the 
borough  and  for  ten  years  he  rendered  efficient 
service  as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  The 
Republican  party  receives  his  support  and  his  ac- 
tive co-operation  in  the  promulgation  of  its  prin- 
ciples. As  health  officer  and  member  of  the 
board  of  health,  he  has  done  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  the  physical  welfare  and  health  of  the 
people.  Since  becoming  a  physician  he  has  held 
membership  in  the  Lackawanna  Medical  Society 
and  is  one   of  its   charter  members. 


RANDOLPH  CRIPPEN.  It  is  ever  a 
pleasure  to  note  in  history  the  successive 
steps  by  which  some  men  have  risen  from 
a  humble  position  to  one  of  comfort  and  influence, 
and  perhaps  there  is  no  more  excellent  illustra- 
tion of  the  achievements  of  industry  than  that 
afforded  by  the  life  of  Mr.  Crippen,  of  Dalton. 
Entitled  to  respect  because  of  his  strength  of 
character  and  sterling  qualities  of  manhood,  he 
occupies  a  conspicuous  position  among  the  resi- 
dents of  this  place,  where  he  is  now  living  retired 
from  business  cares.  Considering  the  manner 
in  which  he  labored  during  his  active  years,  it 
is  not  surprising  that  his  fellow-citizens  recog- 
nized in  him  qualities  that  fitted  him  for  public 
office  and  called  him  to  serve  in  positions  of  re- 
sponsibility. The  most  important  office  which  he 
filled  was  that  of  sherifif,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  signally  successful,  ranking  among  the  most 
efficient  men  in  the  office  that  the  county  has 
ever  had. 

Referring  to  the  history  of  the  Crippen  fam- 
ily, we  find  that  they  were  represented  among 
the  early  settlers  of  York  State  and  were  uni- 
formly men  and  women  of  energy  and  honorable 
character.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Martin, 
25 


was  a  son  of  .Samuel  and  Rachel  Crippen  and  was 
born  in  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.,  in  which  locality  for 
some  years  he  engaged  in  farm  pursuits.  On  re- 
moving to  Pennsylvania,  he  settled  in  Blakely 
Township,  Lackawanna  (then  Luzerne)  County, 
where  his  remaining  years  were  passed  in  the 
cultivation  of  a  farm.  He  died  in  1878  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight.  Politically  he  was  firm  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party,  believing  that 
its  principles  are  the  safest  by  which  to  conduct 
national  afifairs. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  bore  the  maid- 
en name  of  Polly  Potter,  was  born  in  Providence 
Township,  this  county,  and  died  in  Blakely 
Township,  in  February,  1848,  aged  thirty-one 
years.  Her  father,  Elisha  Potter,  became  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  what  is  now  known  as  the 
north  end  of  Scranton  and  erected  the  Bristol 
House,  which  is  still  running  as  a  hotel.  The 
Potter  family  has  given  patriotic  soldiers  to  as- 
sist the  nation  in  times  of  war  and  energetic  farm- 
ers and  business  men  to  extend  its  commercial 
and  agricultural  interests  in  times  of  peace. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Blakely  Township, 
adjoining  the  city  limits  of  Scranton  on  the  north, 
the  subject  of  this  article  was  born  April  10,  1838. 
His  boyhood  years  were  passed  amid  surround- 
ings common  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Educational  facilities  were  few  and  of 
an  inferior  order.  The  schooling  obtained  by 
him  was  limited  to  a  few  months'  attendance  at 
Hull's  school,  which  entailed  a  daily  walk  of  sev- 
eral miles  through  mud  or  snow,  exposed  to  the 
inclemencies  of  winter  weather.  At  the  age  of 
ten  he  commenced  to  assist  his  father  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  farm,  but  seven  years  later  took 
a  position  with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company, 
where  he  remained  for  four  years.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  he  secured  employment  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  as  fore- 
man, later  was  promoted  to  be  division  superin- 
tendent and  afterward  transferred  to  the  office 
of  the  company.  In  1863  he  resigned  this  posi- 
tion and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  the 
management  of  his  real  estate  interests,  which 
are  large  and  important.  When  his  father  died 
the  estate  was  covered  with  an  indebtedness  of 
$50,000,    which    everyone    said    could    never   be 


620 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


paid  off;  but,  through  his  efforts,  not  only  has 
this  amount  been  paid,  but  $80,000  in  dividends 
to  the  heirs,  and  the  estate  is  left  intact. 

In  1861  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Crippcn  and  Miss  Celeste  F.  Brink,  who  was 
bom  in  Hawley,  Pa.,  in  1843,  and  died  in  Scran- 
ton  in  April,  1880.  The  three  children  born  of 
this  union  are  Fred  H.,  Herbert  L.  and  Rose  ^I. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Crippen  took  place 
November  15,  1892,  and  united  him  with  Miss 
Ella  Bennett,  who  was  born  in  Canton,  Pa.,  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Bennett,  a  native  of  this 
state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crippen  reside  at  their  coun- 
try seat,  in  Dalton,  eleven  miles  from  Scranton. 

A  firm  Democrat  in  political  views,  Mr.  Crip- 
pen cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  S.  A. 
Douglas  and  has  since  been  stanch  in  his  advo- 
cacy of  party  principles.  In  1882  he  accepted  the 
almost  unanimous  call  of  his  party  to  serve  as 
their  nominee  for  sheriff  of  the  county.  In  the 
election  that  followed  he  was  successful  by  a 
majority  of  more  than  eighteen  hundred.  The 
duties  of  the  position  he  discharged  in  a  manner 
that  proved  his  executive  ability,  firmness  of 
character  and  honesty  of  principle.  Again  in 
1892  he  was  his  party's  candidate  for  mayor  of 
Scranton,  but  was  defeated.  In  all  the  relations 
of  life  he  has  acquitted  himself  in  a  manner  which 
has  gained  the  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 
Of  character  irreproachable,  he  possesses  those 
qualities  which  have  led  him  to  adjust  his  con- 
duct by  the  principles  inherent  in  his  nature. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
order. 


ASA  A.  NICHOLS.  The  farming  com- 
munity of  South  Abington  Township  rec- 
ognizes in  the  subject  of  this  notice  one 
of  its  representative  men  and  successful  agricul- 
turists. By  a  course  of  unflagging  industry  and 
wise  economy,  he  has  not  only  become  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  valuable  estate,  but  has  accumulated 
ample  means  with  which  to  provide  every  com- 
fort for  old  age.  The  township  where  he  now 
lives  has  been  his  lifelong  home,  and  he  was 
born  near  his  present  abode,  September  16,  1838. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Hiram  Nichols, 
M.  D.,  was  born  in  Oxford,  N.  Y.,  and  thence  at 


fourteen  years  came  to  this  county,  where  a 
brother  was  a  practicing  physician  in  Waverly. 
Under  that  brother  he  carried  on  the  study  of 
medicine  and  upon  attaining  proficiency  in  the 
science,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  went  to  Tunk- 
hannock,  where  he  spent  three  years  in  practice. 
From  there  returning  to  Waverly,  he  opened  an 
office  and  continued  a  general  practice  until 
his  death  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 
When  about  twenty-eight,  he  married  Sarah 
Clark,  member  of  a  pioneer  family  of  Abington 
Township,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the 
sketch  of  J.  D.  Knight,  upon  another  page.  She 
was  born  here  March  17,  1818,  and  here  passed 
away,  when  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  Of  their 
thirteen  children,  five  are  yet  living. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  Ishmael  Nichols, 
was  born  October  8,  1766,  and  was  one  of  the 
early  members  of  the  Masonic  order,  having 
been  made  a  member  of  that  fraternity  in  1788. 
April  21,  1785,  he  married  Lydia  Hall,  who  was 
born  April  8,  1768,  and  died  in  Lackawanna 
County  in  1841.  Throughout  life  he  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  farmers  in  the  vicinity  of  Oxford, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  1820.  At  that  time  our 
subject's  father  was  a  boy  of  thirteen,  having  been 
born  June  11,  1807. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject,  November  27, 
1861,  united  him  with  Miss  Flora  A.  Newton, 
who  was  born  in  Scott  Township,  this  county, 
September  27,  1839.  Her  paternal  grandparents, 
Benjamin  and  Phebe  (Stearns)  Newton,  came 
from  Rhode  Island  to  Pennsylvania  in  an  early 
day.  Her  father.  Nelson  Newton,  was  born  in 
this  county  November  22,  1805,  and  died  in  Scott 
Township,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four;  he  married 
Hannah  Burdick,  who  was  born  here  March  25, 
1814,  and  died  when  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  Of 
their  five  children,  three  are  yet  living.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nichols  became  the  parents  of  five  children, 
but  only  two  are  living.  George  H.,  who  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Keystone 
Academy,  married  Fannie  Deacon  and  has  a  son, 
William  A.  Nelson  N.,  who  in  boyhood  attend- 
ed Keystone  Academy  and  Wyoming  Seminary, 
married  Lydia  Perkins,  and  is  living  in  South 
Abington  Township. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


621 


Immediately  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Nichols 
settled  at  his  present  place,  and  here  he  has 
given  his  attention  to  the  stock  and  dairy  busi- 
ness, also  to  real  estate  interests.  From  an  early 
age  he  has  been  interested  in  politics.  His  first 
presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las, whom  his  father  assisted  in  nominating  in  the 
national  convention.  Since  1887  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board,  for  some  time  has 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  has  also  held 
the  principal  local  offices.  Like  his  father  and 
grandfather,  he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  his  elder  son  is  also  a  member  of  the 
order.  He  is  generous  in  his  contributions  to  the 
work  of  the  Baptist  Church,  with  which  Iiis  wife  is 
connected.  Among  the  best  people  in  the  town- 
ship he  has  an  extended  acquaintance.  He  has 
fulfilled  the  duties  devolving  upon  him  in  a  credit- 
able manner,  doing  good  as  he  has  had  opportu- 
nity, and  furnishing  an  example  of  thrift,  industry 
and  honesty  well  worthy  of  imitation.  The  high 
principles  which  have  characterized  him  through- 
out life  have  given  him  a  good  reputation  as  a 
citizen,  while  his  intelligence  and  enterprising 
spirit  and  kindly  nature  give  him  a  still  higher 
place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellowmen. 


HENRY  F.  WARDELL.  The  life  of  Mr. 
Wardell  has  been  filled  with  varied  ex- 
periences as  teacher,  minister,  farmer  and 
soldier,  but  in  every  occupation  and  condition 
of  life  he  has  displayed  the  integrity  of  character 
that  is  one  of  his  principal  attributes.  Much  that 
in  early  manhood  he  hoped  to  accomplish  he  has 
been  unable  to  do,  owing  to  ill  health  and  the 
frequent  recurrence  of  a  throat  trouble  that  inter- 
fered with  his  pulpit  work.  However,  in  the 
other  lines  to  which  he  turned  his  attention  he  has 
met  with  success,  and  is  now  the  occupant  of  a 
comfortable  home  and  the  owner  of  a  good  farm 
in  Covington  Township.  While  at  present  he 
has  no  regular  church  charge,  he  officiates  at 
many  funerals  and  weddings  and  is  actively  in- 
terested in  religious  work. 

In  the  township  where  he  now  lives  Mr.  War- 
dell was  born  June  19,  1836,  the  son  of  Henry 
and    Isabella    Wardell.     His    grandfather,    Ed- 


ward Wardell,  a  native  of  England,  was  the  first 
settler  in  the  northern  part  of  Covington  Town- 
ship. At  the  time  he  came  here  his  nearest 
neighbor  was  four  miles  away;  no  roads  of  any 
kind  had  been  opened,  the  entire  country  was  a 
vast  wilderness,  and  the  nearest  store  was  at 
Nobletown,  Wayne  County,  a  distance  of  about 
eight  miles.  This  was  in  1819.  As  the  years 
passed  by  he  improved  his  place  and  brought  it 
under  cultivation,  making  it  one  of  the  valuable 
estates  in  this  vicinity. 

Henry  Wardell  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, and  was  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  he 
settled  with  his  parents  in  what  is  now  Daleville. 
Upon  attaining  his  majority  his  father  gave  him 
a  farm  and  upon  it  continued  to  reside  until  his 
death,  December  27,  1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  In  religion  he  was  a  Methodist  and 
in  politics  a  Republican.  His  brother,  Edward, 
who  was  five  years  his  senior,  was  justice  of  the 
peace  in  this  township  about  twenty  years.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  England  and 
died  in  Covington  Township  February  17,  1889, 
when  seventy-three  years  of  age.  Her  ten  chil- 
dren were  named  as  follows:  John,  who  was  a 
sharpshooter  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and 
Ninety-ninth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was 
killed  by  a  sharpshooter  at  Price's  Station,  April 
6,  1865;  Thomas,  a  farmer  of  Covington  Town- 
ship; Henry  F.;  Margaret,  who  lives  in  this 
township;  Robert  E.,  of  Madison  Township,  and 
during  the  war  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Twelfth  Pennsylvania  Regiment  of  light  ar- 
tillery; Mary  E.,  an  invalid,  whose  home  is  in 
this  township;  Clementine,  wife  of  O.  B.  Megar- 
gel,  of  Wayne  County,  Pa.;  Joseph  R.,  deceased; 
E.  E.,  a  resident  of  Ocean  Grove,  N.  J.,  and 
Belle,  wife  of  Robert  Jackson,  of  Carbon  County. 

In  boyhood  Mr.  Wardell  attended  the  common 
schools  of  this  township  and  spent  one  term  in 
the  Wyoming  Seminary,  Kingston.  After  attain- 
ing his  majority  he  taught  five  terms  of  winter 
school.  When  about  twenty-three  he  entered  the 
ministry  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  and 
for  one  summer  filled  the  pulpit  of  the  church 
at  South  Canaan,  Wayne  County,  after  which 
he  was  at  Burlington,  Bradford  County.  While 
in  the  latter  place  he  had  an  attack  of  diphtheria 


622 


roRTR.MT  And  biographical  RECORF). 


the  same  winter  and  in  consequence  his  throat 
was  so  affected  that  for  ten  years  he  could 
preach  only  occasionally.  Meantime  he  taught 
school  at  Moscow,  this  county.  In  September, 
1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Ninety-ninth  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantrj',and  on  the  organization  of  the  company  he 
was  appointed  sergeant,  serving  in  that  rank 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  principally  in  detached 
service. 

Shortly  after  his  return  from  the  army  Mr. 
Warden  purchased  the  farm  that  he  still  owns 
and  occupies.  In  the  years  that  have  intervened 
he  has  received  several  calls  from  the  conference 
of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church.  For  three 
years  he  preached  at  Sterling,  Wayne  County, 
for  two  years  at  Spring  Brook,  for  three  years 
was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Daleville,  and  for 
four  years  ministered  to  the  congregation  at  Fry- 
town,  this  township,  but  poor  health  finally  ob- 
liged him  to  retire  from  ministerial  labors.  May 
25,  1866,  he  married  Mrs.  M.  H.  Wardell,  of 
Daleville.  Originally  a  Republican,  he  is  now 
allied  with  the  Prohibition  party.  Twice  he  was 
elected  county  auditor,  serving  six  years  alto- 
gether, and  he  has  also  been  justice  of  the  peace 
for  twelve  years,  school  director  and  supervisor, 
in  addition  to  holding  other  township  offices. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  Sunday-school  work 
and  has  officiated  as  Sunday-school  superintend- 
ent for  twenty-one  years. 


D  WIGHT  S.  CHURCH,  V.  M.  D.  In  pro- 
portion as  the  civilization  of  the  world 
advances  constantly  increasing  attention 
is  given  to  lines  of  work  neglected  in  previous 
ages.  This  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the  treat- 
ment of  diseases  of  the  horse.  Not  many  years 
ago  even  the  most  fleet-footed  and  valuable  of 
steeds,  when  showing  symptoms  of  serious  ill- 
ness, were  immediately  shot,  but  now  their  lives 
are  often  saved  and  their  usefulness  restored 
through  scientific  treatment.  Among  the  vet- 
erinary surgeons  of  Scranton,  mention  belongs  to 
Dr.  D.  S.  Church.  In  1895  he  located  at  No. 
1 54 1  Dickson  Avenue  and  in  the  brief  period  that 
has  since  elapsed  he  has  built  up  a  good  practice. 


Not  only  is  he  popular  in  Scranton,  but  his  ser- 
vices are  frequently  called  for  in  Carbondale  and 
other  parts  of  this  county,  as  well  as  in  Wilkes- 
barrc,  and  even  in  parts  of  New  York  State. 

The  Church  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
three  brothers  who  came  here  from  England,  one 
of  whom  became  a  seafaring  man  and  captain, 
and  another  (our  subject's  ancestor)  was  a  noted 
captain  in  King  Philip's  War,  having  command 
of  the  company  that  finally  vanquished  and  cap- 
tured the  old  Indian  warrior.  Of  the  third 
brother  there  is  no  record.  Erastus  Church, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island  in  1810,  and  was  the  son  of  a  navy  sol- 
dier in  the  War  of  1812.  After  his  marriage  he 
brought  his  family  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
in  Green  Grove,  Scott  Township,  Lackawanna 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death  in  1880. 

H.  E.  Church,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  in  1826,  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Lackawanna  County  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  at  Green  Grove,  where  he  owned 
a  comfortable  home.  During  the  war  he  was 
a  second  lieutenant  of  Pennsylvania  Light  Artil- 
lery, but  was  not  called  into  service.  Politically 
a  Republican,  he  was  frequently  elected  to  fill 
offices  of  trust  within  the  gift  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. He  had  many  warm  friends  in  Scott  Town- 
ship, where  he  resided  continuously  from  the  age 
of  five  years  until  his  death  in  1892  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six.  He  married  Mary  R.  Thatcher,  who 
was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  is  now  living  in 
Scranton.  One  of  her  brothers,  Thomas,  was 
for  years  and  until  his  death  professor  of  Latin, 
Greek  and  German  in  Yale  College.  Her  father, 
Peter  Thatcher,  was  a  man  of  prominence  in 
Hartford,  his  native  city,  and  one  of  the  streets 
there  was  named  in  his  honor.  While  residing  in 
that  place  he  was  employed  as  a  contractor,  ar- 
chitect and  builder,  but  after  bringing  his  family 
to  Scott  Township,  he  settled  upon  a  farm  and 
gave  his  attention  to  agriculture. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  second  of  three 
children,  his  sister  being  Florence,  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Atherton,  and  his  brother,  Maurice  T.,  head 
clerk  in  Carroll's  store  at  Carbondale.  Dwight 
S.  attended  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Scran- 


JOHN  FERN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


625 


ton,  where  he  obtained  an  excellent  education. 
In  1893  he  entered  the  Ontario  College  of  Vet- 
erinary Surgeons  at  Toronto,  Canada,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1895,  with  the  degree  of 
V.  M.  D.  He  is  also  an  honorary  member  of  that 
college.  He  is  identified  with  Washington  Camp 
No.  25,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  at  Green  Ridge,  in  which 
he  is  conductor.  In  political  views  he  upholds 
the  Republican  platform.  In  1895  he  enlisted  in 
Company  D  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania National  Guard,  and  has  since  been  one 
of  its  active  members. 


JOHN  FERN.  The  genera!  intelligence, 
high  moral  character  and  business  ability 
of  the  outside  superintendent  of  the  Arch- 
bald  mines  are  such  as  to  entitle  him  to  the  re- 
spect of  the  entire  community  and  the  deeper 
esteem  of  those  who  know  him  well.  A  skilled 
mechanic,  he  has  applied  his  inventive  ability  to 
practical  purposes.  March  19,  1895,  he  patented 
the  Fern  slate  picker,  which  is  already  in  general 
use  and  is  conceded  to  be  a  very  superior  device, 
being  a  combination  of  friction  and  specific  grav- 
ity. In  addition  to  this,  he  has  patents  on  min- 
ing lamps,  another  slate  picker  and  self-adjust- 
ing belt  stretcher  and  cable  stretcher. 

The  Fern  family  originated  in  Germany,  where 
was  born  Peter,  our  subject's  father,  a  painter 
by  trade  and  a  man  of  industrious  disposition. 
In  1842,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  only  child, 
he  left  Bremen,  his  native  place,  and  emigrated 
to  America  settling  in  Carbondale,  where  our 
subject  was  born  March  14,  1845.  In  1846  he 
came  to  Scranton  fthen  Slocum's  Hollow)  as  a 
miner  and  railroad  contractor  for  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company.  Three  years  later, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  great  gold  excitement  in 
California,  he  went  there  via  Panama  and  en- 
gaged in  mining  for  two  years.  In  1852  the  fam- 
ily started  to  join  him,  making  the  long  and  te- 
dious journey  to  San  Francisco,  only  to  find  on 
arriving  there  that  he  had  died  three  days  after 
they  left  New  York  City  on  the  "Union."  He 
was  buried  in  Sacramento.  The  widowed  moth- 
er, thus  unexpectedly  finding  herself  alone, 
among  strangers,  was  placed  in  a  position  that 


would  have  daunted  a  woman  of  less  resolute 
strength.  But  realizing  that  her  children  were 
dependent  upon  her,  she  faced  the  future  bravely, 
and  planned  for  the  comfort  of  her  dear  ones. 
It  was  six  weeks  after  her  arrival  in  California 
before  she  learned  the  fate  of  her  husband,  and 
afterward  she  remained  for  a  time  in  the  far  west. 
There  was,  however,  nothing  to  detain  her  there 
long,  so  with  her  daughter  and  two  sons  she 
started  back  to  New  York,  going  on  the  "Ore- 
gon" to  Panama  and  from  there  on  the 
"Georgia." 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  to  whose  noble 
character  he  owes  so  much,  was  Catherine 
Schoeffer,  whose  father  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Gennany  and  was  superintendent  of  a  colliery 
in  Hesse-Cassel  under  the  government,  dying  in 
his  native  place  at  ninety-four  years  of  age.  In 
youth  he  had  served  in  the  German  army.  Mrs. 
Fern,  on  her  return  to  the  east,  settled  in  Wilkes- 
barre  and  bought  a  business  place  in  South  Main 
Street,  where  she  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness. In  that  place  she  married  Capt.  William 
Gaul  and  then  came  to  Dunmore,  this  county, 
where  she  carried  on  a  grocery  trade.  In  1855 
she  removed  to  Bellevue,  at  the  time  when  the 
original  shaft  was  being  sunk,  but  after  five  years 
she  went  to  Jermyn.  Her  second  husband,  who 
was  a  captain  in  the  German  revolution,  volun- 
teered in  the  Union  service  as  a  member  of  Bat- 
tery C,  First  Pennsylvania  Light  Artillery,  and 
was  killed  at  Fair  Oaks,  May  30,  1862.  His 
widow  now  lives  in  .Scranton  and  enjoys  fair 
health  for  one  of  her  years  (seventy-nine).  In 
religious  belief  she  is  identified  with  the  German 
Presbyterian  Church.  Of  her  first  marriage  two 
sons  were  born,  the  older  being  Julius,  a  jeweler 
in  Wilkesbarre.  The  three  children  of  her  sec- 
ond marriage  are  William  A.,  a  carpenter  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western;  Charles 
H.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Lack- 
awanna Township;  and  Lizzie  A.,  Mrs.  George 
Stevens,  of  Scranton. 

Though  our  subject  was  quite  young  when  the 
family  went  to  California,  he  remembers  the  trip 
distinctly  and  its  many  perilous  adventures  made 
an  indelible  impression  upon  his  mind.  After 
the  age  of  ten  years  his  education  was  limited  to 


626 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


such  knowledge  as  could  be  acquired  by  attend- 
ance at  night  schools  and  by  self-culture.  At 
that  age  he  became  a  slate  picker  in  the  Belle- 
vue  mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western,  and  when  quite  young  was  the  main- 
stay of  the  family,  as  his  brother  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  trade  and  therefore  earned  nothing. 
He  was  the  first  boy  advanced  from  slate  pick- 
ing to  greasing  cars,  and  afterward  became 
driver  boy  at  the  Bellevue  coal  drift,  now  aban- 
doned. He  was  transferred  to  the  old  Bellevue 
shaft  as  driver  boy,  later  was  advanced  to  assist 
the  stable  boss,  being  the  first  to  hold  the  posi- 
tion, and  ne.xt  in  the  blacksmith's  shop  learned 
the  trade. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Fern  became  a  member 
of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  for 
nine  months  at  Harrisburg  as  a  private,  afterward 
taking  part  in  the  battles  of  South  Mountain, 
Antietam,  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville. 
The  latter  engagement  was  fought  three  days 
after  the  expiration  of  the  company's  period  of 
service,  but  they  volunteered  by  request  of  the 
general  in  command.  At  Antietam  Mr.  Fern  was 
slightly  wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  left  forearm, 
but  with  that  exception  went  through  the  war 
unharmed.  On  his  return  home,  he  refused  to 
again  take  his  former  position,  because  the  one 
who  filled  it  during  his  absence  had  .a  wife  and 
three  children  and  to  throw  him  out  of  work 
might  cause  his  family  to  suffer.  Instead,  he 
began  to  work  as  a  blacksmith  at  the  Cliff  plant, 
but  after  three  months  took  a  position  under  J. 
P.  Acker,  foreman,  witli  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company,  at  the  Continental 
mines.  At  the  end  of  two  months  the  man  who 
held  his  former  position  at  Bellevue  was  drafted, 
creating  a  vacancy,  and  he  went  there,  wishing 
to  be  with  his  mother. 

As  a  member  of  the  construction  corps,  de- 
partment of  Tennessee,  in  1864  Mr.  Fern  went 
from  Nashville  to  Atlanta,  then  returned  toward 
Nashville  under  Slocum  and  joined  Thomas  at 
Franklin.  He  was  present  at  Altoona,  Marietta 
and  Big  Shanty,  and  returning  to  Franklin,  was 
in  the  third  train  of  the  army  of  the  Cumberland 
and  assisted  in  the  construction  of  a  bridge  across 


Green  River.  On  his  return  in  January,  1865, 
to  Bellevue,  there  was  no  vacancy  here,  but  he 
was  given  work  as  a  blacksmith  at  Plymouth, 
and  remained  there  two  years  and  ten  months. 
In  i860  he  came  to  Scranton  as  blacksmith  in 
the  sinking  of  the  Dodge  shaft  and  was  retained 
as  expert  mechanic  until  May  10,  1872,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the 
Archbald  mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company.  He  was  the  first  regular 
foreman  of  the  shaft,  which  was  sunk  in  1870  and 
operated  for  the  first  time  in  the  fall  of  1871. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fern,  in  Scranton,  united 
him  with  Miss  Euphemia  B.  Hall,  who  was  born 
in  Tunkhannock,  and  they  reside  at  No.  115 
North  .Svnnner  Avenue.  Their  si.v  children  are 
named  as  follows:  Nellie,  wife  of  G.  L.  B.  Skill- 
horne,  of  Philadelphia;  John  R.,  electrician  with 
the  Brooklyn  &  Long  Island  Traction  Company, 
of  Brooklyn;  William  H.,  who  is  his  father's  as- 
sistant; B.  F.,  a  contractor  in  Lackawanna 
Township;  Nettie  C,  wife  of  Charles  E.  Olver, 
an  attorney  of  Scranton;  and  Bertram  C,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College.  Mrs. 
Fern  is  a  daughter  of  Jackson  Hall,  a  railroad 
man  residing  for  some  years  in  Tunkhannock, 
but  subsequently  removing  to  the  vicinity  of  Kal- 
amazoo, Mich.,  where  he  was  employed  as  a 
contractor  until  his  death.  Afterward  his  widow, 
Margaret  (Reiley)  Hall,  returned  to  Tunkhan- 
nock, and  spent  two  years  with  her  brother  there, 
but  then  removed  to  Scranton,  where  she  still 
resides. 

September  10,  1888,  Mr.  Fern  met  with  a  seri- 
ous accident  at  his  mines  while  unloading  a  car 
of  lumber.  For  some  unforeseen  cause,  about 
two  thousand  feet  fell  from  the  car  and  struck  his 
head,  knocking  him  down,  fracturing  his  hip 
and  breaking  three  ribs.  He  was  carried  home 
at  once,  and  no  one  thought  there  was  a  pos- 
sibility of  his  recovery,  but  a  strong  constitu- 
tion saved  him,  though  he  still  suffers  from  the 
effects  of  the  injury.  In  1890  he  was  obliged  to 
undergo  an  operation  in  a  Philadelphia  hospital, 
and  has  since  been  better. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Fern  is  past  officer  of  Globe 
Lodge,  chief  patriarch  of  Hyde  Park  Encamp- 
ment, nicnil)i'r  of  Scranton   Canton  No.  4,  Wa- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


627 


netta  Lodge  No.  23,  D.  R.,  I.  O.  O.  F.;  Hyde 
Park  Lodge,  Kniglits  of  Honor;  Lieut.  Ezra  S. 
Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.;  and  West  Side 
Club.  He  is  president  of  the  Taylorville  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association:  president  of  the  Trad- 
ers Building  &  Loan  Association  of  Hyde  Park; 
was  appointed  member  of  the  school  board  of 
Lackawanna  Township  and  one  year  later  was 
elected  to  the  position,  serving  four  years  alto- 
gether, the  first  year  as  president  and  the  second 
vear  as  treasurer.  Politically  a  Republican,  he  has 
been  on  the  county  committee  for  three  terms. 
For  twelve  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  old 
fifth  district  legislative  committee,  and  when  the 
district  was  changed  by  the  formation  of  the  new 
county  and  the  third  district  was  organized,  he 
was  made  the  first  secretary  of  the  committee, 
became  its  first  chairman,  and  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  resolutions.  He  was 
the  first  Sunday-school  superintendent  of  the 
Methodist  Protestant  Church,  now  the  Hamp- 
ton Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  his 
membership  now  is  in  the  Simpson  Church, 
which  he  serves  as  trustee.  For  some  time  he 
made  his  home  in  Lackawanna  Township,  but 
since  1894  has  resided  at  his  present  place  in 
Scranton. 


JOHN  NELSON  GRAVES.  The  prosperity 
of  Scott  Township  is  due  in  no  small  meas- 
ure to  its  active  and  intelligent  agricultur- 
ists, who  have  brought  its  farming  ''nterests  to  a 
point  where  profits  are  much  larger  than  in  the 
early  days.  Mr.  Graves  is  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  of  which  one  hundred 
and  ninety  acres  lie  in  his  home  farm  in  Scott 
Township.  He  may  well  take  pride  in  the  fact 
that  the  development  of  this  place  is  due  to  his 
unremitting  and  well-directed  labors.  The  fields 
return  good  har\'ests  in  exchange  for  the  constant 
care  he  expends  upon  them,  and  the  buildings 
are  neat  and  substantial.  Besides  general  farm- 
ing a  dairy  business  is  carried  on  successfully. 

In  an  early  day  Constant  Graves,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  and  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  made 
what  was  then  a  long  journey  to  this  county,  set- 
tling in   Greenfield  Township.     He  it  was  who 


established  the  family  here.  The  lather  of  our 
subject,  George  Graves,  was  born  January  7, 
1794,  and  in  the  '40s  settled  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship, where  he  followed  the  shoemaker's  trade, 
cultivated  a  farm  and  officiated  as  a  local  preach- 
er in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  By  his 
first  marriage  he  had  a  daughter,  Susan,  the  wid- 
ow of  George  Brown.  His  second  wife,  Mary 
Tompkins,  was  born  in  181 1,  and  died  October  3, 
1884.  He  passed  away  January  17,  1876,  and  his 
remains  lie  in  the  Tompkinsville  cemetery.  The 
four  children  of  his  second  marriage  were  Wes- 
ley, who  died  in  infancy;  Emma,  who  died  young; 
George  P.,  and  John  N. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Green- 
field Township  near  Tompkinsville,  November 
23,  1857,  and  grew  to  manhood  upon  the  home 
farm,  receiving  a  common-school  education.  At 
the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  to  teach  school,  and 
he  followed  this  occupation  for  three  years.  After 
his  marriage  he  settled  upon  the  farm  where  he 
has  since  resided.  In  1888  he  became  interested 
in  the  market  business  at  Scranton,  but  gave  it 
up  after  eighteen  months.  Politically  he  sup- 
ports Democratic  principles,  and  upon  that  ticket 
was  elected  tax  collector.  He  is  interested  in  ed- 
ucational matters  and  served  as  school  director 
for  three  years.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
Aurora  Lodge  No.  523,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Jermyn. 

November  14,  1878,  Mr.  Graves  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Aliss  Emma  Hubbard,  daughter 
of  Sumner  and  Harriet  Hubbard.  The  seven 
children  born  of  their  union  are  named  as  fol- 
lows: George  S.,  deceased;  Minnie  B.;  Earl  H., 
deceased;  Harry  N. ;  Harold  J.;  Hattie  E.,  and 
Gladys  M.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graves  are  known  for 
their  warm  hearts  and  generous  natures,  and  are 
regarded  with  feelings  of  esteem  by  the  entire 
comnninitv. 


ELIAS  A.  SMITH.  A  perusal  of  this  vol- 
ume will  reveal  many  sketches  of  honored 
and  influential  citizens  who  have  resided 
in  this  part  of  Penns_\lvania  for  many  years,  but 
among  them  none  is  more  worthy  of  mention 
than  Mr.  Smith,  who  is  a  type  of  the  successful 
farmer.     Many  of  the  most  enterprising  residents 


628 


I'ORTRAIT  AND   BiUGRAPlJlCAL    RECORD. 


of  Lackawanna  County  have  spent  tlicir  entire 
lives  here.  In  them  we  find  men  of  loyalty  to  the 
interests  of  the  community,  who  understand  the 
social  and  industrial  needs  of  this  vicinity  and 
have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  its  resources. 
They  are,  therefore,  better  adapted  to  succeed 
here  than  a  stranger,  and  probably  without  ex- 
ception are  warmly  devoted  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  county. 

Such  a  man  we  find  in  Mr.  Smith,  who  resides 
in  Newton  Township,  and  is  the  largest  land 
owner  and  capitalist  in  this  section  of  the  county. 
He  was  born  here  March  27,  1827,  the  son  of 
Elias  and  Qitharine  (Adams)  Smith,  natives  of 
Sussex  County,  N.  J.  His  father,  who  was  a  son 
of  George  Smith  of  New  Jersey,  removed  to 
Lackawanna  County  in  1816  and  settled  near  the 
present  site  of  our  subject's  home,  engaging  in 
the  lumber  business  and  in  farming  here.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  seventy-seven  and 
his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 
Of  their  four  children,  our  subject  is  the  only 
survivor. 

October  31,  1855,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Ann 
IVfcGeever,  who  was  born  in  Liverpool  in  1840 
and  died  at  the  home  farm  in  the  fall  of  1895, 
aged  fifty-five  years.  In  the  hardships  of  her  hus- 
band's earlier  years  she  shared,  as  also  in  the 
successes  of  his  later  life.  She  assisted  heartily 
in  carrying  out  the  plans  to  better  their  financial 
condition  and  co-operated  fully  in  all  his  efforts. 
The  suj)port  of  a  devoted  wife,  man's  greatest 
earthly  stay,  he  never  lacked  as  long  as  she  was 
spared  to  liim,  and  licr  death  was  a  heavy  be- 
reavement. Over  the  sjiot  where  her  remains  lie 
he  caused  to  be  erected  a  beautiful  monument, 
the  finest  in  this  locality. 

Six  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Air.  and 
Mrs.  Smith,  and  five  are  living,  namely:  George, 
Curtis  and  Bertha  W.,  all  of  whom  arc  married; 
Willie,  who  lives  at  home  and  assists  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  home  place,  and  Elias  J.,  who  re- 
sides at  the  home  farm  and  is  married.  After  his 
marriage  our  subject  rented  the  property  he  now 
owns  and  built  a  sawmill,  the  first  in  the  neigh- 
borhood and  still  one  of  the  largest  here.  He 
cared  for  his  father  in  his  old  days,  and  on  the 
latter's  death  assumed  the  active  management  of 


the  estate.  At  this  writing  his  landed  posses- 
sions aggregate  five  hundred  acres  and  he  also 
owns  the  sawmill,  being  one  of  the  wealthiest  men 
in  his  locality  and  employing  ten  or  twelve  men. 
Always  a  hard  working  man,  industriousl}-  win- 
ning his  way  upward,  he  has  displayed  broad  in- 
telligence and  liberal  spirit,  which  have  endeared 
him  to  many  friends  and  gained  him  universal 
esteem. 


PRESTON  ROBINSON.  Since  1893  Mr. 
Robinson  has  been  superintendent  of  the 
Green  Ridge  Slate  Picker  Works  at  Scran- 
ton,  which  under  his  oversight  has  become  one 
of  the  important  industries  of  the  city.  The  pat- 
ent coal  separators  manufactured  here  are  the 
oldest  and  certainly  among  the  very  best  made, 
and  through  his  personal  efforts  in  traveling  from 
place  to  place,  he  has  been  successful  in  intro- 
ducing them  in  the  Lackawanna,  Wyoming  and 
Schuylkill  valleys,  where  in  some  breakers  from 
ten  to  twenty  are  used.  The  principle  employed 
in  the  operation  of  the  slate  picker  is  the  separa- 
tion of  slate  from  coal  by  means  of  friction  and 
specific  gravity,  with  or  without  the  use  of  water. 
The  machine  will  handle  two  hundred  and  fifty 
tons  of  coal  in  ten  hours,  doing  the  work  of  six- 
teen or  twenty  boys,  and  paying  for  itself  in  less 
than  three  months. 

Near  Pottsville  in  Schuylkill  County  Air.  Rob- 
inson was  born  in  1841,  being  the  son  of  Henry 
G.  and  Sarah  (Davis)  Robinson,  natives  of  Ches- 
ter, Delaware  County,  Pa.  The  first  of  the  family 
in  America  was  Abraham  Robinson,  who  came 
from  England  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Delaware 
County.  He  was  interested  in  an  entailed  estate 
in  Ireland,  being  the  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Robin- 
son, a  nobleman  who  held  the  office  of  lord 
mayor  of  Dublin.  His  son,  Capt.  Thomas,  our 
subject's  grandfather,  was  born  in  Delaware 
County  and  became  a  very  prominent  sea  cap- 
tain. For  a  time  he  was  in  the  merchant  service 
for  the  Thomas  P.  Coke  Company  of  Philadel- 
])hia.  In  the  War  of  1812  he  was  in  the  American 
navy  and  also  took  part  in  the  war  with  Tripoli. 
In  old  age  he  retired  from  the  sea  and  died  at 
the  home  of  his  son,  Henry  G.,  when  eighty-two 
vears  of  ace. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHTCAT.   PF.CORn. 


fi3i 


During  the  War  of  1812  Henry  G.  Robinson 
was  in  the  navy  in  the  American  service.  His 
seafaring  life  began  as  cabin  boy  in  the  mer- 
chant service  with  China  and  for  twenty-eight 
years  he  followed  the  sea,  being  first  mate  when 
he  retired.  Afterward  he  engaged  in  business  in 
Philadelphia  until  1830,  when  he  went  to  Schuyl- 
kill County  and  for  many  years  was  collector  and 
weighmaster  for  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Com- 
pany. His  death  occun^ed  in  1864  at  the  age  of 
seventy,  he  having  been  born  in  1794.  Politic- 
ally he  advocated  Whig  doctrines.  His  wife,  who 
was  a  member  of  a  Quaker  family,  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  farmer  near  Chester,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven.  Of  their  thirteen  children  all 
but  one  attained  years  of  maturity  and  nine  are 
now  living.  One  son  took  part  in  the  Civil  War, 
responding  to  the  emergency  call. 

Preston,  who  was  seventh  in  order  of  birth 
among  the  children  of  the  family,  attended  the 
public  school  at  Schuylkill  Plaven  and  for  Lhree 
years  assisted  his  father  in  the  collector's  office. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  apprenticed  to 
the  machinist's  trade  under  George  W.  Snyder, 
of  Pottsville,  and  four  years  later  went  to  Tama- 
qua,  where  lie  secured  work  as  draughtsman  and 
clerk  for  the  Little  Schuylkill  Railroad  Company. 
During  the  seven  years  of  his  service  with  the 
company,  he  was  gradually  promoted  and  finally 
became  the  superintendent's  right  hand  man.  His 
next  venture  was  to  embark  in  the  foundry  busi- 
ness for  himself  and  for  eighteen  years  he  was 
proprietor  of  the  Tamaqua  foundry,  where  he 
manufactured  stoves  of  original  patents  and  de- 
signs. When  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Rail- 
road "swallowed"  everything,  he  closed  out  the 
business  and  in  the  fall  of  1884  removed  to  Scran- 
ton,  becoming  mcclianical  engineer  for  the  Scran- 
ton  Steel  Company.  Later  he  was  with  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company  for  fifteen  months 
and  then  became  chief  engineer  in  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Boies  steel  wheel  works,  superin- 
tending the  construction  of  machinery  for  the 
manufacture  of  wrought  iron  car  wheels.  The' 
plant  is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  America  and 
the  work  which  he  had  in  charge  was  one  of  groat 
responsibility.  On  leaving  that  position,  he  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  Green  Ridge  Slate 


Picker  Works  and  has  since  made  a  number  of 
improvements  on  the  lines  of  the  old  patent. 

Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Robinson  is  in- 
terested in  matters  relating  to  the  public  wel- 
fare. While  in  Tamaqua  he  was  a  school  director 
for  eleven  years  and  during  four  years  of  that 
time  filled  the  position  of  president  of  the  board. 
In  that  city  he  was  also  past  officer  in  the  Lodge 
No.  228.  Chapter  No.  177,  Council  No.  17,  and 
Commandery  No.  31  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  is  still  a  member  of  each  body  there.  He  is 
connected  with  the  Scranton  Engineers  Club  and 
is  alive  to  every  new  phase  of  development  in  his 
chosen  line  of  work.  In  religious  belief  an  Epis- 
copalian, he  holds  membership  in  the  Church  of 
the  Good  Shepherd.  He  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  Philadelphia,  with  Miss  Emily,  daughter  of 
Charles  M.  Payne,  both  natives  of  England,  but 
for  some  time  residents  of  Philadelphia.  With 
his  wife  and  daughter,  Annie  B.,  Mr.  Robinson 
resides  at  No.  1556  Capouse  Avenue. 


ELIJAH  A.  GLOVER,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  Moscow,  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  September  19,  1843. 
and  is  the  sen  of  Thomas  and  Harriet  (Archer) 
Glover.  His  father,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
in  1803  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  that  city,  was 
engaged  in  the  meat  business  about  forty-five 
years.  At  an  advanced  age  he  retired  from  busi- 
ness to  pass  his  remaining  years  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  comforts  his  industry  had  rendered 
possible.  For  fourteen  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Washington  Mounted  Cavalry  Gray 
Troop.  Upon  the  organization  f)f  the  Republican 
party  he  became  identified  with  it  and  continued 
to  support  its  principles  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  ninety  years  of  age.  His 
wife  was  born  in  a  Hudson  River  village  and 
died  in  1866. 

In  boyhood  Dr.  Glover  attended  ward  school 
No.  7  in  New  York  City,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated. Afterward  he  entered  the  New  York 
Free  Academy,  now  known  as  the  New  York 
City  College,  where  he  remained  until  gradua- 
tion. He  then  secured  employment  as  a  clerk 
in  a  drug  store,  and  during  the  three  years  he 


632 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


remained  in  that  position  lie  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  compounding  of  medicines. 
^\■ith  the  intention  of  becoming  a  physician,  he 
entered  Bellcvue  Medical  College,  where  he  took 
a  course  of  lectures,  and  later  took  a  full  course 
in  the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  of  New 
York  City,  graduating  from  that  institution  in 
the  spring  of  1869.  At  once  after  graduating  he 
came  to  Moscow,  where  he  has  been  in  continu- 
ous practice  ever  since. 

December  23,  1869,  Dr.  Glover  married  Miss 
Lora  E.,  daughter  of  Squire  Hiram  Green,  of 
P.ailey  Hollow,  Lackawanna  County,  and  a  re- 
fined lady,  whose  death,  October  19,  1896,  was 
a  deep  bereavement  to  the  family.  She  left  an 
only  son,  Thomas  L.,  who  is  bookkeeper  for  the 
Blue  Ridge  Coal  Company.  Dr.  Glover  was 
made  a  Mason  in  New  York  City  in  1870  and  in 
1872,  upon  the  organization  of  Moscow  Lodge 
No.  504,  F.  &  A.  M.,  became  one  of  its  charter 
members  and  afterward  served  as  its  master.  His 
practice  is  large,  demanding  his  entire  attention, 
hence  he  is  not  identified  with  politics  nor  promi- 
nent in  public  enterprises,  but  gives  his  attention 
entirely  to  his  chosen  life  work,  in  which  he  has 
gained  success. 


CHARLES  W.  FRASIER  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  farm  in  Madison  Township  and  is 
also  proprietor  of  the  mercantile  store  at 
Jubilee,  a  small  postofifice  that  adjoins  his  home- 
stead. He  has  been  a  life-long  resident  of  this 
county  and  was  born  May  30,  1833,  in  what  is 
now  the  city  of  Scranton,  being  the  son  of  Ben- 
jamin F.  and  Letitia  (States)  Frasier,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Rhode  Island  and  New  Jersey. 
About  1817  his  father  came  to  what  is  now  Scran- 
ton and  there  worked  at  his  trades  of  gunsmith 
and  cooper  for  many  years,  meantime  witnessing 
the  gradual  settlement  and  rapid  progress  of  the 
city.  About  1853  he  removed  to  Madison  Town- 
ship and  opened  a  shop  which  he  carried  on  until 
his  death  at  seventy-six  years  of  age.  Politically 
he  advocated  Democratic  principles  and  upon 
that  ticket  was  three  times  elected  collector  for 
the  township.  His  wife  died  in  this  township 
when  eighty-six  years  of  age. 


The  early  years  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
were  spent  in  Scranton.  He  recalls  the  prim- 
itive appearance  of  this  place,  its  few  residents, 
small  houses  and  general  air  of  rustic  simplicity. 
The  most  of  the  men  then  living  have  passed 
from  the  scenes  of  time,  but  could  they  return  to 
these  once  familiar  haunts  they  would  find  scarce- 
ly a  trace  of  those  old  days  yet  remaining  and 
would  exclaim  in  amazement  at  the  wonderful 
transformation  the  century  has  wrought.  While 
he  accompanied  his  father  to  Madison  Township 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  yet  the  most  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  Scranton,  for  he  returned  here  a  few 
years  afterward  and  until  1889  worked  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  in  sash,  door  and  blind  factories. 
Finally  he  came  to  the  farm  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  1869  and  built  the  store  that  he  now 
carries  on;  since  1893  he  has  been  postmaster 
here,  having  the  office  in  his  store.  Among  his 
neighbors  he  is  highly  respected  as  a  good  man 
and  loyal  citizen. 

September  25,  1853,  Mr.  Frasier  married  Miss 
Rosetta,  daughter  of  Samuel  Swarts,  and  they 
have  one  son,  Frank,  who  operates  a  cider  and 
grist  mill  on  this  place.  In  national  affairs  Mr. 
Frasier  is  a  Democrat,  but  in  local  matters  is 
liberal,  voting  for  the  man  he  believes  will  best 
represent  the  interests  of  the  people.  For  seven 
years  he  has  served  as  school  director  and  he  has 
also  filled  the  position  of  township  assessor. 
Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  Scranton  Lodge 
No.  263,  K.  of  P.  His  farm  and  store  represent 
the  result  of  his  savings  through  years  of  activity 
and  prove  that  he  is  a  persevering,  economical 
and  industrious  man. 


LUKE  HARAN,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  representative  young  business  men  of 
Green  Ridge,  Scranton  and  is  recognized 
as  an  efficient  plumber  and  gas-fitter,  was  born 
here  Dcceml^er  18,  1870.  Pie  is  a  son  of  P.  F. 
and  Mary  (Lally)  Haran,  natives  of  Carbondale, 
but  for  somi;  years  past  residents  of  Scranton, 
where  the  former  is  foreman  with  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Railroad  Company.  In  early  life  he 
learned  the  maciiinist's  trade  and  this  he  has 
since  followed,  his  connection  with  his  present 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


633 


employers  covering  a  long  period  of  years.  lie 
and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  six  children  and 
reside  at  No.  1631  Monsey  Avenue,  Green  Ridge. 

The  early  boyhood  years  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  v.-ere  uneventfully  passed  in  the  school- 
room and  at  home.  When  twelve  years  of  age  he 
became  an  employe  of  the  florist,  G.  R.  Clark, 
in  Providence,  remaining  in  that  position  for  two 
years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  be- 
gan an  apprenticeship  of  five  years  to  the  plumb- 
er's trade  under  Howley  Brothers.  Through  in- 
dustry and  hard  work  he  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  trade  and  on  completing  his 
apprenticeship  was  employed  as  a  journeyman. 
In  1891  he  went  to  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
worked  at  his  chosen  occupation  for  a  year. 

On  returning  to  Scranton,  Mr.  Haran  began 
in  business  as  a  plumber  and  gas-fitter,  to  which 
he  has  since  added  steamfitting  and  furnace  work. 
He  has  his  office  and  shop  at  No.  1548  Dickson 
Avenue,  where  he  keeps  in  stock  a  full  line  of 
supplies  necessary  for  the  successful  manage- 
ment of  the  business.  Among  the  contracts  he 
has  had  may  be  mentioned  those  for  the  resi- 
dences of  A.  Harvey,  Richard  Robinson,  James 
Lewsly,  S.  P..  Price,  Alexander  Dunn,  Sr.,  and 
Jacob  G.  Geiser.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Master  Plumbers  Association  in  Scranton,  of 
which  he  is  secretary.  In  St.  Paul's  Total  Ab- 
stinence and  Benevolent  Society,  of  which  he  is 
a  charter  member,  he  holds  the  office  of  presi- 
dent and  is  one  of  its  most  active  workers. 


GEORGE  W.  HORNBAKER.  After  hav- 
ing for  some  years  successfully  engaged 
in  the  meat  business,  in  the  spring  of 
1896  Mr.  Hornbaker  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  and  opened  the  Green  Ridge  Ready  Pay 
Store.  The  building,  which  is  22x90  feet  in  di- 
mensions, is  filled  with  a  large  and  complete  stock 
of  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  the  first  floor  being 
utilized  as  a  salesroom,  while  the  basement  is 
used  for  storing  goods.  Two  wagons  are  kept  in 
constant  use  in  delivering  to  customers.  The  en- 
terprise is  established  upon  a  solid  financial  basis 
and  the  store  is  one  of  the  finest  groceries  in 
Scranton. 


For  several  generations  the  Hornbaker  family 
has  been  identified  with  the  history  of  Lacka- 
wanna County.  Joseph,  father  of  George  W., 
was  born  in  Scranton  and  selecting  agriculture 
as  his  life  vocation,  with  two  brothers  settled  in 
Madison  Township,  where  he  made  his  home 
upon  a  farm  until  he  died,  at  the  age  of  forty-five. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine 
Hawk  and  was  born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J., 
being  a  member  of  an  old  family  of  that  state. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1870.  Five  children  had 
been  born  of  this  marriage  and  of  these  three  are 
living,  George  W.  being  the  youngest.  He  was 
born  near  Madisonville,  this  county,  in  March, 
i860,  and  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life 
upon  a  farm,  going  from  there  to  Kingston, 
Luzerne  County,  where  he  remained  until  1876. 
Afterward  he  spent  two  years  in  Madison  Town- 
ship and  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  dis- 
trict. 

The  spring  of  1879  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Hornbaker  in  Scranton,  where  for  one  year  he 
was  employed  as  helper  in  the  blacksmith  shop 
of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company.  With 
the  ambitious  spirit  that  characterized  him  from 
boyhood,  he  determined  not  to  work  for  others, 
but  to  engage  in  business  for  himself.  Accord- 
ingly in  1880  he  opened  a  meat  market  'n  Green 
Ridge,  buying  out  the  first  butcher  shop  on  the 
west  side  of  Dickson  Avenue.  Four  years  later 
he  built  the  market  at  No.  1538  Dickson  Ave- 
nue, and  this  he  occupied  until  the  spring  of  1896, 
when  he  sold  out.  During  his  first  years  in  the 
meat  business  he  had  slaughter  yards  near  Scran- 
ton, but  the  introduction  of  western  beef  rendered 
these  unnecessary.  One  year  before  selling  out, 
he  added  a  stock  of  groceries  to  his  supply  of 
meats,  poultry  and  game,  and  found  the  new 
business  so  profitable  that  he  determined  to  de- 
vote to  it  his  entire  attention. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hornbaker  in  Factory- 
ville,  Wyoming  County,  united  him  with  Miss 
Lulu  B.  Gardner,  daughter  of  Cynis  Gardner,  a 
retired  farmer  living  in  that  place.  They  reside 
at  No.  1651  Capouse  Avenue  and  have  one  child, 
Eleanor.  ^Ir.  Hornbaker  holds  membership  in 
the  Green  Ridge  Presbyterian  Church,  and  fra- 
ternally is  associated  with  the  Heptasophs  and  is 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


past  officer  in  tlie  Green  Ridge  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows.  In  relation  to  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  pronounced  Republican  and  at  this  writ- 
ing is  a  member  of  the  county  committee  of  his 
party. 


AL15ERT  GRAVES  has  made  his  home 
upon  a  w'ell-improved  farm  in  Scott  Town- 
ship since  185 1,  and  during  the  interven- 
ing years  has  erected  necessary  buildings,  kept 
the  place  in  good  repair  and  brought  its  sixty- 
seven  acres  under  excellent  cultivation.  To  ac- 
complish this  it  has  been  necessary  for  him  to 
work  indefatigably  and  also  to  use  sound  judg- 
ment in  all  his  enterprises,  but  while  the  task  has 
not  been  an  easy  one,  he  has  proved  himself  fully 
equal  to  it  and  through  his  efforts  has  been  able 
to  surround  his  family  with  the  comforts  of  life. 

The  first  member  of  the  Graves  family  to  settle 
in  this  county  was  Richard,  our  subject's  father, 
and  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  When  aljout 
seventeen  years  of  age  he  located  in  Abington 
Township,  but  later  settled  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship. Some  time  after  Iiis  marriage,  winch  oc- 
curred early  in  the  '20s,  he  purchased  property  in 
Scott  Township  and  here  remained  until  his  death 
in  1882,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  In  religious 
belief  he  was  a  Methodist  and  an  earnest  worker 
in  that  denomination.  At  different  times,  in  early 
life,  he  held  township  offices,  among  them  those 
of  auditor,  assessor  and  collector.  He  married 
Elmira  Tompkins,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
whose  parents  came  to  this  county  at  an  early 
day.  Tliey  had  four  sons:  Albert;  Edwin,  who 
lives  in  Jermyn;  Richard,  a  resident  of  Scott 
Township,  and  Jolui  T.,  attorney-at-law  and  for- 
merly judge  of  a  county  court  in  South  Dakota. 

Albert  Graves  was  born  in  Greenfield  Town- 
.ship,  ATay  16,  1825.  The  most  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  Scott  Township,  where  his  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  public  and  private  schools. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  to  teach  school, 
and  this  occupation  he  followed  for  thirteen  win- 
ter terms  in  Scott,  Greenfield  and  Benton  Town- 
ships, while  the  intervening  summers  were  de- 
voted to  farm  work.  By  his  marriage  to  Mar- 
garet Miller,   he  has  had  six  children,  namely: 


A.  C,  who  assists  in  cultivating  the  home  farm ; 
R.  II.,  deceased;  Margaret  E.,  also  deceased; 
Isaac  S.,  M.  D.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
New  York,  and  a  practicing  physician  of  Jer- 
myn; Mary  L.,  wife  of  Charles  Harned,  and 
Alice,  who  resides  with  her  father,  cheering  and 
brightening  his  declining  years  by  her  devotion. 
The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1890. 

The  religious  principles  of  Mr.  Graves  are  as 
fixed  as  his  principles  in  other  lines  of  thought 
and  belief.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  officiates  as  class- 
leader  and  trustee.  He  favors  the  protection  of 
home  industries  and  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
While  he  has  never  sought  prominence  in  local 
matters,  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment  has  caused 
his  advice  to  be  frequently  solicited  in  matters  of 
])ublic  enterprise.  For  seven  years  he  has  been 
assessor  of  Scott  Township  and  for  fifteen  years 
has  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
favors  the  public  school  system,  and  during  his 
service  of  nine  years  as  school  director  has 
worked  for  the  advancement  of  the  free  educa- 
tional institutions  of  this  district. 


JOHN  F.  TAYLOR.  Not  only  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Taylor  where  he  now  resides,  but 
also  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  where  in  former 
years  he  made  his  home,  Mr.  Taylor  is  known 
as  a  skillful,  efficient  contractor  and  builder.  In 
early  life  he  became  familiar  with  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  and  selected  it  for  his  life  work.  As 
a  builder  he  is  painstaking  and  industrious,  ac- 
curate in  every  detail,  and  strictly  honest  in  all 
transactions.  Hence  he  is  esteemed  not  only  as 
a  business  man  but  also  as  a  citizen  w^iose  pres- 
ence is  a  benefit  to  the  community. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Amos  Taylor, 
was  born  in  Connecticut  and  in  an  early  day  came 
to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  Susquehanna  County, 
wliere  he  died.  He  married  the  daughter  of  a 
Mr.  Starks,  who  bore  a  brave  part  in  defending 
the  settlers  during  the  Wyoming  massacre.  Our 
subject's  father,  William  Taylor,  was  a  farmer  of 
Susquehanna  County  throughout  most  of  his  ac- 
tive life,  but  died  in  New  York,  being  then  seven- 
ty-six years  of  age.    His  wife,  Mary,  who  is  now 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


635 


living  with  a  son  in  Rardcn,  Ohio,  is  a  daugiiter 
of  James  Kelly,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  died 
in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Susquehanna  County  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  August  22,  1837, 
and  there  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  receiving 
his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  serving 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's  trade.  After 
learning  his  trade,  he  returned  home  and  spent 
a  few  years  there,  but  then  went  to  Scranton  and 
at  once  secured  employment.  In  April,  1885,  he 
came  to  Taylor,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  also  carries  a  full  line 
of  builders'  materials.  In  1870,  while  in  Scran- 
ton, he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel 
Roberts,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a-  daughter, 
Rachel,  an  accomplished  and  intelligent  young 
lady.  The  family  hold  membership  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Scranton  and  are  interested  in 
religious  and  charitable  projects.  The  first  pres- 
idential vote  of  Mr.  Taylor  was  cast  for  J.  C. 
Fremont  and  he  has  since  been  a  firm  advocate  of 
Republican  principles. 


BERTON  E.  DAVIS  is  one  of  the  well 
known  young  business  men  of  Scranton. 
In  the  fall  of  1886  he  began  for  himself 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  locating  in  Nay-Aug 
Avenue,  corner  of  Green  Ridge  Street,  where  he 
gradually  built  up  a  retail  lumber  business.  His 
yard  extends  from  Nay-Aug  to  Ross  Avenue, 
and  of  the  entire  space  80x200  feet  is  devoted  to 
the  lumber  business,  in  addition  to  which  he  has 
an  office,  piling  room,  and  sheds  running  the 
whole  length,  two  hundred  feet.  To  facilitate  the 
work,  a  siding  runs  to  the  yards  from  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Railroad.  All  kinds  of  lumber 
and  building  material  are  kept  on  hand,  and  es- 
timates and  plans  are  furnished  for  buildings  of 
every  description. 

The  Davis  family  was  represented  in  New  Eng- 
land during  an  early  period  of  its  settlement  and 
many  of  its  members  still  remain  there.  Theo- 
dore Davis,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  and  was  orphaned  at  the  age  of 
seven  years.  Three  years  later  he  removed  to 
Gun  Hill,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he 


learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  this  occupation 
he  afterward  followed  in  South  Gibson  until  his 
death  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  During 
the  war  he  responded  to  the  draft,  but  was  not 
accepted.  He  married  Julia,  daughter  of  Aaron 
Resseguie,  a  farmer  living  in  South  Gibson, 
where  she  was  bom  and  where  she  died  in  1872. 
Of  her  five  children,  three  are  living,  all  sons. 
The  youngest  member  of  the  family,  Bcrton 
E.,  was  born  in  South  Gibson,  Pa.,  in  1865,  and 
there  attended  the  public  schools.  From  the  age 
of  thirteen  he  began  to  work  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  soon  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  it.  In  1884  he  came  to  Scranton  and  for  two 
years  was  in  charge  of  the  contracting  w-ork  for 
J.  L.  Chapman's  lumber  yard,  after  which  he 
started  in  business  for  himself  in  the  fall  of  1886. 
He  has  had  the  contract  for  many  scores  of  pub- 
lic and  private  buildings,  in  addition  to  which  he 
has  built  several  residences  for  himself  in  Provi- 
dence, some  of  these  being  afterwaid  sold.  He 
is  a  memljer  of  the  Builders  Exchange  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
line  of  business  in  which  he  is  engaged.  Per- 
sonal afifairs  have  engrossed  his  attention  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  has  never  entered  the  political 
arena  or  aspired  to  prominence  in  the  municipal- 
ity, but  he  is  known  as  a  stanch  Republican,  who 
never  fails  to  support  his  party  in  great  national 
issues. 


IRA  C.  ATHERTON.  Prominent  among  the 
citizens  of  Taylor  who  have  materially  con- 
tributed to  its  prosperity  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Throughout  life  this  village  has  been 
his  home  and  consequently  he  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  its  welfare  and  gives  liberally  of  his  time 
and  influence  to  all  measures  that  promise  to  pro- 
mote its  prosperity.  While  he  has  not  gained 
wealth,  he  is  comfortably  situated,  and  in  the 
twilight  of  his  life  is  surrounded  by  all  the  nec- 
essities and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  existence. 

The  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Ward)  Ather- 
ton,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  in  Taylor  May  17,  1819,  and  was 
one  of  six  children,  the  others  being  Phoebe, 
Boyd,  Caroline,  Sarah  and  James,  all  of  whom 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


past  officer  in  the  Green  Ridge  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows.  In  relation  to  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  pronounced  Republican  and  at  this  writ- 
ing is  a  member  of  the  county  committee  of  his 
party. 


ALBERT  GRAVES  has  made  his  home 
upon  a  well-improved  farm  in  Scott  Town- 
ship since  185 1,  and  during  the  interven- 
ing \ears  has  erected  necessary  buildings,  kept 
the  place  in  gnod  repair  and  brought  its  sixty- 
seven  acres  under  excellent  cultivation.  To  ac- 
complish this  it  has  been  necessary  for  him  to 
work  indcfatigably  and  also  to  use  sound  judg- 
ment in  all  his  enterprises,  but  while  the  task  has 
not  been  an  easy  one,  he  has  proved  himself  fully 
equal  to  it  and  through  his  efforts  has  been  able 
to  surround  liis  family  with  the  comforts  of  life. 

The  first  member  of  the  Graves  family  to  settle 
in  this  county  was  Richard,  our  subject's  father, 
and  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  When  about 
seventeen  years  of  age  he  located  in  Abington 
Township,  but  later  settled  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship. Some  time  after  his  marriage,  which  oc- 
curred early  in  the  '20s,  lie  purchased  property  in 
Scott  Township  and  here  remained  until  his  death 
in  1882,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  In  religious 
belief  he  was  a  ATethodist  and  an  earnest  worker 
in  that  denomination.  At  different  times,  in  early 
life,  he  held  township  offices,  among  them  those 
of  auditor,  assessor  and  collector.  He  married 
Elmira  Tompkins,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
whose  parents  came  to  this  county  at  an  early 
day.  They  had  four  sons:  Albert;  Edwin,  who 
lives  in  Jcrmyn;  Richard,  a  resident  of  Scott 
Township,  and  John  T.,  attorney-at-law  and  for- 
merly judge  of  a  county  court  in  South  Dakota. 

Albert  Graves  was  born  in  Greenfield  Town- 
ship, May  16,  1825.  The  most  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  Scott  Township,  where  his  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  public  and  private  schools. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  to  teach  school, 
and  this  occupation  he  followed  for  thirteen  win- 
ter terms  in  Scott,  Greenfield  and  Benton  Town- 
ships, while  the  intervening  smnmers  were  de- 
voted to  farm  work.  By  his  marriage  to  Mar- 
garet Miller,  he  has  had   six  children,  namclv: 


A.  C,  who  assists  in  cultivating  the  home  farm ; 
R.  H.,  deceased;  Margaret  E.,  also  deceased; 
Isaac  S.,  M.  D.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
New  York,  and  a  practicing  physician  of  Jer- 
myn;  Mary  L.,  wife  of  Charles  Harned,  and 
Alice,  who  resides  with  her  father,  cheering  and 
brightening  his  declining  years  by  her  devotion. 
The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1890. 

The  religious  principles  of  Mr.  Graves  are  as 
fixed  as  his  principles  in  other  lines  of  thought 
and  belief.  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  officiates  as  class- 
leader  and  trustee.  He  favors  the  protection  of 
home  industries  and  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
While  he  has  never  sought  prominence  in  local 
matters,  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment  has  caused 
his  advice  to  be  frequently  solicited  in  matters  of 
public  enterprise.  For  seven  years  he  has  been 
assessor  of  Scott  Township  and  for  fifteen  years 
has  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
favors  the  public  school  system,  and  during  his 
service  of  nine  years  as  school  director  has 
worked  for  the  advancement  of  the  free  educa- 
tional institutions  of  this  district. 


JOHN  F.  TAYLOR.  Not  only  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Taylor  where  he  now  resides,  but 
also  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  where  in  former 
years  he  made  his  home,  Mr.  Taylor  is  known 
as  a  skillful,  efficient  contractor  and  builder.  In 
early  life  he  became  familiar  with  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  and  selected  it  for  his  life  work.  As 
a  builder  he  is  painstaking  and  industrious,  ac- 
curate in  every  detail,  and  strictly  honest  in  all 
transactions.  Hence  he  is  esteemed  not  only  as 
a  business  man  but  also  as  a  citizen  whose  pres- 
ence is  a  benefit  to  the  community. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Amos  Taylor, 
was  born  in  Connecticut  and  in  an  early  day  came 
to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  Susquehanna  County, 
where  he  died.  He  married  the  daughter  of  a 
Mr.  Starks,  who  bore  a  brave  part  in  defending 
the  settlers  during  the  Wyoming  massacre.  Our 
subject's  father,  William  Taylor,  was  a  fanner  of 
Susquehanna  County  throughout  most  of  his  ac- 
tive life,  but  died  in  New  York,  being  then  seven- 
ty-six years  of  age.    His  wife,  Mary,  who  is  now 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


635 


living  with  a  son  in  Rarden,  Ohio,  is  a  daughter 
of  James  Kelly,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  died 
in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Susquehanna  County  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  August  22,  1837, 
and  there  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  receiving 
his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  serving 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's  trade.  After 
learning  his  trade,  he  returned  home  and  spent 
a  few  years  there,  but  then  went  to  Scranton  and 
at  once  secured  employment.  In  April,  1885,  he 
came  to  Taylor,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  also  carries  a  full  line 
of  builders'  materials.  In  1870,  while  in  Scran- 
ton, he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel 
Roberts,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a-  daughter, 
Rachel,  an  accomplished  and  intelligent  young 
lady.  The  family  hold  membership  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Scranton  and  are  interested  in 
religious  and  charitable  projects.  The  first  pres- 
idential vote  of  Mr.  Taylor  was  cast  for  J.  C. 
Fremont  and  he  has  since  been  a  firm  advocate  of 
Republican  principles. 


BERTON  E.  DAVIS  is  one  of  the  well 
known  young  business  men  of  Scranton. 
In  the  fall  of  1886  he  began  for  himself 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  locating  in  Nay-Aug 
Avenue,  corner  of  Green  Ridge  Street,  where  he 
gradually  built  up  a  retail  lumber  business.  His 
yard  extends  from  Nay-Aug  to  Ross  Avenue, 
and  of  the  entire  space  80x200  feet  is  devoted  to 
the  lumber  business,  in  addition  to  which  he  has 
an  office,  piling  room,  and  sheds  running  the 
whole  length,  two  hundred  feet.  To  facilitate  the 
work,  a  siding  runs  to  the  yards  from  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Railroad.  All  kinds  of  lumber 
and  building  material  are  kept  on  hand,  and  es- 
timates and  plans  are  furnished  for  buildings  of 
every  description. 

The  Davis  family  was  represented  in  New  Eng- 
land during  an  early  period  of  its  settlement  and 
many  of  its  members  still  remain  there.  Theo- 
dore Davis,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  and  was  orphaned  at  the  age  of 
seven  years.  Three  years  later  he  removed  to 
Gun  Hill,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he 


learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  this  occupation 
he  afterward  followed  in  South  Gibson  until  his 
death  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  During 
the  war  he  responded  to  the  draft,  but  was  not 
accepted.  He  married  Julia,  daughter  of  Aaron 
Resseguie,  a  farmer  living  in  South  Gibson, 
where  she  was  born  and  where  she  died  in  1872. 
Of  her  five  children,  three  are  living,  all  sons. 
The  youngest  member  of  the  family,  Berton 
E.,  was  born  in  South  Gibson,  Pa.,  in  1865,  and 
there  attended  the  public  schools.  From  the  age 
of  thirteen  he  began  to  work  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  soon  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  it.  In  1884  he  came  to  Scranton  and  for  two 
years  was  in  charge  of  the  contracting  work  for 
J.  L.  Chapman's  lumber  yard,  after  which  he 
started  in  business  for  himself  in  the  fall  of  1886. 
Pie  has  had  the  contract  for  many  scores  of  pub- 
lic and  private  buildings,  in  addition  to  which  he 
has  built  several  residences  for  himself  in  Provi- 
dence, some  of  these  being  afterwaid  sold.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Builders  Exchange  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
line  of  business  in  which  he  is  engaged.  Per- 
sonal afifairs  have  engrossed  his  attention  to  such 
an  e.xtcnt  that  he  has  never  entered  the  political 
arena  or  aspired  to  prominence  in  the  municipal- 
ity, but  he  is  known  as  a  stanch  Republican,  who 
never  fails  to  support  his  party  in  great  national 
issues. 


IRA  C.  ATHERTON.  Prominent  among  the 
citizens  of  Taylor  who  have  materially  con- 
tributed to  its  prosperity  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Throughout  life  this  village  has  been 
his  home  and  consequently  he  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  its  welfare  and  gives  liberally  of  his  time 
and  influence  to  all  measures  that  promise  to  pro- 
mote its  prosperity.  While  he  has  not  gained 
wealth,  he  is  comfortably  situated,  and  in  the 
twilight  of  his  life  is  surrounded  by  all  the  nec- 
essities and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  existence. 

The  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Ward)  Ather- 
ton,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  in  Taylor  May  17,  1819,  and  was 
one  of  six  children,  the  others  being  Phoebe, 
Boyd,  Caroline,  Sarah  and  James,  all  of  whom 


636 


PORTRAIT  AND   lilUGRAl'HlCAL    Ri:CORl>. 


are  living  except  James  and  Boyd.  The  district 
schools  in  those  days  were  of  an  inferior  order 
and  the  grade  of  instruction  furnished  was  on  a 
par  with  the  buildings  themselves,  nevertheless 
Mr.  Atlierton  was  able  to  gain  a  sufficient  amount 
of  knowledge  in  the  schools  to  assist  him  in  his 
business  transactions.  When  twenty-one  years 
of  age  he  began  to  work  at  the  carjjenter's  trade, 
and  this  he  followed  for  several  years,  also  en- 
gaging in  teaming  and  farming.  Pie  has  led  a 
busy  life  and  as  a  result  of  his  self-denying  ef- 
forts has  given  his  children  good  advantages, 
surrounded  his  family  with  many  comforts,  and 
become  the  owner  of  real  estate  in  the  village. 

November  28,  1846,  Mr.  Atherton  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mary  J.  Pulver,  and  seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  bless  their  union.  They  are 
George  C,  Edith,  Kate,  Nellie,  Georgiana,  John 
and  Willard.  His  own  lack  of  opportunities 
when  he  was  young  has  made  Mr.  Atherton  anx- 
ious that  his  children  and  the  children  of  the  dis- 
trict should  have  better  advantages,  and  as  school 
director  he  has  endeavored  to  promote  the  inter- 
ests of  the  schools  of  this  section.  He  has  also 
rendered  efficient  service  as  poor  director.  He 
is  one  of  those  industrious  men  who  give  char- 
acter to  a  community  and  promote  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  people.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always 
upheld  such  measures  as  tend  to  promote  the  wel- 
fare of  others  and  he  gives  of  his  time  and  means 
to  progressive  measures.  Politically  he  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican.  He  attends  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 


P.^TRICK  F.  HARAN,  foreman  of  the 
roundhouse  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Railroad  and  Canal  at  Scranton,  and  the 
inventor  and  patentee  of  the  Haran  street  car 
fender,  was  born  in  Carbondalc,  Pa.,  in  1845,  ^"d 
is  of  Irish  parentage  and  descent.  His  fatlicr, 
Luke,  who  was  born  in  County  Sligo,  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  settled 
in  Carbondalc  when  that  city  was  but  an  insig- 
nificant hamlet.  He  took  a  position  as  miner 
with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company,  and 
proved  so  steady  and  faithful  that  he  was  retained 
in  their  employ  for  more  than  forty  years.     His 


death  occurred  in  Carbondalc  when  he  was  ad- 
vanced in  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Bridget  Cawley  and  was  reared  and  mar- 
ried in  Carbondalc,  where  she  continued  to  re- 
side until  her  death.  She  was  of  Irish  descent, 
and  a  daughter  of  Michael  Cawley,  a  machinist 
and  blacksmith  by  trade.  There  were  ten  chil- 
dren in  the  parental  family,  of  whom  eight  at- 
tained years  of  maturity  and  six  are  now  living, 
Patrick  F.  being  the  eldest.  He  was  reared  in 
Carbondalc  and  his  education,  which  was  limited, 
was  secured  in  the  common  schools.  At  an  early 
age  he  was  obliged  to  begin  to  earn  his  livelihodd, 
and  took  a  position  as  slate  picker  witli  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Company. 

Coming  to  Scranton  in  1863,  Mr.  Haran 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  to  the 
machinist's  trade  in  the  shops  of  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company,  after  which  he  spent 
one  year  at  Tobyhanna  Mills  and  a  similar  period 
in  Oxford,  N.  J.  He  returned  to  Scranton  in 
1867  and  worked  in  the  locomotive  department 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  shops 
for  about  three  years,  after  which  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  machinist  in  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son shops.  When  the  shops  were  removed  to 
Carbondalc,  he  put  in  the  shafting  there.  In 
1888  he  was  made  foreman  of  the  roundhouse 
at  Green  Ridge,  and  has  since  had  entire  charge 
of  the  men  here,  being,  in  point  of  years  of  ser- 
vice, the  oldest  machinist  in  the  railroad  depart- 
ment. 

The  residence  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr. 
Haran  stands  at  No.  1631  Monsey  Avenue.  He 
was  married  in  this  city  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Lally, 
a  native  of  Carbondalc,  and  daughter  of  Bartley 
Lally,  who  was  an  old  settler  of  Carbondalc,  later 
resided  in  Olyphant,  then  for  a  time  lived  on  a 
farm,  and  finally  went  back  to  Olyphant.  The 
family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haran  consists  of  four 
daughters  and  two  sons,  all  residents  of  Scranton, 
and  one  of  whom,  Luke,  a  well  known  young 
business  man,  is  represented  upon  another  page 
of  this  volume. 

As  previously  stated,  our  subject  is  the  in- 
ventor and  i^atcntee  of  a  street  car  fender,  that 
can  be  run  witliin  four  inches  of  the  track  and 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


637 


has  been  tried  successfully.  Had  it  not  been  for 
political  influence  brought  to  bear,  it  would  have 
been  adopted  for  general  use  in  the  city.  He  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  Germania  No.  i  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association  and  is  now  interested  in 
the  Home  Building  &  Loan  Association.  In  his 
political  opinions  he  has  not  allied  himself  with 
any  party,  e.xercising  a  freedom  of  thought  that 
finds  expression  in  a  ballot  cast  for  the  best  man, 
irrespective  of  part>-.  For  four  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Emerald  Beneficial  Association, 
Branch  No.  no,  and  at  this  writing  he  holds  the 
office  of  president  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefil 
Association,  Branch  No.  35. 


EDWARD  SIMPSON.  In  noting  the  pres- 
ent prosperity  of  Madison  Township,  it  is 
well  to  remember  that  it  was  once  a  tract 
of  undeveloped  land  and  that  those  who  brought 
it  to  its  present  condition  underwent  hardships 
and  suffered  privations  unknown  to  the  present 
generation.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  although 
not  a  pioneer  in  the  strict  sense  of  that  word,  yet 
assisted  in  making  this  part  of  the  county  what 
it  now  is  and  was  one  of  its  energetic  farmers 
from  the  date  of  his  settlement  in  1845  to  the 
time  of  his  death. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Simpson  occurred  in  Stod- 
dardsville.  Pa.,  October  21,  1822.  He  grew  to 
manhood  upon  the  home  farm,  from  which,  in 
1845,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Turnersville, 
Madison  Township,  Lackawanna  County;  Sep- 
tember II,  of  the  same  year,  he  married  Miss 
Anna  Maria,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  and  Mary 
A.  (Speeden)  Smith.  When  he  settled  here  there 
was  but  one  building,  other  than  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  where  Moscow  now  stands.  He  became 
interested  in  lumbering  and  fanning  and  did 
much  toward  the  upbuilding  of  the  country.  In 
church  work  he  was  deeply  interested  and  aided 
in  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Church,  of 
which  he  and  his  wife  were  charter  members. 
After  a  busy  and  useful  life  he  passed  away  Jan- 
uary 18,  1895,  mourned  by  the  many  friends 
whom  his  worthy  deeds  had  won.  Farming  was 
his  life  work  and  not  only  was  he  a  good  farmer, 
making  the  most  out  of  his  land,  but  in  addition 


he  proved  himself  an  exceptionally  capable  busi- 
ness man. 

There  were  two  children  born  to  die  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simjxsnn.  Joseph  William,  born 
February  16,  1847,  's  now  in  the  office  of  the 
auditor  of  the  Lehigh  \''alley  Coal  Company  at 
Philadelphia.  .Sarah  Louise,  born  October  26, 
1 85 1,  is  the  wife  of  James  W.  Barber,  an  insur- 
ance broker  of  New  York  City.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Simpson  was  a  native  of  Milford,  Del.,  and 
at  the  early  age  of  twenty  years  entered  the  min- 
istry of  the  Methodist  Church,  his  first  pastorate 
being  at  his  native  place.  His  life  was  devoted 
to  gospel  work,  and  he  was  a  faithful  laborer  in 
the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  continuing  his  ministra- 
tions until  his  demise  at  the  age  of  si.xty-sevcn. 
The  Smith  family  came  to  America  in  an  early 
day,  emigrating  from  England.  The  mother  of 
Mrs.  Simpson  was  a  native  of  Dorchester  County, 
Md.,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  The 
comfortable  home  which  Mrs.  Simpson  owns  is 
the  one  upon  which  she  and  her  husband  passed 
tlie  days  of  their  married  life,  and  rhe  graces  it 
with  all  the  courtesy  that  is  inherent  in  the  good 
old  southern  families.  In  church  work  she  was 
her  husband's  efficient  helpmate,  as  she  was  in 
every  enterprise  in  which  he  engaged.  With  the 
exception  of  the  deafness  that  has  come  with 
increasing  age,  she  is  in  possession  of  her  physical 
faculties,  and  is  as  cheerful  and  bright  as  in  earlier 
days. 


M' 


ICAH  VAIL.  Scott  Township  contains 
no  better  example  of  the  quiet,  efficient 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  a  farmer  than 
that  afforded  by  Mr.  Vail.  Reared  upon  the 
place  where  he  now  resides,  early  in  life  he  gave 
all  his  strength  toward  becoming  proficient  in  his 
chosen  work  and  has  succeeded  so  well  that  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land.  His  home  place,  containing  seventy-two 
acres,  produces  abundantly  of  the  various  crops 
in  their  season,  and  is  furnished  with  such  im- 
provements as  make  it  a  neat  and  comfortable 
abode. 

The  first  member  of  the  Vail  family  who  set- 
tled in  Scott  Township  was  Micah,  our  subject's 


638 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


grandfather,  who  came  here  in  1804  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  that  has  since  remained  in  pos- 
session of  the  family.  His  children  were  Wilmot, 
Samuel,  Harvey,  Daniel,  Joshua,  Moberly, 
Phoebe  and  Mary.  Of  these  Harvey,  our  sub- 
ject's father,  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
in  1800,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  this  township, 
which  he  represented  as  a  member  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors.  At  different  times  he  held 
other  offices.  He  died  upon  the  old  homestead 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  A  consistent 
Christian  in  every  act,  he  held  membership  in 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  was  one  of  its  faithful 
workers.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  one  child.  His 
second  wife,  who  was  Miss  Abigail  Farnham, 
bore  him  nine  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  in- 
fancy, and  the  others  are  Hannah,  Phoebe,  Har- 
vey, Martin  V.,  Micah,  Beliab,  Arminda,  Juliesta, 
Abigail  and  Gilbert  V. 

Born  at  the  old  homestead  October  15,  1832, 
Mr.  Vail  there  spent  his  youthful  years.  When 
twenty  years  of  age  he  began  to  work  out  by 
the  month,  and  after  his  marriage  he  tilled  a 
rented  farm  for  four  years,  then  returned  to  the 
old  homestead,  purchased  the  property  and  has 
since  devoted  himself  to  its  improvement.  In 
1857  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Caro- 
line Augusta  Hubbard,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: Alberta  A.,  wife  of  W.  S.  Gardner,  of  Scott 
Township,  and  Sumner,  also  a  resident  of  this 
township.  Mr.  Vail  is  sui^ciently  interested  in 
politics  to  keep  himself  well  posted  upon  the 
issues  of  the  day,  and  votes  the  Democratic  ticket 
whenever  election  day  comes  around.  His  char- 
acter is  upright  and  he  is  highly  regarded  by 
those  who  know  him. 


RICHARD  MARTIN.  From  colonial  days 
until  now,  the  fondest  dream  indulged  in 
Ijy  thousands  of  dwellers  in  the  mother 
country  has  been  that  of  crossing  the  ocean  to 
America,  where  moderate  resources  would  se- 
cure more  of  the  comforts  of  life  and  better  op- 
portunities for  educational  and  social  progress 
than  in  their  native  land.  This  dream  has  been 
realized  by  many.  One,  now  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton,  often  in  boyhood  expressed  a  desire  to  come 


to  the  United  States,  and  now  that  years  of  pros- 
perity have  rewarded  his  efforts  here,  he  has  every 
reason  to  be  thankful  that  he  carried  out  the  de- 
termination of  youth. 

Now  the  general  inside  foreman  of  the  West 
Ridge  Coal  Company  at  Scranton,  with  his  resi- 
dence at  No.  1520  North  Main  Avenue,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  near  Lands  End, 
Cornwall,  England,  September  3,  1844,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Johns)  Martin, 
also  natives  of  that  shire,  where  the  father  was 
a  miner.  The  family  consisted  of  seven  sons  and 
four  daughters,  of  whom  five  boys  and  two  girls 
are  still  living,  Richard  being  one  of  a  pair  of 
twins  that  were  next  to  the  youngest  among  the 
children.  His  childhood  years  were  spent  in 
Cornwall,  where  he  began  to  work  in  the  copper 
mines  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  The  family  be- 
ing poor,  he  was  obliged  to  support  himself  from 
boyhood  and  never  attended  school  even  a  day. 

In  August,  1865,  Mr.  Martin  crossed  the  ocean 
in  tlie  steamer,  "City  of  Limerick,"  reaching  New 
York  after  a  voyage  of  seventeen  days,  and  pro- 
ceeding at  once  to  Carbondale,  Pa.,  where  he 
secured  work  in  the  coal  mines.  In  the  fall  of 
1870  he  went  to  Pittston  as  an  employe  of  the 
Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Company,  and  later  took 
charge  of  the  Greenland  Company's  shaft.  In 
1874  he  held  the  same  position  in  Wilkesbarre, 
where  he  sank  a  shaft.  The  following  year  he 
went  to  Pleasant  Valley  (now  Avoca)  as  mine 
foreman  at  the  Ontario  Colliery,  but  after  a  few 
months  went  back  to  Wilkesbarre  as  foreman 
with  the  same  company  and  continued  steadily  as 
mine  foreman  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
same  place  until  1888,  when  he  took  charge  of 
the  Wyoming  Valley  Coal  Company's  colliery 
near  Kingston.  With  them  he  remained  as  gen- 
eral inside  superintendent  until  December,  1894. 
Four  months  later,  in  May,  1895,  he  assumed 
charge  of  the  Keystone  Coal  Company's  mines 
at  Plainsville,  Luzerne  County,  where  he  re- 
mained until  September  of  the  same  year,  and 
then  came  to  Scranton  as  general  inside  foreman 
of  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company's  shaft.  In 
this  position  he  has  charge  of  over  three  hundred 
hands  and  under  his  superintendence  the  work 
moves  forward  steadily  and  successfully. 


WIIJ.IAM   S.    LANCSTAl'K. 


i'ORTRAlT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


641 


The  political  belief  of  Mr.  Martin  has  l)roujiht 
him  into  affiliation  with  the  Republican  ]5art\-, 
for  whose  candidates  he  casts  his  ballot.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Sons  of  St.  George  and  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  in  religious  connections 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
In  Cornwall,  England,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  A.  Prater,  a  native  of  that  county. 
Their  children  are  John,  a  stationary  engineer 
with  the  Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Company  at  Wilkes- 
barre:  Arthur,  a  plumber  and  gas-fitter  at  Wilkes- 
barre;  George,  a  stationary  engineer  with  the 
West  Ridge  Coal  Company;  and  Ediih,  who  is 
with  her  parents. 


WILLIAM  S.  LANGSTAFF,  president 
of  the  Scranton  poor  board  and  out- 
side foreman  of  the  Diamond  colliery, 
was  born  in  Hyde  Park,  September  12,  1851.  He 
is  of  English  descent,  his  grandfather,  Daniel 
Langstafif,  having  emigrated  from  England  to 
America  shortly  after  his  marriage  and  settled 
in  Brooklyn,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  was  an  early  settler  and  pioneer  farmer.  He 
continued  to  make  his  home  in  that  locality  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  about 
seventy-eight. 

Daniel  Langstafif,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Brooklyn,  Pa.,  and  grew  to  man- 
hood upon  the  home  farm,  learning  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  made  his  life  work.  He  was 
the  first  man  in  charge  of  the  repair  yard  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  and 
afterward  was  made  foreman  of  their  coal  de- 
partment at  Bellevue.  On  the  9th  of  April,  1865, 
a  day  memorable  in  the  history  of  the  nation  as 
that  on  which  President  Lincoln  was  assassinated, 
he  became  foreman  of  the  Diamond  mine,  and 
remained  in  that  position  until  he  retired  from 
active  labors.  For  one  term  of  four  years  he 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board.  His  marriage 
united  him  with  Sarah  Shipnian,  who  was  born 
in  Montrose,  Susquehanna  County,  and  is  now 
living  in  Scranton,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  Her 
father,  William,  who  was  born  near  Hartford, 
Conn.,  was  a  farmer  of  Susquehanna  County, 
whither  he  removed  with  his  father,  Henry  Ship- 
man. 

26 


Tile  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest  of  a 
family  of  three  children,  the  others  being  Edward 
S.,  who  resides  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  is  an 
engineer  on  the  Kings  County  elevated  road; 
and  Mrs.  Cornelia  Schreifer,  of  Scranton.  Will- 
iam S.  was  reared  in  Scranton  and  received  a 
public  school  education.  In  1861,  at  the  age  of 
ten  years,  he  became  a  slate  picker  in  the  Hamp- 
ton mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern, and  after  a  short  time  was  made  a  driver. 
Later  he  was  engineer  in  the  Hyde  Park  mines, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1885  became  outside  fore- 
man of  the  Oxford  mines,  where  he  remained 
until  March,  1887.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
outside  foreman  of  the  Diamond  mines,  which 
cover  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  and  fur- 
nish employment  to  six  hundred  and  seventy 
hands. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Langstaff  married  Miss  Mary 
Perry,  who  was  born  in  this  city,  the  daughter 
of  Richard  Perr)',  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  and 
for  some  years  a  well  known  stair  builder  here, 
engaging  in  business  until  his  death  in  1892. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langstafif  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  William  S.,  Jr.,  a  member  of  the  high 
school  graduating  class  of  1897,  and  Joanna. 
The  family  attend  the  Baptist  Church,  to  which 
Mrs.  Langstaff  belongs. 

In  February,  1883,  our  subject  was  elected 
to  the  board  of  school  control,  representing  the 
twenty-first  ward,  and  has  since  been  re-elected 
at  each  succeeding  election.  His  present  term  will 
expire  in  February,  1898.  For  one  term,  in  1893, 
he  was  honored  with  the  position  of  president 
of  the  board,  and  during  the  same  year  served 
as  president  of  the  poor  board.  At  this  writing 
he  is  chairman  of  the  text  book  committee,  and 
member  of  the  teachers,  finance,  high  school  and 
high  and  training  school  committees.  From  the 
beginning  of  the  erection  of  the  new  high  school 
building,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county,  he  was 
a  member  of  the  high  school  committee,  and  in 
order  to  inspect  other  similar  buildings  visited 
Washington,  D.  C,  Philadelphia,  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  Boston,  Springfield,  Worcester,  Mass., 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  Erie,  Pa.  The  committee 
combined  what  was  considered  the  best  points 
in  each  of  the  buildings,  and  with  Little  &  O'Con- 


642 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nor,  of  New  York,  as  architects,  erected  a  sub- 
stantial three-story  and  basement  building.  The 
committee  appointed  to  wait  upon  President 
Harrison  and  ask  his  opinion,  consisted  of  him- 
self with  C.  von  Storch,  William  J.  O'Malley, 
Thomas  Jennings,  F.  L.  Wormser,  George 
Thompson  and  City  Superintendent  Phillips. 

March  10,  1890,  Judge  Archbald  appointed 
Mr.  Langstafif  a  member  of  the  poor  board,  and 
of  it  he  has  been  president  since  1891.  From 
year  to  year,  he  has  enlarged  and  improved  the 
Hillside  home  as  opportunity  has  offered,  and 
there  is  no  finer  county  institution  in  the  state. 
Besides  the  accommodations  for  the  poor,  there 
is  also  an  asylum  for  the  insane,  which  receives 
an  apportionment  from  the  state.  In  political 
belief  he  is  a  Republican,  always  true  to  party 
principles.  For  fifteen  years  or  more  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  city  and  county  commit- 
tees, in  which  capacity  he  has  rendered  his  party 
efficient  service. 


ISAAC  BIESECKER  has  for  some  years  been 
the  proprietor  of  a  grocery  and  meat  mar- 
ket in  Moscow  and  prior  to  his  connection 
with  this  business  was  actively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Madison  Township.  A  native  of  this 
county,  he  was  born  in  Dunmore,  and  is  a  son 
of  Michael  and  Catherine  (Clase)  Biesecker,  na- 
tives of  Bethlehem,  Pa.  His  father,  who  came 
to  this  county  in  an  early  day,  settled  in  Provi- 
dence, but  after  a  time  bought  a  farm  in  Madi- 
son Township.  In  youth  he  learned  the  tailor's 
trade,  but  in  maturer  years  turned  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  was  engaged 
until  his  death  at  fifty-six  years  of  age.  During 
the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War  he  enlisted  in 
the  service  and  went  to  the  front,  where  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  number  of  engagements.  He  ad- 
hered to  the  religious  faith  of  his  Gennan  fore- 
fathers and  was  a  great  admirer  of  that  famous 
reformer,  Martin  Luther. 

Born  June  6,  1830,  Isaac  Biesecker  was  quite 
small  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Madison 
Township.  His  early  years  were  spent  in  assist- 
ing his  father  on  the  home  farm  and  in  attend- 
ance at  the  common  schools.     After  his  marriage 


he  and  his  brother,  Abraham,  bought  the  old 
homestead,  which  they  divided  and  engaged  in 
cultivating.  In  1867  our  subject  sold  his  interest 
in  the  place  and  purchased  another  farm  in  this 
township,  removing  there  and  tilling  its  soil  for 
twenty-three  years.  In  1890  he  came  to  Moscow 
and  embarked  in  the  grocery  and  meat  business, 
which  he  has  since  conducted.  For  several  years 
before  leaving  the  farm  he  carried  on  a  butcher- 
ing business. 

November  11,  1855,  Mr.  Biesecker  married 
Miss  Mary  S.  Potter,  who  was  born  in  Gibson, 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  June  14,  1837.  They 
became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Leroy  J.,  a 
farmer  who  resides  in  Adams  County,  Neb.;  Clar- 
ence M.,  a  resident  of  Dunmore,  this  county; 
Charles  I.,  who  died  May  23,  1872;  Ira  W.  and 
Bertie  J.,  both  of  whom  assist  their  father.  Mr. 
Biesecker's  views  on  the  liquor  traffic  have  led 
him  to  affiliate  with  the  Prohibition  party,  in 
which  he  is  an  earnest  worker.  By  his  fellow- 
citizens  he  has  been  honored  with  election  to  vari- 
ous local  offices.  For  three  years  he  was  super- 
visor of  this  township,  but  refused  re-election. 
He  is  interested  in  educational  matters  and  was 
school  director  for  several  years.  As  overseer  of 
the  poor  he  rendered  effective  work  for  one  year. 
With  his  wife  he  holds  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  wel- 
fare. In  1865  he  was  elected  an  elder  of  the 
congregation  and  has  served  in  that  capacity 
ever  since.  He  is  intensely  patriotic  and  a  thor- 
ough believer  in  the  A.  P.  A.,  to  which  he  be- 
longs. His  efforts  have  been  deservedly  crowned 
with  success,  and  through  the  exercise  of  good 
judgment  and  industry  he  has  gained  a  promi- 
nent position  among  his  fellowmen. 


WILLIAM  E.  CLARK,  foreman  of  the 
boiler  shops  of  the  Dickson  Manufac- 
turing Company  at  Scranton,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  position  which  had  been  previously 
filled  by  his  father,  and  from  which  the  latter 
resigned  in  December,  1895.  He  is  one  of  the 
oldest  men  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  in 
point  of  years  of  service,  having  nearly  completed 
the  quarter  of  a  century  with  them. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BKJGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


643 


John,  great-grandfather  of  William  E.,  and  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  owned  a  farm  near  Port 
Chester,  N.  Y.,  and  here  his  son  William  was 
born.  This  son  married  Ann  Eliza  Coe,  of  the 
same  localit}',  and  their  son  Robert  C.  was  born 
in  1826  on  the  old  family  homestead.  When  the 
war  came  on  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company 
G,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  be  corporal. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  ChancellorsviUe, 
Hatchie's  Run  and  Fredericksburg,  in  the  first- 
named  receiving  a  wound  in  the  right  leg.  In 
fnne,  1865,  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service. 
He  learned  the  boiler-maker's  trade  >vith  the  At- 
lantic Iron  Works  and  rose  to  the  place  of  fore- 
man in  different  shops  of  New  York  City.  In 
February,  1872,  he  was  induced  to  take  a  similar 
position  in  the  Dickson  boiler  shops  in  Scran- 
ton,  and  held  the  same  until  he  had  finished  the 
twenty-third  year  with  the  firm.  Now  he  is  liv- 
ing retired  in  his  pleasant  home  in  Adams  Ave- 
nue. He  is  past  commander  of  Ezra  Griffin  Post 
No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  His  devoted  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Hunt,  died  in  1855,  leaving 
a  son  and  two  daughters. 

William  E.  Clark  was  born  in  Cherry  Street, 
New  York  City,  June  23,  1852,  and  spent  his 
childhood  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  When  fifteen  he  was  apprenticed 
to  learn  the  boiler-maker's  trade  with  the  firm 
of  William  D.  Andrews  &  Co.,  of  Water  Street, 
New  York,  and  remained  there  for  three  years. 
In  PVbruary,  1872,  he  came  to  this  city  and  at 
once  found  a  position  with  the  Dickson  Com- 
pany. When  the  clifif  works  were  burned  down 
he  went  to  California,  traveling  in  the  west  and 
enjoying  his  vacation  of  four  months.  In  1882 
he  was  promoted  to  be  assistant  foreman  and  so 
efficiently  did  he  discharge  his  duties  that  it  was 
a  matter  of  course  when  he  was  called  to  step 
into  the  higher  place  made  vacant  by  his  father's 
resignation.  Under  him  there  are  now  about  one 
hundred  men  and  the  business  is  constantly  in- 
creasing. 

In  Scranton  the  marriage  of  William  Clark  and 
Miss  Annie  M.  Clark  was  celebrated  in  1875. 
She  was  born  in  Dunmore,  Pa.,  being  a  daughter 


of  Thomas  anil  Sarah  (liullock)  Clark,  natives 
of  England,  who  were  married  in  this  country. 
In  1847  I'cr  father  became  an  employe  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  in  Dunmore,  and 
was  assistant  paymaster  until  the  war.  Enlist- 
ing in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry  he  served  until  honorably  dis- 
charged on  account  of  physical  disability.  I'rom 
that  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1872, 
he  was  weighmaster  for  the  Mount  Pleasant  Coal 
Company.  His  family  comprised  four  girls,  all 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  Their  mother  departed 
this  life  in  1889. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  have  had  eight  children, 
but  four  of  the  number  are  dead.  Mary  E.  is 
Mrs.  Perry,  of  this  place;  Charles  is  working  for 
the  same  company  as  is  his  father;  Ale.xander 
P.,  a  graduate  of  the  high  school,  is  in  the  in- 
surance business  with  G.  II.  Birdsall;  and  Will- 
iam E.,  Jr.,  is  learning  the  carpenter's  trade.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist 
Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Qark  is  a  Republican. 
He  helped  organize  Cadet  Corps,  Camp  No.  2, 
and  was  captain  three  times.  Later  the  corps 
was  merged  in  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  becoming 
Camp  No.  8. 


BENJAMIN  F.  COURTRIGHT.  Per- 
haps nowhere  in  South  Abingdon  Town- 
ship are  stronger  evidences  of  good  taste 
to  be  seen  than  on  Willow  Brook  Stock  and 
Dairy  Farm,  of  which  Mr.  Courtright  is  the 
owner.  The  dwelling  is  a  roomy  structure,  pre- 
senting an  appearance  of  home  cheer  and  unpre- 
tentious prosperity,  and  contains  the  modern  im- 
provements, including  steam  heat.  The  various 
outbuildings  are  conveniently  arranged,  and  ade- 
quate for  their  respective  purposes,  while  fields 
and  gardens  are  neatly  kept  and  thoroughly  cul- 
tivated. In  the  embellishment  of  the  place,  the 
owner  has  spent  about  $10,000. 

A  native  of  Wilkesbarre,  bom  May  24,  1824, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Clara  R.  (Williams)  Courtright.  He  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  near  the  city  of  his  birth  and 
received  such  education  as  was  offered  by  the 
neighboring  district   schools.     On    arriving    at 


644 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


man's  estate,  he  selected  for  his  life  work  the 
occupation  of  farming,  with  which  he  was  thor- 
oughly familiar,  and  to  this  he  has  since  devoted 
his  attention.  Remaining  on  the  old  homestead, 
he  purchased  a  portion  of  the  same  in  1863,  but 
four  years  later  he  moved  to  York  State.  He  re- 
mained there  four  years,  then  returned  to  the  old 
neighborhood  near  Wilkesbarre,  where  he  resided 
until  1878,  and  then  purchased  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres,  comprising  his  present  property. 
The  splendid  condition  of  this  place  indicates  his 
perseverance  and  industry. 

In  1861  Mr.  Courtright  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Anna  L.  Mitchell,  who  was  born 
in  Xova  Scotia,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Isabella 
(Smith)  Mitchell.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Isabella,  Clara  R.,  John  M., 
Murray  B.,  Jennie  N.,  May  A.,  Archie  O.,  and 
William  W.,  all  of  whom  were  given  excellent 
educational  advantages  and  are  well  situated  in 
life.  Two  of  the  daughters  are  married,  and  there 
are  five  grandchildren  to  claim  the  love  of  our 
subject  and  his  estimable  wife. 

Not  only  has  Mr.  Courtright  pursued  his  cho- 
sen calling  with  energy  and  brought  to  bear  upon 
it  a  high  degree  of  intelligence,  but  he  has  also 
manifested  an  equal  degree  of  interest  in  the  pub- 
lic welfare.  He  may  be  counted  upon  to  bear  a 
part  in  every  worthy  enterprise  which  is  promul- 
gated in  the  neighborhood,  being  particularly  in- 
terested in  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. He  believes  that  the  principles  laid  down 
in  the  Republican  platform  are  the  best  adapted 
to  the  needs  of  the  nation  and  he  therefore  votes 
a  straight  Republican  ticket.  With  his  family  he 
attends  the  Prcsbvterian  Church. 


EDWARD  F.  BLEWITT.  The  life  of  this 
gentleman  furnishes  an  example  of  what 
a  man  with  brains  and  business  ability  can 
accomplish  by  persistence,  sagacity  and  industry. 
In  its  practical  results,  his  career  is  an  encour- 
agement to  every  struggling  young  man  who 
has  ambition,  resolution  and  a  genius  for  hard 
work.  •  For  ten  years  he  held  the  position  of  city 
engineer  of  Scranton,  this  being  a  longer  period 
than  any  one  had  ever  served  in  that  capacity, 


and  the  importance  of  the  office  was  enhanced  by 
his  intelligent  and  able  administration.  Since  his 
retirement  from  the  position  in  1893,  he  has  en- 
gaged in  the  private  practice  of  civil  and  mining 
engineering. 

The  record  of  the  Blewitt  family  is  found  upon 
another  page,  in  the  sketch  of  Patrick  Blewitt, 
father  of  Edward  F.  The  latter  was  born  in  New 
Orleans,  La.,  January  2,  1859,  and  was  six 
months  old  when  brought  to  Scranton  by  his 
parents.  His  education,  commenced  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  was  continued  in  Merrill's  Academy. 
In  1875  he  entered  the  class  of  1879  in  the  civil 
engineering  course  at  Lafayette  College,  Easton, 
Pa.,  and  four  years  later  graduated  with  the  de- 
gree of  C.  E.,  being  the  youngest  member  of  his 
class.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he  was  em- 
ployed as  principal  of  ward  schools  for  three 
years  and  then  began  work  as  a  civil  engineer 
under  Capt.  Frank  P.  Amsden,  remaining  with 
that  gentleman  until  his  resignation  as  city  en- 
gineer in  1883,  when  he  was  elected  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term.  Later  he  succeeded  himself 
until  1893,  filling  the  office  for  ten  years.  The 
majority  of  the  engineering  contracts  in  the  city 
were  filled  under  his  supervision  and  the  value 
of  the  improvements  introduced  amounted  to 
$1,000,000,  including  the  building  of  bridges  over 
creeks  and  river,  grading  the  streets  and  building 
sewers.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  has  been 
intimately  connected  with  the  progress  of  the 
city  and  the  development  of  its  resources. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Blewitt,  Miss  Mary  E. 
Stanton,  was  born  in  Scranton,  to  which  place 
her  father,  James,  came  from  Ireland,  securing 
employment  here  as  a  stationary  engineer.  Mrs. 
Blewitt  died  in  1887,  having  been  the  mother  of 
four  children,  Gertrude,  Patrick,  Arthur  and  Ger- 
aldine.  The  present  wife  of  Mr.  Blewitt  was 
Anna  Blackwell,  a  native  of  Hazleton,  this  state, 
and  daughter  of  Lewis  G.  Blackwell,  who  for 
many  years  was  an  engineer  on  the  Lehigh  Val- 
ley Railroad,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  Hazle- 
ton. Her  great-grandfather,  Capt.  Elisha  Black- 
well,  gained  his  title  through  service  in  the 
Revolution,  where  he  fought  at  Bunker  Hill  and 
in  other  important  engagements,  afterward  set- 
tling in  New  Jersey. 


HON.  FRANK  J.  GROVER. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


647 


Active  in  politics,  Mr.  Blewitt  has  frequently 
served  his  party,  the  Democratic,  as  delegate  to 
local  and  state  conventions,  as  member  of  county 
committees  and  chairman  of  the  legislative  dis- 
trict convention.  His  recent  service  as  chair- 
man of  the  city  convention  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  advance  the  interests  of  the  party  and 
proved  his  ability  in  the  conduct  of  important 
issues.  He  has  represented  the  fourteenth  ward 
upon  the  board  of  school  control  and  in  other 
positions  has  been  instrumental  in  advancing 
the  best  interests  of  the  city. 


HON.  FRANK  J.  GROVER.  From  the 
time  when,  a  youth  of  seventeen,  he  en- 
listed in  the  defense  of  his  country  and 
served  valiantly  on  many  a  closely-contested 
field,  to  the  present  time,  when  he  is  known  as 
a  business  man  of  iloosic  and  representative  of 
his  district  in  the  legislature  1895-96,  Mr.  Grover 
has  borne  an  honorable  part  in  civic  affairs  and 
has  shown  himself  to  be  a  progressive  citizen. 
His  work  as  a  legislator  was  satisfactory  to  his 
constituents  and  in  the  house  he  rendered  effi- 
cient service  on  the  military,  iron  and  coal,  leg- 
islative and  apportionment  committees. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Jacob  and  Mary 
C.  (Fenner)  Grover,  were  natives  respectively  of 
Lehigh  and  Monroe  Counties,  Pa.,  and  had  two 
children,  but  Frank  J.  alone  survives.  The 
mother  passed  away  at  the  old  homestead  in 
Northampton  County,  when  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  The  father,  who  was  a  railroad  contractor 
in  early  manhood  and  later  an  agriculturist,  died 
in  1882.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Northampton 
County  June  20,  1845,  and  received  a  district- 
school  education.  When  the  war  broke  out  he 
was  in  his  sixteenth  year,  but  in  spite  of  his  youth 
was  at  once  anxious  to  enter  the  service  and  re- 
spond to  the  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops 
for  three  months.  However,  his  parents  refused 
to  permit  him  to  enhst.  It  was  natural  that  he 
should  feel  a  patriotic  devotion  to  country,  for  it 
was  his  by  inheritance,  his  grandfather  having 
serv'cd  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  liis  great-grand- 
father in  the  Revolution. 


When  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-third  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry  was  recruited  in  Northampton 
County,  a  friend  and  neighbor  of  the  family  was 
chosen  captain  of  Company  D,  and  as  the  boy 
still  insisted  upon  enlisting,  his  parents  placed 
him  under  the  care  of  the  captain.  It  was  then 
July  of  1862  and  the  country  was  in  the  midst  of 
its  great  civil  strife.  With  his  regiment  he  was 
assigned  to  the  Eleventh  Corps  and  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Dumries,  Chancellorsville  and 
Gettysburg.  At  Chancellorsville  the  regiment 
was  on  the  extreme  right  where  Stonewall  Jack- 
son attacked,  talcing  many  prisoners.  On  the 
first  day  at  Gettysburg  they  occupied  the  same 
position,  the  extreme  right,  and  lost  two  hun- 
dred and  eleven  men  out  of  five  hundred  and 
forty-five.  When  Lee  retreated,  Mr.  Grover  and 
seventy-five  others  were  on  the  skirmish  line  and 
advanced,  being  the  first  to  search  the  houses. 
He  entered  a  house  and  found  a  rebel  sharp- 
shooter, whom  he  took  prisoner  and  marched  to 
headquarters  on  the  square.  For  meritorious 
conduct  in  this  engagement,  he  was  promoted  to 
be  sergeant. 

On  being  honorably  discharged,  Mr.  Grover 
returned  home  and  entered  the  Allentown  Semi- 
nary, later  graduated  from  Eastman's  Business 
College  at  Poughkeepsie.  On  the  completion  of 
his  studies  he  became  time  keeper  and  paymaster 
for  his  father,  who  was  a  railroad  builder  and 
contractor.  September  10,  1867,  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  E.  Worden,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  When 
his  father  purchased  a  farm  and  retired  from 
railroading,  Frank  J.  took  up  the  business  of 
contracting  and  lumbering.  In  i88r  he  came  to 
this  county  and  settled  in  Moosic,  where  he  has 
since  had  charge  of  a  large  lumber  business. 
Like  all  old  soldiers  he  is  interested  in  the  Grand 
Army;  he  held  the  position  of  past  commander  of 
his  post  and  has  represented  Post  No.  450  in  the 
department  encampment  every  year  since  it  was 
organized.  Since  1870  he  has  been  a  member  of 
Porter  Lodge  No.  284,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  1877 
was  elected  worshipful  master  of  the  lodge,  also 
was  chosen  representative  to  the  grand  lodge. 
He  is  a  member  of  Allen  Commandery  No.  20, 
K.  T.,  Keystone  Consistory  of  Scranton,  and 
Irem  Temple,   Nobles  of  the  Mystic   Shrine  of 


648 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Wilkcsbarre.  The  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of 
America  and  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
number  him  among  their  members.  While  in 
the  field  he  cast  his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln and  has  since  always  voted  the  Republican 
ticket. 


STERLING  BARDELL  TRIPP,  one  of  the 
well  known  coal  men  of  Scranton,  was  born 
in  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Feb- 
ruary 16.  1848.  His  father,  Thomas  Bardell,  who 
was  born  in  Euzerne  County,  of  German  descent, 
died  when  the  son  was  only  six  months  old,  and 
the  widowed  mother  afterward  becoming  the  wife 
of  Iloldcn  Tripp,  Ijy  an  act  of  the  Pennsylvania 
legislature  the  name  of  the  child  was  changed  to 
that  of  his  adopted  father.  Holden  Tripp,  brother 
of  Col.  Ira  Tripp,  was  born  on  the  family  home- 
stead in  Scranton  and  there  engaged  in  farming 
during  his  earlier  life,  but  in  1853  sold  his  prop- 
erty and  purchased  that  owned  by  Jacob  Shoe- 
maker on  the  back  road.  After  fifteen  years 
there,  he  became  interested  in  a  milling  project. 
He  built  the  first  brick  house  on  the  road  and 
this,  with  the  property  adjoining,  is  now  owned 
by  his  heirs.  He  died  December  30,  1870,  at 
the  age  of  forty-six. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sallie,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Shoemaker  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Ira 
Tripp.  She  died  in  Pittston  May  11,  1878,  aged 
fifty-three.  The  only  child  of  her  first  marriage 
was  Sterling  Bardell,  adopted  son  of  Holden 
Tri])p.  To  her  second  marriage  were  Ijorn  six 
ciiildrcn,  namely:  Oscar,  who  died  in  Provi- 
dence in  ciiildhood;  Mrs.  Marcia  Morgan,  of 
Wyoming;  William  S.,  who  died  in  Wyoming. 
Pa.;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Gregory,  also  of  that  city; 
Charles  C,  who  resides  in  Scranton;  and  Ira  II., 
who  died  in  this  city. 

When  the  family  went  from  Providence  to 
Wyoming  in  1853,  our  subject  was  taken  with 
them  to  that  city,  where  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  seminary.  He  assisted  his  father  in 
the  hotel,  later  upon  the  farm.  A  rather  unusual 
incident  served  to  afifect  his  after  life  and  changed 
the  even  tenor  of  his  way.  From  all  the  boys  in 
the  village,  he  was  selected  by  Payne  Pettibone, 
a  wealthv  man,  who  built  the  Methodist  Church 


in  Wyoming  and  was  his  Sunday-school  teacher 
there.  This  gentleman  taking  'a  fancy  to  him, 
took  him  south,  starting  January  19,  1870,  going 
from  Cincinnati  to  Louisville,  then  to  Memphis, 
where  they  arrived  January  22.  At  Memphis 
they  met  Rev.  Mr.  Pern,  under  whom  Mr.  Petti- 
bone had  experienced  religion,  while  he  was  a 
minister  at  Wyoming.  There  they  took  the  train 
to  New  Orleans,  arriving  at  the  famous  old  St. 
Charles  Hotel  January  26.  They  proceeded  to 
New  Iberia  by  railroad  and  boat,  reaching  tlieir 
destination  January  30.  He  was  given  a  position 
as  assistant  foreman  of  a  sugar  plantation  com- 
prising three  thousand  acres,  and  there  he  spent 
three  years  and  three  months,  meantime  having 
many  interesting  experiences.  In  June,  1871,  he 
returned  home,  and  after  a  visit  of  six  weeks  re- 
turned to  resume  his  work.  April  19,  1873,  he  re- 
turned permanently  to  the  north. 

After  a  short  time  on  the  farm,  Mr.  Tripp 
rented  the  place  and  took  a  position  as  second 
clerk  with  J.  D.  Green  of  Wyoming.  An  illness 
of  six  weeks  was  followed  by  his  acceptance,  upon 
recovery,  of  the  position  of  contractor  for  the 
shovel  works,  and  when  the  building  was  com- 
pleted he  w^as  employed  there  as  shipping  clerk 
until  December  2,  1875.  The  illness  of  his 
brother,  W^illiam,  who  was  superintendent  of  the 
Tripp  mine,  caused  him  to  come  to  Scranton, 
and  as  his  brother's  health  was  too  poor  to  per- 
mit him  to  continue  the  work,  he  succeeded  to 
the  position  of  superintendent,  which  he  held 
until  the  mine  was  exhausted.  The  mine  was 
operated  by.  Tripp  &  Co.,  the  firm  consisting  of 
the  Ira  Tripp  heirs  and  Daniel  Langstafif.  The 
name  of  the  mine,  "Black  Leg,"  was  given  to  it 
during  the  big  strike,  when  it  was  the  only  one 
that  continued  to  run  uninterrupted.  August  31, 
1895,  the  coal  being  exhausted,  the  mine  was 
closed.  Soon  afterward  our  subject  formed  a 
partnership  with  J.  E.  Johnson  as  S.  B.  Tripp 
&  Co.,  and  engaged  in  the  retail  coal  business  in 
Providence  Road.  In  October,  1896,  the  part- 
nership was  dissolved,  Mr.  Johnson  continuing 
the  business.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Tripp  had 
located  at  No.  1133  Providence  Road,  corner  of 
Court  Street,  where  in  1895  he  built  a  double 
brick  store,  and  this  he  has  since  rented. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


649 


August  8,  1881,  Mr.  Tripp  married  Miss  Josie 
H.  Chase,  who  was  born  near  Factoryville,  Wy- 
oming County,  daughter  of  Henry,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Gordon  Chase,  an  early  settler  of 
Wyoming  County  and  member  of  an  old  Rhode 
Island  family.  Her  father,  who  was  a  farmer  in 
Wyoming  County,  retired  to  Scranton  and  died 
at  the  home  of  S.  B.  Tripp  in  May,  1885,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-nine;  he  married  Elizabeth  Caiuion, 
who  was  born  in  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  and  who  died 
at  the  home  of  Mr.  Tripp,  February  27,  1893, 
aged  seventy-five.  Both  were  Methodists  in  re- 
ligious belief.  They  had  two  children,  Mrs.  Tripp 
and  H.  W.  Chase,  M.  D.,  a  graduate  of  the  medi- 
cal department  of  the  Michigan  State  University, 
member  of  a  New  York  regiment  during  the  en- 
tire period  of  the  war,  and  deceased  in  Tunkhan- 
nock  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Mrs.  Tripp  was 
one  of  the  first  students  of  Keystone  Academy 
and  became  a  skilled  musician,  teaching  the  art 
for  some  time  in  young  womanhood.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Providence  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  a  generous  contributor  to  all  benevo- 
lent enterprises  of  her  neighborhood.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Tripp  is  identified  with  tlie  Heptasophs  and 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  in  po- 
litical belief  is  a  Republican,  but  carries  his  con- 
nection with  politics  no  farther  than  the  casting 
of  his  vote  for  the  candidates  of  his  party,  having 
always  refused  offers  of  nominations  for  office. 


VICTOR  BURSCHEL,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  energetic  young  men  of 
Dttmnorc,  is  now  the  efficient  burgess  of 
the  borougk  of  Dunmorc,  and  station  agent  for 
the  Erie  &  A\'yoniing-  \''alley  Railroad.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  which  is  still  his  hf)me,  Decem- 
ber 3,  1869.  a  son  of  J.  A.  A.  and  Anna  (Luchin- 
ger)  Burschel,  natives  of  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany, 
and  Canton  Luzerne,  Switzerland,  respectively. 
When  a  girl  the  mother  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  father,  Parthauser  Luchinger, 
who  settled  in  Pittston,  Pa.  She  now  makes  her 
home  in  Dunmore. 

Col.  Peter  Burschel,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  obtained  his  title  in  the  German 
revolution  of  184S,  and  after  that  struggle  came 


to  America  with  Carl  Schurz.  When  visiting  their 
native  land  in  1869  they  were  arrested  and  im- 
prisoned, but  as  they  had  American  naturaliza- 
tion papers  they  were  discharged.  When  the 
Colonel  took  up  his  residence  in  Dunmore  the 
place  was  known  as  Bucktown,  and  he  entered 
the  employ  of  L.  H.  Scranton,  working  for  fifty 
cents  per  day.  In  connection  with  his  sons  he 
later  embarked  in  the  brewing  business,  erect- 
ing the  Keystone  brewery  on  Blakely  Street,  but 
he  spent  his  last  years  in  retirement,  dying  in 
Dunmore  when  past  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

J.  A.  A.  Burschel  did  not  come  to  the  United 
States  until  three  months  after  his  father  had 
located  here,  and  in  Dunmore  grew  to  manhood. 
He  became  interested  in  the  Keystone  brewery, 
of  which  he  was  later  sole  owner,  but  afterward 
sold  out  and  removed  to  Pittston,  where  he  built 
the  Forest  Castle  brewery  and  did  an  extensive 
business  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1883,  when  in  his  forty-eighth  year.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  with  which 
he  faithfully  served  until  the  close  of  the  rebel- 
lion, being  clerk  most  of  the  time  for  Colonel, 
(later  Governor)  Hoyt.  For  a  time  he  filled  the 
office  of  deputy  internal  revenue  collector  for 
his  district,  and  was  foreman  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment at  Pittston.  He  was  an  honored  member 
of  a  number  of  secret  societies. 

An  only  child,  Victor  Burschel  was  provided 
with  good  educational  privilegea,  graduating  from 
the  high  school,  then  attending  the  School  of 
the  Lackawanna,  and  also  Wood's  Business 
College.  In  1887  he  became  clerk  in  the  audit- 
ing department  of  the  Erie  &  Wyoming  Valley 
Railroad,  was  subsequently  made  chief  clerk,  and 
in  1893  was  appointed  station  agent  at  Dun- 
more, which  position  he  still  fills  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  concerned.  In  that  city  he  married 
Miss  Minnie  Haut,  a  native  of  D\iiuni)re  and  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Haut,  now  deceased,  W'ho  was 
an  early  settler  of  that  place.  Three  children 
grace  this  union:  Lawrence.  \'iolet  and  Ruth. 
The  family  occupy  a  [)lcasant  residence  on  Blake- 
ly Street. 

In  1885  Mr.  Burschel  organized  the  first  fire 
company  in  Dinunore,  known  as  the  Independ- 


6so 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ent  Hose  Company,  Xo.  i,  of  which  he  served  as 
foreman  until  elected  chief  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment in  1890.  By  re-election  he  has  continued  to 
fill  that  responsible  position  up  to  March  i,  when 
he  was  advanced  to  chief  bursjess.  Through  his 
able  management  the  department  is  one  of  the 
best  to  be  found  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
has  put  in  the  Gaincwell  fire  alarm  system,  has  in- 
troduced all  modern  improvements,  and  has  a 
well-organized  department  of  over  five  hundred 
volunteer  firemen.  Besides  the  Independent 
Hose  Company,  he  has  organized  the  Neptune 
Fire  Company,  John  B.  Smith  Hose  Company, 
Electric  Engine  Company,  A.  D.  Spencer  Hose 
Company  and  Anthracite  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  tlie 
State  Firemen's  Association,  and  the  National 
I'"iremen's  Association,  whose  meetings  he  has 
often  attended. 

Mr.  Burschel  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Dunmore  Electric  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Com- 
pany, in  which  he  is  still  interested.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  leading  member  of  Pe(|uest  Tribe  No.  339, 
Order  of  Red  Men,  of  which  he  is  past  sachem; 
is  a  past  ofificer  in  both  Washington  Camp  No. 
226,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.  and  the  Knights  of  the  Mystic 
Chain,  and  belongs  to  Dunmore  Council  No. 
1022,  Junior  American  Mechanics.  For  the  sec- 
ond time  he  has  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment  Pennsylvania  National  Guards, 
in  which  he  is  now  serving  as  corporal.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian.  He  is  an 
earnest  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  which  he  always  supports  by  his 
ballot,  and  in  February,  1897,  he  was  unanimous- 
ly nominated  by  acclamation  for  the  important 
office  of  burgess  of  Dunmore  and  was  elected  for 
a  term  of  three  years. 


W  II. 1. 1  AM  II.  HORN.  The  traveling 
luililic  appreciates  tlie  comforts  of  a 
good  hotel.  That  this  is  true  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  Green  Ridge  House 
in  Scranton  has  a  large  share  of  the  patronage 
of  connnercial  travelers,  and  tliose  who  have  once 
stoi)pcd  there  invariably  make  it  their  headquar- 


ters when  returning  to  this  locality.  The  build- 
ing is  large,  equipped  with  modern  improve- 
ments, and  fitted  up  in  a  comfortable  manner. 
While  the  hotel  is  still  owned  by  Captain  Horn, 
it  is  under  the  active  management  of  his  son, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  devotes  his  en- 
tire time  to  making  a  success  of  the  business. 

For  a  history  of  the  familv,  reference  may  be 
made  to  the  biography  of  Capt.  John  Horn,  pre- 
sented on  another  page  of  this  volume.  William 
H.  was  born  in  Danville,  Montour  Countv,  Pa., 
December  25,  1861,  and  was  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  Scranton  in  1865.  Here  he  was  reared 
and  educated,  attending  the  public  and  high 
schools.  On  completing  his  studies  he  became 
an  apprentice  to  the  painter's  trade  under  Peter 
Cretcr,  with  whom  he  remained  for  six  and  one- 
half  years,  in  that  way  gaining  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  business.  In  1878  he  went  west  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  was  employed  for  a  year  in 
the  mill  of  the  Vulcan  Steel  Company.  Thence 
he  went  to  Chicago  and  was  occupied  there 
as  a  contracting  painter  until  1886,  when  he  went 
to  Buffalo  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  that  city 
for  two  years.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he  con- 
tinued the  painting  business  in  the  shops  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company,  remaining  there  until  April,  1896,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  proprietor  of  the  Green 
Ridge  House  at  No.  1536  Dickson  Avenue,  Green 
Ridge,  Scranton. 

While  in  Buffalo  Mr.  Horn  married  Miss 
Louisa  Miller,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Frank  and  John. 
Mrs.  Horn  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  Fraternally  our  subject  is  identi- 
fied with  Lieut.  Ezra  GrifSn  Camp  No.  8,  Sons 
of  Veterans.  He  is  a  member  of  General  Piiin- 
ney  Engine  Company  No.  4,  was  formeriy  con- 
nected with  Franklin  Junior  Fire  Company  No. 
1,  and  holds  membership  in  the  Volunteer  Fire- 
men's Mutual  Benefit  Association  of  Scranton. 
During  the  existence  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  of 
the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  he  was  drum- 
mer in  Company  A  and  with  the  other  members 
was  on  the  way  to  Pittsburg  at  the  time  of  the 
riols,  l,n(  ,,n  reaching  Harrisl)urg  karned  that 
order  had  ln-en  restored  and  it  was  therefore  un- 


KKV.  JAMKS  B.   WHEI.AN. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


653 


necessary  to  proceed  further.  Like  his  father 
he  is  fond  of  a  dog  and  has  some  fine  specimens 
at  his  place.  He  has  never  been  actively  con- 
nected with  political  affairs,  but  keeps  posted  on 
the  subject  and  takes  an  interest  in  matters  con- 
ducing to  the  progress  of  the  people. 


REV.  JAMES  B.  WHELAN.  St.  Patrick's 
Church  in  Scranton  was  organized  from 
St.  Peter's  Church,  the  first  rector  being 
Father  Roche,  wlio  was  succeeded  by  Father 
Whelan,  the  present  pastor.  At  the  time  the  lat- 
ter was  called  to  the  rectorship,  the  congregation 
was  weak  and  the  church  property  consisted  only 
of  a  frame  edifice  in  Price  Street  and  a  small 
parsonage.  In  1883,  the  year  after  he  came  here, 
he  began  the  erection  of  the  present  structure, 
which  is  built  of  brick,  in  Gothic  style,  and  is 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  long.  The  in- 
terior decorations  are  harmonious  and  the  fur- 
nishings appropriate.  The  music  is  a  special 
feature,  being  in  charge  of  Haydn  Evans,  who 
has  organized  a  grand  choir  and  whose  skilled 
touch  evokes  rhythmic  harmonies  from  the  large 
and  sweet-toned  pipe  organ.  The  congregation 
now  numbers  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  fam- 
ilies. 

After  the  completion  of  the  house  of  worship. 
Father  Whelan  bought  ground  and  erected  a 
school  building  in  South  Sumner  Avenue,  ad- 
joining the  church.  This  is  a  two-story  building, 
with  basement,  45x85  feet  in  dimensions,  and 
containing  ten  class  rooms,  where  instruction  is 
given  to  about  seven  hundred  pupils  by  the 
Sisters  of  the  Immaculate  Heart.  The  system 
is  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  public  schools, 
the  work  being  graded  carefully.  In  the  senior 
year  Latin  and  French  are  taught,  and  a  com- 
mercial course  may  be  taken  by  those  desiring. 
Music  and  art  are  taught  in  the  convent  that  ad- 
joins the  school. 

In  1895  the  parochial  residence  was  built  on 
the  corner  of  Jackson  Street  and  South  Sumner 
Avenue.  It  is  54x62  feet  in  dimensions  and  three 
stories  high,  and  both  in  its  interior  and  exterior 
finishings  is  a  model  of  the  workman's  art.  In 
connection  with  the  church  there  are  several  tem- 


perance, benevolent,  literary  and  social  societies. 
Angels  Sodality  for  children  and  Blessed  Vir- 
gins Sodality  for  young  ladies.  To  aid  in  the 
supervision  of  the  work  and  the  oversight  of 
the  large  membership,  there  are  two  assistants. 

Father  Whelan  is  a  son  of  Michael  Whelan,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  and  settled  in  New  York, 
where  he  was  a  hatter  on  Broadway.  Thence  he 
removed  to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
made  his  home  on  a  farm  until  his  death  at  eighty- 
one  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Burke,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
being  the  daughter  of  a  farmer  of  Susquehanna 
County,  who  removed  from  there  to  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  and  died  at  one  hundred  and  two  years  of 
age.  Mrs.  Whelan  died  prior  to  her  husband's 
death ;  the  old  family  homestead  where  so  much 
of  their  lives  was  passed  is  still  owned  by  their 
son. 

Born  in  New  York  City,  our  subject  spent  his 
childhood  years  in  Susquehanna  County,  where 
he  studied  in  a  little  log  schoolhouse,  con- 
taining slab  benches  for  seats  and  provided  with 
a  board  by  the  side  of  the  wall  that  answered  the 
purpose  of  a  writing  desk.  Shortly  after  he  was 
twelve  he  entered  St.  Joseph's  College  in  Susque- 
hanna County  and  when  it  was  burned  down,  be- 
came a  student  in  the  College  of  St.  Mary  of  the 
Angels,  at  Niagara,  N.  Y.,  where  he  completed 
the  classical  course.  From  there  he  went  to  St. 
Charles  Seminary,  Philadelphia,  but  after  one 
year  the  institution  was  moved  to  Overbrook  and 
thither  he  also  went. 

In  the  fall  of  1872  Bishop  O'Hara  sent  for 
Father  Whelan,  and  January  i  of  the  following 
year  he  was  ordained  in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral, 
Scranton.  His  first  position  was  that  of  assist- 
ant in  St.  Vincent's  Church,  but  after  three 
months  he  was  sent  to  Providence  as  assistant  to 
Father  Whitty  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  For  the  five 
years  ensuing  he  was  assistant  in  Sts.  Peter  and 
Paul  Church,  Towanda,  Bradford  County,  and 
was  then  sent  to  take  charge  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church  at  Olyphant,  but  left  that  place  after  six 
months  in  order  to  accept  the  rectorship  of  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  Scranton.     Since  the  death  of 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Father  Whitty,  he  has  been  secretary  of  the  board 
of  directors  of  St.  Patrick's  Orphan  Asykini, 
maintained  by  the  Scranton  diocese,  where  boys 
and  girls  of  any  color  or  religion  are  given  a 
home  and  education.  At  present  there  are  one 
lumdred  and  thirty-six  in  the  school,  and  they 
will  be  kept  there  until  thirteen,  when  they  will 
be  provided  with  good  homes  elsewhere. 


Rl'.W  r.  J.  McMANUS.  When  very  early  in 
1887  it  was  decided  to  organize  St.  Paul's 
Church  in  Scranton,  Father  McManus 
was  appointed  to  effect  an  organization  and  build 
up  a  congregation, — a  difficult  task,  but  one 
which  he  accomplished  with  flattering  success. 
Until  such  time  as  an  edifice  could  be  erected, 
he  built  a  teniporar)'  church  called  the  "wig- 
wam," which  stood  near  the  site  of  the  present 
house  of  worship.  As  time  passed  by  and  the 
membership  increased,  it  became  possible  to  erect 
a  more  substantial  structure,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1890  the  cornerstone  of  the  church  was  laid, 
the  building  being  completed  for  occupancy  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year.  The  church  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  worship  of  God  December  21,  i8go, 
and  on  the  same  day  occurred  the  first  baptism  in 
the  new  edifice,  that  of  Arthur  Eugene,  son  of 
Eugene  and  Mary  (Farrell)  Hayden,  sponsors 
M.  J.  Horn  and  Mary  Farrell.  The  first  mar- 
riage was  that  of  Thomas  Walsh  and  Catherine 
Cowley,  solemnized  January  i,  1891,  witnesses 
Patrick  Coultry  and  Margaret  Cowley. 

The  first  floor  of  the  church  is  used  for  relig- 
ious services,  while  the  second  floor  contains  the 
parochial  school,  one  of  the  best  in  the  city.  The 
space  is  divided  into  six  rooms,  where  nine  teach- 
ers, Sisters  of  the  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary  un- 
der the  supervision  of  Sister  Superior  Cyril,  in- 
struct pupils,  beginning  with  kindergarten  work 
and  gradually  advancing  to  composition,  writ- 
ing, spelling  and  other  grammar  school  studies, 
then  taking  Latin,  bookkeeping,  type  writing, 
etc.,  until  the  student  is  fitted  for  business  life  or 
college.  The  third  floor  is  a  music  studio,  where 
the  best  teachers  furnish  instruction  in  vocal  and 
instrumental  music.  At  this  writing  there  are 
three  hundred  and  thirty  pupils  in  the  school. 


Besides  the  other  rooms  there  is  a  fine  stage,  with 
facilities  for  lectures,  socials  and  public  entertain- 
ments. 

In  Jeanesville,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  December  i,  1848, 
to  Felix  and  Bridget  (Dolan)  McManus,  natives 
of  County  Cavan,  Ireland.  His  father,  who  came 
to  America  about  1840,  settled  in  Schenectady, 
N.  Y.,  afterward  removed  to  Whitehaven,  Pa., 
thence  to  Beaver  Meadows,  Carbon  County,  and 
from  there  to  Jeanesville.  While  engaged  in  min- 
ing in  the  last-named  place,  at  forty-two  years  of 
age,  he  was  accidentally  killed  by  an  explosion 
in  a  mine.  His  widow  reared  the  family  in  Jeanes- 
ville, then  went  to  Wilkesbarre,  and  subsequently 
to  Scranton,  where  she  spent  her  last  years  with 
our  subject.  Her  family  consisted  of  five  sons 
and  one  daughter,  namely:  Michael,  who  is  in 
California:  Bernard,  a  practicing  attorney  of 
Wilkesbarre;  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Kelly,  a  resident 
of  Wilkesbarre;  Peter,  who  engaged  in  teaching 
school  imtil  his  death  in  Jeanesville  in  1877; 
Patrick  J.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Thomas,  who  died 
in  Scranton. 

After  having  for  some  time  attended  the 
schools  of  Jeanesville,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
entered  the  Catholic  college  at  Allegany,  Cat- 
taraugus County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  a 
year.  For  two  years  following  he  was  a  student 
in  St.  Charles  Preparatory  Seminary  in  Glen 
Riddle,  Pa.,  after  which  he  entered  St.  Charles 
Theological  Seminary  in  Philadelphia.  When 
the  institution  was  moved  to  Overbrook,  he  went 
there,  remaining  until  his  graduation  in  1872. 
On  the  14th  of  July,  that  year,  in  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral,  Scranton,  he  was  ordained  to  the 
priesthood  and  afterward  served  as  an  assistant 
at  Scranton,  Wilkesbarre,  Dunmore,  then  back 
to  Wilkesbarre,  and  from  there  was  transferred 
to  the  rectorship  of  the  church  at  Great  Bend, 
Susquehanna  County,  where  he  remained  about 
three  and  one-half  years. 

In  January,  1887,  Father  McManus  was  ap- 
jKjinted  to  organize  St.  Paul's  Church  from  parts 
of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  St.  Peters 
Cathedral,  and  St.  Marys,  Dunmore.  This  work 
he  accomplished  and  now  has  a  thriving  congre- 
gation and  substantial  church,  located  at  No.  1503 


HENRY  SUMMERS. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


655 


Penn  Avenue.  Connected  with  the  church  are 
the  usual  temperance,  benevolent  and  Hterary  so- 
cieties, Sodality  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  Angels 
Sodality,  Sacred  Heart  and  Altar  Societies,  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  a  well  organized  literary 
society,  three  branches  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Hibernians  and  an  Emerald  Society.  The  parish 
contains  three  hundred  any  fifty  families  that  are 
actively  identified  with  the  congregatioti. 

At  the  organization  of  the  Albright  Library, 
Mayor  Fellows  appointed  Father  McManus  one 
of  its  directors  and  he  was  afterward  again  ap- 
pointed by  the  council  and  still  holds  the  posi- 
tion. He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Green  Ridge 
Library,  and  in  1895  was  president  of  the  board. 
For  three  years  he  was  president  of  Father  Mat- 
thew's Total  Abstinence  Union  of  the  Scranton 
Diocese,  and  he  is  now  serving  as  president  of 
St.  Joseph's  Society  that  has  charge  of  the  Found- 
lings Home.  In  educational  and  religious  work 
he  has  been  very  efficient,  and  personally  is  re- 
spected by  citizens  of  all  classes  and  denomina- 
tions. 


HENRY  SOMMERS,  ex-county  protho- 
notary,  settled  in  Carbondale  in  1845  ''"d 
five  years  later  removed  to  Dunmore,  of 
which  he  is  probably  the  oldest  surviving  settler. 
He  was  born  June  24,  1829,  in  Laudenbach,  six 
miles  from  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  the  son  of 
Christopher  and  Elizabeth  (Scheifler)  Sommers, 
natives  of  the  same  place.  His  father,  who  was 
engaged  in  transporting  merchandise  to  various 
places  in  Germany,  France  and  Switzerland,  died 
in  1834,  and  the  children  were  reared  by  their 
mother,  who,  in  advanced  years,  joined  them  in 
America  and  died  in  Dunmore,  aged  sixty-four 
years.  The  older  son,  Peter,  came  to  America 
in  1843  3nd  secured  work  in  the  mines  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  at  Car- 
bondale, but  afterward  was  teaming  between 
Scranton  and  Carbondale,  and  in  later  years  set- 
tled upon  a  farm  near  Crystal  Lake,  where  he 
still  resides.  The  only  daughter,  Mrs.  Catherine 
Ditmore,  died  in  Dunmore.    ' 

Harry  Sommers  (by  which  name  oin-  subject  is 
best  known)  was  the  youngest  of  three  children, 


and  was  educated  in  the  German  schools,  which 
he  attended  until  fifteen  years  of  age.  In  1845 
he  took  passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  at  Bremen 
and  after  a  voyage  of  three  months  landed  at 
New  York,  proceeding  from  there  to  Carbondale, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  25th  of  August.  lie  was 
apprenticed  to  a  jeweler,  John  Reider,  of  that 
place  and  continued  with  him  for  some  years. 
In  January,  1850,  he  came  to  Dunmore,  where 
for  two  years  he  was  employed  in  a  shop  in  Blake- 
ly  Street,  then  bought  out  his  employer  in  1852 
and  continued  the  business  there.  In  1880  he 
sold  out  and  retired  from  the  jewelry  business. 

Upon  the  Republican  ticket,  in  1878,  Mr.  Som- 
mers was  elected  county  prothonotary,  but  the 
supreme  court  decided  the  election  illegal  because 
held  on  too  short  a  notice.  He  refused  the  ap- 
pointment for  a  year,  but  in  1879  again  became  a 
candidate  and  was  elected,  taking  his  seat  in 
January,  1880,  for  three  years.  During  that 
time  the  courthouse  was  completed  and  he  was 
the  first  prothonotary  there.  In  the  fall  of  1882 
he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  sheriflf,  but 
was  defeated  with  the  majority  of  that  party's  can- 
didates. Meantime,  the  results  of  the  same  elec- 
tion were  contested  by  Thomas  H.  Dale,  Re- 
publican candidate  for  prothonotary,  whose  op- 
ponent, McDonough  (Democrat),  had  been  de- 
clared elected.  Pending  the  decision,  Mr.  Som- 
mers held  the  office.  The  contest  lasted  two 
years  and  ten  months,  making  his  tenure  of  office 
five  years  and  ten  months.  In  November,  1885, 
when  the  lower  court  decided  in  favor  of  Dale, 
he  retired  from  the  office.  He  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican  since  i860  and  may  always  be  re- 
lied upon  to  do  whatever  he  can  to  advance  his 
party's  welfare.  In  1889,  when  Maj.  T.  F.  Pen- 
man became  collector  of  internal  revenue,  Mr. 
Sommers  was  appointed  general  store  keeper  of 
the  twelfth  district,  and  held  the  position  during 
that  gentleman's  tenure  of  office  and  eight  months 
under  his  successor,  discharging  his  duties  in  a 
manner  satisfactory  to  all.  A  change  of  politics 
in  the  administration  caused  his  retirement  from 
the  office  in  May,  1894. 

In  1856  Mr.  Sommers  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Dunmore  under  the  adniim'stration  of 
President  Pierce  and  held  the  office  under  Presi- 


656 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR.\PHICAL  RECORD. 


dent  Buchanan,  resigiiinp  in  1861.  In  1872, 
under  General  Grant's  administration,  he  was 
again  appointed  postmaster  and  continued  to 
serve  in  that  capacity  under  President  Hayes,  re- 
signing in  Januar\-,  1880,  to  accept  the  position 
of  prothonotary.  In  1871  he  was  appointed 
director  of  the  poor  by  President-Judge  Harding 
of  Luzerne  County,  and  represented  Dunmore 
in  the  Providence  (now  the  Scranton)  poor  dis- 
trict. In  1877  he  was  again  appointed,  and  in 
1880,  by  President-Judge  Rice,  serving  until  1883. 
During  seven  years  of  that  time  he  was  president 
of  the  board.  His  popularity  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that,  though  Dunmore  had  a  Democratic  ma- 
jority of  three  hundred,  he  was  elected  protho- 
notary, with  a  majority  from  tliat  borough  of 
three  hundred  and  three.  At  the  time  of  the  ex- 
citement regarding  the  separation  of  Lackwanna 
from  Luzerne  County,  he  worked  tirelessly  for  the 
new  county  and  was  one  of  the  stanch  friends  of 
the  movement.  During  thirteen  years  of  his  of- 
ficial life  he  made  his  home  in  Scranton,  but  after- 
ward returned  to  Dunmore,  where  he  resides  on 
the  corner  of  Blakely  and  Dudley  Streets.  In 
addition  to  property  here  he  has  realty  in  Hones- 
dale.  He  has  been  delegate  to  county  and  state 
conventions  and  has  been  interested  in  all  public 
movements.  After  coming  to  Dunmore  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Thomas  Griffin. 
a  farmer  of  Providence,  where  she  was  born  and 
reared.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters: 
Ida,  Mrs.  F.  L.  Bishop,  and  Lillian,  Mrs.  William 
T.  Wood,  both  of  Honesdale,  this  state.  The 
family  attend  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Dun- 
more. 


CJ  lARLES  S.  JACOBS.  Some  years  ago 
Mr.  Jacobs  began  in  business  for  himself 
at  Scranton  and  since  that  time  he  has 
built  up  a  large  trade  in  his  special  line,  that  of 
paints,  oils  and  wall  paper.  Being  prospered 
financially,  in  1891  he  erected  at  No.  1549  Dick- 
son Avenue  a  two-story  frame  building,  25x64, 
the  first  door  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  retail 
business,  while  tin-  Ija.sement  is  used  for  storage. 
Here  he  carries  one  of  the  largest  stocks  of  th.e 
kind  in  the  city  and  is  in  charge  nf  an  extensive 


business  as  a  contracting  painter  and  decorator. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  Jacobs,  was 
born  in  Germany  and  there  learned  the  baker's 
trade.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  on  the  Hudson  River.  At  Athens 
he  married  Phillipine  Koesting,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  about  i860  they  removed  to  Ledge- 
dale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  thence  to  Havvley,  the 
same  county,  where  he  was  employed  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  for  some  years.  At 
this  writing  he  still  resides  at  Hawley.  Interested 
in  public  matters,  he  has  served  in  local  offices. 
He  adheres  to  the  religious  faith  of  his  ancestors 
and  is  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church.  His 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Koesting,  who 
engaged  in  milling  in  Athens,  N.  Y.,  thence  re- 
moved to  Hawley,  Wayne  County,  and  from 
there  to  Lackawaxen  and  Milford,  where  he  car- 
ried on  a  hotel. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, ten  of  whom  are  living,  two  sons  being  with 
our  subject  in  the  painting  business.  Charles  S., 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  born  in  Athens,  N. 
Y.,  June  12,  1858,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  Haw- 
ley, where  he  attended  private  and  public  schools. 
In  1875  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  painter's  trade 
at  Honesdale  under  Jacob  Vetter,  but  that  gen- 
tleman dying  soon  afterward,  he  went  to  Wilkes- 
barre,  where  he  followed  his  trade.  In  August, 
1876,  he  came  to  Scranton  and  was  employed  as 
a  journeyman  painter  under  Bright  &  Dunbar, 
later  for  eighteen  months  was  employed  in  the 
passenger  car  shops  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western.  In  1882  he  entered  business  for 
himself  as  a  contracting  painter  in  Green  Ridge, 
but  after  a  time  removed  his  shop  to  Dickson 
Avenue,  two  doors  south  of  the  large  store  build- 
ing he  afterward  erected  and  now  occupies.  His 
success  is  doubtless  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  he 
thoroughly  understands  the  natural  finish  of 
houses,  having  begun  work  just  when  it  was 
coming  in  style.  Among  the  contracts  he  has 
had  may  be  mentioned  the  Green  Ridge  and 
Hyde  Park  Presbyterian  Churches,  new  depot  at 
Carbondale.  seven  depots  for  the  Ontario  & 
Western,  Sanquoit  silk  works,  Casey  Brothers' 
houses,  Traders  Bank,  addition  to  the  court 
house.   Home  for  the   Friendless,   residences  of 


PORTR.\IT   AxNfD   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


657 


Mrs.  A.  M.  Decker,  John  T.  Porter,  Herbert  H. 
Coston,  Charles  Burr,  John  Jordan,  Aaron  Gold- 
smith, Thomas  Barrowman,  Harry  G.  Dunham, 
Charles  du  Pont  Breck,  George  L.  Breck,  J.  A. 
Davis  and  William  A.  Connell.  During-  busy 
seasons  he  has  employed  as  many  as  forty  men. 

At  Scranton,  July  17,  1881,  Mr.  Jacobs  mar- 
ried Miss  Jennie  Casterline,  who  was  born  in 
Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  being  the  daughter  of 
John  M.  Casterline,  a  retired  resident  of  this 
city.  One  child  blesses  the  vmion,  a  son,  Everett. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Jacobs  is  identified  with  the  Hep- 
tasophs,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Builders' 
Exchange.  In  political  belief  he  advocates  the 
policy  of  the  Republican  party,  and  upon  that 
ticket  was  elected  a  county  assessor.  He  was 
appointed  by  the  board  of  school  control  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term  of  W.  L.  Carr,  and  six 
months  later  was  elected,  in  February,  1894,  to 
represent  the  thirteenth  ward  on  the  board  for 
four  years,  his  term  of  office  beginning  immedi- 
ately after  election.  At  this  writing  he  is  chair- 
man of  the  building  committee  and  a  member  of 
the  text  book  committee.  All  measures  for  the 
public  welfare  receive  his  cordial  support  and 
he  is  justly  numbered  among  the  aggressive,  effi- 
cient citizens  of  Scranton. 


PETER  WINTERS,  M.  D.,  was  for  thirty 
years  one  of  the  most  prominent  phy- 
sicians of  the  Lackawanna  Valley  and  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  the  now  well  known 
Lackawanna  County  Medical  Society,  of  which 
he  is  an  honored  member.  During  his  long  pro- 
fessional life  he  continued  at  his  labors,  without 
rest  or  vacation;  sometimes,  when  there  was  much 
sickness,  traveling  up  and  down  the  valley  from 
one  patient  to  another,  without  having  for  days 
any  opportunity  for  rest  or  sleep,  except  such  as 
he  could  snatch  while  riding  in  his  buggy.  The 
constant  strain  upon  his  nervous  system  and  the 
overwork  undermined  his  naturally  vigorous  con- 
stitution, and  in  October,  1895,  he  was  taken  ill, 
since  which  time  his  son  has  had  charge  of  his 
practice  and  he  has  lived  in  retirement. 

In  what  is  now  Jenkins  (then  Pittston)  Town- 
ship, Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Dr.  Winters  was  born 


February  22,  1830.  '['\n-  family  of  which  he  is  a 
member  was  first  represented  here  by  a  Hessian 
soldier,  who  after  the  battle  of  Trenton  left  the 
British  army  and  mingled  iiis  lUrtunes  with  those 
of  the  Americans.  The  Doctor's  grandfather, 
Peter  Winters,  was  born  in  Northampton  County, 
Pa.,  and  thence  removed  with  his  family  to  Pitts- 
ton,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  a  pio- 
neer blacksmith.  The  Doctor's  father,  Henry 
H.  Winters,  was  br)rn  in  Pittston  Township,  and 
had  a  farm  and  blacksmith  shop  in  what  is  now 
Jenkins  Township,  also  engaged  in  making  wag- 
ons. On  retiring  from  work,  he  built  a  place  in  ■ 
Dunmore  and  remained  there  until  his  death, 
in  1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  His  wife, 
Mary  Tedrick,  was  born  in  Jenkins  Township, 
and  died  in  Dunmore  in  1891,  aged  seventy-eight. 
Her  father,  Adam  Tedrick,  a  native  of  Northamp- 
ton County  and  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  was 
an  early  settler  of  Luzerne  County,  where  he 
owned  a  fann. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  of 
five  children,  of  whom  the  others  were  Elizabeth, 
who  died  at  sixteen;  John,  of  Dunmore,  a  con- 
ductor on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern; Mrs.  Sarah  Stevens,  of  Dunmore;  and  New- 
man, a  farmer  at  Factoryville,  Wyoming  County. 
In  boyhood  the  Doctor  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  but  he  was  ambitious  and  determined  to 
make  as  much  of  his  life  as  possible.  With  this 
in  view  he  attended  Wyoming  Seminary  until 
graduating,  after  which  he  taught  for  three  years 
in  Luzerne  Count)',  and  then  spent  some  years 
in  surveying.  During  this  time,  in  1855,  he  went 
to  Iowa  to  assist  in  surveying  section  lines 
of  townships  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  state,  remaining  there  for  a  year.  In 
1859  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  French  of  Hyde  Park,  and  on  that  gen- 
tleman's removal  to  Lisle,  Broome  County,  N. 
Y.,  he  accompanied  him  there.  Through  the 
influence  of  his  preceptor,  who  was  a  fine  botan- 
ist, our  subject  became  interested  in  that  science. 
In  1861  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
Lmiversity  of  the  City  of  New  York,  from  which 
he  graduated  two  years  later,  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  Shortly  afterward  he  was  commissioned 
by  Governor  Curtin  assistant  surgeon  of  the  One 


658 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and  was  present 
at  Antietani,  Chancellorsville,  Fredericksburg 
and  other  engagements.  During  the  winter  he 
was  in  charge  of  field  hospitals. 

On  the  discharge  of  the  regiment,  Dr.  Win- 
ters returned  home.  Soon  he  selected  as  his  lo- 
cation Chenango  Forks,  Broome  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  remained  one  year.  In  October,  1865, 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  purchased  Dr.  Sea- 
mans'  place,  rebuilding  the  residence  at  No.  135 
South  Blakely  Street,  Dunmore,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  has  developed  and  improved 
real  estate  in  this  part  of  the  city.  In  former 
days  his  practice  extended  to  Petersburg,  Provi- 
dence, Green  Ridge,  Elmhurst  and  Moscow.  In 
1872  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  borough  coun- 
cil and  for  one  term  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  In  politics  he  is  independent,  and  fra- 
ternally is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  P'ellows  in  Dunmore  and  Hiram  Lodge 
No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  Providence.  In  Chen- 
ango Forks,  N.  Y.,  he  married  Miss  Charlotte 
Parson,  who  was  born  there,  and  died  in  Dun- 
more, December  20,  1885,  aged  fifty-four.  Her 
father,  Alva  Parson,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  accompanied  his  father  to  Broome  County. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Winters  had  three  sons:  Frank  W., 
a  graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College  and  a 
physician  in  Dunmore;  Ralph,  also  of  this  place; 
and  Harry  IL,  vice-president  of  the  Dunmore 
Electric  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers,  and  also  his 
father's  assistant  in  the  management  of  the  prop- 
erty. 


RICHARD  W.  KELLOW.  As  the  years 
pass  by,  the  people  of  tlie  United  States 
feel  a  deepening  interest  in  the  record  of 
the  lives  of  those  brave  soldiers,  through  whose 
valor  the  Union  was  preserved.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch,  though  a  mere  lad  when  the  later  war 
opened,  from  the  fir.st  manifested  a  spirit  of  deep- 
est patriotism.  The  lightning  flash  that  gleamed 
across  the  sky  and  lit  in  its  path  the  sullen  fire  of 
war,  caused  him  to  put  aside  his  books  and  go 
forth  to  do  battle   for  his  country.     Upon   the 


tented  field,  amid  hardships  and  dangers,  and  in 
the  long  marches  through  the  enemy's  country, 
he  proved  himself  a  valiant  soldier.  At  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  returned  home  with  a  record  of 
which  he  may  well  be  proud  and  which  proved 
his  possession  of  endurance,  patience  and  valor. 

Mr.  Kellow,  who  is  now  roadmaster  for  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railway  Company  at  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
September  16,  1844.  Of  his  family  mention  is 
made  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother,  George  F.,  on 
another  page  of  this  volume.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Battery  E,  Second 
Pennsylvania  Veteran  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was 
mustered  into  service  as  a  private  August  24  at 
Harrisburg.  He  was  sent  to  Ft.  Saratoga  and  as- 
sisted in  the  defense  of  Washington,  remaining 
there  from  September,  1862,  until  April,  1864. 
In  recognition  of  faithful  service  he  was  pro- 
moted successively  to  the  rank  of  corporal,  duty 
sergeant,  first  sergeant  and  orderly.  In  April, 
1864,  he  was  ordered  to  Ft.  Ethan  Allen  and  after- 
ward took  part  in  General  Grant's  campaign.  He 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  where  he 
was  stationed  from  June  17  until  September,  1864. 
Later  he  took  part  in  other  engagements  in  that 
locality  and  was  then  placed  on  detached  service 
in  the  ambulance  train,  as  acting  quartermaster, 
remaining  in  that  position  until  his  discharge  at 
Ft.  Monroe,  June  24,  1865,  under  the  first  order 
to  discharge  troops. 

In  the  fall  of  1865  Mr.  Kellow  entered  the 
commercial  college  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  graduated  in  March,  1866.  His  first  work 
with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  was  as 
an  employe  in  the  carpenter  department,  where 
he  remained  a  year,  after  which  he  was  employed 
as  a  train  hand  for  a  similar  period.  For  ten 
years  following  he  was  a  foreman  in  the  track 
department,  and  during  one  year  of  this  time  as- 
sisted in  building  the  road  between  Scranton  and 
Carbondale.  For  ten  years  he  made  his  home 
in  Carbondale,  but  in  December,  1878,  removed 
to  Scranton,  having  received  the  appointment  of 
roadmaster  in  charge  of  the  Pennsylvania  divis- 
ion from  Plymouth  to  Nineveh,  N.  Y.  He  has 
a  general  supply  store  here  and  is  storekeeper  for 
the   track  department.     Since    becoming    road- 


WILLIAM  L.   MARCV,  M.  D. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


659 


master  he  has  superintended  the  building  of  the 
double  track  from  Wilkesbarre  to  Carbondale, 
which  has  eighty-pound  steel  rails. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Kellow  took  place  in 
Bethany,  Wayne  County,  his  wife  being  Miss 
Gertrude  Chase,  daughter  of  Hiram  Chase,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Wayne  County.  Mrs.  Kel- 
low died  there,  leaving  a  daughter,  Gertrude,  now 
Mrs.  Wi^llace  Lewis  of  Chicago.  The  present 
wife  of  Mr.  Kellow  was  Miss  Lizzie  Davis, 
daughter  of  Richard  Davis,  a  business  man  of 
Carbondale.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren: Jennie,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Davis;  Wesley,  Albert 
and  Austin.  Mr.  Kellow  is  a  firm  Prohibitionist, 
both  by  example  and  precept.  He  takes  an  inter- 
est in  Grand  Army  affairs  and  is  a  member  of 
Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139.  A  charter 
member  of  the  Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  he  is  one  of  its  class-leaders,  a  member 
of  its  board  of  trustees  and  building  committee 
and  for  six  years,  beginning  in  1879,  held  the 
position  of  Sunday-school  superintendent,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  a  teacher. 


WILLIAM  L.  MARCY,  M.  D.,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  physicians  at  pres- 
ent practicing  in  Dunmore,  was  born 
in  Duryea  July  4,  1833,  '•^  ^^^  same  residence  in 
which  his  father  had  been  born,  a  portion  of 
which  still  remains  standing.  The  Marcy  family 
is  an  old  one,  having  been  introduced  into  Nor- 
mandy with  Rollo  in  912,  thence  into  England 
by  William  the  Conqueror.  The  earliest  Marcy 
of  whom  we  have  a  record  in  this  country  was 
John,  a  son  of  the  high  sherifif  of  Limerick, 
Ireland,  born  about  1662.  His  name  appears  on 
the  record  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1685.  In  the 
succeeding  year  he  with  others  took  possession  of 
Quatosett,  now  Woodstock,  Conn.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  death  December  23,  1724.  He 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah 
(Draper)  Hadlock.  Their  youngest  son,  Eben- 
ezer,  was  born  in  Woodstock,  June  6,  1709,  and 
married  Martha  Nicholson  in  1738.  He  lived 
in  Dover,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  and  where  his  death  occurred 
December  10,  1808.  His  son,  Ebenezer,  was  born 


at  Dover,  in  1741,  and  married  Martha,  daughter 
of  Jonathan  and  Content  Spencer,  the  former  of 
Saybrook,  Conn.,  the  latter  of  Fishkill,  N.  Y. 
Ebenezer  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  the 
Wyoming  Valley,  and  was  engaged  in  the  mill- 
ing business.  He  was  at  the  fort  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  which  oc- 
curred on  the  west  side,  but  was  unable  to  take 
any  part  in  the  fight,  as  the  boats  that  were  used 
for  crossing  the  river  had  been  destroyed.  Ow- 
ing to  the  hostility  of  the  Indians  they  decided  to 
return  to  Connecticut,  and  started  on  foot  over 
the  mountains,  crossing  Mt.  Pocono.  On  the 
way  over  the  mountains  while  in  the  forest  Mrs. 
Marcy's  fifth  child  was  born,  and  the  next  day 
she  was  obliged  to  walk  sixteen  miles  carrying 
the  child  while  the  father  looked  after  the  others. 
After  peace  was  declared  she  named  her  Thank- 
ful. Of  their  eight  children  Joseph,  the  young- 
est, was  the  father  of  our  subject.  After  the  paci- 
fication of  the  Indians,  the  family  returned  and 
settled  on  the  old  property  now  in  Duryea.  The 
land  that  Ebenezer  owned  and  cleared  is  now 
partly  in  each  county  and  the  site  of  the  church 
at  Duryea  and  Marcy  cemetery  was  donated  by 
him. 

Joseph  Marcy  was  born  February  19,  1787,  at 
what  is  now  Duryea.  He  learned  pattern  mak- 
ing and  became  owner  of  part  of  the  old  home. 
He  owned  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  where 
the  Spring  Brook  mine  now  is,  but  sold  the  land 
before  he  knew  the  value  of  the  coal  lying  under- 
neath. He  removed  to  Salem  Township,  Wayne 
County,  where  he  purchased  land  and  engaged  in 
farming.  Later  he  sold  out  and  returned  to 
Duryea,  and  engaged  in  contracting  and  build- 
ing until  his  removal  to  Moscow,  where  he  died. 
He  married  Delilah,  a  daughter  of  David  Nichols, 
of  Beekman,  N.  Y.,  and  she  bore  him  five  chil- 
dren: Nicholas,  who  resides  in  Vailton,  Neb.; 
Abel,  who  was  for"  many  years  county  superin- 
tendent of  old  Luzerne  County,  but  removed  to 
Tipton,  Mo.,  where  he  published  a  paper  until 
his  death;  Martha  R.,  now  Mrs.  Ryan  of  Sand- 
wich, 111.;  Henry  F.,  who  died  in  1847  aged  nine- 
teen years,  and  William  L.,  our  subject. 

Dr.  Marcy  spent  most  of  his  childhood  in  Tunk- 
hannock  Township,  Wyoming  County,  :ind  was 


66o 


i'URi'RAlT   AND    LliUGRAl'IiiCAL    RliCuRD. 


educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Wyoming- 
Seminary  at  Kingston.  He  engaged  in  teaching 
for  about  three  years  in  Wyoming  County,  and 
when  about  of  age  took  up  the  study  of  medicine 
under  Dr.  B.  F.  Davidson,  of  Factoryville.  In 
1855  he  entered  Castleton  Medical  College  of 
Castleton,  Vt.,  now  at  Montpelier,  and  connected 
with  the  University  of  Vermont.  He  was  gradu- 
ated in  1857  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  and  at 
once  began  practice  at  South  Canaan,  Wayne 
County.  There  being  few  roads  in  those  days, 
and  his  practice  extending  over  a  large  territory, 
he  had  to  travel  mostly  on  horseback  and  became 
familiar  with  the  song  of  the  whip-poor-will,  the 
hooting  of  owls  and  screeching  of  the  wild  cats. 
Later  he  removed  to  Waymart,  then  to  Hawley, 
and  thence  to  Lake  Ariel,  at  which  latter  place  he 
practiced  for  nineteen  years,  and  then  owing  to 
failing  health  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  his  coun- 
try practice.  He  continued  to  practice  up  and 
down  the  Gravity  road  and  was  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted from  Dimmore  to  Hawley.  In  1890  he 
located  permanently  in  Dunmore  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  general  practice,  making  a 
specialty  of  chronic  cases. 

October  i,  1861,  Dr.  Marcy  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany B,  Third  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  and  was 
appointed  principal  musician,  having  been 
trained  from  childhood  to  martial  music.  How- 
ever, he  was  detailed  on  the  surgeon's  staff  at  the 
seven  days'  fight  until  the  battle  of  Antietam, 
where  he  had  a  partial  stroke  of  paralysis  and 
received  his  honorable  discharge  for  physical 
disability,  October  16,  1862.  He  remained  at 
home  until  his  recovery,  when  he  again  joined  the 
army,  1864,  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Forty- 
fifth  Pennsylvania  Veteran  Volunteers,  until  dis- 
charged by  reason  of  the  close  of  the  war  July  17, 
1865.  As  he  was  a  good  penman,  he  was  part  of 
the  time  detailed  as  clerk  at  headquarters.  He 
took  part  in  the  following  principal  battles: 
Mechanicsville,  Gaines  Mills,  Qiarles  City  Cross- 
roads, Malvern  Hills,  and  the  last  charge  on 
Petersburg. 

Dr.  Marcy  held  many  township  offices  and  was 
postmaster  at  Lake  Ariel  under  a  Democratic 
president,  and  held  this  position  until  his  remov- 
al from  there.     In  Waymart    he    married  Miss 


Rhoda,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Enslin) 
McLean,  one  of  the  old  families  there.  To  them 
two  children  were  born:  Rena  L.,  now  the  wife 
of  Dr.  H.  B.  Ely,  who  succeeded  to  the  practice 
of  our  subject  at  Lake  Ariel  and  is  at  present  a 
representative  in  the  legislature,  and  Olin  J.,  a 
graduate  of  the  Pennsylvania  Dental  College  of 
Philadelphia,  now  engaged  in  practice  in  Scran- 
ton.  Dr.  Marcy  since  coming  to  Dunmore  has 
been  located  at  No.  115  Cherry  Street  and  has  a 
large  practice.  He  was  a  member  of  Salem 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  now  a  member  of  King  Solo- 
mon Lodge  No.  584,  of  Dunmore,  and  Lieut. 
Ezra  S.  Grifitin  Post  No.  139,  of  Scranton.  He 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  congregation  of  St. 
Mark's  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  active  in  the 
building  up  of  this  church,  which  was  started 
as  a  mission  of  St.  Luke's,  Scranton,  and  is  a 
director  of  the  Men's  Guild.  Li  his  political 
affiliations  he  has  always  sided  with  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

Wm.  L.  Marcy,  ex-governor  of  New  York,  and 
secretary  of  war  under  James  K.  Polk;  Brigadier- 
General  Randolph  B.  Marcy,  father-in-law  of 
Gen.  George  B.  McClellan,  and  Prof.  Oliver 
Marcy,  of  Northwestern  University  of  Illinois, 
were  of  the  same  line  of  lineage  as  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 


JACOB  ZURLINDEN,  who  is  foreman  of 
colliery  No.  i  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company  at  Dunmore,  was  born  March  5, 
1S65,  in  Canton  Berne,  Switzerland.  His  grand- 
father, Jacob,  was  a  farmer  there  and  his  father, 
also  named  Jacob,  was  born  there  and  was  a  cab- 
inet-maker. In  1883  he  brought  the  family  to 
America  and  settled  in  Pittston,  where  he  at  first 
followed  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  but  later  en- 
tered the  employment  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company.  He  resides  in  Pittston,  and  with  his 
wife,  Mary  Born,  also  a  native  of  Switzerland,  is  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church  there.  Of  their 
five  children  all  are  living  and  our  subject  is  next 
to  the  oldest. 

Jacob  Zurlinden  was  educated  in  the  German 
schools  of  Switzerland  and  was  reared  to  the  life 
of  a  farmer.     He  came  with  the  family  to  Ameri- 


EDWIN  S.  WILLIAMS. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


663 


ca  in  1883,  and  made  the  passage  on  tlie  steamer 
"Normandy,"  which  was  eight  and  a  half  days  in 
coming  from  Havre,  France,  to  New  Yorl<.  He 
proceeded  at  once  to  Pittston  and  inmiediately 
went  to  work  in  the  employment  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company  and  was  given  work  at  the 
head  of  the  breaker  dumping  cars.  After  this  he 
was  tending  the  foot  in  the  mines  there,  then 
loading  cars  inside  and  afterward  loading  the 
large  railroad  cars  from  the  breaker.  He  was  then 
given  the  place  of  boss  loader  or  put  in  charge 
of  filling  the  orders.  In  April,  1895,  he  came  to 
Dunmore  and  was  given  the  position  of  outside 
foreman  at  colliery  No.  1  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company  and  has  charge  of  the  breaker, 
which  has  a  thousand  tons'  capacity. 

While  in  Pittston  Mr.  Zurlinden  married  Miss 
Mary  Swartz,  who  was  a  native  of  that  city,  but 
their  married  life  was  of  short  duration,  as  she 
died  before  he  left  there.  Socially  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  at  Pittston,  and 
politically  is  an  adherent  of  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church  of  Pittston. 


EDWIN  S.  WILLIAMS,  one  of  Scranton's 
leading  contractors,  whose  large  experi- 
ence well  qualifies  him  for  the  successful 
management  of  business  afifairs,  was  born  in 
Stroudsburg,  Monroe  County,  Pa.,  October  27, 
1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Mary  (Diehl) 
Williams,  natives  of  the  same  county  as  himself. 
His  father,  who  in  early  life  was  a  bricklayer  and 
plasterer,  later  became  a  contractor,  and  in  1863 
came  to  Scranton,  where  he  engaged  in  his 
chosen  occupation  until  his  retirement  from  busi- 
ness. He  died  here  December  28,  1892.  His 
first  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Diehl, 
a  member  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family,  passed 
from  earth  in  young  womanhood,  leaving  a  son, 
Edwin  S.,  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Charles  Chandler, 
of  Scranton.  Of  his  second  marriage  there  were 
born  three  children  who  are  still  living. 

When  about   a  year  old   the   subject   of  this 
sketch  was  brought  to  Scranton,  where  the  fami- 
ly resided  on  the  corner  of  Franklin  Avenue  and 
27 


Mulberry  Street.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
and  high  schools,  and  at  an  early  age  began  to 
assist  his  father,  also  learning  the  trades  of  brick 
mason  and  stone  cutter.  Later  he  operated  a 
stone  cjuarry  at  Nicholson,  twenty-two  miles 
north,  leasing  the  Nicholson  blue  stone  quarry, 
which  he  operated  about  ten  years.  His  ship- 
ments were  made  to  Scranton,  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  as  well  as  intermediate  points.  The 
(|uarry  contained  all  modern  improvements  for 
facilitating  the  work,  and  employment  was  given 
to  forty  or  fifty  men.  In  1887  he  retired  from 
that  work  in  order  to  give  his  attention  wholly 
to  contracting. 

In  1886  Mr.  Williams  furnished  the  stone  work 
for  the  county  jail,  in  1888  for  the  city  hall  and 
the  Dime  Saving  Bank.  He  was  contractor  for 
school  No.  13,  the  addition  to  school  No.  ^^  and 
to  Lackawanna  laundry,  the  Nay-Aug  Engine 
Company's  building,  the  warehouse  of  Park  & 
Snover  in  Mifflin  Avenue,  the  foundation  for  the 
new  Board  of  Trade  building  and  for  the  Mears 
building,  the  last  named  being  thirty-three  and 
three-fourths  feet  below  the  curb  line  and  twenty- 
five  feet  below  the  foundations  of  the  other  build- 
ings in  the  city.  This  was  the  most  difficult  job 
ever  done  in  Scranton  and  was  accomplished  by 
steam  power,  it  being  necessary  to  use  pumps  day 
and  night  in  order  to  keep  the  water  out.  In 
addition  to  the  contracts  mentioned,  he  has  had 
those  for  a  large  number  of  residences  and  public 
buildings,  and  is  one  of  the  most  successful  con- 
tractors in  the  county.  His  office  and  shop  are 
located  on  the  corner  of  Penn  Avenue  and  Ash 
Street. 

In  Connecticut  Mr.  Williams  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Grace  White,  daughter  of  P. 
E.  White,  now  a  residenj;  of  Scranton.  She  was 
born  and  educated  in  Connecticut,  and  is  an  ac- 
complished lady,  presiding  hospitably  over  the 
family  home  at  No.  732  Washington  Avenue. 
One  child  blesses  the  union,  a  daughter,  Louise. 
Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  the  Penn  Avenue 
Baptist  Church,  and  has  rendered  efficient  ser- 
vice upon  the  board  of  trustees.  Politically  he  is 
a  Prohibitionist  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
countv  central  committee,  in  which  he  held  the 


664 


PORTKAir    AXI)    llKxikArJllCAL    Kia'oKD. 


office  of  secretary.  'I'w  ice  he  was  a  candidate  for 
the  office  of  city  controller,  hut  was  defeated, 
liis  party  being^  in  the  minority.  At  various  times 
he  has  been  a  delegate  to  local  and  state  conven- 
tions. As  a  citizen  he  favors  measures  having 
for  their  object  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of 
the  people  and  is  always  to  be  relied  upon  in  mat- 
ters afifectinsr  the  nul)lic  interests. 


JAMES  B.  GARVEY,  M.  D.,  is  a  distin- 
ufuished  and  representative  citizen  of  Dun- 
more  as  well  as  a  very  successful  physician 
of  the  place.  His  skill  and  ability  have  won  for 
him  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  among  the  best 
class  of  citizens.  His  birtii  occurred  at  Carbon- 
dale,  Pa.,  March  5.  184,^  but  when  only  seven 
vears  old  he  was  brought  to  Duiunore  by  his 
parents,  Michael  and  Catherine  ( Boylan)  Garvey, 
in  whose  family  were  five  children:  J.  B.;  Rev. 
E.  A.,  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion at  Williamsport,  Pa.:  Mary,  wife  of  P.  J. 
Koran  of  Dunmore;  Catherine,  wife  of  Tim  Cur- 
tin  of  Williamsport;  and  Margaret,  who  is  now 
Sister  Eugenia,  superior  of  St.  John's  School  at 
Albany,  N.  Y. 

In  1842  Michael  Garvey  had  located  at  Car- 
bondale,  where  he  and  his  lirother  Patrick  were 
the  original  rope  workers  in  the  rope  works  of 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Comjiany,  and  after 
coming  to  Dunmore  in  1850,  he  had  charge 
of  the  rope  works  for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany, John  B.  Smith  being  the  superintendent  at 
the  time  of  his  arrival.  He  made  his  home  at 
No.  301  Chestnut  Street,  and  continued  witli  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  September,  1876,  when  in  his 
fifty-eighth  year.  He  received  a  stroke  of  paraly- 
sis while  ascending  the  stairs  and  the  fall  caused 
his  death.  In  connection  with  Anthony  McDon- 
nell and  .\ir.  McLean,  he  jietitioned  for  tlie  estab- 
lishment of  St.  Mary's  Churcii  at  Dunmore,  and 
they  advanced  the  money  to  build  the  church  and 
parsonage,  and  were  instrumental  in  getting 
Pather  Fitzmorris  to  take  charge  of  the  congre- 
gation, Mr.  (jarvey  was  a  most  devout  Catholic, 
and  a  highly  respected  citizen  of  tiie  connnunitx' 
wliere  he  .so  long  made  his  home.     J  lis  parents. 


Owen  Garvey  and  wife,  were  early  settlers  of  Car- 
bondale,  where  they  spent  their  last  days.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  resides  at  \\'illiamsport,  at 
the  age  of  sevcnt_\-eight. 

The  Doctor  obtained  his  primary  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Dunmore,  and  the  knowl- 
edge there  acquired  was  supplemented  by  study 
at  St.  Mary's  College  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  and 
other  institutions  of  learning.  Soon  after  his  grad- 
uation at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia, where  he  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing until  elected  count.-  -  <  h 
for  Calaveras  County,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
for  two  terms.  For  the  following  four  years  he 
filled  the  office  of  under  sheriff  of  the  same  coun- 
ty, and  in  1878  was  honored  by  an  election  to  the 
State  constitutional  convention  from  Calaveras 
County,  serving  on  the  legislative  connnittee  of 
which  General  Ten-y  was  chairman.  During  the 
session,  which  lasted  one  hundred  and  fifty-six 
days,  there  was  much  of  itnjjortance  and  interest 
that  occurred. 

Returning  east  in  1880,  the  Doctor  began  the 
study  of  medicine,  and  in  1884  graduated  from 
the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  in  Balti- 
more, 'Sid.  The  following  year  he  took  the  post- 
graduate course,  and  in  1885  located  permanently 
in  Dunmore,  where  his  skill  and  ability  soon  won 
for  him  recognition  among  his  professional 
bretliren.  As  a  close  student  he  keeps  fully 
abreast  with  the  discoveries  and  advancement 
made  in  the  science,  and  has  become  one  of  the 
most  eminent  and  popular  physicians  of  Lacka- 
wanna Count\-,  He  is  a  scholarly,  cultured  gen- 
tleman and  holds  a  liigh  place  in  social  as  well  as 
professional  circles. 

In  Dunmore  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Dr.  Garvey  and  Miss  M.  A.  Collins,  by  whom 
he  has  two  sons,  Frank  C.  and  Eugene  A.  Her 
father.  Judge  Thomas  Collins,  was  born  in  Clou- 
fain,  parish  of  Kinnawley,  County  Fermanagh, 
Ireland,  June  24,  181 1,  and  emigrated  to  the 
I'nited  .States  in  1839,  locating  in  Ulster  County, 
X.  \  .,  w  here  for  three  years  he  was  employed  in 
a  rolling  mill.  He  then  spent  a  short  time  in 
Xew  Jersey  and  Maryland,  but  did  not  make  a 
permanent  settlement.  in  1845  he  came  to 
W'ilkesbarre,  Pa.,  where  he  secured  a  position  as 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECOKU. 


665 


hammer  man  in  the  iron  works,  and  hcinj^-  a 
powerful  man,  as  well  as  prompt  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties,  he  soon  rose  in  favor.  In  a  short 
time  began  taking  work  by  the  ton,  .uid  by  in- 
dustry and  attention  to  the  details  of  his  business 
was  soon  receiving  $10  per  day  for  manual 
labor  alone.  He  prospered  and  two  years  later 
removed  to  Hyde  Park,  where  he  engaged  in 
merchandising  in  connection  with  the  iron  busi- 
ness. In  1849  when  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
panv  began  the  survey  of  their  railroad  l)etween 
Pittston  and  Hawley,  he  took  a  contract  for  the 
construction  of  two  miles  of  the  road,  and  re- 
moved his  family  to  Dunmore,  where  he  erected 
a  large  store  building,  and  did  an  extensive  mer- 
cantile business  until  1851,  when  his  property 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  sustaining  a  heavy  loss. 
Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  immediately  re- 
built and  continued  business  until  1866,  when  he 
was  elected  associate  judge  of  the  courts  of 
Luzerne  County,  a  position  he  filled  with  credit 
to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constitu- 
ents. Previously  he  had  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  ten  years,  and  in  1857  he  was  nomi- 
nated for  county  recorder  of  Luzerne  County, 
but  went  down  with  the  rest  of  the  Democratic 
ticket  in  the  flood  of  the  Know  Nothing  party 
which  swept  the  state  that  year.  He  was  a  pains- 
taking and  impartial  judge  and  acceptably  tilled 
that  position  for  five  years.  He  had  also  ser\'ed 
as  school  director.  About  a  year  before  his  death 
he  was  stricken  with  paralysis  and  died  January 
9,  1878. 

Hon.  Frank  D.  Collins,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Gar- 
vey,  was  born  at  Saugerties,  Ulster  County,  N. 
Y.,  November  5,  1844,  and  from  a  boy  lived  in 
Dunmore.  He  was  a  student  in  St.  Joseph  Col- 
lege of  Susquehanna  County,  Wyoming  Semi- 
nary, and  completed  his  literary  studies  at  St. 
Thomas  College  in  Philadelphia,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  teaching  in  Dunmore  for  some  years. 
After  studying  law,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1866,  and  three  years  later  was  elected  dis- 
trict attorney  of  the  mayor's  court  of  Scranton, 
serving  until  1872,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  senate  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  represent- 
ing the  district  which  then  comprised  Luzerne, 
Monroe  and  Pike  Counties.     In   1874  he  was  a 


candidate  for  Congress  from  the  eleventh  Penn- 
sylvania district,  familiarly  known  as  the  "Shoe- 
string" district,  emliracing  the  counties  of  Mon- 
roe, Pike,  Carbon,  Columbia,  Xorthumberland, 
and  a  part  of  Luzerne  which  took  in  Dunmore 
and  the  eleventh,  twelfth,  nineteenth  and  twen- 
tieth wards  of  Scranton  and  a  slice  of  the  Ilazle- 
ton  district.  He  was  re-elected  in  1876,  ably  rep- 
resenting his  district  in  the  I'orty-fourth  and 
Forty-fifth  Congress.  In  1878  lie  ran  f(jr  judge 
on  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the  new  county  of 
Lackawanna  against  Judge  Hand,  Republican, 
and  Judge  Stanton,  the  Labor  candidate,  which 
resulted  in  the  election  of  Judge  Hand.  Mr.  Col- 
lins did  not  again  enter  politics  until  1888,  when 
he  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  member  of 
Congress,  in  the  twelfth  district,  which  then  com- 
prised only  Lackawanna  County,  but  was  de- 
feated. He  continued  the  prosecution  of  his 
chosen  profession  in  Scranton  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  November  21,  1891.  He  wedded  Miss 
Mary  McNichols,  who  died  about  eighteen 
months  prior  to  his  death,  leaving  two  children 
who  now  find  a  pleasant  home  with  Dr.  Garvey 
and  his  estimable  wife. 


JONE.S  PINNELL  is  proprietor  of  an  iron 
and  brass  foundry  on  the  comer  of  Drinker 
and  Apple  Streets,  Dunmore,  where  he  has 
a  modern  plant,  and  a  well-equipped  building, 
45x40  feet.  Here  he  does  all  kind  of  jobbing 
and  mine  work,  having  built  up  a  large  trade  in 
his  special  lines.  In  1887  he  patented  Pinnell's 
sash  weight,  which  he  has  on  sale  and  which  is 
one  of  the  best  devices  of  its  kind  in  existence. 
He  is  also  the  patentee  of  a  can  top  straightener, 
made  of  aluminum,  and  an  indispensable  adjunct 
of  the  Mason  fruit  jars.  His  first  invention  was  a 
belt  tightener,  and  he  has  since  devised  many 
other  useful  articles. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Robert  and 
Mary  (Hyam)  Pinnell,  natives  of  England.  Rob- 
ert and  his  brother,  Charles,  were  the  only  mein- 
bers  of  the  Pinnell  family  who  emigrated  to 
America,  and  both  of  them  settled  in  New  York. 
Robert,  who  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  opened 
a  shop  in  I^elaware  County,  N.  Y..  in  1849,  estab- 


666 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


lishing  his  home  in  Doviiia.  where  lie  remained 
fifteen  years.  In  1864  he  removed  to  Dunmore 
and  became  an  employe  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company  in  their  machine  shops,  remaining  there 
until  he  retired.  He  died  at  the  age  of  si.xty- 
three.  His  wife  also  died  in  Dunmore.  Of  their 
three  children  two  are  living,  Jones  and  John 
W.,  the  latter  engaged  in  the  foundry  business  in 
Green  Ridge. 

Born  in  Bovina,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
6,  1850,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  there  and  in  Dun- 
more high  school.  For  five  years  he  served  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  moulder's  trade  in  the 
foundry  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company, 
under  John  Deacon,  one  of  the  finest  moulders 
ever  in  this  county.  He  was  then  employed  in 
the  Dickson  works,  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  and  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Steel  Company,  after  which  he  went  back 
to  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company.  He  started 
for  himself  upon  a  small  scale,  but  by  attention  to 
details  has  built  up  a  good  business.  He  is  a 
man  of  worth  and  principle,  in  politics  always 
an  adherent  of  the  Republican  party,  and  fra- 
ternally a  member  of  the  Heptasophs.  In  Dun- 
more he  married  Clara,  daughter  of  William 
Bailey,  formerly  principal  of  the  Green  Ridge 
school.  She  was  born  in  Waymart,  Pa.,  and 
died  in  Dunmore  June  i,  1888,  leaving  five  chil- 
dren: Mrs.  Lizzie  Oliver  of  Dunmore;  Edward, 
a  moulder,  with  his  father;  Wesley,  a  machinist, 
with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company;  Howard 
and  Nettie,  at  home.  A  daughter,  Clara,  died 
at  five  months. 


JONATHAN  ROMIG  WINT  was  born  in 
Saucon,  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  September  28, 
1808,  and  died  in  Providence,  .Scranton,  July 
26,  1888.  The  family  of  which  he  was  a  member 
originated  in  (iermany,  where  the  name  was 
spelled  Windt.  The  first  of  the  family  in  Amer- 
ica was  his  great-grandfather,  John  Andrew 
Windt,  who  was  born  in  Dausenheim,  Germany, 
October  9,  1714,  and  died  August  8,  1779.  He 
was  a  son  of  Johannes  Heinrich  and  Anna  Sophia 
(Herr)  Windt,  the  latter  the  daughter  of  a  land- 


graf.  His  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Jnhn 
Michael  and  Anna  Lydia  (Landgravine)  Miller, 
was  born  in  Yinstadt,  Germany,  May  16,  1716, 
and  died  in  1809.  Their  remains  were  interred  in 
St.  Paul's  cemetery,  in  Upper  Saucon,  Lehigh 
County,  where  they  made  settlement  about  1740. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John  Henry 
W'int  (or  Johannes  Heinrich  Windt),  w'as  born 
March  .27,  1743,  and  married  Catherine  Herr, 
who  was  born  in  1749,  and  died  April  5,  1827; 
his  death  occurred  November  28,  1798.  Their 
son,  John  Henry,  our  subject's  father,  was  born 
in  Saucon  March  16,  1779,  and  had  two  brothers 
who  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  wife,  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  Romig, 
was  bom  November  6,  1781,  and  died  October 
12,  1861.  He  departed  this  life  February  8, 
1842.  Of  their  eleven  children  Jonathan  R. 
was  thirtl  in  order  of  birth.  In  boyhood  he 
learned  the  miller's  trade  and  operated  a  mill  at 
Allentown  until  1845,  when  he  came  to  the  Provi- 
dence section  of  Scranton.  Tlie  Jeffrey  mill  was 
then  newly  erected  and  of  it  he  took  charge,  first 
in  the  employ  of  others,  and  later  in  his  own  inter- 
ests, he  having  purchased  it.  About  1861  he  left 
the  milling  business  and  from  that  time  until  his 
death  devoted  his  attention  to  the  oversight  of 
his  property  interests. 

In  1836  Mr.  Wint  married  Miss  Euphemia 
Johnston,  w-ho  was  born  in  Easton  November  12, 
1818,  and  died  in  Scranton  Januarj'  21,  1892, 
aged  seventy-three  years.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Lewis  and  Hannah  (Piatt)  Johnston,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  William  and  Margareta  Piatt. 
Of  their  twelve  children  eight  are  still  living, 
namely:  Mrs.  Charles  Pabst,  of  Wilkesbarre; 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Riggs,  of  Spokane,  Wash.;  Louis  H.; 
Maj.  T.  J.,  of  the  Tenth  United  States  Cavalry, 
who  served  through  the  Civil  War  and  is  now 
stationed  in  Montana;  I.  J.  Wint,  of  Carbon- 
dale;  Mrs.  S.  W.  Edgar,  of  Scranton;  E.  A.,  of 
Scranton,  and  Mary  J. 

The  last  forty-three  years  of  the  life  of  our 
subject  were  spent  in  Providence,  of  which  bor- 
ough he  was  the  first  burgess,  and  served  for 
many  years  on  the  school  board.  In  1854  he 
imilt  and  took  possession  of  the  house  in  which 
he   resided   until   his  death.     He  was  a  charter 


FRANK  CARUTCCI. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


669 


nieniljer  of  the  Providence  Presbyterian  Church, 
which  was  org-anized  October  5,  1846,  and  as- 
sisted in  the  erection  of  the  edifice.  He  was  its 
first  ruhng  elder,  being  elected  to  that  office  im- 
mediately after  the  organization  of  the  congre- 
gation. For  a  time  he  superintended  the  Sun- 
day-school, and  also  started  a  Sunday-school  in 
Dickson  City.  Frequently  he  represented  the 
Providence  Church  in  the  presbytery  and  synod. 
He  was  known  as  Deacon  or  Elder  Wint  and 
was  respected  for  his  upright  Christian  life.  He 
was  a  diligent  student  of  the  Bible  and  thorough- 
ly practical  in  his  ideas  of  Christianity,  carrying 
his  religion  with  him  into  the  evervday  affairs 
of  life. 


FRANK  CARLUCCI.  The  stone  works 
owned  and  operated  by  this  gentleman 
are  the  largest  in  northeastern  Pennsyl- 
vania and  are  fitted  up  with  all  modern  improve- 
ments. They  are  located  at  No.  730  Scranton 
Street  in  the  city  of  Scranton.  Among  the  im- 
portant contracts  which  he  has  had  may  be  men- 
tioned those  for  the  stone  work  in  Hotel  Jermyn, 
Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Traders 
Bank,  high  school,  Kenwood's  and  Matthews' 
blocks,  German  Presbyterian  Church,  Gould 
building,  new  addition  to  court  house,  board  of 
trade,  and  the  two  statues  of  Columbus  and 
George  Washington  in  this  city;  besides  Pitt- 
ston  Bank  and  depot,  Plonesdale  Bank,  Amer- 
ican and  Anthracite  Hotels  in  Carbondale,  and 
many  buildings  in  other  cities. 

Born  near  Naples,  Italy,  in  April,  1862.  the 
sul)ject  of  this  article  is  a  son  of  Carlos  and  Grace 
(Napoliello)  Carlucci,  natives  of  the  .same  place 
as  himself.  His  father  and  grandfather  engaged 
in  business  as  stone  contractors,  and  the  latter 
is  still  living.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Nich- 
olas, was  a  merchant  of  Italy.  Our  subject  is 
one  of  nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  in  Scran- 
ton. The  first  twenty  years  of  his  life  were  passed 
in  his  native  land,  where  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  stone  cutter  and 
carver  under  his  father,  and  when  eighteen  he 
began  as  a  contractor  for  himself. 

Coming  to  America  in  1882  Mr.  Carlucci  set- 
tled in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  but  in  the  fall  of  the  same 


year  he  removed  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  railroad  work  for  a  short  time  and  then 
took  a  position  with  Jere  Williams,  later  was 
with  Schroeder.  In  1884  he  started  in  business 
as  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Carlucci  & 
Bro.,  in  Lackawanna  Avenue,  where  he  takes 
contracts  for  every  kind  of  stone  work.  From 
his  yards  there  is  a  siding  to  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western,  which  facilitates  transporta- 
tion. He  is  a  member  of  the  Scranton  Board  of 
Trade,  and  prominent  in  business  circles. 

Identified  with  all  the  Italian  societies  of  Scran- 
ton, Mr.  Carlucci  has  at  different  times  been 
president  of  them  all,  and  is  now  honorary  pres- 
ident for  life.  Among  his  people,  many  of  whom 
reside  in  this  locality,  he  is  a  recognized  leader, 
and  his  influence  is  used  for  the  benefit  of  his 
fellow  countrymen.  He  is  president,  and  was 
organizer  of,  the  only  Italian  paper  published  in 
this  part  of  the  state,  "Pensiero."  Fraternally  he 
is  identified  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks.  He  has  organized  several  Repub- 
lican political  clubs,  and  has  been  a  member  of 
county  and  city  committees.  In  Masonry  he  be- 
longs to  L'nion  Lodge,  Lackawanna  Chapter, 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17  and  Alvstic 
Shrine.  In  1896  he  returned  to  his  birthplace 
and  revisited  the  scenes  familiar  to  him  in  vnutli. 

In  the  movement  looking  toward  the  erection 
of  the  Columbus  monument,  Air.  Carlucci  took 
an  active  part.  Not  only  was  he  the  originator  of 
the  plan,  but  also  served  as  president  of  the  com 
mittee  having  the  work  in  charge.  Contribu- 
tions were  given  by  Italian  citizens,  in  recogni- 
tion of  the  great  discovery  of  their  countryman, 
Christopher  Columbus.  October  11,  1892,  on 
the  anniversary  of  the  day  America  was  discov- 
ered, the  statue  was  unveiled  where  it  now  stands, 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  court  house 
square,  facing  the  west.  On  that  day  there  was 
the  greatest  parade  ever  seen  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Carlucci  made  the  presentation  speech,  which 
was  responded  to  by  Mayor  Fellows. 

Not  only  in  work  among  people  who  have 
come  from  Italy  has  Mr.  Carlucci  been  energetic, 
but  he  has  also  been  effective  in  promoting  the 
art  of  which  he  is  an  able  exponent.  He  organ- 
ized the  School  of  Mechanics  and  Arts,  in  which 


670 


Pt)RTRAIT   AND 


i(  )(;kai'111lal  ki'X'ORD. 


young  iiK-u  arc  traiiuil  in  tin.-  work  of  stone  carv- 
ing. His  quarries  at  Nicholson  ami  Forest  City, 
opened  by  Iiiniself,  are  e<|uippe(i  with  tlic  latest 
improved  machinery  for  c|uarrying  building  and 
flag  stone.  In  his  chosen  occupation  he  has  been 
very  successful,  and  justly  occupies  a  high  place 
among  the  citizens  of  Scranton. 


SA.MLF.L  M.  IVES,  superintendent  of  the 
Dodge  mines  in  Lackawanna  Townshi]), 
was  born  in  Madison  Townshi]),  Lacka-. 
wanna  County,  Se])teniber  20,  1859,  the  son  of 
Irwin  and  Lucinda  (Krotzcr)  Tves.  His  father, 
who  was  a  native  of  Susiiuehanna  County,  re- 
moved from  there  to  Dunmore,  this  county,  and 
for  several  years  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
About  1855  he  settled  in  Madison  Township, 
where  he  ])urchased  a  farm.  From  that  time  he 
gave  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  his  place 
and  to  teaching  school.  In  addition  he  carried 
on  a  lumber  business,  owning  his  own  sawmill. 
His  death  occurred  on  the  home  farm  in  April, 
1892.  Fie  was  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
the  township,  a  leading  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  a  public-spirited  citizen  who  aided 
in  enterprises  for  the  benefit  of  the  connnnnity. 
His  wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Madison  Township, 
is  still  living  and  is  now  seventy-two  years  of 
age. 

The  ])rimary  education  of  our  subject  was  ob- 
tained in  the  district  schools  of  Madis  m  Town- 
shi|j.  \\  Inn  his  father  removed  to  Dunniore 
and  opened  a  lumber  yard,  he  was  given  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  city  schools  and  for  a  time  at- 
tendcil  till-  normal  school  in  .Scranton.  .Much 
of  his  time  in  youth  was  spent  in  assisting  his 
father  in  the  lumber  yard.  In  1880  he  began  to 
work  in  the  blacksmith's  shop  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  but  remained 
in  the  ]K)sition  only  about  si.x  months,  leaving  it 
to  go  outside  the  mines.  He  learned  the  work 
of  every  department  in  connection  with  clean- 
ing and  preparing  coal,  an  experience  which  has 
been  invaluable  to  liini.  In  i88[  he  was  given 
a  position  in  the  oftice  of  the  Manville  mine  of  tlu' 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  i*v  Western  at  Creen 
Ridge  and  rem.aiiicd  there  until  iSSS,  when  Ik- 
was  promoted  to  the  i)o>ition  of  outside  foreniim 


of  the  llyde  I'ark  mine,  in  .April,  l8<;j,  he  was 
given  a  similar  position  at  the  Dodge  mines, 
which  have  an  output  of  one  thousand  tons  ])er 
day  and  furnish  employment  to  four  hundred 
men.  Here  he  has  since  remained,  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  position  in  an  acceptable  man- 
ner. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ruth  Dilley,  of  Dun- 
more,  Mr.  Ives  has  four  children,  Harry  D.,  El- 
mer R.,  Lydia  and  .Sanniel  M.,  Jr.  A  pronounced 
Republican  in  his  political  views,  he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  county  convention  of  i8g6  and  is  now 
a  member  of  the  county  connnittee.  He  is  a 
member  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  Lackawanna  Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
at  .Scranton.  With  his  family  he  holds  member- 
ship in  the  liaptist  Church. 


GEORGE  A.  CLEARWATER,  of  Scran- 
ton, was  born  near  Middletown,  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  one  of  seven 
children,  of  whom  himself  and  Leonard  G.,  a 
farmer  of  Wayne  County,  are  the  only  survivors. 
His  father,  Abraham,  was  born  in  Ulster  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  in  early  life  settled  in  the  town  of 
Wallkill,  Orange  County,  where  he  cultivated 
a  farm.  Later  he  removed  to  I'inghamton, 
thence  to  (Juilford,  Chenango  County,  and  from 
that  ])Iace  to  Wayne  County,  where  he  died  at 
seventy  years.  Fle  manned  Nancy  Godfrey,  who 
was  born  near  liloomingburg,  Sullivan  County, 
and  died  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of 
si.xty-fonr.  Her  father,  Daniel  Godfrey,  was 
proprietor  of  an  old  stage  coach  line  between 
Newburg  and  Monticello,  N.  Y.,  for  a  long  num- 
ber of  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  yoimg- 
est  of  his  father's  family,  spent  the  first  twelve 
\ears  of  his  life  in  Orange  County,  after  which 
he  accom])anied  his  parents  to  Binghamtoii, 
thence  to  Chenango  County,  and  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  began  clerking  in  Unadilla,  N.  Y.  For 
three  and  one-half  years  he  was  in  the  employ 
of  White  I'.rothers.  In  the  spring  of  1857  he 
went  to  .\'el)ra>ka,  making  the  trip  by  rail  to  Iowa 
City,  thence  b\'  "])rairie  schooner"  for  three 
weeks,  h'roin  '  iniaha  he  went  to  Bellevue.  Xeb., 
on    the    .\lissoiu-i    between    (  )maha    ,incl    Platts- 


PORTR.\IT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Gj\ 


mouth,  and  embarked  in  the  general  mercantile 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Clearwater  & 
White.  The  hard  times  that  soon  followed  ob- 
liged him  to  close  out  the  business  in  the  spring 
of  1858.  Under  the  same  firm  name  he  began 
as  a  general  merchant  in  Nebraska  City,  but 
shortly  afterward  sold  out  and  returned  home 
via  St.  Louis. 

Going  to  Pittston,  Pa.,  in  the  fall  of  1858  :\Ir. 
Clearwater,  in  partnership  with  an  older  brother, 
Charles,  began  in  the  clothing  and  merchant 
tailoring  business.  Tliree  years  were  spent 
there.  In  1862  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  for 
two  years  he  carried  on  a  grocery  business  on 
the  corner  of  State  and  Madison  Streets.  Then 
returning  to  Wayne  County,  he  married  and  for 
a  time  carried  on  a  general  store  in  Salem.  In 
the  spring  of  1878  he  came  to  Scranton  and  at 
once  engaged  in  the  wholesale  confectionen-,  to- 
bacco and  cigar  business,  first  in  Wyoming  Ave- 
nue, later  in  Lackawanna  and  then  in  Penn  Ave- 
nue, under  the  firm  title  of  Smith  &  Clearwater. 
After  ten  years  he  sold  out  to  his  partner.  He 
was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Green  Ridge 
Lumber  Company  and  was  its  secretary  for  three 
vears,  but  while  he  still  retains  an  interest,  he  is 
no  longer  actively  connected  with  the  organiza- 
tion. From  its  inception  he  has  been  interested 
in  the  \\'est  Ridge  Coal  Company  and  is  one  of 
its  directors.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the  Sub- 
urban Electric  Light  Company,  in  which  he 
was  one  of  the  original  stockholders.  Besides 
his  residence  at  Xo.  1603  Mousey  Avenue,  he 
owns  other  valuable  property  in  Green  Ridge. 

In  Salem,  in  1864,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Clearwater  to  Miss  Leonora  F.  Hamlin,  who 
was  born  there.  Her  father,  Butler  Hamlin, 
who  was  a  merchant  of  Salem,  secured  a  change 
in  the  postofTice  of  Hamlinton,  locating  it  at 
Salem,  and  he  was  the  first  postmaster,  holding 
that  position  for  more  than  forty  years.  For  a 
number  of  terms  he  ser^-ed  as  associate  judge  of 
Wayne  County.  He  died  at  Hamlinton  at 
seventy-five  years.  In  the  Rc'iniblicau  ])arty  he 
was  prominent  and  influential  among  local  work- 
ers. In  educational  work  he  was  long  an  active 
factor,  and  the  excellence  of  the  public  schools 
of  his  localitv  was  largelv  due  to  his  efforts.     He 


married  Selinda  Rathbone,  wIkj  .vas  born  in 
Norwich.  Conn.,  and  of  their  five  children  who 
attained  mature  years,  all  but  one  are  living.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clearwater  are  the  parents  of  two  sons: 
Herbert  Butler,  who  was  educated  at  Cornell, 
later  graduated  from  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  now  a  dentist  in  New  York  City; 
and  Ma.\well  R.,  member  of  class  of  1899,  Scran- 
ton high  school. 

Politically  Mr.  Clearwater  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. For  five  years  while  in  .Salem  he  was 
treasurer  of  the  school  board.  I'or  one  term  he 
represented  the  thirteenth  ward  in  the  common 
council.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  w-ith  Salem 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  the  Green  Ridge  Pres- 
byterian Church,  he  has  been  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees  for  eight  years.  During  this 
period  he  assisted  in  building  an  addition  to  the 
first  church,  and  later  helped  in  erecting  the  large 
church  on  the  hill. 


REV.  NATHANIEL  J.  McMANUS.  One 
of  the  most  influential  churches  within  the 
diocese  of  Scranton  is  the  Church  of  the 
Holv  Rosary,  of  which  Father  McManus  has 
been  the  rector  since  November  of  1888.  The- 
recoids  of  i8()6  show  that  there  are  eight  hundred 
and  seventy  families  in  the  congregation,  the 
total  population  of  the  parish  being  five  thousand 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five.  In  addition  to  the 
church  there  is  a  parochial  school,  where  the  pu- 
pils, usually  numbering  seven  hundred  or  more, 
are  instructed  by  fifteen  sisters  of  the  Order  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception.  Besides  the  usual 
branches,  music  and  i)ainting  are  taught,  and 
especial  attention  is  given  to  cultivating  within 
the  child's  mind  high  ideals  and  lofty  aspirations 
for  hfe.  Adjoining  the  church,  at  No.  316  Will- 
iam Street,  stands  the  parsonage,  built  by  the 
present  rector,  and  complete  in  every  particular, 
having  in  front  a  stone  pavement  and  curbing, 
neat  fence,  beautiful  lawn  and  artistically  ar- 
ranged grounds.  The  residence  is  heated  by 
steam  and  the  walls  are  frescoed  in  cheerful  and 
harmonious  tints.  In  size  it  is  commodious,  being 
three  .'itorics  in  height,  with  the  main  part  44.X44 
and  the  annex  18x24  feet  in  dimcn.sions. 

Born  in  Countv  Cavan,  Ireland.  February  24. 


672 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1842,  the  subject  of  tliis  article  is  the  youngest 
of  the  five  sons  of  Patrick  and  Mary  CPlunket") 
McManus,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Ireland 
and  remained  there  until  death.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  Cavan  College,  graduating  from  the 
classical  department  in  1863,  and  the  following 
year  came  to  America.  In  September  he  entered 
St.  Charles  Preparatory  Seminary,  Glen  Riddle, 
Pa.,  and  one  year  later  became  a  student  in  St. 
Charles  Borromeo  Theological  Seminary,  in 
Eighteenth  Street,  Philadelphia.  After  a  course 
of  four  years  he  graduated  in  1868  and  Decem- 
ber 27,  of  that  year,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood in  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church,  Scranton, 
by  Rt.-Rev.  \\'illiam  O'Hara,  being  the  first  priest 
ordained  in  and  for  the  diocese  of  Scranton,  and 
the  onlv  one  living  among  those  ordained  at 
that  time. 

The  first  position  held  by  Father  McManus 
was  that  of  assistant  to  Rev.  Edward  Fitzmaurice 
of  Dunmore,  and  while  there  he  had  charge  of 
missions  along  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad,  between  Scranton  and  Dela- 
ware Station  on  the  Delaware  River.  Among 
these  missions  were  those  at  Moscow,  Goulds- 
boro,  Tobyhanna  Mills,  Oakland,  Henryville, 
Spragueville,  Stroudsburg,  and  Water  Gap,  all 
of  which  are  now  comprised  within  the  parish  of 
Moscow.  After  carrying  on  this  work  for  two 
years  he  was  a])])ointed  rector  of  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral  in  Scranton.  where  he  served  from 
1870  to  1874.  In  the  latter  \ear  he  was  made 
l)astor  of  .St.  Thomas'  Churcli  at  Archbald  and 
during  the  thirteen  years  of  his  pastorate  there 
he  comi)leted  a  church  and  placed  the  finances 
of  the  congregation  u])on  a  solid  foundation.  In 
November,  1S88,  he  was  ai)i)ointeil  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  succeeding  the  Very 
Rev.  Father  Whitty,  who  had  presided  over  the 
])arisli  from  its  organizatinu  in  1870  until  his 
death  in  1887. 

Among  the  cinirch  societies  arc  the  Sodality  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  Angels  Sodality  for  Children, 
.\postleship  of  Prayer,  League  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  Christian  Doctrine  Association,  the  Third 
Order  of  .St.  I'rancis  and  tlie  usual  literary,  tem- 
perance and  benevolent  societies.  I'ather  Mc- 
Manus is  a  member  of  the    Bishop's    Council. 


While  liis  w(jrk  has  engrossed  his  attention,  he 
has  \et  kept  pace  with  the  developinents  in  the 
world  of  thought,  and  by  travel  has  enlarged  his 
mental  vision.  In  1884  he  spent  three  months  in 
Europe,  visiting  the  British  Isles,  Germany  and 
France.  Again,  in  i8()6  he  took  a  trip  to  Europe 
as  a  member  of  the  national  pilgrimage  to  Rome, 
in  company  with  fifty-two  Americans,  who  were 
received  in  Rome  with  special  honors  and  were 
given  the  papal  benediction.  Among  his  valued 
possessions  is  a  souvenir  presented  him  by  the 
Pope.  After  a  week  in  Rome  he  visited  other 
parts  of  the  Continent  and  after  a  four  months' 
trip  returned  home  October  3,  1896. 


F 


I  RANK  P.  McDonald  is  the  genial  and 
popular  young  postmaster  at  Dunmore, 
having  been  honored  by  being  appointed 
to  this  position  by  President  Cleveland,  in  March, 
1894.  He  is  quite  a  politician  in  the  ranks 
of  the  local  FJemocracy  and  was  a  member 
of  the  borough  council  of  Dunmore  for  three 
years,  receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes 
at  the  election  of  1887  for  that  ofifice.  In  1896 
he  started  in  business  for  himself  at  Scranton, 
where  he  has  a  well  equipped  foundry.  He  is  a 
brother  of  Hon.  M.  E.  McDonald,  formerly  sen- 
ator from  Pennsylvania,  and  of  James  W.  Mc- 
Donald, deputy  internal  revenue  collector  here. 
Frank  P.  McDonald  was  born  in  Dunmore, 
( )ctober  17,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Uridget  (Hughes)  McDonald,  old  and  favoraldy 
knowai  citizens  of  this  place.  He  was  the  fifth 
in  the  family  of  brothers  and  sisters  and  like 
them  received  good  training  in  right  principles 
of  conduct  in  life.  His  education,  however,  was 
not  gained  in  tlie  school  to  any  extent,  for  he  had 
to  begin  making  his  own  living  when  a  mere 
child  of  nine  years.  Being  naturally  1)right  and 
ambitious  to  learn,  he  has  made  up  for  this  de- 
ficiency by  study  and  observation  and  is  now  as 
\\cll  (|ualitied  to  ])articipate  in  the  battle  of  life 
as  any  of  his  fellows.  Going  into  the  foundry  of 
the  FV'nnsylvania  Coal  Company  in  1874,  he  re- 
mained for  si.x  years,  during  which  time  he  tiior- 
oughly  mastered  the  moulder's  trade,  under  the 
instruction  of  Tiiomas  Winterfield.     Then  for  a 


C.    \V.   TllOMrSoX. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


675 


while  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  hi  Scranton, 
but  as  he  wished  to  see  sometliing-  of  the  country 
in  wliich  he  Hves  he  traveled  in  Pennsylvania, 
New  York,  CMiio,  Indiana  and  Illinois.  As  pre- 
viously stated,  he  opened  a  foundry  in  Tune,  1896. 
and  here  he  is  succeeding  beyond  his  expecta- 
tions. All  kinds  of  iron  and  brass  castings  are 
manufactured  to  order  in  large  or  small  quanti- 
ties to  suit  the  trade. 

Mr.  McDonald  possesses  good  judgment, 
sound  sense  and  the  indefatigable  energy  in 
everything  that  he  undertakes  that  is  boimd  to 
bring  success.  He  also  has  the  quality  of  making 
friends  readily  and  is  ever  glad  to  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  those  less  fortunate  than  himself.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of  Heptasophs, 
and  is  also  identified  with  the  Young  Men's  In- 
stitute of  Scranton. 


C  RANDALL  W.  THOMPSON,  residing 
at  No.  1635  Sanderson  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton. was  born  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  May  2, 
1824,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  great- 
grandfather brought  the  family  to  this  country 
from  the  north  of  Ireland  when  the  grandfather, 
James  Thompson,  was  a  child  of  two  years,  and 
the  latter  was  reared  in  Philadelphia  and  Doyles- 
town.  In  1776  he  settled  in  Pittston  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death  at  eighty-si.x 
years.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Presbyterian. 
Our  subject's  father,  Isaac  Thompson,  was 
born  in  Pittston,  where  for  some  time  he  engaged 
in  farming,  his  property  being  located  in  what 
is  now  Jenkins  Township,  Luzerne  County.  He 
had  a  brother,  James,  who  owned  one  of  the  first 
coal  mines  there.  About  1868  he  removed  to 
Lee  County,  111.,  and  settled  on  a  farm,  where 
he  still  resides.  November  18,  1896,  he  cele- 
brated the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  his  birth, 
and  in  spite  of  his  advanced  years  he  is  hale  and 
hearty.  He  and  his  brother,  John,  were  soldiers 
in  the  War  of  1812.  Maria,  our  subject's  mother, 
was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died 
in  Illinois  in  1886,  aged  eighty-six.  Her  father, 
Isaac  Wilcox,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  be- 
came a  pioneer  farmer  of  Dutchess  County;  a 
man  of  powerful  physique,  six  feet  and  six  inches 


in  height  and  well  proportioned,  he  was  consid- 
ered the  strongest  man  in  New  York  State,  but 
was  peaceful  and  quiet  in  disposition,  a  peace- 
maker in  all  neighborhood  quarrels.  He  was 
murdered  in  cold  blood  one  night  when  on  his 
way  home  from  the  village  of  Fishkill.  His  wife, 
Nancy  Newcomb,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  ac- 
companied her  parents  to  Pennsylvania  and  at 
the  time  of  the  Wyoming  massacre  escaped  in 
the  night,  sailing  on  a  raft  down  the  .Susquehanna 
to  Berwick,  then  crossing  the  mountains  to  East- 
on  and  going  from  there  to  Connecticut.  Thirty 
years  afterward  she  came  back  to  that  locality, 
where  she  died  at  ninety-three  years. 

The  family  of  Isaac  and  Maria  Thompson  con- 
sisted of  fifteen  children,  of  whom  all  but  two 
attained  mature  years,  and  seven  are  living,  the 
oldest  daughter  being  now  seventy-seven  years 
of  age.  The  oldest  son,  Alva,  served  in  the  Mex- 
ican War  and  died  in  Kansas.  William  H.,  who 
was  captain  in  an  Illinois  regiment  during  the 
Civil  War,  was  wounded  at  Murfreesboro  and 
died  three  years  afterward.  The  surviving  sons, 
except  our  subject,  reside  in  Illinois,  and  the 
three  daughters  live  in  Pennsylvania.  Our  sub- 
ject, who  was  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  was  reared 
in  Pittston  and  received  a  district  school  educa- 
tion. At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  an  ap- 
prenticeship to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  after- 
ward started  a  shop  in  Pittston,  owning  the  first 
building  erected  in  that  village.  Later  he  became 
the  first  butcher  there,  but  afterward  returned 
to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  in  185 1  began  to 
deal  in  coal  lands.  He  owned  a  portion  of  the 
old  homestead  until  1896,  when  he  sold  it.  He 
has  dealt  in  lands  throughout  the  entire  valley, 
and  in  1870  sold  four  thousand  acres  in  what  is 
now  Lackawanna  County.  For  his  first  pur- 
chase he  paid  only  $8  an  acre,  but  the  price  of 
the  property  gradually  increased,  so  that  in  the 
end  it  proved  a  profitable  investment.  At  the 
same  time  he  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  lumber  from  logs  and  had  several  planing 
mills. 

In  i860  Mr.  Thompson  came  to  Scranton  and 
nine  years  later  built  the  third  house  in  Green 
Ridge.  He  still  owns  property  in  Pittston,  where 
he  married  Miss  Mary  H.  Carkhufif,  a  native  of 


676 


PORTRAIT    AND    lUOGRAlMnCAT.    URCOKD. 


Kingston,  I)orn  in  1829,  deceased  in  1882.  Or- 
phaned at  tlic  ii^e  of  eij^ht  years,  four  years  after- 
ward she  went  to  Xorwalk,  Ohio,  and  made  her 
home  with  an  uncle,  who  gave  her  good  educa- 
tional advantages.  ( )nc  of  her  hrothers,  William. 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War.  Her  parents 
were  i'liomas  and  Julia  A.  (Pease)  CarkhufF,  the 
former  a  native  of  Kingston,  and  sherifT  of 
Luzerne  County  in  the  early  days  when  it  em- 
braced a  nnicii  larger  scope  of  territcjry  than  at 
present.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  had  six  chil- 
dren, namely:  Emma  A.;  Winfield  Frank  and 
l'"ennimore  ('..  tile  latter  of  whom  died  at  two 
years;  Jessie  hVemont.  at  home;  Crandall  W., 
Jr.,  a  civil  engineer  living  at  Moosic;  and  Will- 
iam C,  also  a  civil  engineer  emploved  near 
Moosic. 

\\'hile  a  resident  cjf  Pittston.  Mr.  Thompson 
served  as  school  director  for  twelve  years,  school 
treasurer  eleven  years,  also  as  overseer  of  the 
poor  and  supervisor.  For  three  years  he  was 
select  councilman  from  the  thirteenth  ward  of 
Scranton,  during  which  time  he  served  as  a 
member  of  various  committees.  For  one  term 
he  represented  the  thirteenth  ward  in  the  com- 
mon council,  but  refused  nomination  for  a  sec- 
ond term.  For  one  year  he  was  a  member  of 
the  board  of  school  control,  and  for  two  terms 
served  on  the  board  of  revision  of  taxes  for  the 
city  of  Scranton.  Tn  early  life  a  Whig,  he  is  now 
a  Republican,  and  has  served  his  party  as  dele- 
gate to  county  conventions  twenty-three  times, 
besides  \s  hich  he  has  fre(|uently  been  a  member  of 
county  and  city  connnittecs.  While  in  Pittston 
he  was  actively  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  h'ellows.  in  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Presbyterian  and  holds  mend^ership  in  tlie 
Green  Ridsre  Church. 


WALTER  LINCOLN  HENWOOD  is 
one  of  the  most  liberal  and  enterpris- 
ing young  men  of  .Scranton.  The 
business  interests  of  the  city  are  well  represented 
by  him,  and  whether  in  public  or  private  life,  Ik- 
Is  always  a  courteous,  genial  gentleman,  well  de- 
serving the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held.  ITe 
was  born   .\'ovend)er  8,  1864,  in  Ilonesdale,  Pa., 


a  son  of  Richard  Henwood,  who  was  bona  in  Lis- 
keard,  Cornwall,  England,  August  6,  1815,  and 
when  nineteen  years  of  age  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  being  the  first  of  the  family  to  come 
to  the  New  World,  and  locating  in  Honesdale  in 
1834,  before  the  canal  was  completed.  For  forty 
years  he  was  one  of  the  ])r(jminent  business  humi 
of  that  place,  being  one  of  the  organizers  and 
directors  of  the  Wayne  County  Savings  Bank, 
but  since  1874  he  has  lived  retired  in  Scranton, 
now  making  his  home  with  our  subject.  Here 
he  owns  the  Henwood  Block  on  Lackawanna 
Avenue.  Tn  religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  on  that  ticket 
was  elected  county  commissioner  of  Wavne 
County  for  one  term  during  the  Civil  War. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  bore  the  maid- 
en name  of  Catherine  Puishnell,  was  born  near 
Honesdale  and  died  in  that  city  in  1868.  Her 
father.  Pope  Rushnell,  was  born  in  Salisbury, 
Conn.,  February  11,  1789,  and  came  to  this  state 
in  1817.  He  was  a  major  of  the  First  Battalion, 
Seventieth  Pennsylvania  ]\Iilitia,  and  was  twice 
a  mendier  of  the  state  legislature,  representing 
Wayne  and  Pike  Counties.  For  two  years  he 
aided  Maurice  Wurtz  in  securing  the  right  of 
way  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal,  and  was 
mobbed  for  advocating  the  right  of  the  Erie  Rail- 
road to  construct  their  road  through  Wayne 
County.  His  death  occurred  Januarv-  ig,  1881. 
He  married  Sally  Hulbert,  who  was  born  in 
Goshen,  Conn.,  March  26,  1788.  and  died  Jan- 
uary II,  1882,  aged  ninety-four  years.  She  was 
one  of  celebrated  triplets,  the  others  being  Sybil, 
who  died  June  27,  1875,  aged  eighty-seven,  and 
Susan,  who  died  October  6,  1876,  aged  eighty- 
eight  years,  their  cond)ined  ages  being  two  hun- 
dn-d  and  seventy  years.  The  Bushnell  family 
is  of  good  old  English  Puritan  stock,  and  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  sul)ject,  Gideon  P.usli- 
nell,  valiantly  aided  the  colonies  in  their  struggle 
for  independence.  The  old  homestead  farm  in 
Connecticut  comprises  three  hundred  acres,  and 
the  brick  house  which  was  erected  thereon  in 
1773  is  now  occupied  by  George  Bushnell. 

.Mr.  1  lenwood  of  this  review  is  the  youngest  of 
four  sons,  the  others  being  William  11..  ;i  dentist 
of  Scranton;    Charles  IT.,  deceased,  and  I^vdneN' 


PORTRAIT    AND    I'.KMiRAPH'ICAL   RECORD. 


677 


R.,  of  the  drug-  firm  of  Kenwood  &  Co.  Tn  1874 
our  subject  first  came  to  Scranton,  and  here  lie 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  pubhc  and  hig-h  schools 
and  also  Merrill's  Academy,  where  he  coniiilcted 
a  business  course.  For  two  years  he  was  then 
in  the  store  department  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Company,  but  in  18S4  went  to  Crown 
Point,  N.  Y.,  where  he  took  a  special  course  in 
chemistry  under  Prof.  A.  S.  Bertolet,  after  which 
he  went  to  Burden,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y. 
There  he  sen'ed  as  chemist  for  the  Hudson  River 
Ore  &  Iron  Company  until  June,  1886,  when  he 
went  to  the  Black  Hills,  Dakota,  in  the  employ  of 
the  Stevens  Tin  Mining  Company,  serving  as 
their  superintendent  until  they  closed  their  mines 
for  an  indefinite  period.  Going  to  Beatrice,  Neb., 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  great  railroad  con- 
struction firm  of  Killpatrick  Brothers  &  Collins, 
whose  headquarters  were  in  that  citv,  and  who 
sent  him  to  Fort  Fred  .Steele,  Wyo.,  where 
in  due  time  he  became  superintendent  of  con- 
struction of  thirty  miles  of  road  on  the 
head  waters  of  the  Platte.  Still  in  their  em- 
ploy, he  was  given  charge  of  the  track 
laying  of  the  Burlington  Railroad  extension 
from  Curtis,  Neb.,  to  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  this 
being  through  what  is  known  as  the  Great  Amer- 
ican Desert,  a  most  desolate  tract. 

On  the  completion  of  that  line,  Mr.  Henwood 
severed  his  connection  with  that  company,  and 
returned  to  the  Black  Hills,  where  he  again 
served  as  superintendent  for  the  Stevens  Tin 
Mining  Company,  remaining  with  them  until 
they  closed  down  in  June,  1880,  when  he  went 
to  Virginia.  In  partnership  with  A.  S.  Smith, 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  then  engaged  in  railroad  con- 
tracting on  his  own  account,  at  Boydton,  Va., 
building  thirteen  miles  of  the  Atlantic  &  Dan- 
ville road  through  rough  country,  and  at  the 
same  time  eight  miles  of  the  Winston  branch 
of  the  Richmond  &  Danville,  our  subject  having 
personal  supervision  of  the  former  and  Mr.  Smith 
of  the  latter.  In  1890  he  built  seven  miles  of  the 
Lackawanna  &  Montrose  Railroad,  a  branch  of 
the  Delawaie,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railmad. 
and  was  then  employed  for  six  months  on  a  large 
contract  in  Maine.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1892, 
he  returned  to   Scranton   (o  accept  the  ]50sition 


of  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Clark  &  Snover 
Company,  one  of  the  largest  manufacturers  of 
smoking  and  chewing  tobacco  in  the  state,  and 
that  responsible  position  he  has  since  acceptably 
filled.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  Scranton  Iron 
Fence  Company,  of  which  he  is  secretary  and 
treasurer,  and  is  a  director  in  the  National  Bor- 
ing &  Drilling  Company.  A  man  of  good  ex- 
ecutive ability,  he  has  met  with  excellent  success 
in  his  undertakings,  and  being  still  young  in  years 
undoubtedly  a  brilliant  future  lies  before  him. 

At  St.  Paul,  AHnn.,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Henwood  and  Miss  Lena  L.  Pittee,  who 
was  born  in  California,  but  her  parents  were  from 
Maine.  Fraternally,  our  subject  is  a  prominent 
member  of  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323, 
F.  &  A.  M.;  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A. 
M.:  and  Cocur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17, 
K.  T.:  and  politically  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
Repul)lican  principles. 


PATRICK  BLEWITT,  of  Scranton.  is  mine 
inspector  for  the  second  anthracite  district, 
extending  from  Providence  to  the  Luzerne 
County  line.  A  native  of  Ireland,  he  is  a  member 
of  a  family  that  for  several  preceding  generations 
has  furnished  to  that  country  men  who  were 
capable  and  prominent  surveyors.  His  father. 
Edward,  was  a  graduate  of  a  college  in  Dublin, 
an  able  mathematician,  and  the  author  of  manv 
works  on  surveying,  civil  engineering  and  calcu- 
lation, the  M.SS.  of  which  our  subject  has  in  his 
possession.  For  many  years  he  served  on  the 
general  valuation  and  ordinance  survey  in  Ire- 
land. Upon  coming  to  America,  in  1850,  he  be- 
came one  of  the  early  Irish  settlers  of  Lackawan- 
na Comity,  and  assisted  Joel  Amsden  in  laying 
out  and  surveying  .Scranton,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  civil  engineering  and  railroad  survey- 
ing. He  died  in  this  city  in  1871,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six. 

At  the  time  that  his  father  made  settlement 
in  this  county,  our  subject  accompanied  him 
hither.  Previous  to  this,  in  his  native  land  he 
had  gained  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  civil 
engineering  and  surveying,  and  afterward,  in 
1S48,  crossed  the  .Atlantic  and  traveled  extensive- 


678 


1't.jKTRAIT   AND    UiUGRAl'illCAL   RECORD. 


ly  in  tlie  Gulf  states,  later,  as  stated,  settling  in 
this  county.  A  few  years  were  spent  in  Scran- 
ton,  where  he  was  employed  in  surveying  lots, 
and  from  here  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  soon, 
however,  returning  to  this  city.  For  three  vears 
he  was  surveyor  of  old  T.uzerne  Countv,  also 
served  as  city  engineer  of  Scranton,  and  in  addi- 
tion has  had  a  large  private  business  as  a  civil  and 
mining  engineer.  In  1871  he  was  appointed 
mine  inspector  of  the  district  extending  from 
above  Carbondale  to  Wilkesbarre,  then  called 
the  eastern  anthracite  district,  now  known  as  the 
second  anthracite,  h^om  that  year  to  the  present 
time  he  has  been  reappointed  every  succeeding 
five  years,  except  one  term,  and  has  done  effi- 
cient work  in  the  insjx'ction  of  the  forty-six  or 
more  mines  in  his  district. 

By  his  marriage  to  Catherine  Scanlon,  ]klr. 
Blewitt  has  nine  children  living,  seven  daughters 
and  two  sons.  Mrs.  Blewitt  is  the  daughter  of 
Anthony  and  Honora  (Hefifron)  .Scanlon,  the  lat- 
ter belonging  to  a  wealthy  family  of  the  west  of 
Ireland,  the  former  for  many  years  a  member  of 
the  coast  guard  in  the  British  service,  stationed 
at  Killala  Bay,  County  Mayo,  Ireland.  In  1848 
he  brought  his  fairrily  to  Carbondale,  where  his 
remaining  years  were  spent  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  comforts  which  his  ample  means  rendered 
possible. 


ANDREW  NICOL  has  seen  the  longest  ser- 
vice with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Coal 
Company  of  any  man  in  their  employ,  hav- 
ing held  one  position  for  the  past  forty-five  vears. 
His  business  record  is  one  of  which  Ire  mav  well 
be  proud  and  few  old  citizens  of  Scranton  are 
more  highly  esteemed.  As  the  trade  of  his  firm 
has  increased  his  duties  have  likewise  nudtiplied, 
but  he  has  proved  e(|ual  to  any  emergency  and 
deserves  the  commendation  wiiicli  he  receives. 

Born  in  the  lowlands  of  Scotliiid,  in  the  parish 
of  New  Daily,  Ayr,  August  20,  1817,  Mr.  \icoI 
is  a  son  of  John,  of  the  same  locality,  and  grand- 
son of  David  Nicol,  who  was  a  shepherd.  The 
family  originated  in  the  highlands  and  spelled 
their  name  McNicol.  John  Xicol  was  a  carpen- 
ter and  millwright,  being  employed  in  tin-  f,,rmer 


capacity  by  Hon.  Thomas  F.  Kennedy,  a  noble- 
man who  owned  two  collieries  wliich  had  been  in 
operation  for  over  two  centuries.  He  came  to 
America  with  his  son  in  1851  and  settled  in  Car- 
bondale, where  his  demise  took  place  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife,  formerly  [anet 
Gray,  was  the  daughter  of  Andrew  Gray,  a  farm- 
er who  lived  to  be  nearly  a  hundred  years  old. 
The  (.;ra\-  family  were  also  natives  of  Ayr,  Scot- 
land, and  were  of  the  old  Covenanter  Presbyter- 
ian faith.  Mrs.  Nicol  died  when  about  seventy 
years  old  in  Carbondale.  Of  her  seven  children 
three  are  living:  Andrew;  John,  a  mechanic  in 
Carbondale,  and  James,  inside  foreman  at  the 
White  Oak  mine,  Archbald.  William,  a  me- 
chanic in  Carbondale,  is  deceased,  and  a  sister, 
Mrs.  Bryden,  who  died  in  Carbondale,  111.,  was 
l)uried  in  Carbondale,  Pa. 

When  thirteen  years  old  our  subject  started  to 
learn  the  carpenter's  trade  in  his  father's  shop. 
Four  years  later  he  went  to  Glasgow  to  work  on 
buildings  and  put  in  all  his  spare  time,  evenings 
included,  in  studying  draughting  and  pattern- 
making.  Not  satisfied  with  this  he  went  into  the 
machine  shops  of  an  iron  company  in  that  city 
and  then  was  for  four  years  in  a  foundry  in 
Courtbridge,  Lanarkshire,  becoming  a  thorough 
machinist.  He  was  appointed  foreman,  but  only 
held  the  place  six  months,  when  he  resigned,  in 
order  to  take  up  mining  and  civil  engineering,  as 
he  believed  there  was  a  wider  future  before  him 
in  that  field  of  labor.  In  two  years  he  became 
familiar  with  underground  workings  and  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  superintendent,  visiting  all  parts 
of  the  mines  every  day  and  making  reports  to  his 
superiors. 

In  1851  Mr.  Nicol  resigned  his  position  and  set 
sail  for  America  on  the  "Mary  Morris,"  the  voy- 
age lasting  six  weeks.  Going  direct  to  Albany, 
where  his  brother  William  was  foreman  in  a  ma- 
chine shop,  he  next  proceeded  to  Carbondale, 
where  he  knew  a  mine  foreman,  a  Mr.  Bryden. 
This  gentleman  introduced  him  to  tiie  superin- 
tendent and  Air.  Nicol  was  given  a  position  as 
a  surveyor  in  tiie  Delaware  &  Hudson  mines, 
continuing  there  twenty  years.  In  December, 
1870,  he  came  to  Scranton,  though  still  with  the 
old  company,  wiiicli  by  this  time  owned  mines 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


679 


from  Carbondale  to  Wilkesbarre,  and  he  served 
them  in  the  various  capacities  of  mining  engineer 
and  inside  superintendent.  Once  they  sent  him 
to  Sheffield,  III.,  where  he  opened  a  mine  and  did 
other  surveying  for  them.  In  1870  a  law  provid- 
ing for  the  inspection  of  the  anthracite  fields  was 
passed  and  to  the  surprise  of  our  subject  he  was 
appointed  inspector  of  mines  by  Gov.  John  W. 
Geary.  The  company  who  had  so  long  depend- 
ed upon  his  services  did  not  want  to  let  him  go, 
but  finally  gave  him  leave  of  absence  for  six 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  returned  to 
his  old  work. 

In  Glasgow  Mr.  Nicol  married  Helen  Brown, 
who  was  born  in  Maybole,  County  Ayr,  Scot- 
land. Her  grandfather  was  John  Brown  and  her 
father  was  David  Brown,  a  merchant  and  manu- 
facturer. His  wife,  Agnes,  was  a  daughter  of 
William  Haswell,  a  farmer  and  miller.  Their 
family  comprised  eleven  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Nicol  is  the  third.  A  brother,  William  Brown, 
resides  in  Green  Ridge,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Bryden,  lives  in  Murfreesboro,  111.  The 
marriage  of  our  subject  and  wife  has  been  blessed 
by  five  children:  Janet,  Andrew,  Agnes,  Mar- 
garet and  Mary.  Janet  and  Agnes  died  in  early 
childhood  and  Andrew,  the  only  son,  lost  his  life 
through  his  heroism.  He  was  about  forty  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  was  his  fath- 
er's assistant  as  mining  engineer  in  the  Olyphant 
mine.  In  September,  1889,  a  fire  occurred  in  the 
mine  and  in  his  efforts  to  extinguish  the  flames 
and  save  the  other  men  he  was  liimself  overcome 
and  so  badly  burned  that  he  lived  but  three 
weeks.  He  carried  two  men  half  a  mile  to  the 
shaft  and  they  were  rescued,  while  he,  being  the 
last  one  to  leave,  had  to  face  death.  He  left  a 
wife  and  three  children  to  mourn  his  loss. 

Mr.  Nicol  required  four  assistants  to  carry  out 
his  plans  in  the  mines.  He  continued  his  general 
supervision  of  details  until  January  i,  1897;  on 
that  date,  in  consideration  of  his  long  and  valu- 
able services  with  the  company,  he  was  placed  by 
them  upon  the  retired  list  witli  a  pension.  He 
owns  property  on  Delaware  Street,  between  San- 
derson and  Dickson  Avenues,  and  elsewhere, 
seven  residences  in  all.  He  has  never  lived  in  a 
rented  house  in  this  country,  as  he  bought  one 


tiie  first  week  that  he  was  in  Carbondale.  He  is 
a  member  of  Green  Ridge  Presbyterian  Church, 
having  been  one  of  its  founders  and  organizers. 
Never  desirous  of  public  office,  he  has  steadily 
refused  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  can- 
didate, though  often  urged  to  do  so.  His  friends 
have  requested  him  frequently  to  be  a  candidate 
for  the  mayoralty  or  even  for  assemblyman,  but 
he  keeps  firmly  to  his  resolution  to  adhere  to  the 
humbler  walks  of  life. 


CHARLES  P.  JONES,  who  in  point  of 
years  of  active  business  life  is  the  oldest 
pharmacist  in  Green  Ridge,  was  born  in 
Carbondale,  this  county.  May  11,  1854,  and  is  a 
son  of  George  K.  and  Harriet  E.  (Fordham) 
Jones,  natives  of  Wales  and  Montrose,  Pa.,  re- 
spectively. His  father  was  reared  principally  in 
England,  whence  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  came 
to  America  in  company  with  an  uncle  and  aunt. 
Locating  in  Carbondale,  he  clerked  for  a  time, 
then  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business,  but 
while  in  partnership  with  John  R.  Fordham  he 
failed.  In  1859,  while  in  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Railroad  Company  as  section 
foreman,  he  was  killed  by  falling  through  the 
floor  of  the  old  pump  house,  a  rotten  board 
breaking.  Of  his  family  he  was  the  only  one 
that  came  to  America,  so  far  as  any  information 
has  been  obtained  by  our  subject. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  sister  of  E.  C. 
Fordham,  ex-postmaster  of  Montrose,  and  of 
Gilbert  Fordham,  of  Montrose,  whose  mother 
made  the  journey  from  Long  Island  to  Pennsyl- 
vania on  horseback.  Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Jones  died 
in  1892  in  Pittston,  at  her  daughter's  home.  Of 
her  five  children  four  attained  to  years  of  matur- 
ity, as  follows:  George,  who  was  in  the  insur- 
ance business  in  Scranton  and  died  here;  Sarah, 
Mrs.  C.  F.  Wilcox,  of  Scranton;  Hattie,  Mrs. 
J.  D.  Green,  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich;  and  Charles 
P.  The  last  named  came  from  Carbondale  to 
Scranton  at  eleven  years  of  age,  in  1865,  and  at 
once  began  to  work  in  the  coal  department  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company.  Shortly 
afterward  he  learned  telegraphy  under  his  broth- 
er and  when  thirteen  became  the  operator  at  the 


68o 


I'OkTRAIT    AXl)    I'.loCRAI'lllCAi.    KI-'.C'ORI). 


foot  of  Plane  G,  Olypliant,  where  he  remained 
for  five  and  one-half  years.  The  locomotive  road 
was  then  put  through  to  Carbondale  and  for 
six  months  he  had  charge  of  Olyphant  station, 
after  which  he  became  operator  in  the  superin- 
tendent's office  at  Providence.  Later  he  was  a 
clerk  and  had  charge  of  the  rental  of  houses  at 
dififerent  collieries. 

Resigning  in  Xoveniher.  18S2.  Mr,  Jones 
formed  a  partnership  with  lOr.  Rea,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Rea  &  Jones,  and  their  connection 
continued  until  March  i,  1896,  when  it  was  dis- 
solved by  mutual  consent,  he  continuing  the  busi- 
ness. In  1 88 1  he  took  up  the  study  of  pharmacy 
and  in  1887  W'ls  registered  as  a  pharmacist. 
I'rom  the  inception  of  the  business  he  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  flavoring  extracts  of  all 
kinds  and  also  manufactured  a  general  line  of 
druggists'  sundries  sold  by  all  grocery  stores, 
which  he  still  continues.  At  different  times  he 
has  traveled  on  the  road,  introducing  and  selling 
his  specialties  to  the  trade.  To  assist  in  the  store 
he  has  a  registered  and  efficient  pharmacist. 
The  laboratory  is  in  the  rear  of  the  main  building 
at  No.  1557  Dickson  Avenue.  Since  1891  he  has 
been  mill  agent  for  Cargill  &  Fall  flour,  manu- 
factured in  Houston,  Minn.,  which  he  sells  in 
carload  lots.  For  the  past  twenty  years  he  has 
been  correspondent  for  the  "Scranton  Republic- 
an" beginning  when  he  was  an  operator  and  con- 
tinuing through  the  years  that  have  since  inter- 
vened. Recently  he  purchased  the  property  op- 
posite his  old  stand  on  Dickson  Avenue  and  built 
one  of  the  most  modern  drug  stores  in  the  city, 
into  which  he  moved  in  March,  1897. 

In  (ircen  Ridge  Mr.  Jones  married  Miss  Mar- 
garet C.  Paterson,  who  was  born  in  Scranton, 
graduated  from  Keystone  Academy,  and  prior  to 
her  marriage  held  the  position  of  teacher  in 
school  No.  2-j.  They  reside  at  No.  1735  Mouse v 
Avenue  and  have  four  children,  Isabelle,  Charles, 
Clarence  and  Margaret.  David  Paterson,  father 
of  Mrs.  Jones,  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  on  set- 
tling in  Scranton  was  engaged  as  a  miller  and 
mill  agent.  For  a  time  he  lived  in  Waynesboro, 
but  afterward  returned  here  and  again  acted  as 
mill  agent.  He  was  the  first  to  introduce  the 
celebrated  Washburn  &  Crosbx    flom-  in  Scran- 


ton. I'ratcrnally  Mr.  Jones  is  a  charter  member 
of  Green  Ridge  Lodge,  L  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he 
is  treasurer,  and  is  also  connected  with  (ireen 
Ividge  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  The  Green  Ridge 
Presbyterian  Church  numbers  him  among  its 
active  members.  A  study  of  politics  made  him  a 
Republican,  and  he  has  always  affiliated  with  the 
party  of  his  first  choice. 


M 


ARTHA  S.  EVERITT,  M,  D,  I-'or  a 
long  period  the  general  public,  not  fa- 
miliar with  woman  in  the  leading  pro- 
fessions, looked  upon  the  experiment  with  criti- 
cal disapproval,  but  people  eventually  recognize 
merit  wherever  found,  and  the  result  is  that 
woman,  when  once  qualified,  no  longer  has  pub- 
lic opinion  to  combat,  but  finds  her  patrons 
among  the  most  refined  and  educated.  The 
opening  doors  of  the  professions  have  led  many 
women  to  develop  talents  that  otherwise  would 
have  remained  latent,  and  thereby  the  field  of 
science,  literature,  art  and  the  professions  have 
been  enriched. 

The  family  (A  which  Dr.  Everitt  is  a  member 
is  of  southern  lineage  and  of  Welsh  extraction. 
Her  grandfather,  Allen  Davis,  was  a  native  of 
eastern  North  Carolina,  and  her  father,  Allen,  Jr., 
is  a  druggist  of  Beaufort.  Her  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Helen  Smyth,  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  the  daughter  of  Isaac  Scott  Smyth, 
a  native  of  Pelfast,  Ireland,  and  for  years  a  pros- 
perous business  man  of  Philadelphia.  The  death 
of  Mrs.  Davis  occurred  in  Beaufort.  They  were 
the  parents  of  two  daughters.  Dr.  Everitt  and 
Mrs.  Frank  Fossett  Mitchell  of  Philadelphia. 

Reared  to  womanhood  in  Philadelphia,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  given  excellent  educa- 
tional advantages,  attending  the  best  schools  of 
that  city  and  also  spending  four  years  in  the 
Wesleyan  College  of  Wilmington,  Del.  Shortly 
after  the  completion  of  her  education  she  became 
the  wife  of  Hon.  George  Bain  Everitt,  who  was 
born  in  Everettsville,  N.  C,  a  village  six  miles 
from  Goldsboro  and  of  which  his  father  was  the 
original  proprietor.  As  far  back  as  the  family 
genealogy  is  traced,  the  family  were  southern 
planters.     Admitted  to  the  bar  at  Winston,  N.  C, 


I'ORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


68i 


in  early  manhood,  he  was  chosen  to  represent 
that  district  in  the  legislature  of  Xorth  Carolina 
and  afterwartl  held  the  position  of  collector  uf 
internal  revenue  of  the  fifth  district  of  that  state. 
Going  to  the  northwest,  he  served  as  register  of 
the  land  office  at  Mitchell,  S.  Dak.,  and  afterward 
engaged  in  legal  practice  in  Beatrice,  Neb.,  for 
four  years.  He  died  in  1892  in  Excelsior 
Springs,  Mo.,  where  he  had  gone  hoping  to  re- 
gain his  health.  He  was  then  in  the  prime  of  his 
manhood,  forty-two  years  of  age.  His  personal 
character  and  standing  in  his  community  were  of 
the  highest,  and  while  his  residence  in  Beatrice 
was  of  comparatively  brief  duration,  he  had  mean- 
while gained  many  true  friends  who  appreciated 
his  manliness  and  genuine  worth.  The  official 
positions  to  which  he  was  called  came  to  him 
in  recognition  of  his  talents  and  able  public  ser- 
vices, and  had  his  life  been  of  longer  duration, 
undoubtedly  he  would  have  been  called  to  posi- 
tions even  higher  than  those  he  held.  As  a 
pleader  he  was  especially  capable  and  efficient, 
and  his  ability  in  that  department  of  jurispru- 
dence brought  him  many  important  cases  and 
considerable  prominence.  At  his  death  he  left 
three  children,  George  Bain,  Jr.,  Anne  Smyth 
and  David  Carney. 

The  deep  bereavement  wdiich  came  to  Mrs. 
Everitt  in  the  death  of  her  husband  caused  an  en- 
tire change  in  her  plans  and  life  work.  Having 
always  had  a  talent  for  the  medical  science,  she 
now  turned  her  attention  to  it.  In  the  fall  of 
1892  she  entered  the  Woman's  Medical  College 
of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia  and  remained 
there  until  her  graduation  May  8,  1895,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  On  the  ist  of  December  she  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  resident  physician  in 
Maternity  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  where  she  re- 
mained until  June  i,  1896,  On  the  5th  of  Oc- 
tober following  she  came  to  Scranton  and  opened 
an  office  at  No.  308  Washington  Avenue,  where 
she  has  since  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of 
medicine,  making  a  specialty  of  obstetrics  and 
diseases  of  women.  She  is  identified  with  the 
alumnae  association  of  the  Woman's  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Pennsylvania  and  with  the  Lackawanna 
County  Medical  Society,  and  in  religious  connec- 
tions is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church. 


Possessing  a  cheerful  disposition,  with  a  nature 
i)road  and  generous,  she  is  beloved  bv  those  who 
know  her  best  and  has  entered  with  zeal  upon 
the  duties  of  her  profession,  in  which  she  has 
already  had  an  extensive  hospital  experience. 


AUGUST  SCHIMPFF,  proprietor  of  the 
Germania  Hotel  in  Scranton,  was  born  in 
(jermany,  June  25,  i860,  the  son  of  Jacob 
and  Caroline  (Robinson)  Schimpff,  also  natives 
of  Germany.  His  father,  who  was  a  baker  by 
trade,  in  1861  brought  the  family  to  America, 
crossing  the  ocean  in  the  steamer  "Congress,"  and 
locating  on  the  south  side  of  Scranton.  Turning 
his  attention  at  once  to  the  trade  with  which  he 
was  most  familiar,  he  opened  a  bakery  in  the 
Idock  opposite  Robinson's  brewery,  after  which 
he  removed  to  the  old  Ward  House,  corner  of 
Cedar  Avenue  and  HicJcory  Street,  and  from 
there  to  the  present  Germania  Hotel,  and  after- 
ward engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  a  building 
that  adjoined  the  bakery.  A  few  years  later  he 
purchased  the  property  now  owned  by  his  son, 
August,  and  situated  on  the  corner  of  Hickory 
.Street  and  Cedar  Avenue.  After  some  time  the 
building  was  burned  down  and  he  then  rebuilt 
and  carried  on  the  hotel  for  nearly  twenty-seven 
years,  then  retired  from  business.  His  death  oc- 
curred October  7,  1893. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  sister  of  Jacob 
Robinson.  She  died  in  1868.  Of  her  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  two  daughters  are  living. 
Leopold  Y.,  son  of  the  father  by  his  first  marriage, 
served  as  chief  bugler  in  the  Civil  War,  later  was 
manager  of  M.  Robinson's  brewery  and  died  in 
Scranton.  Another  son,  Robert  D.,  who  was  in 
the  postoffice  for  sixteen  years  and  held  the  posi- 
tion of  secretary  of  the  school  board,  died  in 
this  city  December  28,  1892. 

When  the  family  came  to  the  United  States, 
our  subject  was  an  infant.  His  life  has  been 
princii)ally  passed  on  the  south  side  of  Scranton, 
though  in  youth  he  spent  fifteen  months  in  Ger- 
many, where  he  studied  the  language  of  his  fore- 
fathers and  music  for  which  he  had  considerable 
taste.  On  returning  to  America  he  was  employed 
as  clerk  in  a  hotel  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  for  two 


f.82 


J'oR'rRAlT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


years  and  then  returned  to  Scranton,  where  he 
took  a  position  in  iM.  Robinson's  brewery.  In 
1879  he  again  went  to  Germany  and  attended  a 
brewing;  school  in  Worms  on  the  Rhine,  from 
which  he  received  a  diploma.  After  nine  months 
he  returned  to  Scranton  and  for  two  years  later 
was  employed  as  foreman  in  M.  Robinson's  brew- 
ery. He  then  went  to  New  Haven,  Conn.,  where 
he  remained  until  1885,  and  then  returned  to 
Scranton,  and  entered  the  hotel  business;  one 
year  later  he  rented  from  his  father  this  property, 
which  he  improved,  rearranging  and  decorating 
the  hall  and  naming  it  Gcrmania.  In  1894,  after 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  purchased  the  property. 
In  1888  he  assisted  in  the  incorporation  of  the 
Germania  band,  with  which  he  is  still  connected, 
playing  1!  flat  cornet,  and  also  has  an  orchestra. 
October  13,  1893,  Mr.  Schimpff  married  EHza- 
beth  Pontius,  who  was  born  in  Scranton.  Her 
father,  Fred,  and  grandfather  Jacob  Pontius, 
were  natives  of  Prussia,  and  early  settlers  of 
Scranton,  where  the  latter  was  employed  as  a 
shoemaker.  Mr.  SchimpfT  has  one  child  living, 
Caroline,  and  lost  a  son,  August,  Jr.,  at  the  age 
of  three  years.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  Comet  Lodge  No.  341, 
K.  of  P.,  is  identified  with  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men,  Scranton  Athletic  Club,  and  was  as- 
sistant chief  in  the  fire  department  under  the 
chief,  Harry  Madison,  in  1890.  He  joined  the 
Ne|3tune  Fire  Company  some  years  ago  and 
served  as  its  vice-pre.sident  and  is  now  treasurer. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Volunteer  Firemen's 
Benefit  Association  he  took  an  active  part  and 
is  one  of  its  charter  members. 


HENRY  HALPERT,  M.  D.,  is  a  rising 
young  physician  of  Scranton  and  doubt- 
less has  a  brilliant  future  before  him. 
Few  of  our  countrymen  have  had  such  excep- 
tional advantages  in  the  universities  of  the  Old 
World,  such  opportunities  for  profound  research 
and  practical  experience,  as  have  fallen  to  his 
share,  and  he  has  availed  himself  of  all  such 
means  of  widening  his  horizon.  The  fact  that 
lie  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  five  languages 


speaks  volumes  concerning  his  unremitting  stud- 
ies and  burning  of  the  midnight  oil. 

In  tracing  the  history  of  the  Doctor,  we  find 
that  he  conies  from  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
respected  families  of  Hungary,  Europe,  in  which 
country  his  ancestors  have  dwelt  for  about  nine 
hundred  years.  It  is  known  that  they  originally 
emigrated  from  ancient  Gaul,  now  France,  and 
took  up  their  permanent  abode  in  the  plains  of 
Hungary.  Young  Halpert  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Munkacs,  celebrated  as  having  been  the  home 
of  the  great  artist,  Munkacsy.  The  date  of  our 
subject's  birth  is  May  16,  1869.  His  father,  Solo- 
mon, a  native  oi  the  same  city,  was  a  prominent 
merchant  there  until  1889.  He  was  a  son  of 
Joseph  Flalpcrt,  likewise  a  native  of  Munkacs, 
who  served  in  the  Revolution  of  1848  and  whose 
estates,  in  consequence,  were  confiscated.  Tlie 
wife  of  Solomon  Halpert  was  Pearl  Yetra,  whose 
father,  Wolf  Yetra,  was  a  leading  business  man 
and  a  banker  in  Romonow,  Austria.  He  came 
from  one  of  the  noble  families  of  Poland,  which 
was  rich  and  influential  ere  the  fortunes  of  war 
had  changed  all  this. 

Henry  Halpert  is  one  of  five  children,  and  has 
two  brothers  and  two  sisters  in  this  country.  The 
former  are  enterprising  business  men  in  the 
south.  The  Doctor  received  a  good  general  edu- 
cation in  the  national  gymnasiums  and  when  he 
had  completed  the  regular  course  began  theolog- 
ical and  classical  studies.  He  entered  a  theolog- 
ical seminary  in  Hungary  in  which  he  spent  sev- 
eral years,  but  eventually  determined  to  choose 
some  other  profession,  as  he  was  not  pleased  with 
this  line  of  work,  and  believed  he  was  not  fitted 
for  it  by  nature.  He  was  less  than  twenty  years 
of  age  when  he  commenced  to  study  medicine 
at  his  old  home.  In  1889  he  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  and  became  a  student  in  the 
world-famed  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College, 
from  w^hich  he  received  a  diploma.  Then,  under 
the  instruction  of  the  distinguished  Dr.  Smith, 
he  took  a  special  course  in  diagnosis,  and  was 
awarded  a  diploma  to  this  effect,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  gave  considerable  attention  to  chemistry, 
as  api^lied  to  the  science  of  healing.  In  order 
to  obtain  still  more  practical  training  he  took  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  University  of  Vienna. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


685 


In  May,  1895,  he  decided  to  locate  in  Scranton, 
and  opened  an  office  at  No.  317  Linden  Street. 
Since  then  he  has  been  admitted  as  a  member  to 
the  Lackawanna  County  Medical  Society.  One 
reason  of  his  success  here  is  doubtless  that  he  can 
speak  so  many  languages  iluently,  and  as  there 
is  so  mixed  a  population  in  each  of  our  large 
cities,  people  hailing  from  every  part  of  the  globe, 
they  often  find  a  reliable  physician,  speaking 
their  own  tongue,  hard  to  secure.  Personally  he 
is  well-liked  by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaintance. 


COL.  U.  G.  SCHOONMAKER.  In  the 
following  sketch  is  strikingly  illustrated 
the  success  that  may  be  attained  by  well 
directed  energy,  steadfast  purpose  and  never 
ceasing  efifort  when  expended  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  worthy  ends,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  chron- 
icle here  the  results  that  mark  such  a  life  of  use- 
fulness. Those  who  give  character  to  the  com- 
munities in  which  they  reside,  are  men  of  broad 
and  comprehensive  views,  men  who  have  energy 
and  pluck  to  forward  their  enterprises,  and  such  a 
man  is  Colonel  Schoonmaker  of  Scranton  and 
Elmhurst. 

He  is  a  native  of  Ulster  County,  New  York, 
and  oh  the  paternal  side  a  direct  descendent  of 
Capt.  Joachim  Schoonmaker,  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  this  country,  who  came  from  Holland 
in  the  seventeenth  century  and  settled  at  Kings- 
ton, Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  one  of 
the  fifteen  farmers  mentioned  in  the  provincial 
record  of  1661.  He  rendered  notable  service  in 
the  terrible  Indian  battles  which  raged  in  Ulster 
County  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago. 
There  are  few  families  in  that  county  or  in  New 
York  State  who  have  held  more  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  than  this  noted  family,  and  the 
part  that  some  of  its  members  took  in  the  struggle 
for  independence  has  erected  a  memorial  to  their 
names  that  will  endure  as  long  as  a  fragment  of 
the  history  of  Ulster  County  shall  exist.  Some  of 
them  were  foremost  in  rising  up  against  the  tyran- 
nical government  of  Great  Britain  and  to-day 
their  honored  descendants  are  sharing  the  bless- 
ings of  a  free,  sovereign  and  independent  govern- 
28 


ment,  for  wliich  tlieir  ancestors  pledged  their 
lives,  means  and  honor.  Another  notable  char- 
acteristic of  the  family  is  that  nearly  every  mem- 
ber has  been  very  successful  in  life,  the  greater 
number  of  them  being  wealthy,  and  generally 
large  real  estate  owners. 

Jacob  Schoonmaker,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  a  farmer  and  a  large  real  estate  owner. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  militia  who  took  part  in 
the  defense  of  Kingston  during  the  War  of  1812. 
His  son,  Alexander,  was  born  in  Marbletown, 
Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  July  26,  1820,  and  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  the  law  there.  April  29,  1842, 
he  married  Anna  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Johannas 
Van  Wagenen,  a  native  of  Ulster  County,  and 
one  of  the  landed  proprietors  there.  Her  great- 
grandfather came  to  this  country  from  Holland. 
Alexander  Schoonmaker  moved  to  Kingston, 
the  county  seat,  in  1861,  to  find  a  larger  field  for 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  and  re- 
mained there  until  1880,  when  he  went  to  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  and  there  spent  the  next  six  years. 
Failing  health  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  retire 
from  active  work  and  in  May,  1886,  he  located  at 
Elmhurst,  then  known  as  Dunning,  and  there 
passed  from  this  life  in  1890.  His  wife  survived 
him  but  two  years.  Of  their  five  children  four 
are  still  living.  One  son,  J.  Tyler,  served  in 
Eleventh  Connecticut  Volunteers  until  the  close 
of  the  war  and  retired  a  commissioned  officer. 
After  the  war  he  took  a  contract  on  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad,  then  engaged  in  engineering 
and  ranching  in  California,  and  is  still  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast.  The  daughters  are  Jennie  A.,  now 
Mrs.  H.  W.  Briggs  of  Kingston;  Addie,  who 
resides  at  Elmhurst,  and  Eva  A.,  wife  of  F.  W. 
Harlow,  editor  of  the  "Elmhurst  Signal." 

Col.  U.  G.  Schoonmaker  was  born  at  Marble- 
town,  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  January  31,  1845. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Kingston  schools  and 
from  that  city  went  to  Binghamton.  For  two 
years  he  was  connected  with  the  Sturrucca  Hotel 
of  the  Erie  Railroad  at  Susquehanna  Depot,  Pa. 
In  the  fall  of  1866  he  came  to  Scranton  and  in 
company  with  his  father-in-law,  S.  J.  Reed,  pur- 
chased the  Forest  House,  which  was  where 
Hotel  Jermyn  now  stands.     Later  he  became  the 


686 


I'DKIRAIT    AXE)   BIOGRAPHICAL   RF.CORD. 


sole  proprietor,  and  condiu-teil  tliis  well  known 
hostelry  until  1893.  when  he  sold  it  to  John  Jer- 
niyn.  August  14.  1878.  he  was  elected  honorary 
member  of  Conii)any  B,  Scranton  City  Guard, 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  X.  G.  P.  He  was  com- 
missioned aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  Gov.  H. 
M.  llovt,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  in 
the  Xational  (iuard  of  Pennsylvania,  January  12, 
1880,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Military  So- 
ciety of  Pennsylvania. 

Colonel  Schoonmaker  takes  great  pride  in  his 
winter  home  at  Lake  Helen,  Fla.,  where  he  has 
spent  thirteen  winters.  The  spot,  however,  in 
which  he  takes  most  pride,  and  in  the  develop- 
ment of  which  he  has  entered  with  his  whole  soul 
and  energv,  and  which  will  be  a  lasting  memorial 
to  him  here,  is  that  lovely  place  of  suburban 
homes,  Elmhurst.  The  Schoonmaker  plot  consists 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  and  has  between 
seventy  and  eighty  acres  set  aside  for  parks,  while 
there  are  miles  of  graded  streets,  with  shade  trees 
and  shrubs,  of  which  he  has  set  out  over  fifteen 
thousand.  In  1883  he  employed  one  of  the  fin- 
est landscape  gardeners  in  the  country,  Mr.  Web- 
ster of  Rochester,  ami  the  plan  was  mapped  out 
with  large  residence  lots,  broad  streets  and  parks. 
About  $200,000  has  been  expended,  which  with 
the  natural  aflvantages  of  location,  scenery  and 
ease  with  which  it  is  reached,  make  it  the  most 
desirable  and  attractive  place  for  homes  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  It  is  reached  by  two  lines  of 
railroads,  and  is  within  nine  miles  of  Scranton. 
Noticeable  among  its  improvements  is  the  mag- 
nificent mountain  boulevard  which  extends  from 
Nay-Aug  I'"alls  to  Elmhurst,  and  which  was  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  $60,000.  Here  Colonel 
Schoonmaker  has  erected  his  own  lovely  home, 
situated  in  a  |)lot  of  over  seven  acres,  and  known 
as  Oak  Terrace.  It  is  rightly  named  too,  as  he  has 
gathered  here  all  the  varieties  of  oak  trees  and 
has  them  so  plaiUed  that  their  foliage  will  blend 
nicely  together.  I''.hnhurst  without  doubt  is 
destined  to  be  the  Tuxedo  Park  of  Scranton. 

In  1866,  at  Ijinghamton,  Colonel  Schoon- 
maker married  Miss  Louise  J.,  daughter  of 
.Spencer  J.  Reed,  a  native  of  Sharon,  Conn.,  and 
she  presides  over  their  home  with  a  geniality 
and  hospitality  that  is  never  forgotten  by  those 


fortunate  enough  to  receive  invitations  there. 
Colonel  Schoonmaker  served  on  the  hoard  of 
commissioners  of  the  city  of  Scranton  in  early 
davs.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Peter 
Williamson  Lodge  Xo.  323.  F.  &  A.  M.:  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter  Xo.  185,  R.  A.  M.;  Coeur  de 
Lion  Comniandery  Xo.  17,  K.  T.,  in  which  latter 
he  is  past  generalissimo;  also  belongs  to  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the 
Scranton  Chd).  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
and  the  first  president  of  the  Masonic  Veteran 
Association  of  Northeastern  Pennsylvania.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  political 
questions  and  gives  the  best  of  his  assistance  to 
aid  the  Republican  cause,  both  in  city  and  state 
elections. 


CLARENCE  L.  VAX  BUSKIRK,  of 
Scranton,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  representative  members  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  always  takes  an  interest  in  every- 
thing relating  to  their  various  branches  of  work 
and  makes  a  point  of  attending  all  conventions 
held  by  them,  within  a  reasonable  distance,  fre- 
quently having  been  called  upon  to  act  as  a  dele- 
gate of  his  local  lodge  or  chapter.  For  nearly 
thirty  years  he  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  \\'estern,  and  this  fact 
alone  speaks  well  for  his  perseverance,  industry 
and  faithfulness  to  his  superiors'  interests. 

His  father,  Martin  \'an  Buskirk,  was  born  on 
the  Hudson  River  in  New  York  State  and  oper- 
ated a  lumber  sloop,  plying  between  Albany  and 
the  metropolis.  His  ancestors  were  early  Hol- 
lander settlers  along  the  "American  Rhine."  At 
one  time  the  father  lived  in  Oneida  County,  and 
thence  went  to  Troy,  where  his  death  occurred. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Cinderella 
Shear,  was  a  native  of  Oneida  County,  her  fa- 
ther being  a  farmer  there.  Her  mother  was  a 
Miss  Tri])p,  whose  father  was  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  under  General  Herkimer. 

Clarence  \  an  P>uskirk  was  born  in  Albany,  X. 
Y.,  in  1830  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Oneida 
County,  remaining  tliere  until  1859.  Then  lo- 
cating in  Abingtoii,  Pa.,  he  embarked  in  mer- 
chandising, and  later  was  assistant  postmaster  at 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


687 


Bailey  Hollow,  now  Dalton.  The  next  year  or 
more  he  was  a  mercliant  in  Nicholson  and  finally 
he  came  to  Scranton  in  1868,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  an  employe  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  in  their  coal  department.  In 
1863,  though  in  business  at  Dalton,  he  came  to 
Scranton,  expecting  to  volunteer  his  services  as 
a  soldier,  in  response  to  Governor  Curtin's  call 
for  troops,  but  they  failed  in  making  up  a  regi- 
ment and  so  he  joined  a  Carbondale  company 
commanded  by  Captain  Nichols.  This  force  of 
men  reported  at  Harrisburg,  and  were  duly  ac- 
credited as  Company  D,  Forty-seventh  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry.  After  nearly  eight  weeks  of  drill- 
ing, no  necessity  occurring  for  their  being  sent  to 
the  front,  the  company  was  disbanded  and  after- 
wards mustered  out  in  Reading,  Pa. 

In  Dalton,  Mr.  Van  Buskirk  married  Louise 
Green  in  1861.  Her  father,  Nor^ial  Green,  now 
nearly  ninety  years  old,  came  of  a  fine  old  east- 
ern family,  and  was  the  son  of  one  of  the  pioneer 
physicians  of  this  county.  Mrs.  Van  Buskirk 
died  in  1884,  leaving  two  daughters,  Stella  of 
McGrawville,  N.  Y.,  and  Maude. '  Mrs.  E.  B. 
Stewart,  of  Gloversville,  N.  Y.  In  1885  our  sub- 
ject married  Florence,  daughter  of  Jeremiah 
Stone,  a  farmer  of  Waverly. 

In  1862  Mr.  \^an  Buskirk  became  a  niemhcr  of 
I'actoryville  Lodge  No.  342,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
when  he  moved  to  Salem,  Wayne  County,  he 
joined  Salem  Lodge  No.  330  and  subsequently 
he  entered  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339,  being 
later  transferred  to  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No. 
323.  He  has  held  all  the  offices,  served  as  W.  M. 
in  1881  and  was  elected  secretary  of  Peter  Will- 
iamson Lodge  in  1894,  to  which  office  he  hassince 
been  re-elected  each  year.  In  1866  lie  took  the 
Royal  Arch  degree  in  the  Lackawanna  Chapter, 
and  was  a  charter  member  of  Factoryville  Chap- 
ter No.  205.  In  the  year  following  he  rejoined 
Lackawanna  Chapter,  of  which  he  was  elected 
secretary  and  has  ser\'ed  in  this  capacity  ever 
since  with  the  exception  of  1874-75.  During  the 
year  last  mentioned  he  was  high  priest.  In  1868 
he  became  a  member  of  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery  No.  17,  was  elected  secretary,  acting 
as  such  for  sixteen  years  in  succession  and  was 
eminent  commander  about  1890.     Withdrawing, 


he  then  entered  Melita  Commandery  No.  68,  and 
for  several  years  has  been  the  prelate.  A  charter 
member  of  Scranton  Council,  he  was  secretary 
for  a  couple  of  years,  when  he  resigned  and  re- 
tired from  active  affiliation.  He  was  also  form- 
erly connected  with  Lu-Lu  Temple,  of  Philadel- 
phia. While  the  Cerneau  Consistory  of  Scran- 
ton was  in  existence,  he  was  the  secretary,  but 
the  grand  lodge  decided  against  them.  He  is 
now  president  of  the  Masonic  Veterans  of  North- 
eastern Pennsylvania.  Besides  the  Masonic  socie- 
ties, he  belongs  to  several  other  orders,  viz:  Pro- 
tection Lodge  No.  1724,  K.  of  H.;  Ezra  S.  Grif- 
fin Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Washington  Camp 
No.  142,  P.  O.  S.  of  A.  In  politics  he  has  al- 
ways been  a  Republican  since  casting  his  first 
liallot  for  Lincoln. 


JOSEPH  F.  WOELKERS,  constable  of  the 
eleventh  ward,  Scranton,  was  born  in  West- 
phalia, Germany,  July  4,  1867,  and  spent  his 
boyhood  days  in  the  place  of  his  birth.  Until 
fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  after  which  he  learned  the  baker's 
trade  and  in  that  occupation  he  was  engaged  dur- 
ing the  principal  portion  of  his  remaining  years 
in  Germany.  When  not  yet  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  set  sail  for  America  and  landed  in  New 
York  City  July  i,  1881,  coming  direct  from  that 
place  to  Scranton,  where  for  two  winters  he  was 
employed  in  the  Pine  Brook  packing  house. 
Later,  for  eighteen  months  he  held  the  position  of 
night  special  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  yards,  and  then  was  an  employe  in  the 
South  Scranton  mills  for  two  years. 

In  1890  Mr.  Woelkers  was  elected  constable  of 
the  eleventh  ward,  and  this  position  he  has  since 
held,  having  Ijeen  re-elected  three  times.  He  has 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  a  number  of  noted 
criminals  to  justice,  among  them  James  J.  Mc- 
Carty,  an  attorney,  who  was  convicted  through 
evidence  collected  by  Mr.  Woelkers.  He  gives 
his  entire  time  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties  and 
is  an  efficient  and  business-like  officer,  workintr 
at  all  times  in  the  interests  of  the  people.  He  is 
popular  among  the  German-American  residents 
of  Scranton,  among  whom  he  is  well  known,  and 


688 


I'ok  TRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  their  various  organizations  he  takes  an  active 
part.  He  is  a  menil)er  of  the  German  Catholic 
Church  and  contributes  to  its  maintenance. 
While  he  never  forgets  his  native  land,  yet  he  is 
a  loval  American  citizen,  and  has  no  desire  to 
return  permanently  to  the  Fatherland,  prefer- 
ring the  freedom  and  independence  accorded  our 
citizens. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Woclkers  took  place  Jan- 
uary 23,  1889,  and  united  him  with  Bertha  Weis, 
who  was  born  in  Scranton.  Of  the  children  born 
to  their  union  one  died  in  infancy  and  three  are 
living,  Bertha  Elizabeth,  Albert  Joseph  and 
Henry  August.  Mr.  Woelkers  is  connected  with 
a  number  of  local  organizations,  among  them 
St.  Peter's  Society,  Neptune  Engine  Company, 
Volunteer  Fire  Association,  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty Constables'  Association,  and  Ringold  Band. 
He  has  his  office  and  residence  at  No.  432  Cedar 
Avenue. 


HENRY  F.  FERBER,  ex-chief  of  the 
Scranton  fire  department,  has  been  con- 
nected with  our  system  of  dealing  with 
the  destructive  element  most  of  the  time  for  the 
past  thirty  years.  He  made  a  most  efficient  chief 
and  instituted  reforms  and  improvements  of  great 
value  while  in  power.  Many  years  ago  he  be- 
came interested  in  a  drayage  business  which  was 
recently  reorganized  under  the  title  of  the  Union 
Transfer  Company,  with  himself  as  the  manager. 
Christian  Ferber,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  wine  manufacturer  on  the  Rhine,  Germany, 
and  met  his  death  in  a  flood  which  swept  down 
the  river  at  one  time.  Augustus  C,  the  father 
of  Henry  F.,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  in 
August,  1824,  and  was  a  baker  by  trade.  He  was 
the  first  of  his  family  to  emigrate  to  the  New 
World,  coming  in  1848,  and  his  brothers  Jacob 
and  David  with  their  five  sisters  and  mother  fol- 
lowed some  time  afterwards.  He  assisted  in 
opening  the  first  coal  mines  in  Scranton,  at  Roar- 
ing Brook,  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company,  and  then  went  into  the  employ  of  the 
Wilkesbarre  Coal  &  Iron  Company  as  foreman. 
About  this  time  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Chester  Frain,  formerly  from  Kentucky,  but  then 


of  Nanticoke,  Pa.  Subsequent  to  his  marriage 
he  settled  in  Scranton,  being  a  watchman  at  the 
Diamond  mine;  then  was  in  the  freight  depart- 
ment of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
until  he  embarked  in  the  transfer  business.  To 
the  emergency  call  of  1863  he  responded  and 
served  until  honorably  discharged.  In  1869  he 
was  appointed  chief  of  police  and  was  reappoint- 
ed by  the  two  succeeding  mayors,  Loftus  and  Mc- 
Cune.  During  these  six  years  the  city  and  vi- 
cinity passed  through  a  local  reign  of  terror,  as 
the  famous  !Molly  Maguires  held  things  in  their 
own  hands  to  a  certain  extent.  Thus  the  chief  of 
police  had  all  he  could  well  attend  to  in  keeping 
them  in  check  and  in  protecting  the  lives  and 
property  of  citizens.  He  was  a  member  of 
Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church  and  of  Schiller 
Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  death  occurred  May 
6,  1893.  His  wife  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  this 
city. 

Henry  Ferber  is  one  of  fourteen  children,  of 
whom  eight  survive.  They  are  Mrs.  Christine 
Rutkins,  of  Laramie,  Wyo.;  Mrs.  Martha  Holde- 
man,  of  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.;  Henry  F. ; 
Emma,  Mrs.  John  P.  Jones,  of  Scranton;  Mrs. 
Libbie  Wood,  of  San  Diego,  Cal. ;  Ella,  wife  of 
M.  Williams,  foreman  of  the  Dickson  works; 
Edward  A.,  locomotive  engineer,  of  Scranton; 
and  Jennie,  Mrs.  James,  of  this  city.  Our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Pittston,  April  i,  1853,  and  was 
a  school-boy  in  Scranton.  His  first  employment 
was  in  the  drug  store  of  Richard  Matthews  and 
then  being  apprenticed  to  learn  the  moulder's 
trade  in  the  Scranton  Stove  Works,  was  in  their 
employ  nine  years. 

It  was  in  1877  that  Mr.  Ferber  was  elected  chief 
of  the  fire  department  by  the  old  volunteer  corps, 
and  he  acted  as  such  for  a  year.  In  1883  he  was 
called  upon  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  office  of 
chief  and  was  twice  re-elected  for  a  year  each 
time.  Then  after  a  vacation  of  several  years  he 
was  appointed  chief  by  Mayor  John  H.  Fellows, 
this  action  being  confirmed  by  the  council,  who 
at  the  same  time  raised  the  salary  of  the  position 
from  $600  to  $1,200  a  year.  During  the  three 
years'  administration  of  Mayor  Connell  he  was 
kept  in  the  chiefship.  As  long  ago  as  1867  Mr. 
Ferber  joined  the  fire  department,  being  torch- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


689 


boy  of  the  Lady  Washington  Hose  Company. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Goodwell  Hook 
and  Ladder  Company  and  became  assistant  fore- 
man. In  1873  he  helped  organize  Crystal  Hose 
Company  No.  4,  of  which  he  was  assistant  fore- 
man nntil  he  was  made  chief.  In  1885  he  or- 
ganized the  Scranton  Hook  and  Ladder  Com- 
pany and  was  foreman  of  same.  In  company 
with  ex-Chief  Page  he  was  the  instigator  of  our 
present  fire  alarm  system,  and  from  the  small 
force  of  men  and  fire  equipments  which  were  all 
the  department  could  boast  when  he  first  knew  it, 
it  has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  finest  for  a  city  of  this 
size  in  the  state.  Then  there  were  only  four  paid 
men  and  five  horses;  now  there  are  twenty-five 
men  and  thirty-six  horses.  A  chemical  engine 
has  been  added,  also  a  steamer,  several  engine 
houses,  etc.  He  has  attended  many  meetings  of 
firemen,  and  was  present  at  the  International 
Board  of  Fire-chiefs'  Conventions  at  Montreal 
and  Augusta,  Ga. 

About  1875  Mr.  Ferber  started  in  the  express 
and  drayage  business,  and  though  interrupted  at 
intervals,  he  still  kept  up  his  interest  in  the  en- 
terprise. When  he  removed  to  the  west  side  in 
1879  ^nd  joined  the  Franklin  Company,  he  used 
his  own  team  of  horses  to  draw  the  engine.  The 
Union  Transfer  Company  is  the  largest  concern 
of  the  kind  in  Scranton,  and  he  was  made  its 
manager  in  1896.  The  establishment  is  at  the 
corner  of  Franklin  and  Lackawanna  Avenues, 
and  a  line  of  vans  and  express  wagons  run  every 
day,  also  making  special  trips  to  Wilkesbarre, 
Carbondale  and  suburban  towns.  A  specialty 
is  made  of  accommodating  the  theatrical  people 
and  a  fine  line  of  carriages,  coupes,  etc.,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  vans  and  wagons,  are  kept  on  hand. 

In  Plymouth,  Mr.  Ferber  w^as  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Jones,  a  native  of  Pittston.  Her 
father, John  O.Jones,  wdio  was  a  shoemaker  there, 
went  to  the  gold  fields  of  California  in  1863  and 
remained  there  engaged  in  prospecting  and  min- 
ing for  thirty  years.  He  then  came  back  to  Scran- 
ton. Two  sons  and  a  daughter  have  been  born 
to  our  subject  and  wife:  Harry,  who  is  a  clerk 
in  the  Union  Transfer  Company;  Augustus,  a 
fine  youth  of  seventeen,  who  died  in  May,  1896, 
and   Marian.     Since   1877   Mr.   Ferber    has    be- 


longed to  Union  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  oth- 
er societies  with  which  he  is  identified  are  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the 
Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Firemen's  Union  of 
Scranton,  of  the  latter  being  a  charter  member. 
He  is  a  straightforward  Republican.  In  manner 
he  is  genial  and  pleasant,  readily  acquir- 
ing friends. 


CAPT.  JOHN  HORN.  Among  the  first  to 
respond  to  the  call  for  volunteers  in  the 
Civil  War  was  the  subject  of  rhis  article 
who,  though  he  had  been  in  America  less  than 
ten  years,  was  as  loyal  to  the  government  as  any 
native-born  citizen.  He  served  in  the  army  with 
valor  until,  receiving  a  serious  wound  on  the 
battle  field,  he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  the 
service.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  settled  in 
Scranton,  where  he  has  since  resided,  being  at 
present  the  owner  of  the  Green  Ridge  House, 
No.   1536  Dickson  Avenue. 

A  native  of  Mussbach,  Bavaria,  Germany,  born 
in  1837,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Mary  (Miller)  Horn,  natives  of  the 
same  village  as  himself.  His  father,  who  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business,  remained  a  resident 
of  Germany  until  his  death.  There  were  but  two 
children  in  the  family,  John  and  Mrs.  Catherine 
Farnholt,  both  of  Scranton.  The  former  was  ed- 
ucated in  the  public  schools  of  Mussbach  and 
was  early  oljliged  to  earn  his  own  livelihood,  as 
his  father  died  when  he  was  a  boy  of  twelve.  Re- 
solving to  come  to  America,  in  1852  he  took  pas- 
sage at  Havre  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  after  a 
monotonous  voyage  of  fifty-three  days  landed  in 
New  York  City,  alone  and  with  but  little  money. 
For  one  year  he  was  employed  on  an  omnibus 
line  in  New  York,  after  which  he  went  to  White- 
haven, Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  but  was  ill  there  for 
three  months.  On  recovering  his  health,  he  re- 
moved to  Jerseytown,  this  state,  where  he  was 
employed  in  a  hotel  for  six  months,  and  later  was 
similarly  engaged  in  Catawissa  and  Danville.  He 
saved  his  earnings,  which  he  invested,  together 
with  his  large  stock  of  experience,  in  the  hotel 
business  at  Danville,  remaining  there  until  he 
enlisted  in  the  army. 


6(x> 


PORTRAIT    A.\D    JiJUGRAlTllCAL    RKCURU. 


In  April,  1861,  our  subject  raised  a  company 
for  the  war  and  was  commissioned  by  the  gov- 
ernor, Andrew  G.  Curtin,  captain  of  Company  E, 
Sixth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  this  being  the  first 
reg-imcnt  in  the  state  that  was  sworn  in  for  three 
years.  Immediately  after  the  first  battle  of  Bull 
Run  the  company  was  sent  south  to  protect 
Washington  and  remained  in  that  city  all  winter, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1862  went  to  Mrginia.  The 
captain  led  his  company  at  Trainsville,  the  first 
battle  gained  by  the  L'nion  army.  He  also  took 
part  in  the  seven  days'  fight  at  Chancellorsville 
and  the  second  battle  of  I'.ull  Run.  At  Antietam. 
while  in  the  midst  of  the  hot  fire  of  bullets  from 
rebel  gims,  he  was  hit  by  a  piece  of  shell  that 
shattered  the  bone  of  his  left  limb.  His  recovery 
was  slow  and  the  wound  so  seriously  incapaci- 
tated him  that  he  was  honorabh-  discharged  from 
the  service  in  1863.  Through  all  the  years  that 
have  since  passed,  he  has  been  a  sufferer  from  the 
wound.  In  i8<)i  four  loose  pieces  of  bone  were 
removed  in  a  hospital  in  New  York,  and  three 
years  later  he  had  four  more  taken  out. 

Selling  out  in  Danville  in  1865,  Captain  Horn 
came  to  Scranton  and  opened  a  hotel  in  Penn 
Avenue.  Afterward  he  was  connected  with  differ- 
ent hotels  until  i8(ji,  when  he  opened  the  Green 
Ridge  House  opposite  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
depot.  In  1893  he  built  a  large  addition  to  the 
building,  which  is  commodious  and  modern  in  its 
improvements,  conveniently  situated  and  contains 
everything  necessary  for  the  comfort  of  the  trav- 
eling public.  .Since  the  spring  of  1896  it  has  been 
run  by  his  son,  William  H.  The  captain,  wishing 
to  renew  the  associations  of  his  youth  and  visit 
his  relatives  in  the  old  country,  in  the  summer  of 
1896  went  to  Euro])e,  taking  passage  June  6  at 
iVcw  York  and  landing  in  Hamburg  after  a  pleas- 
ant voyage  of  thirteen  days.  After  spending  a 
short  time  at  liis  old  home  he  visited  other  parts 
of  Euroi)e,  including  Switzerland,  Italy  and 
France,  saw  the  catacombs,  the  coliseum,  and 
many  relics  of  the  far-distant  jiast.  He  returned 
on  the  steamer,  "\"ictoria,"  arriving  at  home  Oc- 
tober 4,  1896,  nuich  benefited  in  healtli  by  the 
ocean  voyage  and  travel. 

In  Danville  Ca])tain  Horn  married  .Miss  Sophia 
Wagler,  who  was  born   in  ("lermany  an<l  died   in 


Danville.  The  two  sons  born  of  this  union  were 
John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  and 
William  II.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness with  his  father.  The  second  wife  of  Captain 
Horn,  whom  he  married  in  Scranton,  was  Eliza- 
beth Heblich,  who  died  in  this  city,  leaving  a 
son,  Frank.  In  addition  to  serving  as  captain 
in  the  war,  he  held  the  same  position  in  Company 
A,  Ninth  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  for  fmir 
years,  until  the  reorganization  of  the  Thirteenth, 
when  the  Ninth  was  tlisbaniled.  I'raternally  he 
is  connected  with  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.. 
and  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. 
He  was  at  one  time  actively  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  but  is  now 
demitted.  Among  the  associations  with  which 
he  is  identified  are  the  Scranton  Liederkranz  and 
Turn  Verein.  He  was  the  original  organizer  of 
Col.  W'illiam  N.  Clonics  Post  No.  319  and  is  its 
present  vice-commander.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church. 


JAMES  LENOX  REA,  M.  D.,  of  Scranton, 
was  born  in  Loysville,  Perry  County,  Pa., 
in  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.George  Scott 
Rea,  a  native  of  New  IJloomfield,  Perry  County, 
and  for  many  years  a  minister  in  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church,  with  pastorates  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Indiana.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Miami  L'nivers- 
ity,  the  president  of  which  was  his  cousin,  John 
Scott,  D.  D.,  father  of  the  first  wife  of  ex-Presi- 
dent Harrison.  He  was  a  man  of  honorable  char- 
acter and  Christian  life,  and  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  December,  1864,  was  mourned  not 
only  by  his  family,  but  by  his  parishioners  and 
all  with  whom  he  was  acquainted. 

The  mother  of  oiu'  subject,  Sarah  Kistler,  was 
born  in  Loysville,  where  her  father,  John  Kist- 
ler, was  engaged  in  farm  pursuits.  l!oth  her  j)a- 
ternal  and  maternal  ancestors  were  prominent  in 
the  Revolutionary  War.  .^fter  the  death  of  her 
husband,  she  reared  the  children,  devoting  her 
attention  to  fitting  them  for  positions  of  useful- 
ness in  the  world.  Her  death  occurred  in  1885, 
when  she  was  visiting  in  Waterloo,  N.  Y.  Of 
her  se\'en  children  fixe  ;ilt;iined  vears  of  niatur- 


PORTRAIT  AND    15I0GRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


691 


ity  and  four  are  now  living,  James  Lenox  being- 
next  to  the  eldest.  He  received  his  education 
principally  in  the  New  Bloonifield  Academy,  af- 
ter which  he  was  employed  in  a  drug  store  in 
Harrisburg.  In  1874  he  entered  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where 
he  studied  for  one  year,  and  then  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Phila- 
delphia, graduating  in  1876  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  For  about  two  years  he  engaged  in  prac- 
tice in  Harrisburg,  whence  in  1878  he  came  to 
Scranton,  opening  an  office  on  the  corner  of 
Dickson  Avenue  and  Green  Ridge  Street,  one- 
half  block  from  his  present  location.  In  March, 
1896,  he  moved  his  office  to  No.  1635  Sanderson 
Avenue,  where  he  now  is.  He  is  the  oldest  phy- 
sician in  this  part  of  the  city  and  has  been  success- 
ful in  his  practice.  In  1878  he  opened  a  drug 
store  in  Green  Ridge  and  in  1883  took  in  a  part- 
ner, the  firm  of  Rea  &  Jones  continuing  until 
1896,  when  Dr.  Rea  sold  out.  He  has  been  twice 
married,  first  in  East  Berlin  to  Miss  Gulie  Deat- 
rick,  who  died  in  Scranton,  leaving  a  son,  James 
Lenox,  Jr.  His  second  marriage,  which  also 
took  place  in  East  Berlin,  united  him  with  Miss 
Ora  Deatrick,  of  that  place. 

To  Dr.  Rea  belongs  the  distinction  of  having 
been  the  first  physician  to  locate  permanently  in 
Green  Ridge,  and  he  has  witnessed  the  substan- 
tial growth  of  this  locality  with  no  little  interest. 
The  number  of  voters  in  this  ward,  when  he  came 
here,  was  one  hundred,  now  it  is  over  eight  hun- 
dred. There  has  been  a  corresponding  increase 
in  the  amount  of  business  transacted  and  the  im- 
portance of  the  inckistrial  arts.  Real  estate  has 
been  improved,  liouses  Iniilt,  streets  [javed  and 
city  improvements  introduced,  in  all  of  which 
he  has  taken  a  warm  interest.  For  a  year  he 
held  the  position  of  member  of  the  board  of 
health.  Politically  he  always  votes  the  Republic- 
an ticket,  l)ut  has  never  been  induced  to  accept 
city  offices,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  un- 
dividedly  to  his  professional  duties.  From  1880 
until  1892  he  was  a  member  of  the  staff  of  Lacka- 
wamia  Hospital,  both  as  ])hysician  and  surgeon, 
and  is  still  a  member  of  the  medical  staff.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Physicians  Club  of  Scranton: 
the    Lackawanna   Count\'    Medical    Societv,    of 


which  he  was  president  in  1890;  the  State  and 
Ainerican  Medical  Societies,  tO'  which  he  has 
been  delegate;  the  Order  of  Foresters,  in  which 
he  is  examining  physician;  Green  Ridge  Lodge 
No.  597,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  was  among  the 
first  members;  and  Green  Ridge  Lodge  No.  603, 
I.  O.  O.F.,  in  which  he  was  a  charter  member.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian  and  holds 
the  office  of  trustee  of  the  Green  Ridge  Church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Preston  Park  Association, 
which  has  a  club  house  surrounded  by  a  fine  lake 
and  splendid  hunting  grounds  in  Wayne  County, 
and  is  known  as  one  of  the  finest  hunting  clubs 
in  the  state. 


BURTON  E.  KINGSLEY.  One  of  the 
most  important  industries  of  Lackawanna 
County  is  the  development  of  coal  mines, 
where  veins  of  the  imprisoned  sunshine  await  the 
pick  of  the  hardy  men  who  bring  to  the  upper 
world  this  great  agent  for  heating  purposes.  To 
carry  on  this  industry  with  greatest  success,  three 
qualities  are  necessary,  good  judgment,  energy 
and  experience,  and  as  Mr.  Kingsley  possesses 
these  attributes,  he  has  naturally  been  successful 
in  this  work.  He  is  superintendent  of  the  West 
Ridge  Coal  Company  in  Scranton,  but  still  re- 
tains his  residence  in  Blakely  (P.  O.  Olyphant). 

The  father  of  our  subject,  S.  D.  Kingsley,  was 
liorn  in  Alontrose,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  to 
which  place  his  parents  had  come  from  Connec- 
ticut. At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  New 
London,  Conn.,  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
after  which  he  located  in  Scranton.  He  built  his 
first  coal  breaker  at  Jessup,  and  afterward  con- 
tinued in  that  line,  building  almost  all  of  the 
breakers  used  by  the  Delaware.  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road.  Since  1874  he  has  continued  the 
work  for  himself,  liis  residence  being  in  Blakely. 
The  lady  whom  he  married,  Eliza  Kenyon,  was 
Iwrn  in  Blakely,  a  daughter  of  J.  B.  and  Rhoda 
(Callender)  Kenyon,  and  is  still  living,  as  is  also 
her  mother,  the  latter  being  eighty  years  of  age. 
Her  grandfather.  Rev.  Mr.  Callender,  was  the 
son  of  a  Revolutionary  hero  and  was  a  minister 
in  the  P.aptist  Church,  bntli  in  Mrginia  and 
Lackawanna  County. 

The  family  of  S.  D.  Kingsley  consists  of  three 


692 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sons:  George,  who  is  siiperiiitenflent  of  O.  S. 
Johnson's  colliery  at  Priceburg;  B.  E. ;  and  Ed- 
win, a  bookkeeper  employed  with  his  fatlier.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  Blakely  August  8,  i860,  and 
was  taken  to  Plymouth  at  the  age  of  six  years, 
but  in  1S67  accompanied  liis  parents  to  Hyde 
Park,  where  he  attended  the  public  and  higli 
schools.  For  two  years  he  was  a  student  in  the 
Keystone  Academy  at  Factory ville.  In  1879  he 
became  weighmaster  for  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son road  at  Olyphant,  his  home  meantime  being 
removed  to  Blakely.  He  continued  as  weigh- 
master  at  colliery  No.  2  and  Eddy  Creek  colliery 
until  1890,  but  in  the  latter  year  was  made  fore- 
man at  Eddy  Creek.  February  i,  1896,  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  superintendent  of  the  West 
Ridge  mine  and  has  since  had  charge  of  the  work 
in  the  colliery. 

In  Blakely  Mr.  Kingsley  married  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Olyphant,  be- 
ing a  daughter  of  the  late  John  C.  Edwards,  a 
merchant  there.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  Achsah  E.  and  John  B.  In  1882  he 
was  made  a  member  of  the  council  of  Blakely, 
of  which  he  was  secretary  for  a  year.  In  1886  he 
was  elected  a  school  director  at  Blakely,  and 
served  for  three  years,  being  secretary  of  the 
board.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Heptasophs  and  in  political  adherence  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party. 


ALEXANDER  SIMPSON,  superintendent 
of  the  repair  shops  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company,  and  formerly 
city  treasurer  of  Scranlon,  was  l)orn  in  Pottsville, 
Pa.,  February  8,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
A.  and  Rebecca  (Richell)  Simpson,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  Hamburg,  N. 
Y.  His  grandfatlier,  John  T.  Simpson,  was  born 
in  the  north  of  England  and  after  Iiis  marriage 
came  to  America,  settling  in  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where 
he  was  a  school  teacher.  Later  removing  to 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  bus- 
inesss  in  the  adjoining  borough  of  Port  Car- 
bon. At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  eighty- 
tiircc  years  of  age.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a 
Presbyterian, 


P'or  some  years  Thomas  A.  Simpson  ran  a 
stage  line  between  Reading  and  Pottsville  and 
from  Pottsville  to  Mauchchunk,  being  manager 
of  the  Pottsville  terminus  of  both  lines.  The  in- 
troduction of  the  railroad  put  an  encl  to  the 
old  stage  coach,  and  he  afterward  engaged  in 
the  hotel  business  at  Pottsville,  being  proprietor 
of  the  Mansion  House.  He  died  in  1853,  when 
about  fifty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  sur- 
vived him  three  years,  passing  away  in  1856,  was 
a  member  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  German  fam- 
ily. They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  name- 
ly: Elizabeth,  who  resides  in  Pottsville;  John  T., 
member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  in  the  Mex- 
ican and  Civil  Wars,  and  now  stationary  engineer 
with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  in 
Scranton;  Thomas  A.,  also  a  veteran  of  the 
Mexican  and  Civil  Wars,  and  an  employe  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  Company;  Sam- 
uel, who  died  in  infancy ;  William  T.,  who  passed 
away  in  Pottsville  in  1893;  Alexander;  Mary, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Frank  W.,  who  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  the  Union  army,  received  severe 
wounds  in  battle,  was  honorably  discharged,  as 
captain,  and  is  now  an  engineer  for  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  at  Olyphant;  Sarah,  whose 
home  is  in  Erie,  Pa.;  and  Enoch,  wlio  died  in 
infancy. 

In  the  primitive  schoolhouse  with  its  meager 
furnishings,  Mr.  Simpson  gained  the  mastery 
over  the  rule  of  three  and  became  familiar  with 
Cobb's  spelling  book  and  the  United  States 
Reader.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  machinist's  trade  in  New  York  City, 
under  the  Novelty  Manufacturing  Company, 
with  whom  he  remained  from  1852  to  1855.  On 
his  return  to  Pennsylvania  he  became  locomotive 
engineer  fcir  the  Trevorton  Coal  &  Railroad 
Company,  l)Ut  in  the  spring  of  1862  resigned  tliat 
lK)sition  and  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  se- 
cured work  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Companv.  Times  were  very  dull  then  and  he 
was  glad  to  get  work  even  at  a  salary  of  only 
eighty-two  cents  a  day;  however,  he  proved  so 
ctficient  that  in  August  of  the  same  year  he  was 
made  stationary  engineer.  After  twelve  months 
he  was  employed  in  superintending  the  building 
of  machinery   and   putting   up   engines    for    coal 


ex  AND 


HIRAM  STARK. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


695 


breakers.  Since  1864  he  has  been  master  me- 
chanic in  the  coal  department  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company.  Inquiry  in  regard  to 
the  repair  shops  here  develops  the  fact  that  he 
founded  the  business,  starting  it  "with  a  monkey 
wrench"  as  he  is  accustomed  to  say,  and  gradu- 
ally building  up  the  enterprise  and  enlarging  the 
buildings  until  there  is  now  a  foundry,  machine 
and  carpenter  shop,  and  other  needed  depart- 
ments of  work.  Though  he  has  a  residence  on 
the  hill  in  Providence,  he  lives  in  East  Market 
Street,  adjoining  his  shop. 

In  Trevorton  Mr.  Simpson  married  Miss  Jane, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Foulds,  who  emigrated 
from  England  to  Pennsylvania  and  became  mine 
superintendent  of  the  Trevorton  Coal  Com- 
pany. Mrs.  Simpson  was  born  in  Derbyshire, 
England,  and  was  about  six  years  of  age  when 
the  family  settled  in  Trevorton,  where  she  resid- 
ed until  her  marriage.  Of  her  union  with  our 
subject  eight  children  were  born,  five  of  whom 
attained  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Thomas  A., 
who  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  thirty-five;  Ellis 
R.,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Scranton  Supply 
&  Machinery  Company;  Alexander  F.,  a  pat- 
ternmaker with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company ; 
Walter  VV.,  a  machinist  in  tlie  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son shops ;  and  Lillie  May,  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1898,  Scranton  high  school. 

In  former  years  Mr.  Simpson  was  active  in  the 
Odd  Fellows  Order  and  was  a  charter  member 
of  Lincoln  Lodge.  Since  1864  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Providence,  of  which  he  has  been  a  trustee.  A 
Republican  politically,  he  is  an  active  worker  in 
the  Central  Republican  Club,  and  at  different 
times  has  been  a  member  of  the  county  and  city 
conmiittees,  having  been  connected  with  the  lat- 
ter organization  at  the  time  of  the  election  of 
John  H.  Fellows  to  the  mayoralty.  LTpon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  school  board  when  the  school 
district  was  consolidated,  he  was  made  a  memljer 
of  the  board  of  control  and  was  appointed  to 
serve  on  the  building  committee,  but  the  pressure 
of  other  duties  forced  him  to  resign  before  the 
expiration  of  his  term.  In  1887  he  was  elected 
city  treasurer  on  the  Republican  ticket,  his  oppo- 


nent being  Patrick  J.  Ruane,  then  the  incumbent 
of  the  office.  After  serving  one  term,  he  de- 
clined renomination  in  the  spring  of  1889,  pre- 
ferring to  give  his  attention  wholly  to  business 
affairs. 


HIRAM  STARK.  There  are  few  of  the 
residents  of  Lackawanna  County  who 
have  been  identified  with  its  interests  for 
a  longer  period  than  has  the  venerable  Squire 
Stark,  of  Scranton.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  sur- 
viving settlers  of  the  county,  to  which  he  came 
in  1836,  and  has  witnessed  its  growth,  the  de- 
velopment of  its  mining  and  commercial  inter- 
ests and  the  rapid  increase  of  its  population  until 
it  now  ranks  as  the  sixth  county  in  the  state. 
The  position  of  influence  it  now  holds  is  due  to 
the  efforts  of  such  men  as  he,  who  have  been 
unwearied  in  their  labors  for  its  advancement. 
February  9,  1817,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  at  Mill  Creek,  near  Wilkesbarre,  in 
the  neighboring  county  of  Luzerne,  of  which 
Lackawanna  then  formed  a  part.  His  grandfa- 
ther, Henry  Stark,  came  in  an  early  day  from 
another  eastern  state  to  Pennsylvania  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Luzerne  County,  where  he 
died  suddenly.  The  father,  John,  a  native  of 
Luzerne  County  and  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
enlisted  in  the  War  of  181 2  and  served  his  com- 
nuuiity  as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  His  death  oc- 
curred wlien  he  was  eighty-three  years  of  age. 
He  married  Cornelia  Wilcox,  who  was  born  in 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died  in  Luzerne 
County  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  Of  their  nine 
children  seven  are  living,  Hiram  being  the  eld- 
est. 

The  educational  advantages  offered  by  the 
schools  of  this  section  during  the  early  part  of 
the  century  were  decidedly  meager,  and  tin- 
knowledge  gained  by  our  subject  is  the  result 
of  observation  rather  than  study  of  text  books. 
.A.t  the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  the  farm  and 
was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  about  ten  years  after  coming  to 
Lackawanna  Township  (now  county)  in  1836. 
He  then  engaged  in  farming  in  Taylorville, 
clearing  the  land  and  improving  a  place,  which 


696 


roRTKAlT    AND    I'.lUGKAI'l  I ICAL    RECORD. 


lie  sold  in  1855.  Since  that  year  his  home  lias 
been  in  Hyde  I'ark.  On  coming  here  he  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  for  three  years 
on  Main  Avenue,  the  firm  being  Luce  i'<;  Stark. 
later  Knickerbocker  &  Stark,  tlun  11.  &:  (1. 
Stark,  the  latter  being  his  son  George.  They 
were  in  partnership  for  a  year,  since  which  time 
he  has  not  been  engaged  in  business. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  our  subject  was  a  Whig,  hi  i<S40  he  voted 
for  William  Henry  Harrison,  and  afterward  had 
the  pleasure  of  twice  voting  for  the  grandson  of 
that  illustrious  statesman.  With  the  birth  of 
the  new  political  organization  he  joined  its  ranks 
and  has  since  supported  its  principles.  He  has 
filled  numerous  local  positions,  including  those 
of  assessor,  tax  collector  and  constable.  In  1862 
he  Was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  served  for 
five  years.  During  that  time,  in  1866,  Scranton 
was  incorporated  as  a  city,  and  he  served  as  an 
alderman  the  last  year  of  his  term  as  justice. 
During  the  war  he  was  provost  marshal  and  took 
the  enrollment  of  citizens  subject  to  draft.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  a  Baptist  and  holds  the  office 
of  trustee  in  the  church.  In  Pittston  Township, 
Luzerne  County,  he  married  Aliss  Margaret 
Brown,  whose  father,  Newman  Brown,  was  a 
farmer  there.  She  was  born  in  1820  and  died 
Mav  30,  1895,  aged  seventy-four  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children:  ]\Trs.  Cor- 
nelia J.  .Merritield,  George  N.,  now  in  Denver, 
Colo.,  anil  James,  who  died  in  early  life. 


D()L'GLAS  H.  JAY  has  resided  in  Scran- 
ton since  1847,  "i"'! '"  former  years  took 
an  active  part  in  political  and  business 
affairs,  but  is  now  living  retired.  The  family  of 
which  he  is  a  nu-mber  is  of  English  and  Sc(.itch 
extraction,  but  has  been  identifieil  with  the  his- 
tory of  this  country  for  many  generations.  His 
great-grandfather  was  an  own  I'ousin  of  John 
Jay,  vvlio  under  Genera!  Washington  was  the 
first  chief  justice  in  the  I'nited  .States.  The 
grandfather,  Jose])!]  Jay,  was  born  in  1755  in  what 
was  then  Nottingham  (now  .Soutli  Trenton  1 
Township,  Mercer  County,  N.  J.,  and  afterward 
became  a  business  man  of  New   lirunswick,  that 


state.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  he  en- 
listed as  an  ensign,  but  afterward  returned  home, 
recruited  a  company  of  men  in  Newton,  Sussex 
County,  and  with  them  marched  to  Trenton  and 
entered  upon  active  service.  He  endured  all  the 
hardships  and  sufiferings  of  that  terrible  winter 
at  N'alley  Forge,  and  continued  to  serve  until  in- 
dependence was  secured  and  peace  declared. 

Nelson  Jay,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in 
New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and  in  youth  learned  the 
merchant  tailor's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  his 
native  cit\  until  his  retirement  to  a  farm  in  War- 
ren County.  In  i860  he  came  to  Scranton  and 
here  died  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  His 
wife,  Sydney  Hiles,  was  born  in  Belvidere,  N.  J., 
and  died  in  Scranton  at  sixty-nine  years.  Her 
father,  George  Hiles,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America  in  youth  and  settled  in  New  Jersey, 
where  he  became  owner  of  a  large  farm  situated 
on  the  main  roa<l  between  Belvidere  and  Eas- 
ton.    There  he  died  at  sixty  years  of  age. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  four  daughters  and  two  sons,  name- 
ly: Ellen;  Mrs.  Annie  Jessup,  who  went  to 
Beirut,  Syria,  as  a  missionary  and  established  a 
mission  in  that  place,  where  she  died :  Sarah,  wife 
of  Hon.  William  Jessup,  of  Scranton ;  Fannie, 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Mulford,  of  Montrose,  Pa.; 
Douglas  H.,  and  N.  Hixon,  who  resides  in  Jeffer- 
son Avenue,  this  city.  Our  subject  was  born  in 
Belvidere,  N.  J.,  December  iq,  1830,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  that  place.  In  1847  ''^ 
came  to  Scranton  with  Colonel  Scranton,  who 
married  Miss  Jean  Hiles,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Jay. 
W'itli  that  gentleman  he  remained  as  clerk  and 
bookkeeper  for  a  time,  and  later  served  as  mail 
agent  under  IVesident  Pierce  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western.  In  1861  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  at  Scranton  and  w-as  com- 
missioned by  .'\.l)rahain  Lincoln,  but  in  1864  re- 
signed in  order  that  he  might  enlist  in  the  army, 
llis  name  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  Com- 
p,in\  I  i.  (  )ne  Hundred  and  lughty-seventh  Peiin- 
s\l\;nii.-i  lnfantr\.  tiiat  was  mustered  in  at  Ilar- 
risburg.  I  hnnng  his  service  he  was  detailed  as 
clerk  under  ( lenerals  Couch,  Cadwallader  and 
Meade.     In  August,  1865,  he  was  mustered  out 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRArHICAL   RKCORIJ. 


697 


as  sergeant-major  of  the  regiment,  with  the  rank 
of  first  lieutenant. 

On  his  return  to  Scranton,  Mr.  Jav  took  a  po- 
sition in  the  postoffice,  but  after  a  few  years  be- 
came bookkeeper  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company,  and  remained  in  that  position 
until  his  retirement  in  1890.  In  i860  he  built 
the  first  brick  house  in  the  central  part  of  Scran- 
ton, and  since  then  he  has  improved  property  in 
Spruce  Street  and  also  built  in  Jefferson  x\venue. 
For  six  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  poor  board 
and  during  his  time  of  service  the  new  Hillside 
Home  was  started.  In  former  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masons,  but 
is  no  longer  active  in  these  organizations.  Since, 
voting  for  John  C.  Fremont  he  has  always  been 
active  in  the  Republican  party  and  a  firm  advo- 
cate of  its  principles.  In  religious  views  he  is 
connected  with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  Scranton,  Mr.  Jay  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Carling,  who  was  born  in  Philipsburg,  N.  J.,  and 
is  a  lady  of  estimable  character,  lier  husband's 
helpmate  in  every  undertaking.  They  are  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Ella  C,  wife  of  James 
H.  Torry,  attorney,  of  Scranton ;  Annie  L.,  who 
married  H.  A.  Conncll.  a  jeweler,  of  Scranton; 
William  C,  foreman  with  the  Pennsylvania  Roof- 
ing Company;  George  G.,  an  electrician  in  this 
city;  James  Scranton,  a  clerk  with  the  Colliery 
Engineer  Company;  Kate,  Mrs.  R.  G.  Jermyn,  of 
Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  Joseph  Nelson,  at  home. 

William  P.  Carling,  father  of  Mrs.  Jay,  was 
born  in  Stewartsville,  N.  J.,  and  became  a  har- 
nessmaker  in  Philipsburg,  that  state.  In  1847 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  Mr.  McKinney  in  the  meat  business.  His 
last  years  were  spent  in  retirement  from  business 
and  he  died  here  at  sixty-seven  years.  His  wife 
was  Amelia  Wiggins,  a  native  of  Asbury,  N.  J., 
and  an  estimable  lady,  who,  though  now  eighty- 
three  years  of  age,  still  retains  possession  of  her 
mental  faculties.  For  some  years  she  has  made 
her  home  with  Mrs.  Jay.  Her  parents  were  James 
and  Mary  (Walker)  Wiggins,  of  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  respectively,  the  former  of  whom  re- 
moved to  Asbury,  N.  J.,  and  became  a  woolen 
manufacturer.  He  died  at  Milford,  N.  J.,  when 
about  seventy  years  of  age.     Of  Mrs.  Carling's 


five  children,  four  grew  to  maturity,  but  Mrs. 
Jay  is  the  sole  survivor.  One  of  her  brothers, 
Henry,  became  lieutenant  of  a  company  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  afterward  re-enlisted  and  was 
chosen  captain  of  Company  G.  (Jne  Hunilred  and 
Eighty-seventh  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  During 
his  active  service  he  was  wounded  in  battle.  Aft- 
er the  close  of  the  war  he  held  a  position  as  as- 
sistant |)aymaster  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western,  but  resigned  to  go  to  Denver,  Colo., 
hoping  to  benefit  his  health;  while  in  the  west 
he  died.  Another  brother,  Peter  Carling,  was 
cashier  in  the  Second  National  Bank  of  Scran- 
ton until  his  death.  The  long  life  of  Mrs.  Car- 
ling has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one,  filled  with 
good  deeds  toward  the  needy  and  friendless,  and 
devoted  to  the  welfare  of  her  family.  Now  her 
declining  days  are  passed  in  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  who  ministers  to  her  comfort  and  sur- 
rounds her  with  everything  that  affection  can 
supply. 


WELCOME  C.  SNOVER,  D.  D.  S.,  has 
a  finely  equipped  office  at  No.  421 
Lackawanna  Avenue,  Scranton.  He 
bids  fair  to  control  much  of  the  best  patronage  in 
the  city,  for  he  brings  to  bear  upon  his  chosen 
field  of  labor  a  keen  intellect,  the  most  modern 
appliances  known  to  the  science  of  dentistry, 
a  skilled  and  steady  hand  and  those  manly  quali- 
ties that  inspire  confidence.  He  is  a  son  of  T. 
C.  Snover,  a  well  known  and  highly  respected 
citizen  of  this  place,  whose  history  may  be  fownd 
elsev.here  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  on  the 
west  side  of  Scranton,  July  3,  1872,  and  attended 
the  pulilic  schools  until  he  was  about  sixteen 
years  of  age.  Then  he  entered  Wood's  Business 
College,  graduating  therefrom  in  i8go.  After- 
ward he  continued  the  study  of  higher  mathe- 
matics and  the  classics  under  a  private  tutor  some 
three  years.  Deciding,  by  this  time,  what  call- 
ing he  intended  to  pursue  in  the  future,  he  went 
to  Philadelphia  and  was  enrolled  as  a  .student  in 
the  College  of  Dental  Surgery.  For  three  years 
he  gave  his  vmdivided  attention  to  all  branches 
of  dentistry  and  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1896, 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery. 


698 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  same  year  Dr.  Snover  returned  here  and 
opened  his  office.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  crown 
and  bridge  work,  porcelain  plates,  etc.  To  fur- 
nish himself  with  the  needed  motive  power,  he 
employs  a  Columbia  dental  engine,  of  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  volts.  He  has  a  revolving  cuspidore, 
and  all  of  the  up-to-date  improvements  on  the 
old-fashioned  instruments  of  torture.  While  in  the 
dental  college,  he  took  a  special  course  each 
spring,  to  qualify  himself  beyond  the  ordinary 
lines  followed  by  his  fellow-students,  and  since 
then  he  does  a  great  deal  of  work  in  reading  the 
best  articles  from  the  pens  of  long-established 
and  practical  dentists.  With  the  same  object  in 
view,  he  identified  himself  with  the  Lackawanna 
and  Luzerne  Dental  Associations.  While  in  col- 
lege, he  became  a  member  of  the  Psi  Omega  fra- 
ternity, and  .still  holds  his  connection  with  the  so- 
ciety. 

In  musical  circles  the  Doctor  is  especially  pop- 
ular, for  he  is  a  fine  violinist.  He  has  been  the 
violinist  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  dur- 
ing the  past  six  years,  as  a  member  of  their  or- 
chestra. A  member  of  the  same  congregation,  he 
always  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  welfare  and 
assists  in  the  various  departments  of  church 
work.     In  politics  he  is  a  loyal  Republican. 


THOMAS  P..  McCLINTOCK.  This  suc- 
cessful business  man  is  one  of  the  leading 
llorists  of  Scranton.  He  is  truly  a  self- 
made  man,  as  he  has  wrought  out  his  own  pros- 
pefity  by  constant  efTort.  His  greenhouses  are 
located  on  Electric  and  Jefferson  Streets  at  the 
entrance  of  Forest  Hill  cemetery,  and  though 
this  is  within  the  borough  of  Dunmore,  all  of  the 
proprietor's  mail  is  addressed  to  Scranton,  P.  O. 
Box  No.  67;    telephone  No.  7620. 

The  McClintock  family  have  been  long  iden- 
tified with  the  growtli  and  advancement  of  tliis 
state,  as  our  subject's  great-grandfather  was  born 
within  its  borders,  though  his  ancestors  were 
from  Scotland.  His  farm  in  Perry  County  was 
handed  down  to  his  son  John,  who  lived  thereon 
until  his  death  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 
This  farm  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family. 
Benjamin,  father  of  Thomas  McClintod<,  served 


throughout  the  Civil  War  and  is  now  passing 
his  declining  days  at  The  Cove,  Dauphin  County, 
having  retired  from  business.  He  was  consid- 
ered as  fine  a  mechanic  and  millwright  as  could 
be  found  in  the  land  and  put  up  many  a  mill  and 
barn.  He  married  Matilda  Barnett,  whose  father, 
Tliomas,  owned  a  fine  farm  on  the  banks  of  the 
Susquehanna  River,  near  The  Cove,  Dauphin 
County.  His  family  was  an  old  and  respected 
one  in  that  region. 

Thomas  B.  McClintock  was  born  in  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.,  March  5,  1861,  being  one  of  six  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  dead.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  city  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  old,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn 
the  florist's  trade  under  Joseph  Smidt,  superin- 
tendent for  John  Keppell.  Four  years  later  he 
went  into  the  employ  of  Dan  Cameron,  but  at  the 
end  of  a  year  returned  to  his  old  place  with  Mr. 
Smidt,  where  he  was  foreman  for  some  three 
years.  July  10,  1882,  he  came  to  Scranton  and 
embarked  in  business  for  himself,  building  new 
greenhouses  at  No.  540  Monroe  Avenue.  By 
1888  he  was  able  to  buy  this  establishment  and 
subsequently  he  added  to  the  original  tract  until 
now  he  owns  an  acre  and  a  half.  His  ten  green- 
houses are  covered  by  fifteen  thousand  feet  of 
glass,  besides  which  he  has  one  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  of  glass  over  his  hotbeds.  He  has 
been  particularly  successful  in  raising  pansies, 
violets,  etc.,  and  keeps  a  fine  line  of  palms,  ferns 
and  potted  plants.  Here  may  be  found  many 
rare  tropical  forms  of  vegetation,  such  as  orchids 
and  rubber-plants.  All  sorts  of  decorations  and 
funeral  designs  are  made  to  order  and  demands 
are  made  upon  him  to  supply  floral  pieces  for 
various  occasions  in  towns  along  the  line  from 
Wilkesbarre  to  Forest  City.  At  all  times  he  is 
ably  assisted  by  his  wife,  whose  taste  in  matters 
of  decoration  is  most  artistic.  The  greenhouses 
are  supplied  with  all  modern  appliances  used  in 
the  trade  and  are  heated  with  a  forty-horse  power 
boiler. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  McClintock  was  married  in 
1886  to  Miss  Idell  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Pratts- 
burg,  N.  Y.  Her  father,  Lee  Miller,  a  native  of 
the  same  state,  is  now  a  machinist  in  this  city. 
I'"our  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


699 


McClintock:  Lee,  Clarence,  Marion  and  Hazel. 
Mrs.  McClintock  is  a  member  of  the  Green  Ridge 
Baptist  Church.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  order  of 
Heptasophs. 


WILLIAM  B.  COBB.  The  iron  inter- 
ests of  the  county  have  received  an 
added  impulse  from  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Cobb,  who  is  one  of  the  successful  iron  workers 
of  Scranton,  and  is  the  contractor  at  the  spike 
mill  of  the  Green  Ridge  iron  works.  He  manu- 
factures spikes  of  four  different  sizes  and  four- 
teen lengths,  viz.:  size  9-16,  length  8x9-16,  5  i-2x 
9-16,  5x9-16  and  4  1-2x9-16;  size  1-2,  length 
5  I-2XI-2,  5x1-2,  4  I-2XI-2,  4x1-2  and  3  1-2x1-2; 
size  7-16,  length  41-2x7-16,  4x7-16,  31-2x7-16; 
size  3-8,  length  5x3-8  and  3  1-2x3-8. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
an  iron  forger  and  was  employed  in  the  ship 
works  at  Richmond  and  Philadelphia;  he  took 
part  in  the  Revolution  and  three  of  his  sons  en- 
listed in  the  War  of  1812.  David  Cobb,  father 
of  William  B.,  was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  and 
at  a  very  early  age  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
being  the  youngest  builder  in  Camden,  N.  J. 
From  the  latter  place  he  removed  to  Strouds- 
burg,  Monroe  County,  Pa.,  and  in  i860  came  to 
Scranton,  securing  work  as  a  carpenter  and  ma- 
chinist with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany. In  1865  he  removed  to  Oxford,  N.  J., 
where  he  died  in  February,  1883,  aged  about  six- 
ty-seven years.  During  the  Civil  War  he  offered 
his  services,  but  was  rejected. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Catherine,  was 
born  in  Delaware,  and  died  in  Scranton  in  1892. 
Her  father,  Samuel  Spencer,  was  born  and  reared 
in  Wilmington,  Del.,  where  he  made  his  per- 
manent home,  though,  being  the  owner  of  a 
schooner  and  captain  in  the  coasting  trade,  much 
of  his  time  was  spent  on  the  ocean.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  of  French  ancestry.  Our  subject  is 
the  ninth  among  twelve  children,  all  of  whom  at- 
tained mature  years,  and  two  daughters  and  four 
sons  are  now  living,  namely:  Mrs.  William  R. 
Call,  of  Scranton;  Samuel,  a  veteran  of  the  war 
and  an  engineer  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson; 


William  B.;  Courtland,  of  Belleville,  111.;  David, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Seventy-ninth  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry  during  the  war,  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  Pope  County,  Ark.:  and  Elizabeth, 
the  widow  of  David  Gayhart,  and  a  resident  of 
Mt.  Pleasant,  Henderson  County,  111. 

From  Camden,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  born  De- 
cember 9,  1846,  the  subject  of  this  article  went 
with  his  parents  to  Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  and  thence 
in  i860  to  Scranton,  where  he  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  for  nine  months.  For  a  time  he  was 
employed  in  the  machine  shops  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company,  until  his  enlist- 
ment in  May,  1863,  as  a  member  of  the  Thir- 
tieth Pennsylvania  Infantry,  under  Capt.  John 
Langstaff.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  Signal  Corps  and  after 
spending  three  months  at  Georgetown  was  sent 
to  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  where  he  remained  during 
the  siege.  With  the  Twenty-third  Army  Corps 
he  marched  through  George  to  Atlanta,  thence 
back  to  Nashville  under  General  Thomas,  and 
from  there  was  sent  to  Knoxville  to  remove  all 
the  stores  to  Washington,  D.  C,  these  being 
taken  by  boat  to  Ft.  Fisher.  During  Sherman's 
march  he  took  signals,  which  he  was  obliged  to 
use  the  greatest  dispatch  in  delivering,  and  in 
that  campaign  he  rode  seven  horses  to  death. 
Going  to  Washington  he  took  part  in  the  grand 
review  and  was  honorably  discharged  August  15, 
1865. 

On  returning  to  Scranton  Mr.  Cobb  found  this 
city  in  the  midst  of  a  great  coal  mine  strike.  He 
took  a  position  as  machinist  under  his  former 
superintendent  in  the  Oxford  furnace  and  was 
given  charge  of  the  spike  mill.  In  May,  1874, 
he  came  back  to  Scranton  and  was  fireman  for 
two  years  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road,  after  which  he  was  engineer  on 
the  main  line  for  four  years.  His  next  position 
was  with  the  Dickson  locomotive  works,  in  the 
building  and  delivering  of  locomotives  to  various 
companies.  After  fourteen  months  in  that  ca- 
pacity, he  became  superintendent  of  the  Pierce 
Coal  Company  at  Winton,  but  soon  returned  to 
the  Dickson  tvorks,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  In  1893  he  again  came  to  Scranton  as  con- 
tractor at  the  spike  mill,  where  there  is  a  capac- 


700 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


ity  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  kegs  per  day  or  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  every  ten  hours. 

In  Oxford,  X.  J.,  Mr.  Cobb  married  Miss  El- 
k'n  Henderson,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
her  fatiier,  the  late  Robert  Henderson,  having 
been  a  well  known  iron  worker  at  Scranton  and 
Oxford.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cobb  reside  at  No.  1702 
Dickson  Avenue  and  are  the  parents  of  ten  living 
children, namely:  Robert,  who  is  a  machinist  with 
the  Dunmore  Iron  &  Steel  Company;  Mrs.  Vir- 
ginia Heller,  of  Stroudsburg;  Charles,  who  as- 
sists his  father;  Ellen,  Rusling,  George,  Lulu, 
Laura,  Butler  and  Harry.  The  family  attend 
the  Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Like 
all  good  citizens,  Mr.  Cobb  aims  to  keep  himself 
well  posted  concerning  political  afifairs,  and  his 
ballot  is  always  given  to  endorse  Republican 
principles.  P'raternally  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Independent  Order  of  Good 
Templars,  Knights  of  Labor  and  Brotherhood 
of  Locomotive  Engineers,  but  retains  his  active 
connection  onlv  with  the  last-named. 


JOSEPH  W.  SAN  DO,  for  twenty-four  years 
f(jreman  in  the  works  of  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company,  Scranton,  was 
b(jrn  in  Pottsville,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  the  son 
of  Michael  and  Jane  (Gould)  Sando.  His  father, 
who  was  a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  spent  his 
early  life  in  that  shire.  In  1826  he  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  at  a  period 
so  early  in  the  settleiuenl  of  that  place  that  he 
was  one  of  its  pioneers.  He  became  one  of  the 
first  coal  operators  of  the  locality,  and  as  that  was 
before  the  days  of  railroads,  it  was  necessary  to 
iiaul  the  coal  by  wagon  to  Philadelphia.  For 
twenty-seven  years  he  was  engaged  as  general 
sui)erintendent  of  coal  mines  there  and  afterward 
carried  on  coal  ojjcrations  in  his  own  interest  for 
a  short  time,  then  retired  from  business.  He 
died  at  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  in  Devon,  England,  died  in  1884,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one  years,  having  retained  excel- 
lent health  to  the  close  of  her  hfe.  TDf  the  seven 
children  born  to  this  union  four  are  living,  Jo- 
seph VV.  being  the  youngest  child  and  only  son. 


The  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  occurred 
December  2,  1835.  He  was  reared  in  Pottsville 
and  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  place. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  to  work  at  lum- 
bering and  for  a  time  was  employed  as  sawyer  in 
a  sawmill.  After  two  years  he  was  apprenticed 
to  the  machinist's  trade  in  the  Orchard  Inm 
Works  at  Pottsville,  where  he  served  for  three 
years,  and  then  continued  for  two  years  as  an 
employe.  In  August,  1859,  'i^  came  to  Scranton 
and  secured  employment  with  the  Dickson  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  manufacturers  of  locomo- 
tives, stationary  engines,  mining  machinery,  boil- 
ers, etc.  In  1872  he  was  made  foreman  of  the 
machinery  department  and  continued  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  the  change  of  management,  in  July, 
1896,  when  he  resigned.  The  position  was  one 
of  responsibility,  requiring  energy,  tact  and  effi- 
ciency, but  he  was  fully  equal  to  its  every  demand. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Grogan,  of 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  Mr.  Sando  has  two  sons,  of  whom 
the  older,  M.  F.,  is  an  attorney  in  Scranton,  and 
the  younger,  William  J.,  a  mechanical  engineer, 
in  Boston,  Mass.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Catholic  and  with  his  family  attends  services  at 
St.  Peter's  Cathedral.  His  political  opinions  bring 
him  into  sympathy  with  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party,  but  he  is  not  radical  in  his 
views,  conceding  to  others  that  freedom  of 
thought  which  he  demands  for  himself. 


HOX.  ALEXANDER  T.  CONNELL.  No 
man  who  holds  an  official  position  in 
Lackawanna  County  is  managing  the  af- 
fairs under  his  supervision  with  greater  fidelity 
than  tile  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch  antl  who  is  the  representative  of  this  dis- 
trict in  the  assembly.  Believing  that  a  public  of- 
fice is  a  i)ui)lic  trust,  he  has  devoted  his  attention 
to  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  and  his  industry  has 
not  failed  of  success. 

In  Lackawanna  Township,  adjoining  the  city 
of  Scranton,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
June  13,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Eliz- 
abeth (English)  Ct)nnell,  natives  of  Nova  Scotia. 
His  father,  who  was  a  son  of  James  Connell, 
came  to  Scranton  ab<jut  1858,  and  was  employ- 


PORTRAIT   AXn   PJOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


701 


ed  as  stationary  engineer  for  the  Davis  Coal  Com- 
pany. In  1861  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  while  in  service  was  taken  ill  at  Fred- 
ericksburg and  left  by  a  roadside.  There  he  was 
found  by  the  Confederates,  who  captured  him 
and  kept  him  in  prison  until  he  died.  He  and 
his  wife  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  and  a  sister  are  the  only  sur- 
vivors. The  former  attended  the  district  schools 
and  Wyoming  Seminary,  and  when  twelve  and 
one-half  years  old  became  a  clerk  in  the  store 
of  William  Connell  &  Co..  where  he  remained 
until  1880.  Two  \ears  later,  after  having  spent 
the  intervening  time  in  Wyoming  Seminary,  he 
again  became  connected  with  the  store,  but  after  a 
short  time  he  went  west  to  Chicago,  where  he 
spent  a  year.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he  be- 
came head  bookkeeper  for  the  two  stores  of  the 
company,  holding  the  position  until  1887. 

After  spending  a  year  in  Philadelphia  and  Xew 
York  City,  Mr.  Connell  in  1888  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  laborer  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company  and  three  months  later  became  weigh- 
master  in  the  south  works.  After  six  months  he 
was  promoted  to  general  timekeeper  and  chief 
bookkeeper,  which  positions  he  has  since  held. 
In  1891  he  was  elected  to  the  select  council 
on  the  independent  ticket  from  the  twentieth 
ward,  which  usually  gave  a  large  Democratic 
majority.  He  was  elected  to  fill  an  unexpired 
term,  and  at  its  close,  was  re-elected  on 
the  same  ticket,  serving  until  December,  1894. 
While  in  the  council  he  secured  electric  lights 
for  his  ward,  had  Pittston  Avenue  culvert  rebuilt 
and  fenced  so  as  to  be  safe  and  also  had  the 
Cedar  Avenue  culvert  rebuilt. 

In  January,  1895,  Mr.  Connell  took  his  seat  as 
representative  in  the  assembly,  to  which  he  had 
been  elected  by  a  majority  of  two  hundred  and 
sixteen.  During  his  term  he  introduced  a  bill  ap- 
propriating $34,000  every  session  to  the  indigent 
and  insane  of  Scranton  poor  district,  which  was 
passed  and  became  a  lav.-,  thus  creating  for  this 
district  a  local  insane  institution.  Another  bill 
in  which  he  was  interested,  appropriating 
$25,000  for  Lackawanna  Hospital,  passed  and 
was  made  a  law.  Among  the  conmiittees  on  which 


he  served  were  those  on  public  buildings  and 
grounds  and  ways  and  means.  In  1896  he  was 
again  nominated  from  the  second  district  and 
was  elected.  He  is  a  member  of  the  county  cen- 
tral and  city  committees  and  has  taken  a  warm  in- 
terest in  public  matters.  Though  not  a  member 
or  any  denomination,  he  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  Lodge  No.  123,  B.  P.  O.  E. 


REV.  MICHAEL  P..  DONLAN.  In  the 
borough  of  Dunmore,  on  Chestnut,  near 
Willow  Street,  stands  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel,  of  which  Father  Donlan  is 
rector.  The  edifice,  which  was  erected  by  his 
predecessor,  Father  McMurray,  is  a  noble  struc- 
ture, of  Gothic  architecture,  and  cost  $60,000. 
The  corner  stone  was  laid  in  1874  by  Rt.-Rev. 
Bishop  O'Hara.  However,  Father  McMurray 
superintended  the  entire  work  of  construction, 
and  also  built  the  adjoining  parsonage  at  a  cost  of 
$8,000.  The  parish  embraces  the  territory  in- 
cluded in  Dunmore  and  Petersburg,  and  the  con- 
gregation numbers  about  five  hundred  families. 
The  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Ednnmd 
W.  Fitzmorris,  and  the  second  rector  was  Father 
M.  J.  O'Brien,  who  died  here  of  smallpox  May 
20,  1872.  He  was  succeeded  by  Father  G.  F.  Mc- 
Murray, who  was  born  and  reared  in  Ireland,  and 
educated  there  and  in  St.  Charles  Seminary,  Phil- 
adelphia. He  came  to  America  at  the  same  time 
with  I'"ather  N.  J.  McManus,  and  was  ordained 
to  the  priesthood  in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral  on  the 
same  day  with  Father  McManus.  In  1868  he  was 
appointed  assistant  at  St.  Peter's,  later  was  trans- 
ferred to  Blossburg,  Tioga  County,  and  from 
there  in  1872  came  to  Dunmore.  Here  he  re- 
mained until  his  death,  which  occurred  March 
28,  1896,  after  one  week's  illness,,  caused  by  the 
contraction  of  a  heavy  cold. 

A  native  of  England,  Father  Donlan  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Pennsylvania  in  childhood, 
settling  with  them  in  Mt.  Carmel,  Northumber- 
land County,  where  he  gained  the  rudiments  of 
his  education  in-the  public  schools.  In  St.  Mary's 
College,  Emmetsburg,  Md.,  he  completed  the 
study  of  the  classics,  philosophy  and   theology. 


yo2 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Ill  1885  lie  was  appointed  master  of  discipline  at 
St.  Thomas  College  under  Archbishop  Ireland 
and  while  discharging  these  duties  he  continued 
his  theological  studies.  For  four  years  he  was 
first  prefect  of  St.  Mary's  College.  August  22, 
1887,  he  was  ordained  at  St.  Peter's,  Scranton, 
by  Bishop  O'Hara,  and  was  appointed  assistant 
at  Dunniore,  where  he  began  his  work  Septem- 
ber I.  On  the  death  of  Father  McMurray  he  suc- 
ceeded to  the  rectorship. 

The  church  is  a  commodious  building,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  eleven  hundred,  and  contain- 
ing pipe  organ  and  gallery.  It  is  of  Gothic  style 
of  architecture  and  the  interior  presents  an  ar- 
tistic and  harmonious  appearance.  The  grounds 
comprise  about  five  acres.  In  addition  to  other 
buildings,  a  new  schoolhouse  is  contemplated, 
with  accommodations  for  eight  hundred  children, 
to  be  presided  over  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Immacu- 
late Heart.  There  is  a  cemetery  adjoining  the 
church,  and  another,  of  ten  acres,  called  Mt.  Car- 
mel,  lying  one  mile  distant  on  the  Olyphant  road. 
Among  the  organizations  in  the  church  are  the 
St.  Mary's  Temperance  Cadets,  numbering  about 
two  hundred  and  forty,  two  temperance  societies, 
branch  of  the  Young  Men's  Institute,  four  branch- 
es of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  one 
branch  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion, Ladies'  Temperance  Society,  Ladies'  Catho- 
lic Benefit  Association,  the  Apostleship  of  Prayer, 
Altar  and  Holy  Name  Societies  and  the  usual 
Sodalities. 


COMMODORE  P.  SLACK.  Coming  to 
Scranton  in  1887,  Mr.  Slack  has  since 
been  known  as  an  able  business  man, 
with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  everything  in  the 
line  of  tin  and  furnace  work.  In  1890  he  started 
in  business  for  himself  in  Dickson  Avenue,  and 
in  April,  1895,  opened  a  shop  at  his  present  loca- 
tion. No.  615  Green  Ridge  Street,  though  retain- 
ing a  store  room  in  Dickson  Avenue,  llv  makes 
a  specialty  of  roofing  with  tin  and  slux-l  imn,  and 
has  had  the  contract  for  the  tin  work  on  several 
important  buildings,  including  the  Eureka  and 
Lackawanna  laundries,  Keystone  and  Kroemer's 
buildings  and  Nay-Aug  engine  liousc.    He  is  the 


representative  of  the  Carton  Furnace  Manufac- 
turing Company  of  LJtica,  N.  Y.,  and  has  intro- 
duced this  furnace  in  many  of  the  houses  of 
Scranton  and  vicinity,  the  result  being  in  every 
instance  satisfactory.  Testimonials  are  frequent- 
ly given  him  by  purchasers,  stating  that  the  fur- 
nace is  an  excellent  heater,  consumes  less  coal 
and  is  easier  to  regulate  than  other  furnaces. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  Wesley  Slack, 
was  bom  in  Pennsylvania,  resided  for  some  years 
in  Snydertown  and  thence  removed  to  Danville, 
where  he  died.  For  three  years  during  the  late 
war  he  did  service  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment, 
and  while  in  the  line  of  battle  was  wounded  in 
both  limbs,  being  badly  crippled;  he  received  his 
honorable  discharge  at  Harrisburg  in  1865.  He 
never  regained  his  health,  but  was  obliged  to  live 
in  retirement  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1869.  He  married  Harriet  S.,  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian Foulk,  a  farmer  of  Northumberland  County, 
Pa.,  where  she  was  born.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1881.  Of  her  four  children,  Addison  M.  is  a 
mason  in  Scranton,  Alice  is  married  and  lives  in 
Danville,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Bear  resides  in  River- 
side, Pa. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  next  to  the 
youngest  in  his  father's  family,  was  born  in  Dan- 
ville, Montour  County,  Pa.,  November  19,  1859, 
and  in  early  boyhood  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town.  However,  when  only  twelve 
years  of  age  he  was  obliged  to  begin  to  work, 
his  first  position  being  in  the  Danville  mills.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
tinner's  trade  under  David  Rockafellow,  with 
whom  he  remained  the  allotted  period,  gaining  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  all  kinds  of  tin  and  sheet 
iron  work.  In  1884,  going  to  Milton,  he  em- 
barked in  business  for  himself,  making  a  special- 
ty of  tin  and  furnace  work,  but  also  carrying  a 
stock  of  stoves,  tinware  and  house  furnishing 
goods.  From  Milton  in  1887  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton and  worked  at  his  trade  for  W.  G.  Doud,  J. 
J.  Hawley  and  G.  B.  and  A.  C.  Monies,  continu- 
ing in  that  manner  until  he  started  in  business  for 
himself  in  1890. 

In  his  native  town  Mr.  Slack  married  Miss  An- 
na Gitiltnor,  who  was  born  in  Montour  County. 
They  reside  at   No.   1615  Penn  Avenue  and  are 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


705 


the  parents  of  four  children,  Charles,  Willard, 
Harvey  and  Bessie.  The  oldest  son  is  a  tinsmith 
and  assists  his  father  in  the  business.  Fraternallv 
our  subject  is  identified  with  Green  Ridge 
Lodges  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Masons,  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America,  Rebekah  Lodge,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  is  past  officer  in  the  Mystic  Chain.  He 
is  also  connected  with  the  General  Phinney  En- 
gine Company  No.  4.  At  Danville  he  enlisted  in 
the  Twelfth  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  and 
on  removing  to  Milton  was  transferred  to  the 
Thirteenth,  but  after  five  years  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  company  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. He  has  for  years  been  deeply  interested 
in  religious  work  and  is  one  of  the  members  of 
Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church.  In  promoting  its 
every  line  of  activity  he  has  been  an  important 
factor,  but  has  been  especially  prominent  in  mis- 
sionary work.  He  aided  in  organizing  the  Peo- 
ple's Union  Mission  at  Little  England,  and  was 
a  trustee  and  the  Sunday-school  superintendent 
for  a  time,  the  congregation  increasing  to  such 
an  extent  that  finally  a  church  was  organized. 
Formerly  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Dun- 
more  Baptist  Mission  Sunday-school,  from  which 
a  church  has  been  built  up.  Since  the  day  that  he 
came  to  Scranton,  his  influence  has  been  exerted 
continuously  in  behalf  of  morality,  intelligence 
and  religion,  and  his  efforts  have  conduced  to  the 
upbuilding  of  his  community. 


GARRETT  SMITH,  foreman  of  the  mill 
of  the  Lackawanna  Store  Association 
and  a  resident  of  Scranton  since  1849, 
was  bom  near  Belvidere,  Warren  County,  N.  J- 
September  17,  1831.  Tlie  family  of  which  he  is 
a  member  originated  in  England.  His  grand- 
father, Peter  Smith,  was  born  in  New  Jersey 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Warren  County,  near 
Oxford  Furnace,  where  he  owned  two  hundred 
and  six  acres  of  well-cultivated  land.  On  his 
death  the  property  fell  to  one  of  his  sons,  and 
when  the  latter  died  our  subject  bought  the  land 
from  the  heirs,  and  still  has  it  in  his  ppssession, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  lots  that  have  been 
platted  in  the  village  of  Oxford  Furnace.  Peter 
Smith  died  at  Belvidere  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five. 

29 


The  father  of  our  subject,  Jacob  Smith,  was 
born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  and  engaged  in 
farming  near  lielvidere  for  a  time,  thence  re- 
moved to  the  vicinity  of  Oxford  Furnace.  In 
1855  he  went  to  Michigan  and  bought  a  farm 
near  Pontiac,  Oakland  County,  where  he  re-  , 
mained  until  his  death  at  seventy-five  years.  He 
married  Caroline  Axford,  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey and  a  daughter  of  John  Axford,  a  farmer, 
who  removed  from  that  state  to  Oakland  Coun- 
ty, Mich.,  in  1830,  when  southern  Michigan  was 
a  vast  wilderness.  He  purchased  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  in  the  oak  openings  and  erected 
a  log  house  near  the  center  of  the  section.  Soon 
he  gained  many  friends  among  the  other  pio- 
neers of  the  county  and  was  regarded  as  an  effi- 
cient farmer  and  a  man  of  keen  business  fore- 
sight. His  father,  a  descendant  of  English  an- 
cestors, was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  a 
farmer  in  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Caroline  Smith  was 
born  in  1810  and  died  in  1848.  Seven  of  her 
children  attained  maturity  and  four  sons  and 
two  daughters  are  still  living,  three  in  Michigan 
(John  A.  in  Oakland  County,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing); Samuel  T.,  at  Rockaway,  N.  J.,  and 
P.  J.  in  Rochelle  I'ark,  N.  J.  Samuel  T.  and  P. 
J.  were  soldiers  in  the  Union  army,  the  former 
in  a  New  Jersey  regiment  and  the  latter  a  lieu- 
tenant of  a  Pennsylvania  company. 

The  oldest  of  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family  and  the  only  one  of  them  in  Scranton  is 
Garrett.  In  boyhood  he  learned  the  miller's 
trade.  In  1849  he  came  to  Scranton  with  Mr. 
Landis,  making  the  journey  by  wagon  and  team. 
This  now  prosperous  city  was  then  in  its  embryo, 
with  a  very  few  houses  and  these  small  and  un- 
desirable. He  well  remembers  hunting  rabbits 
where  the  court  house  now  stands.  The  im- 
provements that  have  since  been  made  were  un- 
dreamed of  by  the  few  residents  of  those  days, 
and  had  any  one  prophesied  that  Scranton  would 
now  be  a  city  of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabi- 
tants he  would  have  been  laughed  at  as  an  idle 
visionary.  F>om  spring  until  fall  he  worked  on 
a  farm  where  now  stand  the  Delaware.  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  depot  and  shops.  He  then 
took  a  position  in  the  old  Slocum  mill,  run  by  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company.     After  one 


7o6 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


year,  this  mill  being  built,  he  took  charge  of  it 
and  has  since  been  its  {oreman,  a  period  of 
forty-seven  years.  The  mill  was  built  by  Thomas 
P.  Harper  and  for  thirty  years  was  run  by  water 
power,  but  finally  steam  power  was  introduced 
from  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company's 
rolling  mill.  The  shafting  and  machinery  re- 
main about  the  same  as  when  the  mill  was  built 
and  are  still  in  excellent  operative  condition.  For 
a  number  of  years  the  mill  ground  all  the  flour 
sold  by  the  company,  but  by  the  present  process 
rye,  buckwheat  and  feed  are  manufactured. 
The  fact  that  the  mill  has  been  in  constant  use 
since  1850  shows  the  substantial  manner  in 
which  it  was  built  and  the  durability  of  its  ma- 
chinery. 

Mr.  Smith  resides  on  one  of  the  old  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  farms  near  Bellevue 
Heights,  where  he  superintends  the  two  hundred 
acres  comprising  the  place.  In  the  house  where 
he  now  resides  he  married  Miss  Mary  H.,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Landis,  in  whose  company  Mr. 
Smith  came  from  New  Jersey  to  Scranton  in 
1849,  3"'^  \\'ho  farmed  the  land  upon  wdiich  Gar- 
rett Smith  worked.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  Scranton  Oc- 
tober 9,  1891,  leaving  three  children:  S.  I.,  a 
farmer  of  Lackawanna  Township;  Lizzie  B.,  wife 
of  Frank  Freeman,  of  the  Freeman  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  Scranton,  and  Marvin  C,  who  is 
in  charge  of  the  rail  shipping  department  of  the 
south  steel  mill  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company.  Though  rocked  in  the  cradle  of 
Democracy,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Washburn  Street  Presby- 
terian Church. 


ARTHUR  C.  MONIES.  The  family  repre- 
sented by  this  business  man  of  Scranton 
is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  in  the 
county,  where  it  was  established  by  his  father. 
Col.  William  N.  Monies,  a  native  of  New  Dailly, 
Ayrshire,  Scotland,  born  May  10,  1827.  When 
only  four  years  of  age  he  began  his  school  life 
and  when  ten  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  baker,  be- 
ginning business  upon  his  own  responsibility 
eight  years  later.    Believing  that  America  offered 


better  advantages  than  his  native  land,  he  deter- 
mined to  seek  a  home  in  this  countrj',  and  ac- 
cordingly in  1849  to'^'^  passage  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel westward  bound.  On  the  same  ship  was  Miss 
Mary  Kirk,  also  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  they 
were  united  in  marriage  on  their  arrival  in  Car- 
bondale.  Pa.  In  that  place  he  worked  at  his 
trade  in  the  employ  of  Andrew  Law,  receiving 
$6  per  week  for  six  months,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  business  for  himself. 

In  1852,  during  the  excitement  caused  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  Mr.  Monies  went 
thither  and  while  he  endured  countless  hardships, 
yet  in  the  end  gained  financial  success.  Re- 
turning to  Lackawanna  County,  he  became  a 
partner  of  Joseph  Gillespie  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness at  Providence  and  was  soon  elected  burgess 
of  the  borough.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, he  gallantly  championed  the  cause  of  the 
government,  displaying  liis  feeling  of  loyalty  to- 
ward the  land  of  his  adoption.  Hastening  to 
Harrisburg,  he  ofTered  his  services  in  defense  of 
the  country,  and  was  made  captain  of  Company 
B,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  with  which  for  nine  months  he  partici- 
pated in  the  stormy  struggles  around  Antietam, 
Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville.  When  the 
invasion  of  the  state  was  threatened,  he  was  one 
of  the  first  to  respond  to  Governor  Curtin's  proc- 
lamation, and  organized  a  company  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  men,  who  formed  the  nucleus 
of  "Monies'  Tigers."  Later  he  was  chosen  colo- 
nel. 

Returning  to  private  duties  at  the  close  of  the 
war.  Colonel  Alonies  soon  afterward  sold  out  his 
interest  in  the  mill  to  his  partner,  and  with  Hon. 
Lewis  Pughe  established  the  "Star"  bakery.  At 
tli liferent  times  he  invested  in  coal  lands  and 
l)ouglit  interests  in  silver  mines,  through  which 
he  accumulated  a  fortune.  In  1869  he  was  elect- 
ed mayor  of  the  city  of  Scranton,  and  his  popu- 
larity was  shown  by  his  election,  for  he  was  the 
Republican  candidate  and  the  city  usually  gave 
a  Democratic  majority  of  over  twelve  hundred. 
Always  energetic,  wise  in  judgment  and  aggres- 
sive in  enterprise,  he  aided  in  the  establishment 
of  a  number  of  industries  in  the  valley,  all  of 
which  were  successful.     In  setting  ofif  Lackawan- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


707 


na  from  Luzerne  County  he  was  actively  inter- 
ested, favoring  the  plan  from  the  first.  He  was  the 
first  treasurer  of  the  new  county,  in  which  oiflce 
he  was  recognized  as  unusually  efficient.  To  this 
position  he  was  first  chosen  by  appointment  and 
then  by  election,  but  the  supreme  court  held  that 
there  was  not  a  legal  election,  so  he  settled  up 
his  books,  which  were  models  of  accuracy,  and 
retired  from  tlie  office.  During  the  long  years  of 
his  absence  from  Scotland  his  business  interests 
had  been  so  pressing  as  to  preclude  the  possi- 
bility of  a  visit  to  the  old  home,  but  now  he  was 
able  to  carry  out  his  long  cherished  plan  and 
again  cross  the  ocean  to  Scotland.  It  was  the 
last  trip  he  ever  made,  for  shortly  after  his  re- 
turn to  Scranton,  he  died  January  20,  1881.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  June  10,  of  the  preceding 
year. 

The  family  of  Colonel  Monies  consisted  of 
eight  children,  of  whom  all  but  one  attained  ma- 
turity, namely:  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cannon  and  Mrs. 
Maggie  Gillespie,  formerly  of  Scranton,  now  de- 
ceased ;  Mrs.  Mamie  Simmons,  who  died  in  Pitts- 
ton;  Martha,  wife  of  George  Mitchell,  of  Scran- 
ton; William  F.,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  G.  B., 
and  Arthur  C.  All  of  the  children  were  born  in 
Carbondale  except  our  subject,  the  youngest, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Scranton,  December  3, 
1868.  He  was  reared  at  the  homestead  where  he 
still  resides.  No.  625  East  Market  Street,  and 
attended  the  city  schoojs.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  was  apprenticed  to  the  plumber's  trade 
and  after  two  and  one-half  years  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  completed  the  trade  in  the  New 
York  City  Trade  School.  After  graduating  there, 
he  continued  to  work  in  New  York  for  four 
years,  and  then  returned  to  Scranton  in  1886,  en- 
tering the  employ  of  Battin  &  Son.  One  year 
later  he  opened  a  plumbing  business  at  No.  1542 
Dickson  Avenue  and  has  since  added  a  line  of 
hardware  and  general  house  furnishing  goods. 
The  building  which  he  occupies  is  20x60,  with 
basement  for  plumbing,  first  floor  for  the  retail 
trade,  and  second  floor  for  the  tin  shop.  The  busi- 
ness was  conducted  under  the  name  of  G.  B.  &  A. 
C.  Monies  until  1892,  since  which  time  our  sub- 
ject has  been  the  sole  proprietor,  though  his 
brother  is  still  connected  with  the  concern  as  a 


practical  tinsmith.  A  specialty  is  made  of  tin 
and  sheet  iron  roofing,  plumbing,  furnace,  hot 
water  and  steam  fitting,  and  in  addition  to  hav- 
ing had  the  contracts  for  residences  in  Scranton 
and  Carbondale,  the  American  Hotel,  Carbon- 
dale  Hospital  and  Northwestern  National  Bank 
and  other  buildings  have  been  completed. 

Politically,  like  his  father,  Mr.  Monies  is  a 
stanch  advocate  of  Republican  principles,  believ- 
ing in  honest  money  and  protection.  He  affiliates 
with  the  Green  Ridge  Presbyterian  Church  and 
contributes  to  religious  and  charitable  objects. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Heptasophs, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America. 


T 


HEODORE  M.  MILLER.  Germany  has 
contributed  her  full  portion  toward  the 
population  of  Pennsylvania  and  her  sons 
have  been  found  almost  uniformly  industrious, 
and  especially  is  this  true  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Mil- 
ler. Coming  from  Leipsic,  he  is  a  member  of  a 
family  long  identified  with  the  history  of  that 
prominent  seat  of  commerce,  where  his  father 
and  grandfather  were  successful  and  extensive 
manufacturers,  the  former  making  shipments  to 
both  North  and  South  America.  The  revolution 
of  1848  was  the  cause  of  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily from  Saxony  and  their  emigration  to  the 
United  States. 

Now  a  successful  business  man  of  Scranton, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Leipsic 
January  9,  1844,  the  son  of  Carl  August,  and 
grandson  of  August  Miller,  also  natives  of  that 
Saxon  city.  The  former,  when  deciding  to  come 
to  America,  set  sail  from  Bremen  in  the  summer 
of  1848  and  after  a  voyage  of  twelve  weeks  landed 
in  New  York  City,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Arch- 
bald  in  October.  He  became  a  builder  and  un- 
dertaker and  continued  to  reside  in  that  place 
until  his  death  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine. 
His  widow,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Caro- 
line C.  Maurer,  was  born  in  Jara,  Germany,  and 
now  resides  in  Archbald,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years. 

The  ten  children  comprising  the  family  of  Carl 
August  Miller  attained  years  of  maturity  and  all 


7o8 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


but  one  are  still  living.  They  are  named  as  fol- 
lows: Mrs.  Pauline  JGerbig,  of  Archbald;  H.  C, 
of  Kingston,  sergeant  throughout  the  entire  war 
and  member  of  Comi)any  H,  Fifty-second  Penn- 
sylvania Infantry;  Elizabeth,  who  married  J.  C. 
inmer  and  died  in  Carbondalc  in  July,  1896;  Al- 
vina,  wife  of  J.  H.  Niemyer,  of  Scranton;  Otto  P., 
of  Providence;  Emma,  Mrs.  Mihlhaus.  of  Arch- 
bald;  Emelia,  wife  of  Capt.  C.  liattenbcrg,  coal 
inspector,  of  .'\rchbald;  Mrs.  Carrie  Callaway,  of 
Archbald;  and  August,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
cigar  business  in  Stroudsburg.  When  a  child  of 
four  years,  Theodore  M.  Miller  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  America  and  has  since  made  his 
home  in  this  country.  From  an  early  age  he  dis- 
played the  possession  of  nuisical  talent  and  was 
given  excellent  opportunities  for  the  develop- 
ment of  this  talent,  studying  for  some  time  in 
Scranton  under  Professor  Beouchner,  formerly 
of  Leipsic.  Afterward  he  taught  music  and  for 
two  seasons  traveled  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  as  a  member  of  the  Millie  Zoe  Dramatic 
Company.  On  his  return  to  Scranton,  he  be- 
came an  instructor  on  the  violin  and  a  mem- 
ber of  Diller's  band.  While  of  late  years  increase 
of  business  responsibilities  has  prevented  him 
from  devoting  as  much  attention  to  music  as  in 
the  past,  he  still  maintains  a  warm  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  that  profession  and 
keeps  himself  well  informed  regarding  all  ad- 
vances in  the  science. 

The  foundation  of  tlic  business  in  which  Mr. 
Miller  now  engages  was  laid  in  1873,  when  he 
built  a  factory  in  Jermyn  and  began  the  manu- 
facture of  undertaking  supplies,  as  the  senior 
member  of  Miller  Brothers  &  Co.  In  1884  he 
removed  to  Scranton  and  located  the  business 
at  Nos.  2  to  6  Lackawanna  Avenue,  where  he 
has  since  carried  on  a  large  trade  as  a  manu- 
facturer and  jobber  of  coffins,  caskets  and  under- 
takers' supplies.  The  firm  title  is  T.  M.  Miller  & 
Co.,  his  partner  being  Jason  II.  Welles.  He  sus- 
tains an  enviable  reputation  for  strict  integrity 
and  firmness  of  purpose,  and  in  following  his 
chosen  occupation  has  not  only  gained  a  sub- 
stantial income,  but  the  good  will  of  the  commun- 
ity as  well. 

In  tliis   city    Mr.   Miller  married   Miss   Sarah 


Foster,  who  was  born  in  Manchester,  England, 
and  came  to  America  in  company  with  her  father, 
John  Foster.  Mrs.  Miller  presides  with  dignity 
and  grace  over  the  family  residence  in  Wash- 
ington Street,  the  tasteful  elegance  of  which  is 
indicative  of  the  refinement  of  the  occupants. 
Like  her  husband,  she  is  highly  regarded  by  all 
who  know  her.  The  sons  and  daughters  com- 
]irising  the  family  are  Alice  O.,  wife  of  J.  Frank 
Williams,  of  Williamsport.  Pa.;  Maurice  T.,  fore- 
man in  the  factory  of  T.  M.  Miller  &  Co.;  Ger- 
tie S.,  Harry  and  Robert  Bauer. 

A  pronounced  Republican  in  his  political  opin- 
ions, Mr.  Miller,  however,  has  never  been  an  as- 
pirant for  political  honors,  but  has  been  content 
to  act  the  part  of  a  private  citizen,  and  as  such 
has  faithfully  discharged  his  duties.  He  is  iden- 
tified with  the  National  Burial  Case  Manufac- 
turers' Association,  and  fraternally  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Turn  X'erein,  Alliance  Lodge  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  Personally  he  is  a  man  of  clear  un- 
derstanding and  sound  judgment,  industrious 
and  prudent,  and  well  endowed  with  energy.  The 
able  manner  with  which  he  has  managed  his  af- 
fairs shows  that  he  possesses  business  talent  and 
at  the  same  time  the  interest  he  maintains  in  all 
matters  calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
people  proves  his  loyal  devotion  to  the  city  in 
which  he  makes  his  home. 


WILLIAM  H.  GORDON  came  to 
.Scranton  in  the  days  when  this  now 
prosperous  city  was  an  insignificant 
village  and  even  the  most  sanguine  never 
dreamed  of  its  present  size  and  importance.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  buggies 
and  wagons,  and  while  he  has  conducted  business 
on  a  small  scale,  he  has  been  quite  successful.  By 
trade  a  blacksmith,  as  soon  as  he  settled  here,  he 
opened  a  shop  where  the  opera  house  stands  and 
is  now  the  oldest  horseshoer  in  the  city.  Hard- 
working and  economical,  he  has  become  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  competency. 

Of  Irish  birth  and  Scotch-Irish  parentage,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  March  23,  1838, 
the  son  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Hunter)  Gor- 


CJ 


I'RI'DI^RICI-;    I'lri'KRS. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


711 


don.  His  father,  a  native  of  Scotland,  went  to 
Ireland  in  young  manhood  and  there  spent  the 
remaindef  of  his  life,  following  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith.  When  our  subject  was  about  twelve 
years  of  age  he  ran  away  from  home  and  went  on 
board  a  merchant  vessel  in  which  he  sailed  the 
high  seas  for  seven  years.  He  was  a  youth  of 
fourteen  years  when  he  arrived  in  New  York, 
gaining  his  first  glfmpse  of  the  United  States. 
For  five  years  afterward  he  followed  a  seafaring 
life,  making  his  home  in  Newton,  N.  J.  How- 
ever, he  did  not  wish  to  spend  his  life  as  a  sailor, 
so  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  worked 
at  it  in  Newton,  with  the  exception  of  six  months 
in  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y.  November  16,  1864,  he 
arrived  in  Scranton,  where  he  worked  in  the  em- 
ploy of  others  for  a  year  and  then  opened  a  shop 
of  his  own.  Since  then  he  has  engaged  in  busi- 
ness here  and  at  Taylorville. 

January  22,  1862,  Mr.  Gordon  married  Miss 
Cordelia  Jane  Tuthill,  of  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y.  Their 
twelve  children  are  named  as  follows:  George, 
James,  William  H.,  John  R.,  Clara  J.,  Annie, 
Samuel,  Sarah  A.,  Robert,  Charles,  and  Rosilla 
and  Joseph,  both  of  whom  died  in  early  child- 
hood. While  not  identified  with  any  denomina- 
tion, Mr.  Gordon  attends  services  at  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
Glenwood  Lodge  No.  349,  K.  of  P.,  in  Old  Forge 
Township.  Himself  a  strict  temperance  man 
and  an  advocate  of  prohibition,  he  is  yet  liberal 
•in  his  political  views,  and  votes  for  the  man  rath- 
er than  the  party. 


FREDERICK  PETERS,  outside  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sloan  and  Central  mines  at 
Scranton,  was  born  at  Port  Talbot,  Gla- 
morganshire, South  Wales,  October  30,  1838, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  F.  and  Catherine  (Lewis) 
Peters,  natives  of  the  same  shire  as  himself.  His 
grandfather,  Frederick  Peters,  devoted  his  ac- 
tive life  to  farming  in  South  Wales  and  there  died 
at  the  age  of  almost  eighty.  John  F.  Peters  was 
for  some  time  employed  as  tracklayer  in  the 
mines  of  Vivian  &  Son,  but  in  1862  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Hyde  Park,  where  he 
held  the  position  of  sexton    of    the    Washburn 


Street  cemetery  until  his  death,  in  August,  li. 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife,  who 
died  at  middle  age,  was  twice  married,  and  by 
her  first  husband  had  a  son,  David  P.,  who  fought 
in  India  as  a  member  of  the  British  army,  and 
while  there  walked  three  hundred  miles  with  his 
regiment;  after  coming  to  America  he  served  in 
both  the  navv  and  the  army  during  the  Civil 
War. 

Frederick,  of  this  sketch,  was  next  to  the  eld- 
est of  six  children,  of  whom  four  are. living,  all 
in  this  country.  His  childhood  years  were  spent 
in  his  native  shire,  but,  with  a  desire  for  adven- 
ture as  well  as  a  natural  wish  to  gain  a  good  liveli- 
hood, he  secured  work  as  cook  on  a  vessel  engag- 
ed in  the  coasting  trade  and  visited  Germany, 
Russia,  France,  Portugal  and  Spain.  By  industry 
and  good  conduct  he  won  his  way  to  the  positions 
of  able  seaman  and  first  mate,  and  for  a  time 
was  in  command  of  the  ship.  He  was  with  Capt. 
James  Hambley,  captain  and  owner  of  three 
ships,  and  later  shipped  with  Captain  Reese. 
While  with  the  latter  the  ship  was  wrecked  in  the 
North  Sea,  with  thirteen  other  vessels,  but  was 
pulled  ashore  with  a  rope. 

Ten  years  were  spent  on  the  high  seas,  but 
with  his  marriage  Mr.  Peters  determined  to  set- 
tle down  upon  the  land.  Accordingly  he  left 
Cornwall,  England,  and  came  to  America,  reach- 
ing New  York  July  22,  1866,  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, going  ashore  the  following  morning,  and 
coming  to  Scranton  Tuesday.  At  once  he  began 
to  work  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Company,  for  one  year  loading  coal  in  the 
Diamond  mines,  after  which  he  was  made  as- 
sistant foreman  under  Daniel  Langstaff,  and  held 
the  position  from  1867  to  1888.  He  was  then  pro- 
moted to  be  foreman  of  the  Sloan  mines  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company, 
and  August  22,  1891,  was  made  foreman  of  Cen- 
tral mines,  both  of  which  positions  he  has  since 
held.  These  are  old  mines,  that  turn  out  from 
twelve  to  thirteen  hundred  tons  per  day,  and  are 
connected  with  the  narrow  gauge  road. 

Though  he  has  never  identified  himself  with 
public  affairs,  Mr.  Peters  is  interested  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
and  in  politics  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  With 


fI2 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  family  he  attends  Penn  Avenue  Baptist 
Church.  His  wife,  who  was  Jane  Gray,  a  native 
of  Cornwall,  England,  is  a  daughter  of  William 
Gray,  foreman  of  copper  mines  in  Cornwall. 
The  seven  children  of  this  union,  all  of  whom 
were  born  in  Scranton,  are  Mrs.  Catherine 
Wheeler,  Mrs.  .Mice  Watkins,  Mrs.  Fannie  Sam- 
uels, Annie,  Fred,  .A.rthur  and  Carrie. 


JAMES  ARCHBALD.  While  various  causes 
have  combined  to  secure  the  present  devel- 
opment of  Lackawanna  County  industries 
and  the  present  prosperity  of  its  people,  doubt- 
less the  majority  of  the  citizens  will  agree  that 
there  have  been  two  factors  especially  promi- 
nent—the Delaware  &  Hudson  and  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Companies.  With 
the  building  of  their  railroads  and  the  opening 
of  their  mines,  every  industry  was  given  an  im- 
petus and  many  settlers  flocked  to  the  commun- 
ity that  was  capable  of  supporting  them  in  com- 
fort. To  the  men  who  were  connected  with  the 
establishment  of  these  roads,  who  gave  their  en- 
ergies to  secure  the  financial  success  of  the  two 
companies  and  at  the  same  time  to  develop  the 
interests  of  this  section,  every  citizen  of  to-day  is 
a  debtor. 

Among  those  whose  names  are  connected  with 
both  of  these  companies  and  with  many  other  lo- 
cal enterprises,  mention  belongs  to  the  late  James 
Archbald,  of  Scranton.  His  name, is  perpetuated 
in  one  of  the  villages  of  this  county,  while  the 
work  that  he  accomplished  in  the  upbuilding  of 
the  Lackawanna  Valley  is  a  visible  nKjnunient  t(i 
his  memory  more  enduring  than  any  of  brass  or 
granite.  It  was  in  1825  that  John  B.  jervis 
gave  him  empluyment  in  connection  with  the 
work  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal,  and 
from  that  time  onward  much  of  his  life  was  spent 
in  this  valley. 

Through  his  mother,  James  Archbald  was  de- 
scended from  the  Wodrow  family,  originally  of 
England,  but  later  of  Renfrewshire,  Scotland. 
For  three  hundred  years  prior  to  1700  they  pos- 
sessed the  hill  of  Eglishamc  and  surrounding 
lands.  The  name  was  variously  spelled.  Wood- 
row,  Widderow,  Witherow,  Vidderow  and  Wod- 


row. The  first  of  the  family  of  whom  there  is 
any  authentic  record  is  Patrick  Wodrow,  vicar  of 
the  parish  of  Eglishame  in  1562,  who  married 
Agnes  Hamilton,  daughter  of  a  brother  of  the 
house  of  Abercorn;  both  lie  buried  in  the  parish 
churchyard.  Of  their  two  sons,  Robert,  bom 
about  1600,  was  a  lawyer  and  became  chamber- 
lain to  the  earl  of  Eglinton;  he  married  Agnes, 
daughter  of  John  Dunlop,  of  Dunlop.  Their 
fourth  son,  James,  born  January  2,  1637,  was  pro- 
fessor of  theology  in  Glasgow  University  from 
1692  until  his  death  in  1707;  his  wife,  Marga- 
ret, was  a  daughter  of  William  Hair,  proprietor 
of  an  estate  in  the  parish  of  Kilbarchan,  Renfrew- 
shire. 

Robert,  son  of  Prof.  James  Wodrow,  was  born 
in  Glasgow  in  1679;  '"  ^691  he  entered  the  uni- 
versity of  his  native  city,  where  for  four  years  he 
was  librarian,  meantime  becoming  familiar  with 
ecclesiastical  and  literary  history  and  imbibing 
a  taste  for  the  antiquarian.  With  the  intention  of 
becoming  a  minister,  he  studied  theology  under 
his  father  and  completed  his  course  in  the  uni- 
versity, after  which  he  went  to  reside  with  a  dis- 
tant relative.  Sir  John  Maxwell  of  Nether  Pol- 
lock. While  there  he  was  licensed  to  preach,  in 
March,  1703,  by  the  presbytery  of  Paisley.  Oc- 
tober 28  following,  he  was  ordained  minister  of 
tlie  parish  of  Eastwood,  now  a  suburb  of  the 
citv  of  Glasgow.  Possessing  broad  culture  and 
the  advantage  of  wide  research  of  an  historical 
and  theological  nature,  he  followed  his  natural 
bent  of  mind  and  gave  much  attention  to  litera- 
ture. His  work,  "The  History  of  the  Sufiferings 
of  the  Church  of  .Scotland  from  the  Restoration  to 
the  Revolution,"  caused  a  sensation  throughout 
the  country,  bringing  him  some  bitter  enemies 
and  some  warm,  life-long  friends  and  admirers. 
This  was  followed  by  other  works  of  a  religious 
character.  Much  of  his  time  was  given  to  the 
collection  of  valuable  manuscripts,  which,  togeth- 
er with  some  of  his  sermons,  are  preserved  to  this 
day.  He  died  March  21,  1734.  Of  his  sixteen 
children  nine  survived  him. 

The  next  in  line  of  descent,  Robert,  was  born 
December  21,  171 1,  was  educated  for  the  minis- 
try, succeeded  his  father  in  the  parish  at  East- 
wood in  1735,  but  resigned  the  charge  in  1757 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


713 


and  settled  upon  the  island  of  Little  Cumbrae, 
part  of  Buteshire,  just  of?  the  shores  of  Ayrshire, 
remaining-  there  until  his  death  in  January,  1784. 
By  his  second  marriage  he  had  several  children. 
His  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  was  born  June  24, 
1764,  and  was  married  August  4,  1789,  to  James 
Archbald,  sou  of  James  Archbald,  of  Knockcn- 
don,  Ayrshire.  After  their  marriage  they  re- 
sided on  the  Cumbrae  island,  where  he  had  be- 
fore been  in  charge  of  a  sheep  farm.  There  was 
born  to  them  March  3,  1793,  a  son  James,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  In  1807  the  family  re- 
moved to  America  and  settled  at  Auriesville, 
Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  where  they  pur- 
chased a  farm.  The  wife  and  mother  was  a  lady 
of  superior  literary  tastes,  possessing  a  culture 
far  in  advance  of  the  women  of  her  day,  and  many 
of  her  writings  were  gems  of  thought  expressed 
in  prose  or  verse.  Her  library  of  twelve  hundred 
volumes  was  one  of  the  best  to  be  found  in  the 
state.  It  was  found  that  Mr.  Archbald  being  an 
alien  could  not  hold  title  to  their  land,  but 
through  correspondence  with  DeWitt  Clinton, 
who  had  been  greatly  impressed  with  the  literary 
talent  of  Mrs.  Archbald,  a  special  act  was  passed 
confirming  the  title  to  her  husband.  Mr.  Arch- 
bald died  August  3,  1824,  aged  sixty-one,  and  his 
wife,  January  3,  1841,  aged  seventy-seven. 

Under  the  direction  of  his  talented  mother, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a  fine,  al- 
though it  was  a  self,  education.  In  1817,  when 
the  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal  was  com- 
menced, he  became  a  contractor  and  built  the 
portion  that  passed  through  his  father's  farm. 
John  B.  Jervis,  who  was  engineer  in  charge  of 
the  work,  was  so  well  pleased  with  that  done  by 
the  young  man  that  he  ofifered  him  a  position  on 
his  engineering  corps.  Mr.  Jervis  was  given 
charge  of  the  work  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  and  in  1825  made  his  protege  resident  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  a  division.  In  1829,  when 
work  was  commenced  at  the  mines  of  Carbon- 
dale,  Mr.  Archbald  was  elected  superintendent. 
Eight  years  later  he  accepted  the  position  of  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  the  enlargement  of  a  portion 
of  the  Erie  Canal,  but  the  strife  prevalent  among 
the  canal  authorities  disgi^isted  him,  and  after  a 
year  he  returned    to    the  Delaware  &   Hudson 


Company.  In  1847  he  was  given  charge  of  the 
construction  of  the  Gravity  road  and  the  mines 
and  works  at  Carbondale,  Honesdale  and  Haw- 
ley.  In  1851  Carbondale  was  made  a  city  and  he 
was  chosen  mayor,  holding  the  ofifice  for  four  suc- 
cessive terms  until  his  removal  from  the  city.  In 
1854  he  was  elected  vice-president  of  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  Railroad,  and 
resigned  from  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  and  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company, 
and  gave  his  attention  to  the  western  road. 

Meantime  the  railroad  extension  had  caused 
the  building  up  of  the  village  of  Archbald,  and 
had  also  evolved  from  Slocum's  Hollow  the 
flourishing  city  of  Scranton,  the  center  of  the 
coal  trade  of  the  valley.  The  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  had  been  established  and 
George  W.  Scranton,  by  reason  of  ill  health,  had 
resigned  his  position  with  that  company.  Mr. 
Archbald  was  chosen  to  succeed  him  as  general 
agent  in  1855,  ^"^  with  his  family  in  1857  came 
to  Scranton,  where  he  afterward  resided.  In 
1858  he  was  appointed  chief  engineer  of  the 
road.  In  1866  he  was  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party  for  congress,  but  was  defeated.  His 
death  occurred  in  this  city  August  26,  1870.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  president  of  the 
Lackawanna  «&  Bloomsburg  Railroad,  and  a  di- 
rector in  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company, 
Scranton  Gas  &  Water  Company  and  Scranton 
.Savings  Bank. 

November  27,  1832,  Mr.  Archbald  married 
Miss  Sarah  Augusta,  youngest  daughter  of  Maj. 
Thomas  Frothingham  and  Elizabeth  Frost.  Her 
father  was  a  major  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
served  in  the  state  senate  of  New  York  in  1821- 
22,  and  died  in  1824.  Mrs.  Archbald  died  July 
5,  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  Their  chil- 
dren were  named  as  follows:  James;  Mrs.  Mary 
Catlin,  of  Scranton;  Thomas  Frothingham,  a 
railroad  contractor  who  died  in  Corning,  N.  Y., 
February  16,  1883;  Augusta,  who  died  in  Scran- 
ton, March  9,  1873;  and  Robert  Wodrow,  presi- 
dent judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  of  Lack- 
awanna County.  The  eldest  son,  James,  was 
born  February  13,  1838,  graduated  from  Union 
College  in  i860,  and  succeeded  his  father  as  chief 
engineer  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 


714 


P(^RTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAFHICAL   RECORD. 


ern  Railroad,  which  position  he  still  holds.  Dur- 
ing the  late  war  he  was  captain  of  Company  I, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Antietam 
and  other  engagements.  In  politics  he  is  recog- 
nized as  among  the  foremost  Republicans  of  the 
state.  His  engineering  skill  is  attested  by  the  new 
Bergen  tunnel  of  the  road  at  Hoboken,  \".  J-, 
witli  its  approaches,  and  the  extension  of  the 
same  railroad,  over  two  hundred  miles,  from 
Binghamton  to  Buffalo.  January  25,  1865,  he 
married  Miss  Hannah  Al.  Albright,  and  they 
have  several  children. 


RIA'.  EDWARD  J.  MELLEY.  The  his- 
tory of  the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Evan- 
gelist shows  what  may  be  accomplished 
by  zeal  and  energy,  even  with  limited  means. 
Prior  to  1885  the  Catholics  residing  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  Scranton  were  identified  with  the 
Cathedral,  but  in  that  year  was  begun  a  move- 
ment looking  toward  the  establishment  of  the 
present  parish.  The  work  had  its  inception  in 
the  organization  of  a  Sunday-school  by  Rev.  T. 
F.  Cofifey  in  No.  11  schoolhouse,  and  so  rapidly 
did  the  interest  increase  that  the  establishment 
of  a  church  soon  became  possible. 

July  18,  1886,  in  a  meeting  of  resident  Catho- 
lics in  No.  10  schoolhouse,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  wait  upon  Rt.-Rev.  Bishop  O'Hara 
and  secure  his  approval,  which  was  readily  given. 
For  the  erection  of  a  church  the  Bishop  gave 
three  lots  on  Cedar  Avenue  and  Palm  Street, 
but  they  were  afterward  sold,  and  a  more  desir- 
able location  purchased  in  Fig  .Street.  Rev.  R. 
A.  McAndrew,  who  was  then  rector  of  the  Ca- 
thedral, was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  new- 
parish  and  in  a  few  weeks  he  erected  a  tempo- 
rary structure,  where,  on  the  festival  of  the  As- 
sumption, August  15,  1886,  was  said  the  first 
mass  in  the  parish.  Funds  were  raised  for  a  per- 
manent building,  work  was  soon  begun,  and  the 
present  church  edifice  was  dedicated  to  divine 
worship  April  17,  1887.  During  the  summer  of 
1888  the  present  parsonage  in  Pittston  Avenue 
was  built  and  furnished. 

The  next  advance  step  was  the  establishment 


of  a  parochial  school,  where  the  children  of  the 
parish  might  receive  a  Catholic  education.  Aug- 
ust 24,  1888,  a  community  of  Sisters  of  the  Im- 
maculate Heart  came  here  under  the  direction 
of  Sister  Alphonsine,  who  has  since  been  Su- 
perior. The  parochial  school  was  opened  on  the 
3d  of  the  following  month,  with  four  hundred 
pupils,  and  the  work  has  since  been  enlarged, 
the  present  average  being  six  hundred  pupils, 
who  are  carefully  trained  by  fourteen  Sisters. 
The  English  branches  are  taught,  also  French, 
Latin,  German,  vocal  and  instrumental  music, 
and  fancy  needle  work. 

In  October,  1889,  Rev.  R.  A.  McAndrew  was 
transferred  to  St.  Mary's  parish,  Wilkesbarre, 
and  Rev.  E.  J.  Melley,  of  Olyphant.  took  charge 
of  the  parish  November  2,  1889.  Under  his  su- 
pervision a  convent,  one  of  the  best  in  the  dio- 
cese, has  been  erected,  and  a  site  for  a  new 
church  has  been  secured.  Taken  altogether,  the 
present  value  of  the  church  property  is  not  less 
than  $60,000.  T!ie  convent  is  situated  in  Fig 
Street  and  contains,  among  other  admirable  fea- 
tures, a  well  arranged  and  equipped  music  room. 
The  lots  for  the  new  church  are  located  on  the 
corner  of  Fig  Street  and  Pittston  Avenue,  and 
the  parsonage  stands  at  No.  141 1  Pittston  Ave- 
nue. The  work  accomplished  by  the  congrega- 
tion in  so  short  a  time  is  quite  remarkable,  es- 
pecially when  it  is  remembered  that  the  member- 
ship, while  comprising  over  five  hundred  famil- 
ies, includes  few  wealthy  people,  the  majority 
being  poor  or  only  fairly  well-to-do. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Ireland, 
and  came  to  America  in  1865.  Shortly  afterward 
he  entered  .St.  Charles  College  at  Ellicott  City, 
Md.,  and  remained  there  until  1870.  In  the  fall 
oi  that  year  he  entered  .St.  Charles  Theological 
Seminary  at  Overbrook  and  took  a  philosophical 
and  theological  course  of  five  years  there,  gradu- 
ating in  1875.  On  the  29th  of  September  follow- 
ing, he  was  ordained  in  Scranton  by  Bishop 
O'Hara,  being  one  of  a  group  of  five  young  men, 
all  of  whom  survive.  For  seven  \ears  he  was 
assistant  in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral,  whence  in  1882 
he  was  transferred  toTowanda  as  assistant  to  Rev. 
Dr.  C.  F.  Kelley,  and  in  October,  1884,  was  made 
rector  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  at  Olyphant,  sue- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


717 


ceeding  Father  O'Rourke,  the  first  rector.  While 
there  he  organized  an  outside  mission  and  form- 
ed St.  James  Church  in  Jessup,  building  a  house 
of  worship  there.  From  Olyphant  he  came  to 
.Scranton  in  1888. 

In  1896  Father  Melley  accompanied  the  Amer- 
ican pilgrimage  to  Rome,  and  they  were  received 
by  the  Pope.  He  also  visited  the  British  Isles, 
Germany,  France  and  Switzerland.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  this  trip,  he  has  devoted  himself  close- 
ly to  his  pastorate,  ministering  to  the  needs  of 
his  people.  In  his  church  there  are  a  large  num- 
ber of  societies,  including  St.  Aloysius  Temper- 
ance Society  with  nearly  five  hundred  young 
men  in  its  membership;  Catholic  Mutual  Benevo- 
lent Association,  with  a  large  membership;  St. 
Patrick's  Temperance  Society;  Cadet  Temper- 
ance Society  for  boys,  a  very  successful  organiza- 
tion; Holy  Name  Society,  whose  members  are 
men  pledged  to  avoid  blasphemy;  Blessed  Virgin 
Sodality,  with  a  membership  of  over  three  hun- 
dred young  people;  Angels  Sodality,  with  five 
hundred  children  in  its  membership ;  and  Colum- 
bus Young  Men's  Institute,  a  literary,  social  and 
benevolent  organization. 


move- 


J  FRANK  SIEGEL.  In  his  chosen  voca- 
tion Professor  Siegel  has  few  peers  and  no 
•  superiors  in  northeastern  Pennsylvania.  A 
resident  of  Scranton  since  December,  1881,  he 
has  from  that  time  been  constantly  engaged  as 
dancing  master  here  and  in  Wilkesbarre,  having 
in  each  city  about  five  classes  and  a  number  of 
private  pupils.  His  dancing  academy  is  in  the 
Carter  Building,  Scranton,  where  he  has  a  hall 
40x90,  well  adapted  to  its  intended  use.  A  gen- 
tleman of  afifable  manners  and  genial  courtesy, 
he  is  very  popular  with  the  people,  who  rightly 
judge  that  he  stands  without  a  rival  in  his  special 
line  of  work.  He  is  the  originator  of  numerous 
round  dances,  some  of  which  have  gained  more 
than  local  fame.  Among  the  dances  of  which 
he  is  the  author  may  be  mentioned  the  '"Two- 
Step  Waltz,"  "The  Columbian,"  "The  Ripple," 
the  "Electric  City  Gavotte,"  "The  Cross-step  Jer- 
sey," "The  Wyoming,"  "The  Calla,"  "Waltz  Min- 
uette,"  and  the  "Golf  Three-Step,"  all  of  which 


are  unexcelled  for  rhythmic  harnionv   of 
ment. 

Born  in  Reading,  Pa.,  August  23,  1844,  Pro- 
fes.'^or  Siegel  is  the  son  of  Moyer  and  Elizabeth 
( Roland)  Siegel,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany, 
the  latter  of  Reading.  His  father  grew  to  man- 
hood in  the  parental  home  on  the  Rhine,  and 
from  there  he  came  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tling in  Reading  and  becoming  interested  in 
the  manufacture  of  hats.  He  introduced  the 
first  hat-making  machine  used  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  through  prudent  management  built  up  the 
largest  business  of  the  kind  in  the  state,  the  firm 
being  known  as  the  M.  &  J.  Siegel  Hat  Manu- 
facturing Company.  Prior  to  the  outbreak  of 
the  war  he  retired  from  business  and  from  that 
time  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  lived 
quietly  at  his  home  in  Reading.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  fraternally  was 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  In  1870  his  widow  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  there  died  when  sixty-four  years  of 
age. 

Our  subject's  maternal  grandfather,  George 
Roland,  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  hero 
and  a  pioneer  of  Reading.  He  was  born  in  that 
city,  and,  when  a  young  man,  served  in  the  War 
of  1812.  Afterward  he  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  hats  in  Reading,  doing  all  the  work 
by  hand,  as  in  that  day  machines  had  not  yet 
been  introduced.  The  family  of  which  Professor 
Siegel  is  a  member  consisted  of  six  sons  and  six 
daughters,  of  whom  two  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters are  now  living,  he  being  the  eldest  of  the 
survivors.  In  boyhood  and  youth  he  was  a  pu- 
pil in  the  public  schools  of  Reading,  Freeland 
Academy  at  Freeland,  Pa.,  and  Irving's  Military 
Academy  at  Danbury,  Conn.,  completing  his 
education  in  the  latter  institution. 

Inheriting  the  patriotic  spirit  of  his  ancestors 
who  had  defended  our  country  in  the  days  when 
it  had  few  friends,  it  was  but  natural  that  Pro- 
fessor Siegel  should  feel  the  deepest  interest  in 
the  series  of  events  that  culminated  in  the  Re- 
bellion. His  loyalty  to  the  government  led  him 
to  determine  to  assist  in  preserving  the  old  flag. 
August  5,  1862,  his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 


7i8 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  which  was  mus- 
tered into  the  service  at  Harrisburg  August  9, 
and  ordered  from  tlierc  to  Washington.  He  was 
present  at  a  number  of  engagements,  the  most 
important  being  the  battles  of  South  Mountain, 
Antietam  and  Chancellorsville.  The  time  for 
which  he  enlisted  had  more  than  expired  when 
he  was  mustered  out  at  Harrisburg,  in  May, 
1863. 

On  his  return  home  he  secured  employment 
in  the  locomotive  building  of  the  Philadelphia  & 
Reading  railroad  shops,  where  he  remained 
eighteen  months.  In  1865  he  went  to  Lancaster 
and  for  a  short  time  was  employed  in  the  loco- 
motive shops,  later  in  the  stationary  engine 
shops.  About  the  same  time  he  began  to  teach 
dancing,  his  first  exhibition  being  given  in  1865. 
After  a  brief  period  in  Lancaster  he  returned  to 
Reading,  and  for  seven  years  worked  in  the  hat 
finishing  plant  established  by  his  father.  How- 
ever, he  did  not  give  up  the  dancing  business, 
but  carried  it  on  simultaneously  with  other  en- 
terprises. In  1877  he  went  to  Williamsport,  Pa., 
where  he  soon  established  a  large  dancing  class, 
remaining  in  that  place  for  four  years.  From 
there,  in  1881,  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Upon  coming  to  this  city  he 
secured  a  hall  for  giving  dancing  lessons,  and 
fitted  it  up  entirely  at  his  own  expense.  In  that 
place  he  remained  for  fifteen  years,  but  upon 
the  erection  of  the  new  building  at  the  corner  of 
Adams  and  Linden,  he  had  the  entire  top  floor 
arranged  specially  for  his  dancing  academy, 
drawing  the  plans  himself.  This  gives  him  the 
finest  hall  and  suite  of  rooms  anywhere  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  and  the  fact  that  he  had 
charge  of  the  arrangement  of  the  same  is  suffi- 
cient indication  that  it  is  thorough  and  complete 
even  to  the  smallest  detail.  The  hall  has  a  floor 
that  cannot  be  excelled,  and  in  addition  there 
are  office,  reception  room  and  dressing  rooms, 
in  which  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  his 
patrons  were  thoroughly  considered.  He  is 
among  the  association  teachers  and  uses  the 
standard  dances.  His  work  has  been  uniformly 
satisfactory  and  he  numbers  his  patrons  among 
the  most  aristocratic  families  of  the  city.  Identi- 
fied with  the  American  National  Association  of 


Dancing  Masters,  he  is  its  only  member  in 
northeastern  Pennsylvania,  and  attends  the  an- 
nual meetings  of  the  organization,  in  which  he 
is  prominent  and  active. 

In  this  city  Professor  Siegel  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Jessie  S.,  daughter  of  the 
late  Thomas  G.  Smith,  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War  and  for  years  a  manufacturer  of  candy  in 
Scranton.  His  family  consists  of  two  children, 
Frances  and  Margaret.  Interested  in  Masonry, 
Professor  Siegel  is  a  member  of  Peter  William- 
son Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Lackawanna 
Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.;  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery  No.  17,  K.  T.,  and  Lu-Lu  Temple, 
Philadelphia.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  at 
one  time  was  actively  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  an  adherent  of  the 
principles  laid  down  by  Andrew  Jackson,  and 
uniformly  votes  the  party  ticket,  but  is  not  radi- 
cal or  aggressive  in  sentiment,  conceding  to 
others  the  same  freedom  of  thought  which  he  de- 
mands for  himself. 


JMILFORD  MORGAN,  The  early  years 
of  the  life  of  Mr.  Morgan  were  passed  in 
•  his  native  country  of  Wales,  where  he 
learned  those  habits  of  industry  and  persever- 
ance characteristic  of  the  W'elsh  the  world  over. 
On  crossing  the  ocean  and  settling  in  the  United 
States,  he  readily  found  employment,  for  he  was 
a  reliable  and  efficient  workman.  Since  boy- 
hood he  has  been  interested  in  the  hardware 
business,  first  as  a  clerk  and  now  as  proprietor 
of  a  store  in  Taylor,  where  he  keeps  in  stock  a 
complete  supply  of  stoves,  tinware  and  hardware, 
as  well  as  plumbing  outfits. 

Born  June  21,  1857,  near  Talybont,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  that 
place,  where  he  attended  school  and  later  clerked 
in  a  hardware  store,  serving  a  four  years'  ap- 
prenticeship, after  which  he  clerked  in  several 
stores,  the  last  one  being  in  Bristol,  England, 
Feeling  that  this  country  offered  greater  oppor- 
tunities to  a  young  man  than  his  own,  he  came 
here  in   1877  and  went  west  to  Chicago,  where 


PORTRAIT  ANr3   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


719 


he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  for  a  time.  How- 
ever, he  soon  returned  to  the  east  and  found  work 
as  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  in  Wilkesbarre. 
From  that  place  he  went  to  Plymouth,  Luzerne 
County,  and  was  similarly  employed  for  some 
years.  It  will  be  seen  that  his  experience  under 
dififerent  employers  and  in  different  towns  gave 
him  an  opportunity  to  acquire  a  detailed  knowl- 
edge of  the  hardware  business  and  fitted  him  for 
the  practical  management  of  a  place  of  his  own. 
After  a  short  visit  in  Europe,  among  the  friends 
of  his  boyhood  days,  he  came  to  Taylor  in  1888 
and  the  following  year  established  the  business 
he  has  since  conducted. 

In  1885  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
James,  who  was  born  in  Haverford-West,  Pem- 
brokeshire, Wales.  Tliey  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  Milford  G.,  Mary  A.,  John  V.  and  Ruth 
P.,  and  occupy  their  own  home  in  the  bor- 
ough. Mr.  Morgan  is  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  the  Golden  Eagle  and  the  Knights  of  Honor, 
and  in  his  religious  connections  is  identified  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  favors  all 
progressive  measures  for  the  benefit  of  the  bor- 
ough, and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its 
growth  and  prosperity. 


LEWIS  TYLER  CONNOLLY.  Scranton 
cannot  boast  of  a  young  man  more  ener- 
getic than  the  subject  of  this  article,  who  is 
superintendent  of  the  Scranton  Fire  Brick  Com- 
pany. A  lifelong  resident  of  this  city,  he  was 
born  here  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  1865,  and  in 
boyhood  often  skated  where  the  courthouse  now 
stands,  up  to  the  present  site  of  Hotel  Jermyn. 
The  growth  of  this  place  from  an  unhealthful 
swamp  to  a  city,  with  substantial  business  blocks 
and  elegant  homes,  he  has  witnessed,  and  to  it 
he  has  contributed  as  opportunity  has  offered. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  Connolly,  was 
born  in  Londonderry,  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  of 
eight  years  came  with  friends  to  America,  re- 
maining in  New  York  City  until  grown  to  man- 
hood. For  a  time  he  was  employed  on  a  rail- 
road contract  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  after  which 
he  worked  on  the  Erie  Canal  at  Honesdale,  Pa. ; 
then    was    with    the  Delaware,  Lackawanna    «& 


Western  and  the  New  York  Central  Railroads. 
He  assisted  in  the  reconstruction  of  the  Fourth 
Avenue  tunnel  in  New  York,  and  while  engaged 
on  this  work  his  death  occurred.  The  mother  of 
our  subject,  Anna  Allyn,  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts and  was  a  member  of  an  old  eastern  family 
of  Montgomery,  that  state.  She  was  a  distant 
relative  of  President  Tyler,  and  a  second  cousin 
of  Ethan  Allen,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  At  this 
writing  she  resides  in  Scranton.  Of  her  six  sons 
and  seven  daughters,  all  but  one  passed  child- 
hood years,  but  four  daughters  and  two  sons 
died  before  they  were  twenty.  Arabella  is  the 
wife  of  J.  P.  Stanton,  a  prominent  contractor  of 
New  York  City;  Lillie  is  a  widow  and  lives  in 
New  York;  Daniel  Ward,  ex-postmaster  and  ex- 
member  of  congress,  died  in  this  city  in  1894; 
John  K.,  who  was  general  boss  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Weehawken  tunnel  in  1884,  was  the 
victim  of  an  explosion  there,  which  has  rendered 
him  permanently  blind;  Mrs.  Carrie  Lawrence, 
a  widow,  resides  with  her  mother  in  this  city;  Jo- 
seph F.  also  resides  in  this  city. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools,  at  an  early  age 
our  subject  began  to  work  for  himself,  making 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  was  employed  as 
a  runner  on  the  breakwater  in  Connecticut,  then 
served  as  stationary  and  locomotive  engineer  in 
the  Weehawken  tunnel  for  eighteen  months,  and 
then  returned  to  Scranton,  where  he  started  in 
the  tobacco  business  on  the  corner  of  North  Main 
Avenue  and  Jackson  Street,  Hyde  Park.  Five 
years  were  spent  there,  after  which  he  was  en- 
gaged as  dynamo  man  for  the  Scranton  Traction 
Company,  and  was  engineer  of  the  only  plant 
they  then  had.  In  October,  1893,  he  took  a  po- 
sition with  the  Scranton  Fire  Brick  Company,  of 
which  his  brother,  Daniel  Ward,  was  one  of  the 
principal  owners.  He  had  charge  of  the  comple- 
tion of  the  works  and  has  since  superintended 
their  management.  The  plant  is  located  in  Nay- 
Aug  Avenue  near  Green  Ridge  and  has  a  capac- 
ity of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  per  month, 
the  fire  brick  manufactured  there  being  of  the 
highest  grade.  About  twenty-five  hands  are  em- 
ployed. The  sand  is  manufactured  and  mixed 
here,  at  fifty  thousand  pounds  pressure  to  the 
square  inch,  and  the  brick  is  burned  to  four  thou- 


720 


PtJRIRAiT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sand  degrees  of  heat.  Recently  a  change  has 
been  made  from  hot  air  dryer  to  steam  heat, 
which  has  been  found  beneficial. 

In  addition  to  this  business,  Mr.  Connolly  is 
identified  with  a  livery  trade,  having  the  largest 
establishment  of  this  kind  in  Providence,  the 
boarding  and  livery  stable  of  the  Bristol  House. 
Politically  a  Democrat,  when  his  brother  was 
postmaster  under  the  first  administration  of 
Grover  Cleveland,  he  held  the  position  of  money 
order  clerk  and  general  assistant.  His  residence 
at  Arlington  Heights  was  the  first  built  on  this 
plot,  and  is  a  comfortable  home  for  himself,  his 
wife  and  their  two  children,  AUyn  and  Billie. 
Mrs.  Connolly,  who  was  Miss  Fannie  E.  Stanton, 
was  born,  reared  and  married  in  Dunmore,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Kate  Stanton.  Her 
grandparents,  Charles  and  Nancy  Potter,  lived 
in  Dunmore,  and  left  a  large  estate  in  coal  lands 
in  that  place. 


CHARLES  W.  PEARCE,  a  prosperous 
business  man  of  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Prompton,  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  Octo- 
ber I,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Minerva 
(Alvard)  Pearce.  His  father,  who  was  born  in 
1826  sixteen  miles  from  Phniouth,  Cornwall, 
England,  was  a  son  of  William  Pearce,  a 
butcher  and  farmer,  who  died  in  Cornwall  at  the 
age  of  fifty-four.  Representing  the  generation 
preceding  was  William,  also  an  agriculturist.  In 
1844  John  Pearce  came  to  America  and  settled 
in  Ilonesdale,  Pa.,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  lumbering.  Later  he  took  a  posi- 
tion in  the  carpenter's  department  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company.  In  1855  he 
came  to  Scranton,  where  he  helped  to  sink  the 
von  Storch  shaft.  Since  April  15,  1863,  he  has 
been  employed  as  an  engineer.  In  Hawley,  Pa., 
he  married  a  daughter  of  Zenas  Alvard,  who 
moved  by  ox  team  from  Connecticut  to  Hawley, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Prior  to  coming 
here  he  had  served  in  the  War  of  18 12. 

The  parental  family  consists  of  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  namely:  Charles  W. ;  George,  an 
engineer  with  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company; 
Addie,  who  resides  with  her  parents  at  No.  1832 


Nay-Aug  Avenue;  and  John,  who  died  here  in 
1883.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Scranton  in  infancy  and  here  at- 
tended the  public  schools  prior  to  the  age  of  thir- 
teen. His  first  work  was  in  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  mines,  after  w  hicli  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship of  five  years  to  the  machinist's  trade.  In 
1873  he  began  to  work  in  the  locomotive  depart- 
ment of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company, 
where  he  remained  until  the  shop  was  burned 
down,  and  later  he  was  with  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad  Company  as  fireman.  For 
about  eight  years  he  was  employed  as  machin- 
ist and  engineer  in  the  Manville  (formerly  Jei"- 
myn)  mines,  and  then  spent  two  years  in  the  em- 
ploy of  J.  B.  Van  Bergen  &  Co.,  of  Carbondele, 
after  which  he  returned  to  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son. 

About  1889  Mr.  Pearce  started  for  himself  as  a 
machinist  in  Green  Ridge  Street  and  after  three 
years  took  in  a  partner,  the  firm  becoming  Rob- 
inson &  Pearce.  The  connection  continued  until 
April  I,  1896,  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved 
by  mutual  consent,  Mr.  Pearce  taking  the  ma- 
chine business  and  removing  to  his  present  loca- 
tion, corner  of  Green  Ridge  Street  and  Meylert 
Avenue.  Here  he  has  a  new  fifteen-horse  power 
engine  and  twenty-horse  power  boiler,  as  well  as 
the  other  accessories  of  a  first-class  shop.  He  is 
an  expert  machinist  and  can  construct  anything 
in  iron,  steel  or  brass.  Fraternally  he  is  identi- 
fied with  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Providence,  and  in  politics  is  a  firm  Republican. 


ALVY  KROUSE,  a  resident  of  Ransom 
Township,  is  one  of  the  progressive  farm- 
ers to  whom  it  owes  its  rank  among  the 
divisions  of  the  county.  By  wise  rotation  of  mar- 
ket produce  and  mixed  crops  raised  on  his  place, 
it  has  not  only  retained  its  fertility,  but  has  in- 
creased in  productiveness.  He  was  reared  among 
the  surroundings  of  rural  life  and  at  an  early  age 
became  acquainted  with  methods  of  agriculture. 
Therefore  he  understands  his  vocation  and  is  able 
to  follow  it  successfully. 

The  son  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Huthmaker) 
Krouse,  who  settled  upon   a   farm    in  Ransom 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


721 


Township,  and  died  near  our  subject's  present 
home,  Alvy  Krouse  was  born  here  August  14, 
1849,  ^"f^  'w^^  o"^  °f  s'^  children.  Five  are  now 
living  and  all  are  married,  two  living  here,  while 
the  other  three  are  scattered  from  the  Atlantic 
to  Illinois.  His  early  years  were  full  of  sad  and 
trying  experiences.  At  the  age  of  nine  he  lost 
his  mother  by  death,  and  afterward  was  bound 
out,  but  two  or  three  years  later  his  guardian 
took  him  away  from  his  employer.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's 
trade,  receiving  sixty  cents  a  day,  and  soon 
gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  occupation, 
which  he  has  since  followed.  With  the  exception 
of  four  years  spent  in  Wilkesbarre,  he  has  made 
his  home  continuously  in  Ransom  Township. 

May  I,  1875,  Mr.  Krouse  married  Miss  Mary 
Etta  Michael,  who  was  born  in  Monroe  County, 
the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Michael.  This 
estimable  lady  has  been  her  husband's  faithful 
helpmate  in  every  labor  and  by  her  assistance  has 
greatly  enhanced  his  prosperity.  In  her  neigh- 
borhood she  is  noted  for  culinary  skill  and  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  best  housekeepers  for  miles 
around.  Since  1876  Mr.  Krouse  has  made  his 
home  on  his  present  farm,  which  he  has  culti- 
vated in  addition  to  working  at  his  trade.  While 
in  Wilkesbarre,  in  1872,  he  cast  his  first  vote,  and 
supported  Democratic  principles  until  1888,  when 
he  became  a  Prohibitionist.  In  1885  he  was  made 
assessor,  and  is  now  auditor.  In  1895  he  became 
supervisor  of  the  township,  and  was  re-elected  to 
this  ofifice  February  16,  1897.  In  1877  he  and  his 
wife  united  with  the  Evangelical  Church  and  have 
since  been  active  in  church  and  Sunday-school 
work. 


ANNA  LAW,  M.  D.,  is  a  worthy  example 
of  the  women  of  this  progressive  age,  and 
of  what  can  be  accomplished  when  op- 
portunity is  afforded.  She  possesses  those  at- 
tributes necessary  for  a  successful  career  as  a 
medical  practitioner,  for  she  is  naturally  kind- 
hearted  and  sympathetic  and  has  the  happy  fac- 
ulty of  inspiring  hope  and  courage  in  those  whom 
she  is  called  to  attend,  while  her  native  intelli- 
gence and  practical  knowledge  of  her  profession 


cannot  be  denied.  In  the  fall  of  1895  she  came 
to  Scranton,  where  she  has  an  office  at  No.  308 
Wyoming  Avenue,  and  carries  on  a  general 
practice,  making  a  specialty  of  obstetrics. 

The  Law  family  is  of  Scotch  origin.  The  Doc- 
tor's father,  William  Law,  was  born  in  Dum- 
friesshire, Scotland,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Law, 
who  was  interested  in  mining.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  William  came  to  America  and  pro- 
ceeding to  Carbondale,  Pa.,  secured  work  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  Company. 
Later  he  was  employed  at  Dunmore,  then  re- 
turned to  Carbondale,  and  in  1854  went  to  Pitts- 
ton  as  superintendent  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company,  continuing  in  that  capacity  until  his 
death,  December  25,  1889,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years.  Politically  he  affiliated  with  the  Repub- 
licans and  in  religion  was  a  Presbyterian. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Catherine  Bry- 
den,  a  native  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Afexaiidef  Bryden,  who  after  coming  to 
America  was  employed  as  superintendent  for  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  at  Carbondale. 
There  were  seven  children  in  the  family,  name- 
ly: Mrs.  .Alexander  Bi^iden,  whose  husband  is 
superintendent  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Dunmore;  John  B.,  civil  engineer  and 
general  manager  of  the  Newtown  Coal  Company 
at  West  Pittston;  Mrs.  Harkness,  who  died  in 
Pittston;  Mrs.  C.  C.  Bowman,  whose  husband  is 
a  member  of  the  Avoca  Coal  Company;  Alexan- 
der, civil  engineer  and  superintendent  of  the  Gi- 
rard  Coal  Company;  Mrs.  W.  R.  Teeter,  of  Dun- 
more; and  Anna. 

After  completing  her  literary  studies  in  Wyom- 
ing Seminary  our  subject  in  1888  entered  the 
Philadelphia  Hospital  Training  School  for 
Nurses,  where  she  graduated  after  fifteen  months. 
She  was  then  employed  as  nurse  in  the  Johns 
Hopkins  Hospital  at  Baltimore  until  December, 
1889,  when  the  death  of  her  father  caused  her  to 
return  home.  In  the  fall  of  189 1  she  entered  the 
Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  at 
Philadelphia,  from  which  she  graduated  in  1894, 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Later  she  took  a  post- 
graduate course  at  the  Lying-in  Charity  Hospital 
of  Philadelphia,  where  she  perfected  herself  in 
her  specialties  of  obstetrics  and  gynecology.    She 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RICCORD. 


also  attended  clinics  at  other  hospitals  in  that 
city.  In  the  fall  of  1895  she  opened  an  office  in 
Scranton,  where  she  is  winning  recognition,  not 
only  as  a  talented  physician,  but  also  as  a  cul- 
tured lady.  Interested  in  everything  pertaining 
to  her  profession,  she  united  with  the  Lackawan- 
na County  Medical  Society,  of  which  she  is  an  ac- 
tive member.  In  religion  she  belongs  to  the 
Presbvterian  Church. 


JACOB  BOWMAN  holds  a  very  desirable 
position  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  and  superintended  the 
grading  and  entire  constmction  of  the  break- 
ers at  shafts  Nos.  i,  2  and  3  of  the  Storrs  mine, 
owned  by  the  company.  This  plant  is  consid- 
ered the  best  one  wliich  this  corporation  pos- 
sesses, as  about  three  thousand  tons  of  coal  are 
taken  out  every  ten  hours  and  over  eleven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  hands  are  given  employment.  The 
breakers  before  alluded  to,  are  as  fine  as  any  that 
the  writer,  himself  no  novice  in  the  line,  has  ever 
seen,  and  the  whole  credit  of  the  plan  is  due  to 
Mr.  Bowman. 

Since  he  was  a  youth  of  about  twelve  years,  our 
subject  has  had  to  "paddle  his  own  canoe,"  as  at 
that  time  he  was  left  an  orphan.  He  was  born 
in  Canton  Argou,  Switzerland,  in  the  city  of 
Lenzburg,  May  28,  1840,  being  a  son  of  Isaac  and 
Elizabeth  Bowman.  The  mother  died  when  the 
boy  was  only  seven  years  old  and  left  three  chil- 
dren. Rosa  and  Annie,  the  others,  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Alma,  Wis.  The  father  of  this  family  was 
of  an  old  German-.Swiss  line  of  ancestors  and  by 
trade  was  a  manufacturer  of  ropes. 

Until  he  was  about  fifteen  years  old  young 
Bowman  continued  his  studies  in  the  excellent 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and  the  knowledge 
that  he  thus  obtained  led  him  to  desire  to  try  his 
fortunes  in  the  New  World.  Having  secured  a 
passport  he  left  Havre  in  the  fall  of  1855,  and  dur- 
ing the  five  weeks'  trip  he  became  well  accjuaint- 
ed  with  the  captain  and  his  wife,  who  took  a  fancy 
to  the  bright,  ambitious  boy.  The  home  of  Cap- 
tain Johnson,  for  that  was  the  name  he  bore,  was 
near  Middle  Haddam,  Conn.,  and  here  he  was 
invited  to  spend  a  year  or  more.    He  accepted  the 


kindly  advances  of  the  worthy  couple  and  im- 
proved his  scanty  knowledge  of  the  English  lan- 
guage by  attending  school.  Then,  with  Orrin 
Whitmore,  a  cousin  of  his  new  friends,  he  went 
to  Carbondalc,  Pa.,  and  stayed  on  the  latters 
farm  until  lie  had  reached  his  majority. 

In  1861  Mr.  Bowman  took  a  place  as  a  sta- 
tionaiy  engine  fireman  at  Rushdale  (now  Jer- 
myn),  Pa.,  and  in  less  than  a  year  was  promoted 
to  be  engineer.  In  May,  1863,  he  came  into  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern as  stationary  engineer  at  the  Luzerne  slope 
mines,  now  Storrs  No.  3,  and  was  here  six  years. 
He  was  then  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
building  of  the  breakers  and  was  outside  fore- 
man. In  1883  he  went  to  Nanticoke,  for  the  Sus- 
quehanna Coal  Company,  and  after  a  time  super- 
intended the  building  of  the  breakers  at  Morgan- 
town,  Luzerne  County.  W'hen  these  were  well 
under  way,  he  continued  as  a  foreman  there  until 
he  saw  fit  to  resign  at  the  end  of  a  year,  and  re- 
entered the  employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western.  For  a  short  period  he  was  weigh- 
master  at  the  Brisbin  mine,  but  in  the  fall  of 
1885  the  company  made  him  outside  foreman. 
In  this  position  he  gave  good  satisfaction  and 
his  superiors  did  not  suggest  a  change  until  Sep- 
tember I,  1889,  when  he  was  set  to  work  super- 
intending the  construction  of  the  grades  and 
breakers  of  the  Storrs  mines.  The  grades  are  so 
arranged  that  cars  containing  the  output  of  the 
mines  are  propelled  by  simple  gravitation  from 
the  shaft,  without  the  aid  of  mules.  Four  pairs 
of  engines  are  in  use,  one  pair  at  each  shaft  and 
the  others  at  the  breaker.  Two  single  engines 
and  three  small  locomotives  are  also  used  in  and 
about  the  shaft. 

In  1872  Mr.  Bowman  married  Jennie  Coad,  in 
this  city.  She  was  born  in  Falmouth,  England, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  Coad,  a  sea  captain. 
She  died  in  1880,  leaving  two  sons:  Charles,  a 
locomotive  engineer  at  No.  3  shaft,  and  Frank, 
who  died  in  1893,  when  only  nineteen  years  old. 
He  was  weigh  master  and  clerk  at  the  Storrs 
mines.  The  present  wife  of  our  subject  was 
Hulda,  daughter  of  William  and  Catharine 
(Struble)  Wyker,  her  father  a  farmer  near  Fred- 
ericktown,  Knox  County,  Ohio.     Mrs.  Bowman 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


723 


was  born  in  Knox  County,  and  her  parents  were 
natives  of  New  Jersey.  Three  children  have  come 
to  bless  this  union:     Katie,  Alice  and  Blanche. 

Mr.  Bowman  did  effective  service  as  a  member 
of  the  poor  board  of  the  Scranton  district,  to 
which  office  he  was  appointed  by  Judge  Rice  of 
Wilkesbarre.  He  belonged  to  the  board  three 
years,  one  of  which  he  was  its  president,  and  dur- 
ing this  time  the  project  of  erecting  a  separate 
department  for  insane  patients  received  such  at- 
tention that  the  first  buildings  for  them  were  put 
up.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Bowman  resided 
in  Providence,  but  he  now  lives  in  Dickson  City. 
He  belongs  to  the  Providence  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  so- 
cially he  is  past  officer  of  Hiram  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  was  a  member  of  Lackawanna  Chapter 
and  of  the  Commandery,  but  is  not  active  in  the 
two  last  mentioned  orders  now. 


HS.  COOPER,  I\I.  D.  Of  the  professions 
in  which  men  engage  none  require  a 
•  more  thorough  and  complete  prepara- 
tion and  course  of  training  than  that  which  has 
materia  medica  for  its  basis.  Besides  the  acquire- 
ment of  scientific  knowledge,  there  should  be  the 
cultivation  of  the  intellectual  faculties  and  of 
those  virtues  which  are  innate  in  every  noble 
heart.  In  this  way  alone  can  true  success  be 
achieved.  Of  Dr.  Cooper  it  may  be  said  that  he 
is  an  honor  to  the  profession  and  a  model  to  those 
beginning  in  practice.  With  few  advantages  in  . 
youth,  by  self-reliance  and  personal  effort  he  was 
enabled  to  enter  college  and  pursue  a  thorough 
course  of  study  there.  This  same  self-reliant 
spirit  assisted  him  when  beginning  in  practice 
and  has  been  of  untold  value  to  him  in  the  years 
that  have  since  followed. 

With  the  exception  of  eight  years  in  Waverly, 
Dr.  Cooper  has  spent  his  entire  professional  life, 
covering  a  period  of  more  than  fifty  years,  in 
Newton  Township,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
was  born  in  Pittston  Township,  Luzerne  Coun- 
ty, August  29,  1822,  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah 
(Phelps)  Cooper.  His  paternal  grandparents, 
George  and  Phoebe  Cooper,  were  New  England 
people,  and  he  experienced  all  the  horrors  of  the 


Wyoming  massacre,  being  one  of  its  few  surviv- 
ors. When  urged  by  friends  to  flee,  he  begged 
for  one  more  shot,  turned,  fired  and  saw  an  In- 
dian drop;  then  ran  and  jumped  into  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  and  dived  to  escape  the  shots 
that  rattled  like  hail  around  him.  In  this  way  he 
swam  until  he  reached  a  place  of  safety. 

At  the  old  homestead  in  Pittston  Township, 
Benjamin  Cooper  was  born  and  reared,  and  there 
his  active  life  was  spent  in  farm  work.  He  died 
at  the  home  of  our  subject  when  eighty-two  years 
of  age.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  died  in  Tunkhannock,  Pa.,  aged  seventy. 
Of  their  six  children,  only  two  are  living,  our 
subject  and  another  son  in  Rhode  Island.  The 
father  was  a  participant  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
a  number  of  the  ancestors  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Revolution.  The  maternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject,  Bishop  and  Martha  Phelps,  were 
early  settlers  of  Tunkhannock,  Pa.,  where  they 
died  at  the  age  of  about  seventy-seven ;  both  were 
buried  on  the  same  day  at  that  place. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  our  subject  went  to  Tunk- 
hannock in  youth  and  about  1842  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  B.  A.  Bouton,  after 
which  he  attended  lectures  in  Philadelphia,  grad- 
uating from  a  medical  college  there.  In  1844  he 
settled  at  Bald  Mount,  Newton  Township,  where 
he  still  resides.  In  Waverly,  in  1847,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Irene  Green,  who  was  born  in  Ben- 
ton Township  and  died  in  Waverly,  aged  thir- 
ty-seven years.  Of  their  five  children,  three 
are  living:  Frances  Louise,  who  is  married  and 
has  two  children ;  William  H.,  a  business  man  of 
Scranton,  where  he  and  his  family  reside;  and 
Sarah,  who  is  married  and  has  three  children. 
Mrs.  Irene  Cooper  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Melissa  (Rice)  Green,  members  of  old  New  Eng- 
land families,  both  of  whom  died  in  this  county. 
Her  paternal  grandfather  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  in  this  section,  and  served  for  seven  years 
in  the  army  during  the  Revolution. 

December  29,  1858,  Dr.  Cooper  married  Miss 
Anna  A.,  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Rhoda  (See- 
ley)  Weed,  and  a  native  of  Pound  Ridge  Town- 
ship, Westchester  County,  N.  Y.  Her  parents 
were  connected  with  old  Connecticut  families, 
but  spent  much  of  their  lives  in  New  York,  where 


I'DRTKAIT    AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


thev  were  respected  by  their  acquaintances  as  a 
wortliy  couple.  Fraternally  Dr.  Cooper  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Clarks  Summit. 
In  earlier  days  he  was  identified  actively  with  a 
number  of  medical  societies  and  is  one  of  the 
oldest  practicing  physicians  of  the  county.  In 
religious  views  he  is  connected  with  the  Baptist 
Church.  His  first  iircsidential  ballot  was  cast  for 
lames  K.  Polk  and  he  has  identified  himself  with 
the  old-line  Democracy.  For  a  niunlxr  of  years 
he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace. 


JOHN  W.  -MARSHALL  is  breaker  foreman 
in  mine  No.  5  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company  at  Dunmore.  He  was  born  Sep- 
tember II,  1839,  in  Kilmarnockshire,  Scotland. 
His  father,  John  Marshall,  was  twice  married  and 
by  his  first  wife  had  several  children,  who  re- 
mained in  Scotland.  For  his  second  wife  he  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Wright,  and  our  subject  is  the  only 
issue  of  this  marriage.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  but  a  babe,  and  when  he  was  two  years  of  age 
his  father,  who  was  a  stone  cutter  there,  also 
passed  away,  and  he  was  reared  by  an  uncle,  Gil- 
bert Cooper,  who  was  a  mine  foreman  in  May- 
bold,  Ayrshire.  He  attended  the  common  school 
there,  but  while  yet  but  a  boy  went  to  work  with 
his  uncle  in  the  mine  for  the  sake  of  company. 
When  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age  he  came  to 
America  with  his  uncle,  crossing  the  ocean  on  a 
sailor  bound  from  Glasgow  to  New  York  City. 
They  went  direct  to  Carbondalc,  but  after  a  two 
months'  stay  removed  to  Dunmore  in  1852  and 
he  attended  jjublic  school  in  Bucktown.  He  re- 
mained there  less  than  a  year,  however,  when  he 
went  to  Pittston  and  began  to  work  for  the  Penn- 
sylvania Coal  Comi)any. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  first  employed  in  running 
light  cars  from  the  stock  pile  back  and  around  to 
the  mine,  and  was  kept  at  this  emi)l()yment  most 
of  the  time  until  he  returned  to  I  Jnumore,  when  he 
went  to  work  as  a  helper  in  a  blacksmith's  shop 
for  the  same  company.  Upon  the  first  call  for 
volunteers  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  at  Ilarrisburg  for  the  three  months'  call. 


He  served  five  months,  however,  and  then  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge.  In  1863,  at 
.Scranton,  he  volunteered  in  the  Pennsylvania 
\'oIunteer  Militia,  and  served  out  that  time.  In 
the  fall  of  1863  he  re-enlisted  in  Company  G,  (3ne 
Hundred  and  Eighty-seventh  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  was  nuistered  in  at  Harrisburg.  He 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Spott- 
sylvania,  Petersburg,  and  w'as  in  the  midst  of  the 
fighting  in  the  charge  of  Fort  Hell,  and  the  bat- 
tle of  Weldon  Railroad,  and  the  continual  fight- 
ing and  throwing  up  of  breastworks  at  the  siege 
of  Petersburg.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  was  ordered 
back  to  Philadelphia,  and  remained  on  garrison 
duty  there  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge  in  June,  1865,  in 
Philadelphia,  at  Camp  Discharge.  In  the  charge 
at  Weldon  Railroad  the  Confederates  were  driv- 
en before  them  and  while  rushing  to  fill  up  the 
gap  he  became  excited,  and  being  a  good  runner 
got  ahead  of  his  company;  noticing  which  fact 
but  with  no  thought  of  dropping  back,  he  turned 
around  and  called  "Come  on,  boys!"  For  his 
bravery  at  that  battle  he  was  promoted  to  ser- 
geant, as  stated  in  the  commission. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Marshall  re- 
turned to  the  employment  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company,  and  was  made  weighmaster  at 
No.  I  shaft  and  later  to  the  same  position  at  No. 
2,  where  he  remained  many  years.  He  then  came 
to  No.  5  shaft  in  Dunmore  and  held  the  same 
place  there  until  July,  1896,  wdien  he  was  made 
breaker  foreman  and  has  since  had  entire  charge 
of  No.  5  breaker.  In  Pittston  he  married  Miss 
Clara  Townsend,  who  was  born  in  Falls  Town- 
ship, Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  and  they  have  four 
children,  as  follows:  John  C,  fireman  on  the 
Erie  &  Western  Railroad :  Mary,  Mrs.  W.  E.  Cor- 
rell,  of  Dunmore;  Ida,  at  home;  and  Grace,  who 
is  Mrs.  W.  J.  Jones,  and  resides  in  Dunmore. 

Mr.  Marshall  has  never  accepted  any  offices  in 
political  matters,  but  has  always  done  what  he 
coulil  to  aid  the  Republican  cause.  He  has  built 
a  nice  residence  at  No.  232  Cherry  Street,  where 
he  is  enabled  to  enjoy  life  with  the  satisfaction  of 
having  n(jt  only  served  liis  ailopted  coimtry  well, 
but  earned  his  way  up  to  a  gcjod  position  solely  by 
his  own  merits.    Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 


SIDNEY  IJROADBENT. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


727 


Dunmore  Lodge  No.  816,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which 
he  has  filled  all  the  chairs;  also  a  past  officer  in 
Scrantonia  Encampment  No.  81,  and  is  past  vice- 
commander  in  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No. 
139,  G.  A.  R.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Presbvterian  Church  of  Duiunore. 


SIDNEY  BROADBENT.  After  thirty-si.x 
years  and  three  months  in  the  employ  of 
the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company, 
during  fourteen  years  of  which  he  was  general 
superintendent  of  the  works,  Mr.  Broadbent  re- 
signed his  position  in  i8g6,  and  has  since  lived 
retired  from  active  labors.  He  possesses  con- 
siderable inventive  genius  and  has  devised  a 
number  of  useful  articles  that  he  has  had  pat- 
ented, among  these  being  the  Broadbent  breaker 
roll,  which  has  become  the  standard  in  its  special 
line.  With  his  family  he  occupies  a  comfortable 
residence  at  No.  343  North  Washington  Avenue, 
Scranton. 

The  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  John 
and  Martha  (Higginbotham)  Broadbent,  the 
former  a  wealthy  manufacturer  of  Yorkshire, 
England.  The  maternal  grandparents,  Jesse  and 
Mary  (Scofield)  Jones,  were  members  of  old  and 
prominent  families  of  Yorkshire,  the  latter  being 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Scofield,  a  large  woolen 
merchant  and  manufacturer,  who  died  in  Cadiz, 
Spain,  during  a  business  trip  to  that  place.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  Ralph  Broadbent  was  born 
in  Saddleworth,  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1793,  and 
became  a  noted  and  successful  educator,  for  fifty 
years  being  principal  and  proprietor  of  Castle 
Shaw,  a  boarding  school  where  boys  were  fitted 
for  college.     His  death  occurred  in  1866. 

In  Saddleworth,  August  9,  1820,  Ralph  Broad- 
bent married  Elizabeth  Jones,  who  was  born  in 
1798  and  died  in  1879,  aged  eighty-one  years. 
Their  children  were  named  as  follows:  Joseph 
S.,  a  retired  wholesale  merchant  residing  in  Old- 
ham, England;  Ralph  H.,  principal  of  a  school 
in  Australia;  Sophia,  Mrs.  R.  Lees,  who  died  in 
Scranton;  Franklin,  who  died  in  England  at  the 
age  of  eighteen;  Sidney;  Mrs.  Mary  Barlow,  who 
passed  away  in  England  in  1894;  Mrs.  Salina 
McShane,  a  resident  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  where 
30 


her  husband  is  a  contractor  and  builder;  Louis, 
who  departed  this  life  at  eighteen  years;  Eliza- 
beth M.  and  Frederick,  who  died  young;  Mrs. 
Eliza  Brierley,  of  Lancashire,  England;  Mrs. 
Catherine  Wrigley,  who  died  in  England  in  1880, 
and  Caroline,  who  died  young.  Only  two  of  the 
family  ever  came  to  America,  Sophia  and  Sid- 
ney. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Saddle- 
worth, Yorkshire,  April  16,  1828,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  his  father's  school.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  was  apprenticed  in  Oldham  to  the  ma- 
chinist's trade  under  Hibbert  &  Piatt,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  the  death  of  the  senior  mem- 
ber. In  June,  1848,  he  arrived  in  America,  after 
a  voyage  of  thirty-five  days  on  the  sailer  "Fan- 
chon,''  from  Liverpool.  From  New  York  he 
went  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  was  employed  as  a 
machinist  in  the  Rodgers  locomotive  works.  Next 
he  went  to  Newark  to  take  charge  of  machine 
tools  for  a  firm  tiiere.  The  place  was  unhealth- 
ful,  owing  to  the  many  swamps  around,  and  he 
was  soon  obliged  to  leave. 

Returning  to  England  in  the  fall  of  1851  Mr. 
Broadbent  became  foreman  in  the  Soho  iron 
works  at  Oldham  and  remained  there  for  three 
years,  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  War. 
In  the  fall  of  1854  he  again  came  to  America, 
making  the  voyage  on  the  steamer  "City  of  ]Man- 
chester,"  and  on  his  arrival  went  to  Paterson, 
where  he  secured  work  as  foreman  in  a  locomo- 
tive manufactory.  From  there  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  shops 
at  Scranton,  as  foreman  in  the  locomotive  de- 
partment, which  position  he  held  from  April  13, 
185s,  until  June,  1857.  He  then  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  William  Cooke  &  Co.,  and 
started  in  the  locomotive  business  at  the  Clifif 
works,  where  they  built  the  first  locomotive  in 
Scranton.  The  business  was  afterward  absorbed 
by  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company,  and  in 
November,  1859,  Mr.  Broadbent  was  transferred 
to  the  Penn  Avenue  shops  as  foreman.  From 
that  position  he  advanced  gradually  until  1882, 
when  he  was  made  general  superintendent. 

In  Paterson,  N.  J.,  Mr.  Broadbent  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Broadbent,  who 
though  of  the  same  name  was  not  a  relative.    She 


728 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  horn  in  Rnglantl  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
came  to  America  with  her  parents,  setthng  in 
I'aterson.  The  seven  children  born  of  this  union 
are:  Charles  Lewis,  vice-president  of  the  George 
F.  Blake  Manufacturing  Company  of  Xew  York 
City,  where  he  resides:  William  Edward,  a  ma- 
chinist, who  died  in  1892.  leaving  a  wife  and 
three  children :  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  \ernoy,  of  Scran- 
ton:  Martha,  at  home:  C.  S.,  who  was  formerly 
foreman  in  pattern  works  here,  but  died  in  May, 
i!^/);  John  ]•".,  at  one  time  with  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company,  later  with  the  Lacka- 
wanna iron  iK-  Steel  Company,  but  now  interested 
in  introducing  the  Matthews  patent  steel  worker, 
and  X'ictoria,  who  is  with  her  parents.  In  1872 
our  subject  spent  four  months  in  England  and 
other  portions  of  the  British  Isles,  renewing  the 
associations  of  his  youth.  He  is  a  Republican, 
belongs  to  the  .\merican  Society  of  ^Mechanical 
Engineers,  and  fraternally  is  past  officer  of  Union 
Lodge,  E.  &  -A..  M..  in  which  he  is  one  of  the  two 
oldest  members,  is  identified  with  Lackawanna 
Chapter  and  one  of  the  three  oldest  members  of 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T.  Tlie 
position  which  he  n(jw  occupies  among  the  sub- 
stantial and  successful  men  of  Scranton  is  due 
to  his  energetic  efforts  in  younger  years  and  the 
sound  judgment  displayed  in  every  business 
transaction. 


HENRY  ROBERTS,  M.  D.  There  is  par- 
ticular satisfaction  in  reverting  to  the  life 
history  of  the  honored  and  venerable  gen- 
tleman whose  name  initiates  this  review,  since 
his  mind  bears  the  impress  of  the  historical  annals 
of  this  section  of  the  state  from  the  early  pioneer 
days,  and  he  has  attained  to  a  position  of  distinc- 
tive prominence  in  the  thriving  city  of  Scran- 
ton, with  whose  interests  he  has  so  long  been 
identified.  He  was  born  June  14,  1821,  in  Ea- 
ton Township,  Luzerne  County  (now  Wyoming 
County),  Pa.,  and  is  descended  from  good  old 
colonial  stock.  Mis  grandfather,  Benjamin  (or 
probably  Samuel)  Roberts,  came  from  his  home 
in  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  in 
1769.  A  cousin  of  the  father  of  our  subject, 
Elias  Roberts,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Wy- 


oming in  1778,  and  his  name  appears  on  the 
nuinument  at  that  place,  and  Ebenezer  Roberts, 
an  uncle,  was  also  a  hero  of  the  Revolution. 

Samuel  Roberts,  the  grandfather  of  the  Doc- 
tor, was  born  in  Kingston,  in  1766,  but  at  an 
earlv  dav  removed  to  Tagues  Hill,  four  miles 
from  Tunkhannock,  in  Wyoming  County,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  until  1799,  when  he  came 
to  Hyde  Park,  Lackawanna  County,  and  pur- 
chased fiiur  hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres  next 
to  the  old  Joseph  Griffin  property.  After  resid- 
ing there  until  1807  he  sold  out  for  $7.50  per 
acre  and  bought  the  Dick  Brown  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  near  Pittston  Junc- 
tion, where  he  remained  for  six  years,  when  he 
located  in  Eaton  Township.  In  1839  he  took  up 
his  residence  with  his  son  Henry  in  Falls  Town- 
ship, where  his  death  occurred  in  1840,  when  in 
his  seventy-fourth  year.  In  1789  he  had  mar- 
ried Sarah  Ogden  IMorehouse,  a  native  of  Fair- 
field, Conn.,  and  a  daughter  of  David  More- 
house, who  brought  his  wife  and  three  daughters 
from  Connecticut  to  Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  in 
1786,  and  located  on  what  is  known  as  the  Rob- 
erts farm  in  Falls  Township,  which  is  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  family.  David  Morehouse  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty,  and  his  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Thankful  Couch,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven.  His  parents,  Jabez  and  Sarah 
(Ogden)  Morehouse,  were  of  English  descent 
and  belonged  to  the  Puritans.  The  founder  of 
the  family  .in  the  new-  world,  Thomas  Morehouse, 
located  in  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  1640,  and  the 
following  year  purchased  the  present  town  site 
of  Stamford,  the  same  state. 

Henry  Roberts,  the  father  of  the  Doctor,  was 
born  at  Tagues  Hill,  Wyoming  County,  July  28, 
I7()4,  and  died  at  the  old  home  in  Flails  Town- 
ship, lune  22.  1886,  at  tlie  age  of  ninety-(.)ne 
vears,  ten  niDiiths  and  twenty-five  days.  In  I''.a- 
ton  Township  was  celebrated  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Nancv  Wilson,  a  native  of  Clitheroe.  Lan- 
castershire,  England,  who  came  with  her  parents. 
Rev.  John  and  Elizabeth  (Metcalf)  Wilson,  to  this 
country  in  1802,  and  settled  in  Wyoming  County, 
at  which  time  the  daughter  was  about  three  years 
old.  Her  father  engaged  in  farming  and  also 
served  as  a  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


729 


copal  Church.  When  twenty  years  of  age,  Hen- 
rj'  Roberts,  Sr.,  entered  the  War  of  1812  as  sec- 
ond lieutenant  of  Third  Company.  Seventy-sixth 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Militia,  commissioned  bv 
Governor  Snyder,  but  the  troops  were  not  called 
into  active  service.  Widely  recognized  as  a  man 
of  sterling  worth  and  many  admirable  traits  of 
character,  he  had  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all, 
and  was  called  upon  to  fill  all  the  township  of- 
fices; was  the  first  county  commissioner  of  Wy- 
oming County,  and  was  appointed  associate 
judge  by  Governor  Curtin  to  fill  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  his  son,  Samuel  Roberts, 
who  entered  the  army  when  past  the  regular  age 
and  was  killed  in  front  of  Petersburg.  The  fath- 
er also  served  as  school  director,  and  was  the 
first  postmaster  of  Falls,  filling  the  office  from 
1828  until  1836.  The  mother  died  on  the  3d 
of  October,  1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  four- 
teen children;  John  W.,  a  farmer  of  Wyoming 
County,  who  died  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven;  Judge  Samuel,  who  was  a  micmber  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Heavy  Artillery,  and 
was  killed  in  front  of  Petersburg;  Henry,  of  this 
sketch;  David  M.,  who  was  captain  of  Com- 
pany H,  Seventy-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  died 
from  the  effects  of  wounds  received;  Mrs.  Sarah 
Hartley,  a  resident  of  Scranton;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Kirlin,  who  died  in  Charleston,  W.  Va.,  in  1886; 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  Benjamin  Hall,  of  Eaton  Town- 
ship; Julia,  who  died  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two;  Edward,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Tenth  United  States  Infantry  during  the 
Civil  War,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Hodgeman 
County,  Kan.;  Joseph,  who  was  second  lieuten- 
ant in  the  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
is  now  living  on  the  old  home  farm;  Giles,  who 
has  served  as  county  commissioner  and  state  rep- 
resentative from  Lackawanna  County;  .S.  Tracy, 
a  resident  of  Pittston,  Pa.,  who  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
and  has  for  twenty-six  years  been  an  engineer  on 
the  Lehigh  \'alley  Railroad;  Junia,  wife  of  John 
P.  Osterhout,  of  Belton,  Tex.;  and  Mrs.  Alice 
\'an  Tuyle,  who  died  in  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

The  early  life  of  the  Doctor  was  spent  upon 
the  old  home  farm  in  Falls  Township,  Wyoming 
County,  and  during  the  winter  season  he  attended 


the  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  1841  he 
engaged  in  clerking  in  Wilkcsbarre,  Pa.,  but  the 
following  year  went  to  Cardington,  Ohio,  where 
he  studied  medicine  with  his  uncle.  Dr.  J.  M. 
Roberts,  and  in  1843  entered  the  Jeflferson  Med- 
ical College  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  two  years  later. 
In  May,  1845,  he  began  practice  in  Laceyville, 
Wxoming  County,  where  he  was  married  June 
14,  1848,  to  Miss  Lucetta  Hartley,  who  was  born 
in  Glenwood,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  a 
daughter  of  William  Hartley,  a  farmer  and  lum- 
berman, and  also  ex-sheriff  of  Suscjuehanna 
County.  She  was  a  classmate  of  Galusha  Grow. 
Of  the  six  children  born  to  them  three  are  still 
living:  Ella,  widow  of  Dr.  Guleck,  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Towanda,  Pa.;  Charles  H.,  of  Chicago, 
III.;  and  Julia,  wife  of  Charles  Turner  of  To- 
wanda. 

In  1849  Dr.  Roberts  took  a  post-graduate 
course  at  the  JefTerson  Medical  College  and  in 
the  hospital,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  following 
year  located  in  Providence,  Luzerne  (now  Lack- 
awanna), County,  where  he  built  a  comfortable 
residence  across  the  street  from  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  where  he  soon  secured  an  excellent 
practice.  For  one  year  he  was  connected  with 
a  wholesale  house  in  New  York  City,  his  part- 
ner being  his  father-in-law,  and  they  carried  on 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Hartley  &  Rob- 
erts. In  1858  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Malta, 
De  Kalb  County,  111.,  where  he  purchased  some 
town  property,  but  the  following  year  during  the 
gold  excitement  at  Pike's  Peak,  his  wife  return- 
ed east,  and  he  with  oxen  and  wagons  started 
overland  to  the  gold  fields.  He  crossed  the 
Mississippi  at  Boston,  111.,  and  the  Missouri  at 
Plattsmouth,  Neb.,  and  reached  Independence 
Rock  on  .Sweet  Water,  July  4.  where  the  com- 
pany celebrated.  During  the  journey,  the  Doctor 
was  accidentally  shot  by  W.T.  Rhoades  ofWilkes- 
barre,  Pa.,  who  was  slipping  the  case  from  a  gim. 
The  hammer  caught  sufficient  to  discharge  a  load 
of  rabbit  shot  into  the  right  arm  and  side  of  our 
suoject,  who  stopped  the  flow  from  the  main 
artery  until  it  could  be  bandaged,  afterward 
dressed  the  wound  and  picked  out  the  shot.  It 
was  two  months  before  he  was  able  to  proceed, 
but  he  and  his  friends  who  had  remained  with 


73.0 


PORTRATT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


him  at  last  reached  Salt  Lake  City  by  driving 
only  a  short  distance  at  a  time.  Here  he  recuper- 
ated for  a  week  and  then  proceeded  to  Carson 
City,  Nev.  He  remained  in  California  from  No- 
vember, 1859,  until  the  following  March,  when 
he  returned  to  Scranton  by  way  of  Panama,  Cuba 
and  New  York,  reaching  liis  old  humc  during  the 
last  week  in  March. 

Dr.  Roberts  soon  secured  a  good  practice 
among  his  old  patrons,  and  in  1861  and  1862 
served  as  enrolling  officer  for  Scranton  under  the 
provost  marshal.  In  1863  he  organized  the  Thir- 
tieth Pennsylvania  X'olunteer  Militia,  and  re- 
mained with  them  during  their  service,  but  could 
not  be  mustered  in,  as  he  had  lost  the  use  of  liis 
right  hand  arm  by  the  accident  on  the  way  to 
California.  In  1864  he  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Curtin  as  one  of  the  commissioners  to  receive 
the  soldiers'  vote  in  the  south  at  City  Point  and 
other  places,  and  the  following  year  was  appoint- 
ed examining  surgeon  for  pensions,  and  again 
in  1S70,  being  the  only  one  in  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, but  in  1873  a  board  was  constituted  on  which 
he  served  until  1886,  when  President  Cleveland 
changed  the  officers.  Without  his  solicitation  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Providence  in  1869, 
and  continued  to  fill  that  position  until  the  carrier 
svstem  was  instituted  in  1883,  having  the  office 
at  No.  1916  North  Main  Avenue.  In  1866  he  was 
elected  to  the  select  council,  and  was  twice  re- 
elected, serving  nine  years  in  all.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  first  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners, was  for  several  years  president  of  the 
school  board,  and  is  a  trustee  of  the  Providence 
Presbyterian  Church.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that 
he  has  taken  quite  an  active  and  prominent  part 
in  public  afTairs,  and  ever  discharged  the  duties 
that  devolved  upon  him  in  a  most  acceptable 
manner,  winning  the  approbation  of  even  his  po- 
litical enemies.  He  was  first  a  Whig,  but  on  the 
organization  of  the  Repul)lican  party  joined  its 
ranks,  voting  for  Fremont  in  1856,  and  has  since 
been  one  of  its  most  stalwart  supporters.  In 
1857  he  was  one  of  the  three  Rejiublicans  in  Lu- 
zerne County,  nominated  on  the  first  ticket  of  the 
party,  and  secured  more  votes  than  they  expect- 
ed, receiving  all  but  sixteen  in  Providence.  He 
has  traveled  extensively  in  this  country,  visiting 


many  points  in  the  west  in  1856,  1858  and  1873; 
also  the  south  and  west  in  1881  and  1885;  Illinois 
in  1888;  and  Illinois  and  western  Kansas  and 
Missouri  in  1889.  He  is  now  living  retired  at  his 
old  home  in  Providence,  but  spends  a  portion  of 
his  time  in  Towanda,  Pa. 


JOHN  SOUTHWORTH  NILES,  M.  D., 
who  ranks  among  the  leading  physicians  of 
Carbondale,  was  born  in  Waymart,  Pa., 
.\pril  16,  1862,  and  is  a  member  of  an  old  Ver- 
mont family,  the  date  of  whose  settlement  in  the 
Green  Mountain  State  is  not  known.  His  father, 
Andrew  Niles,  M.  D.,  a  man  of  wide  research  and 
excellent  professional  reputation,  was  born  at 
White  Creek,  ^'t.,  and  in  early  manhood  gradu- 
ated from  the  Philadelphia  Medical  College,  after 
which  he  settled  at  Waymart.  For  forty  years  he 
was  the  leading  physician  of  that  town,  having 
cliarge  of  a  general  practice  that  extended 
throughout  that  entire  section  of  country.  Lie 
now  resides  in  Carbondale,  and  notwithstanding 
his  long  years  of  professional  activity  he  is  still 
engaged  in  practice,  though  not  upon  the  large 
scale  of  his  younger  days.  Personally  he  is  a 
man  of  decided  convictions  upon  all  subjects, 
professional,  political  or  social,  and  when  once 
persuaded  of  the  justice  of  a  cause  he  supports 
it  with  unswerving  allegiance. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Andrew  Niles  united  him 
with  Miss  Margaret  Ann  Dorr,  a  native  of  Cam- 
bridge, Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  and  of  Dutch 
descent;  she  was  a  daughter  of  Franklin  Dorr, 
who  was  at  one  time  sheriff  of  Washington  Coun- 
ty. Of  her  children,  one  died  young;  Harry  D. 
is  a  physician  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  a 
graduate  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College;  Frank 
C.  is  a  traveling  salesman  in  southwestern  Texas; 
and  Andrew  is  engaged  in  the  railroad  business 
in  Cripple  Creek,  Colo. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  literary 
(•(Incatioii  in  Pleasant  Mount  Academy  and  Mil- 
lersvillc  Normal  School.  Having  resolved  to  be- 
come a  physician,  he  entered  Jefiferson  Medical 
College,  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1891.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  he  received 
honors   fniui   all   three  of  tliese  schools,  on  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


731 


completion  of  the  respective  courses  of  study. 
He  commenced  practice  with  his  father  in  Car- 
bondale,  but  after  two  years  started  out  on  his 
own  account,  and  has  since  buiU  up  a  practice  as 
extensive  as  that  of  any  physician  in  the  valley. 
He  is  painstaking  and  conscientious  and  one  of 
the  most  skillful  surgeons  in  the  county. 

In  1891  Dr.  Niles  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Alice  Hunsicker,  of  Collegeville,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.,  daughter  of  Abram  and 
Rachel  (Rittenhouse)  Hunsicker,  both  being 
members  of  the  oldest  families  of  the  state.  Col- 
legeville was  so  named  on  account  of  Ursinus 
College  established  there  by  the  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Niles,  Rev.  Abraham  Hunsicker,  who  was 
expelled  from  the  Mennonite  Church  on  account 
of  his  liberal  views.  He  then  built  a  church 
where  all  of  the  orthodox  faith  could  attend,  re- 
gardless of  their  religious  denomination.  He 
also  established,  at  his  own  expense,  the  first 
female  seminary  in  Pennsylvania.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Niles  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason. 


WILLIAM  W.  MANNESS.  No  ade- 
quate memorial  of  this  gentleman 
can  be  written  until  many  of  the  use- 
ful enterprises  with  which  he  was  connected 
have  completed  their  full  measure  of  good 
in  the  world,  and  until  his  personal  influence  and 
example  shall  have  ceased  their  fruitage  in  the 
lives  of  those  who  were  about  him  when  he  was 
yet  an  actor  in  the  busy  places  of  the  world;  yet 
there  is-  much  concerning  him  that  can  with  profit 
be  set  down  here  as  an  illustration  of  what  can 
be  done  if  a  man  with  a  clear  brain  and  willing 
hands  but  set  himself  seriously  to  the  real  labors 
and  responsibilities  of  life. 

Mr.  Manness  was  boni  on  the  30th  of  August, 
1816,  in  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam Manness,  a  native  of  the  same  state,  born 
August  17,  1733,  of  English  and  Irish  descent. 
The  latter,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  married  Sarah 
Dilts,  who  was  of  English  origin.  The  family  was 
well  represented  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In 
early  life  our  subject  became  a  master  builder  at 
Perth  Amboy,   N.  J.,   whence    he    removed    to 


Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  and  in  1840  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Scranton,  where  he  staked  out  the  first 
furnace  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany, with  which  he  was  connected  until  his 
death,  superintending  the  erection  of  all  their 
buildings.  He  also  built  both  the  old  and  new 
shops  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroad,  the  Wyoming  House,  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  Building,  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  St.  Peter's  Cathedral  and  St.  Cecilia's 
Academy.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  di- 
rectors of  the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, an  original  director  of  the  Weston  Mill 
Company,  president  of  the  Stowers  Pork  Pack- 
ing &  Provision  Company  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  superintendent  of  the  lumber  department 
of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company,  direc- 
tor in  the  Riverton  mills  of  Riverton,  Va.,  and 
also  interested  in  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Scranton.  He  was  a  faithful,  conscientious  work- 
er, reliable  and  energetic,  and  was  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  valued  citizens  of  his  adopted 
city,  with  whose  business  interests  he  was  so 
prominently  identified. 

In  Scranton,  April  15,  1846,  Air.  Manness  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Elvira  Carpenter,  who 
was  born  in  North  Abington,  Pa.,  August  24, 
1826,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Carpenter,  an  old 
settler  of  Abington,  but  who  later  removed  to 
Susquehanna  County,  where  she  was  reared.  Her 
mother  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Lydia  Beat- 
tv,  and  both  she  and  her  husband  belonged  to 
old  and  honored  families  of  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty. Mrs.  Manness  died  on  the  4th  of  December, 
1893,  and  just  ten  days  later  her  husliand  also  de- 
parted this  life.  He  was  a  charter  member  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scranton,  and 
from  the  beginning  served  on  its  board  of  trus- 
tees, being  president  of  the  same  for  many  years. 
He  was  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Lodge,  and  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Throughout  his  career  of  continued 
and  far-reaching  usefulness,  his  duties  were  per- 
formed with  the  greatest  care,  and  during  a  long 
life  his  personal  honor  and  integrity  were  without 
blemish. 

In  the  family  were  three  children,  as  follows: 
Richard  Olmstead,  who  was  connected  with  the 


71'^ 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Dickson  Mainifactitriiig  Compaii}',  died  in  June, 
1886.  Charles  Frederick,  superintendent  of  the 
converting  department  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Com[)any,  died  in  August,  1887,  leaving 
two  sons.  Mary  Throop,  who  completes  the  fam- 
ily, is  a  resident  of  Scranton. 


GEORGE  H.  LUTTS  has  spent  the  prin- 
cipal portion  of  his  life  in  Scranton  and 
is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  of  this  city,  his  grandfather,  John  Lutts, 
having  come  here  about  1790.  The  family  orig- 
inated in  Germany  and  was  represented  among 
the  pioneers  of  Massachusetts.  From  that  state, 
his  birthplace,  John  Lutts  removed  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  settled  in  Providence,  now  a  part  of 
Scranton.  \^ery  early  in  the  nineteenth  century 
he  bought  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  in 
what  is  now  Green  Ridge.  He  died  in  Provi- 
dence in  1S09  when  sixty  years  of  age. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Michael  Lutts,  was 
born  in  Providence,  November  22,  1800,  and  in 
1810  with  his  brother  and  the  other  members  of 
the  family  settled  on  the  Green  Ridge  farm,  which 
extended  from  the  Lackawanna  River  to  near 
Dunmore.  The  old  house  stood  near  Sander- 
son Avenue  and  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  cross- 
ing. In  1856  he  sold  the  farm  and  l)uilt  a  resi- 
dence the  following  year  at  what  is  now  the  head 
of  Larch  .Street,  remaining  there  until  1865. 
From  that  year  until  his  death  in  1868  he  lived 
upon  a  farm  in  Madisonville.  Politically  he  was 
a  Democrat.  His  wife,  Lydia,  was  born  in  Eas- 
ton,  Pa.,  and  died  in  1881  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years;  she  was  a  daughter  of  Michael  Swarts 
and  had  a  brother  who  served  in  the  War  of 
181 2.  Of  her  eleven  children  all  but  two  attain- 
ed maturity  and  four  are  now  living.  Mrs.  Ruth 
Hornbakcr  and  Mrs.  Rachael  Andrews  reside  in 
Madison  Township;  Elizabeth  resides  in  Scran- 
ton; Lucina  is  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Gunster;  John 
resides  on  a  farm  at  Moscow;  Mrs.  Ann  Brant 
died  in  Kansas;  Michael  died  when  eight  years 
of  age;  George  H.  was  next  in  order  of  birth; 
and  Mary,  the  youngest,  died  at  two  and  one-half 
years. 

At  the  home  farm  in  Green  Ridge,  the  subject 


of  this  sketch  was  born  May  7,  1848.  He  was  a 
lad  in  his  teens  when  the  war  broke  out  and  four 
times  enlisted  and  put  on  the  blue  uniform,  but 
each  time  was  brought  home  by  his  relatives. 
I'Vom  1865  to  i86g  he  lived  on  the  Madison 
Township  farm,  but  returned  to  .Scranton  in  the 
latter  year.  When  a  boy  he  had  fired  and  run  a 
stationary  engine  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Company,  and  on  his  return  to  this  city,  he  be- 
came an  engineer  for  Alexander  Simpson,  later 
was  with  the  old  Peoples  Company  on  the  Green 
Ridge  line,  the  first  in  the  city.  After  sixteen 
months  of  service  as  conductor  and  driver,  in 
1 87 1  lie  went  to  Middletown,  Orange  County,  N. 
Y.,  and  became  fireman  on  the  New  Jersey  Mid- 
land between  Middletown  and  Jersey  City.  In 
1874  he  was  promoted  to  be  locomotive  engi- 
neer and  served  in  that  capacity  for  one  year  and 
three  months.  Returning  to  Scranton  in  1876, 
he  accepted  a  position  as  engineer  for  O.  S. 
Johnson  in  the  Green  Ridge  colliery.  In  April, 
188 r.  lie  became  locomotive  engineer  on  the 
main  line  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern, with  which  he  has  since  remained,  in  differ- 
ent departments,  being  now  on  the  Port  Morris 
run. 

At  No.  1032  Marion  Street,  corner  of  Wyom- 
ing, a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  Mr.  Lutts  built 
his  present  residence.  His  marriage  in  Madison 
Township,  July  4,  1868,  united  him  with  Caroline 
Krotzer,  who  was  born  there.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  living  children,  Arthur  Eugene,  a 
grocer  in  Marion  Street,  and  Grace.  The  father 
of  ]\Irs.  Lutts,  George  Krotzer,  was  bom  in  Eas- 
ton.  Pa.,  was  captain  in  the  Pennsylvania  militia, 
occupied  township  offices,  owned  a  fine  farm  in 
Madison  Township,  and  died  there  at  the  age 
of  sixty-nine.  His  father,  David  Krotzer,  was 
born  in  Easton,  of  German  descent,  and  was  a 
tailor  in  that  city  for  a  time,  but  from  there  re- 
moved to  this  valley  and  bought  a  farm  one  mile 
from  Dunmore.  After  some  time  spent  there  he 
sold  the  property  to  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany and  removed  to  Abington,  where  he  died. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Lutts  was  Anna  M.  House, 
a  native  of  York  State,  and  now,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six,  residing  in  Jubilee,  one  mile  from 
Madisonville.    When  a  child,  on  the  occasion  of 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


7ii 


Lafayette's  second  visit  to  the  United  States,  she 
saw  that  famous  general  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  where 
her  father  took  dinner  with  him.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Wilham  and  Maria  (Spring- 
stead)  House,  the  former  a  Baptist  minister  for 
many  years  in  York  State,  but  deceased  in  Madi- 
sonville.  Pa.  At  the  time  of  her  marriage  she 
and  her  husband  began  housekeeping  in  a  log 
shanty,  but  as  prosperity  came  to  them  they  were 
able  to  surround  themselves  with  more  comforts. 
Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children:  Mrs. 
Mary  Graham,  of  Scranton,  who  died  in  ^fafli- 
sonville;  Mrs.  Harriet  Bird,  who  died  in  Madi- 
sonville;  Emeline,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years;  John,  residing  on  a  portion  of  the  old 
homestead;  Mrs.  Clarissa  Yeager,  who  lives  near 
Moscow;  Mrs.  Caroline  Lutts,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Madisonville:  Mrs.  Emma  Mitchell, 
who  died  in  Bradford  County,  Pa.;  and  Jacob, 
a  blacksmith  of  Madisonville. 

For  five  years  Mr.  Lutts  was  a  member  of 
Company  H,  Thirteenth  Regiment,  X.  G.  P.,  un- 
der Captains  Pearce  and  Fish,  and  was  corporal 
at  the  time  he  was  honorably  discharged.  Politic- 
ally he  is  a  Republican.  In  fraternal  relations  he 
is  a  demitted  member  of  Capouse  Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows,  belongs  to  Hyde  Park  Lodge  No.  339, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  has  passed  all  the  chairs  of  Sanuiel 
Sloan  Division,  B.  of  L.  E.,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Mrs.  William  F.  Hallstead  Lodge  No. 
82,  auxiliary  to  Samuel  Sloan  Division. 


DANIEL  C.  HUYCK,  superintendent  of 
the  farm  of  the  late  Col.  Ira  Tripp  and 
a  resident  of  Lackawanna  County  since 
i860,  was  born  in  Standing  Stone  Township, 
Bradford  County,  Pa.,  ^larch  9,  1827,  and  is  the 
son  of  Isaac  and  Cynthia  (Lyon)  Huyck.  As 
the  name  indicates,  the  family  is  of  German  de- 
scent. His  grandfather,  William  Huyck,  was 
born  in  Ohio,  and  being  orphaned  in  boyhood 
was  taken  into  the  home  of  !^Ir.  Fitzgerald,  an 
Irish  farmer,  who  reared  and  trained  him  for  a 
life  of  usefulness.  When  a  young  man  he  was 
given  a  farm  of  .fifty  acres  by  Mr.  Fitzgerald  in 
Standing  Stone  Township,  Bradford  County,  and 
subsequently  added  to   it  by  purchase  until  he 


acquired  the  ownership  of  four  hundred  acres  ly- 
ing on  the  Susquehanna  River.  During  the 
War  of  181 2  he  bore  an  lionorable  part  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  defense  of  this  country.  He  and  his 
wife  experienced  all  the  horrors  of  the  Wyom- 
ing massacre,  but  succeeded  in  making  their  es- 
cape. In  politics  he  was  an  old  line  Whig.  He 
acquired  valuable  possessions  and  at  his  death 
when  eighty-seven  left  a  large  estate. 

Isaac  Huyck  was  bom  in  Standing  Stone 
Township  and  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old 
homestead,  which,  after  his  father's  death,  was 
divided  into  three  farms.  ( )ne  of  these  he  cul- 
tivated and  improved,  Init  after  a  time  sold  it 
and  purchased  another  place.  In  1859  he  moved 
to  Iowa,  settling  at  West  L^nion,  l<Xvette  Coun- 
ty, and  there  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 
All  of  his  children  except  our  subject  settled  in 
the  same  locality.  The  wife  and  mother  was 
born  in  New  York  State  and  died  in  Iowa  when 
nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  Ller  parents  came 
to  this  country  from  England  and  her  father  was 
a  physician  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.  Her 
six  children  were  named  as  follows:  Daniel  C.-, 
Cordelia,  who  died  in  early  life;  William,  Charles, 
Randolph  and  Sarah,  all  in  Iowa. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm,  in  youth  our  sub- 
ject had  few  educational  advantages.  He  was 
a  student  in  the  early  log  school  house,  where 
instruction  was  conducted  upon  the  subscription 
plan,  and  where  the  building  and  instruction  were 
equally  crude.  The  seats  were  made  of  slabs, 
supported  by  wooden  legs,  and  boards  resting 
upon  pegs  inserted  in  the  walls  were  utilized  for 
writing  desks.  In  1857  he  removed  to  another 
place  in  the  township,  and  in  i860  came  to 
Abington,  this  county.  The  following  year  he 
embarked  in  farming  near  Waverly.  May  18, 
1874,  he  came  to  Scranton  and  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  superintendent  farmer  for  Col.  Ira  Tripp, 
in  which  capacity  he  has  since  remained.  Not 
only  has  he  been  very  successful  in  general  farm- 
ing, but  he  is  considered  an  expert  in  the  raising 
of  lersev  and  Alderney  cattle  and  fine  horses. 
He  has  never  desired  to  take  an  active  part  in 
politics,  but  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  Repub- 
lican principles  and  is  well  posted  regarding  cur- 
rent events. 


734 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  Durell  Township,  Bradford  County,  oc- 
curred the  marriage  of  Mr.  Huyck  to  Miss  Eliza 
Benjamin,  dang:hter  of  David  Benjamin,  a  far- 
mer tiiere,  where  she  was  bom.  Three  children 
were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huyck, 
but  all  are  deceased:  William,  who  died  in 
Scranton;  Mrs.  Mary  Adney,  who  passed  away 
in  Iowa;  and  Milton,  a  bright  young  man  of 
eighteen  years,  who  was  accidentally  killed  on 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad. 
The  home  of  Mr.  Huyck  is  situated  at  No.  1009 
North  Main  Avenue. 


CHARLES  C.  LAUBACH,  D.  D.  S.,  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Riegelsville,  Bucks 
County,  Pa.,  June  11,  i860,  and  is  a  son 
of  Augustus  and  Mary  C.  (Huff)  Laubach.  His 
grandfather,  Isaac  Laubach,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  for  years  followed  the  occupation  of 
a  mason  and  contractor.  His  last  years  were 
spent  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  where  he  passed 
away.  The  family  of  which  he  was  a  member  was 
numbered  among  the  oldest  of  the  state.  The 
first  account  of  any  representatives  begins  with 
the  emigration  to  America,  from  the  Palatinate, 
Germany,  of  Christian,  Reinhardt  and  Marguer- 
ite Laubach,  who  embarked  at  Rotterdam  on 
board  the  sailing  vessel,  "Queen  Elizabeth," 
Alexander  Hope,  master,  and  landed  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  September  16,  1738. 

Augustus  Laubach  was  born  in  this  state  and 
is  a  mason  by  trade,  having  in  earlier  life  had 
many  important  contracts  in  various  places.  At 
this  writing  he  is  seventy-four  years  of  age,  and 
is  proprietor  of  the  American  House  at  Belvi- 
dere,  N.  J.  During  the  war  he  responded  to 
draft,  but  was  rejected.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  N.  J.,  where  her  father,  Andrew 
Hufif,  was  a  farmer.  She  is  deceased,  as  is  also 
one  of  their  four  children.  Our  subject,  who  is 
the  only  surviving  son  and  the  youngest  child, 
was  reared  in  Belvidere,  N.  J.,  from  five  years  of 
age,  attending  the  public  and  high  schools,  and 
graduating  from  the  latter  at  sixteen  years.  In 
1 88 1  he  came  to  Scranton  and  for  three  years 
worked  in  the  employ  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Company,  then  returned  to  New  Jersey, 


where  he  studied  dentistry  under  Dr.  E.  M.  Bees- 
ley.  In  1884  he  entered  the  Baltimore  College 
of  Dental  Surgery,  from  which  he  graduated  two 
years  later,  with  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S. 

April  I,  1886,  Dr.  Laubach  opened  an  office  in 
Scranton,  and  for  seven  years  had  an  office  ad- 
joining his   present   location,   to  which    he    re- 
moved in  1893.     He  has  conducted  an  increas- 
ing practice  among  the  people  of  this  place,  by 
whom  he  is  held  in  high  regard  as  a  man  of  skill 
in  his  chosen  profession.    In  order  to  gain  a  per- 
fect knowledge  of  the  latest  improvements  in  den- 
tistry, in  the  fall  of  1894  lie  took  a  post-graduate 
course   in    Haskell's    Post-Graduate    School    of 
Prosthetic    Dentistry,   where  he   received   a   de- 
gree.    His  office,  at  No.  115  Wyoming  Avenue, 
is  equipped  wUh  every  improvement  for  profes- 
sional  use,   electricity  being  used    as    operative 
power.      He   makes   a    specialty   of    crown   and 
Inidge  work,   in  which  department  he  has  met 
with  .success.     Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the   Improved  Order  of  Heptasophs,  politically 
is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  connection  holds 
membership  in  the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.    In  Blairstown,  N.  J.,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  S.  Catherine  Shannon,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Francis  S.  and  Margaret 
S.     Mrs.  Laubach  was  born  in  Wairen  County, 
vvhere  her  father,  John  Shannon,  was  engaged  in 
the  occupation  of  an  agTiculturist. 


DAVID  LEARN.  Since  1871  this  gentle- 
man has  been  in  charge  of  the  truck  farm 
in  Ransom  Township,  which,  through  his 
industrious  efforts,  has  proved  the  source  of  a 
handsome  revenue.  Through  care  of  the  soil  and 
attention  to  its  cultivation,  it  is  made  to  yield 
bountiful  harvests  of  garden  produce.  In  addi- 
tion thereto,  a  fine  berry  plantation  is  one  of  the 
noticeable  features  of  the  place.  A  glance  at  the 
farm  shows  that  the  owner  is  not  a  careless  or  im- 
provident man,  for  the  buildings  are  kept  in  good 
repair,  the  fencing  is  substantial,  and  the  fields 
are  in  excellent  condition. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Amos,  was  a  son 
of  Peter  Learn,  and  was  born  and  reared  in 
Monroe   County,   Pa.,   but   spent   his   active  life 


i— ,„, 


JOHN  T.   FITZPATRICK. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


737 


principally  in  X'ewton  Township,  this  county, 
where  he  died  at  sixty-four  years.  He  married 
Margaret  Shook,  also  a  native  of  Monroe  Coun- 
ty, and  she  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight.  Of  their 
family  of  eight  children,  five  are  living,  the  most 
of  whom  reside  upon  farms.  David  was  born 
at  the  old  homestead  in  Newton  Tow-nship,  Jan- 
uary 29,  1847,  and  at  an  early  age  gained  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  details  of  farm  work, 
which  he  selected  for  his  occupation  upon  attain- 
ing manhood. 

In  boyhood  Mr.  Learn  did  not  have  many  edu- 
cational advantages,  for  in  those  days  school- 
houses  were  few  and  the  information  imparted  in 
them  was  meager  indeed.  Pennsylvania  at  that 
time  possessed  none  of  the  advanced  ideas  that  at 
the  present  time  make  it  the  peer  of  every  state  in 
the  nation  in  educational  matters.  Appreciating 
the  more,  on  account  of  his  own  lack  of  oppor- 
tunities, the  advantage  of  a  good  education,  he 
has  used  his  influence  to  advance  the  interests 
of  the  schools  of  this  locality  and  has  served  ei^- 
ciently  in  school  offices.  In  youth  he  was  filial 
and  obedient  to  his  parents,  never  giving  them  an 
unkind  word,  and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  is 
true  to  himself  and  to  others.  A  peaceable,  law- 
abiding  citizen,  just  to  his  neighbor,  and  of  friend- 
ly spirit,  he  is  respected  by  those  who  know 
him  and  occupies  a  prominent  place  among  the 
farmers  of  the  township. 


JOHN  T.  FITZPATRICK,  who  has  resided 
in  Scranton  since  1852,  was  born  in  West- 
porttown.  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1837,  the  son  of  Dennis  and  Sabina  (Mc- 
Nally)  Fitzpatrick,  also  natives  of  that  county. 
His  father,  who  was  proprietor  of  a  grocery  and 
of  a  hotel,  fell  a  victim  to  a  fever  that  caused  the 
death  of  himself,  wife  and  two  children  within 
two  weeks  of  one  another.  The  family  consisted 
of  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  John  T. 
is  the  only  one  in  Scranton.  On  Christmas  Da}- 
of  1856  they  were  all  together  here,  the  last  time 
they  have  met.  One  of  the  sons,  Michael,  who 
was  in  the  south  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War, 
was  forced  into  the  Confederate  army,  but  made 
his  escape  as  soon  as  possible,  and  came  north. 


entering  the  United  States  regular  army,  in  which 
he  served  for  five  years;  he  is  now  in  the  city  of 
Detroit.  Another  son,  Dennis,  was  in  the  Fed- 
eral army. 

Our  subject,  who  was  next  to  the  eldest  of  the 
family,  remained  in  Westporttown  until  1852, 
when  he  set  sail  in  the  "Nicholson,"  Captain 
Clark,  that  reached  St.  Johns  after  a  voyage  of 
forty-three  days.  He  proceeded  from  there  to 
New  York  City,  thence  to  Philadelphia,  from 
there  by  rail  to  Pottsville,  and  by  stage  from 
Pottsville  to  Scranton.  For  a  short  time  he 
attended  school  in  Carbondale,  after  which  for  a 
year  he  was  employed  on  section  thirteen  of  the 
south  division,  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Railroad,  and  then  worked  for  Judson  Clark 
in  his  mine  in  the  Notch,  receiving  $1  per  day 
as  driver  boy.  In  February,  1857,  he  took  a 
position  in  the  store  of  John  Walsh,  but  after  a 
few  months  left  there  and  worked  for  Phinney  & 
Schott,  where  the  United  States  Hotel  now 
stands,  corner  of  Penn  and  Vine.  Three  years  were 
spent  in  that  way  there,  and  he  then  accompanied 
the  firm  to  Taylorville,  remaining  until  June, 
i860,  when  he  took  a  position  with  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Company. 

In  March,  1861,  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  started  for 
himself  in  the  meat  business  in  Penn  Avenue, 
Scranton,  where  the  Pacific  Hotel  now  stands. 
Later  he  had  a  livery  and  undertaking  establish- 
ment, first  alone  and  later  with  a  partner.  Au- 
gust 10,  1873,  he  sold  out  to  his  partner,  after 
which  he  was  not  actively  engaged  in  business 
for  four  years.  However,  for  one  year  of  that 
time  he  was  assessor  of  the  eighth  w^ard.  In 
November,  1877,  he  became  a  clerk  for  the  Green 
Ridge  Coal  Company,  and  in  January,  1881,  took 
a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for  his  brother 
in  a  New  York  City  house,  but  the  work  not  be- 
ing congenial  he  abandoned  it.  Afterward  he 
traveled  in  the  west,  especially  in  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico,  and  on  his  return  to  Scranton 
built  a  three-story  double  brick  on  South  Wash- 
ington Avenue  and  Hickory  Street,  where  he 
opened  a  general  mercantile  store.  After  eigh- 
teen months  he  sold  out  and  embarked  in  con- 
tracting business  in  Washington  Avenue.  Since 
selling  out  there  he  has  engaged  in  general  con- 


738 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tracting.  He  has  built  two  bridges  for  the  New- 
Jersey  Central  Railroad,  has  had  contracts  for 
city  sewers  and  for  the  Pittston  Avenue  culvert, 
three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  also  for  the 
fourth  main  sewer,  the  largest  in  the  city.  He 
has  erected  several  buildings  in  Scranton.  includ- 
ing his  private  residence  on  the  corner  of  Monroe 
Avenue  and  Delaware  Street.  In  addition  to 
other  enterprises  he  is  interested  in  the  Scranton 
Savings  P)ank  and  Trust  Company,  of  which  he 
is  one  of  the  original  stockholders. 

In  national  politics  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  is  Demo- 
cratic, but  in  local  matters  votes  for  the  man  who 
he  believes  wnll  best  represent  the  people.  He  is 
a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  was  formerly 
identified  with  the  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery, 
while  he  is  now  past  ofificer  in  L^nion  Lodge.  In 
Scranton.  Pa.,  he  tnarried  Elizabeth  Armour, 
who  was  born  in  Ireland.  They  are  the  parents 
of  four  children:  John  J.,  who  is  employed  in 
the  railroad  department  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company;  Sabina,  Elizabeth  and 
Catherine. 


BEXJAMIN  COMBE  HOPKINS,  M.  D., 
has  since  June,  1870,  been  one  of  the  lead- 
ing physicians  of  Dunniore,  opening  an 
office  at  that  time  across  the  street  from  where 
he  is  now  located.  Nor  alone  is  there  particular 
interest  attached  to  his  career  as  one  of  the 
pioneer  physicians  of  the  place,  hut  in  reviewing 
his  genealogical  record  we  find  his  lineage  tracing 
back  to  the  colonial  history  of  the  nation  and  to 
that  period  which  marked  the  inception  of  the 
grandest  rc])ublic  the  w'orld  has  ever  known. 

The  Idopkins  family  was  originally  from 
Waterloo  Point,  iCngland,  and  was  founded  in 
Delaware  at  a  very  early  day  in  its  history.  There 
the  great-grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  John  Hop- 
kins, was  born  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits throughout  life.  The  grandfather,  Zebulon 
Ifo])kins,  also  a  farmer,  sjjent  his  entire  life  in 
that  state.  James  Hopkins,  the  father,  was  born 
in  Delaware,  and  like  his  ancestors  was  an  ag- 
riculturist by  occupation,  operating  his  father-in- 
law's  old  place  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
when  he  was  si.xty-eight  years  of  age.     He  had 


wedded  Marj'  Combe,  who  was  bom  in  1801,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Combe,  and  died  aged 
eighty-three  years.  Her  grandfather,  Benjamin 
Combe,  who  was  of  English  descent,  settled 
in  Delaware  at  a  very  early  day,  securing  a  large 
tract  of  land  on  which  he  built  a  large  colonial 
house  during  Revolutionary  times. 

The  Doctor  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  the 
family  of  seven  children,  the  others  being  as  fol- 
lows: Elizabeth  died  in  Delaware;  Mrs.  .Susan 
Wilson  also  died  in  that  state,  leaving  one  son; 
James  H.  is  a  physician  of  Dover,  Del. ;  Mary  E. 
is  the  wife  of  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Warner  of  Milling- 
ton,  Md. ;  Samuel  died  in  1862,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years;  and  Mrs.  Deborah  Lobstein 
is  a  resident  of  Greensboro.  Md. 

Near  the  present  city  of  Felton.  Kent  Coun- 
ty, Del.,  Dr.  Hopkins  was  born,  in  November, 
1829,  and  in  private  schools  of  that  state  he  ob- 
tained his  literary  education.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Cahall  of  Frederica, 
Kent  County,  Del.,  and  also  entered  the  office 
of  Dr.  De  Costa  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  Jeffer- 
son Medical  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1855,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  After  a  short 
time  engaged  in  practice  in  Bridgeville,  Sussex 
County,  Del.,  he  located  in  Felton  near  his  old 
home,  but  for  eighteen  months  during  the  war 
he  practiced  in  Philadelphia,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Felton.  and  in  1870  came  to  Dunmore, 
where  he  soon  secured  an  excellent  patronage. 
He  has  that  true  love  for  his  work  wdthout  which 
there  can  be  no  success,  and  has  always  been  a 
progressive  physician,  constantly  improving  on 
his  own  and  others"  methods  and  gaining  furtlier 
encouragement  and  inspiration  from  the  perfor- 
mance of  each  day's  duties. 

In  Wilmington,  Del.,  Dr.  Hopkins  led  to  the 
marriage  altar  Miss  Sallie  B.,  daughter  of 
Thomas  E.  Sudlcr,  who  was  for  some  years  pro- 
fessor of  matheniatics  in  Dickenson  College,  this 
state,  but  spent  his  last  years  in  retirement  at 
Winton,  Lackawanna  County.  After  a  short 
married  life,  Mrs.  Hojikins  died,  and  the  Doctor 
later  married  her  sister,  Miss  Annie  E.  Sudler, 
who  is  now  deceased.  Her  mother  belonged  to 
the  Fmery  family  of  the  eastern  shore  of  Mary- 
land, of  which  Ihsho])  John  Emery,  of  the  M.  I'^. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


739 


Churcli.  is  also  a  member.  The  Doctor  has  two 
children :  Thomas,  who  is  employed  in  the  office 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company;  and  James, 
who  is  studying  architecture  in  Scranton  and 
New  York.  With  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Dunmore  the  father  holds  member- 
ship, and  in  politics  he  has  been  a  pronounced 
Republican  since  the  formation  of  the  party,  and 
previously  was  a  Whig.  Like  his  father  he  has 
always  been  opposed  to  the  Democratic  party. 


HORACE  HOLLISTER,  M.  D.,  author 
of  Hollister's  History  of  Lackawanna 
County,  was  born  in  Salem,  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  November  30,  1S22,  and  died  in  Scran- 
ton, December  29,  1893.  Some  years  before  his 
birth  his  parents,  Alanson  and  Sally  (Goodrich) 
Hollister,  who  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  came 
with  their  respective  families  to  Salem  and  were 
there  married  in  1819.  In  the  early  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century  educational  opportunities 
were  meager,  and  the  fact  that  Dr.  Hollister 
afterward  attained  eminence  in  literature  and  pro- 
fessional success  proves  that  he  was  a  man  of 
genius.  The  one  term  spent  in  the  Bethany 
Academy  was  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  him 
in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  broad  knowledge 
he  afterward  possessed. 

After  spending  the  summers  of  1837  and  1838 
boating  on  the  North  Branch  Canal,  between 
Wilkesbarre,  Pittston  and  Philadelphia,  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Charles  Burr  of 
Salem,  afterward  studied  with  '  Ebenezer  T. 
Losey,  of  Honesdale,  and  finally  was  with  Dr. 
B.  H.  Throop  of  Providence.  In  1846  he  grad- 
uated from  the  medical  department  of  the  Llni- 
versity  of  New  York,  and  at  once  returned  to 
Providence  and  took  charge  of  Dr.  Throop's 
practice,  while  the  latter  removed  temporarily  to 
Carbondale.  He  continued  to  make  his  home 
here  until  the  close  of  his  life.  From  boyhood 
he  was  deeply  interested  in  histor\'  and  archeol- 
ogy, especially  in  that  pertaining  to  the  Lacka- 
wanna Valley.  When  he  was  a  boy  there  were 
people  still  living  who  had  witnessed  the  Indian 
atrocities  in  this  state,  and  in  their  narratives  he 
took    the    deepest    interest.     Though    engrossed 


with  the  duties  of  a  large  practice,  he  found  time 
to  amass  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of  In- 
dian relics,  including  twenty  thousand  imple- 
ments of  every  material  known  to  the  red  men. 
The  crowning  achievement  of  the  life  of  Dr. 
Hollister  was  the  preparation  tor  and  writing  of 
his  History  of  Lackawanna  County,  which  is  the 
standard  authority  for  this  section.  For  this  dif- 
ficult literary  labor  lie  was  eminently  fitted,  not 
alone  by  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  locality 
and  its  early  history,  but  also  by  his  literary  abil- 
ity, which  was  of  a  high  character.  As  a  writer 
he  was  graceful  and  fluent,  humorous,  at  times 
sarcastic,  entertaining,  clear  and  keen.  Although 
of  an  entirely  different  character,  his  literary  at- 
tainments quite  equalled  those  of  his  sister,  Mrs. 
L.  A.  Watres,  who  is  know  n  to  iiistory  as  "Stella 
of  Lackawanna,"  the  gifted  poetess.  During  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  was  paralyzed  and  unable 
to  engage  in  active  practice,  but,  until  death 
came,  he  continued  his  literary  labors,  and  be- 
sides revising  his  history,  which  has  passed 
through  several  editions,  he  contributed  to  va- 
rious magazines  on  both  professional  and  gen- 
eral subjects.  November  2,  1847,  ^t  Wilkesbarre, 
he  married  Mary  E.  GofT  of  Luzerne  County. 
who  survives  him.  They  became  the  parents  of 
three  daughters:  Frank,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Albright, 
of  Utica;  ]\Irs.  Gertrude  Lackey  of  Minneapolis; 
and  Bessie,  Mrs.  W.  E.  .'\nderson,  of  Scranton. 


M 


ISS  JENNIE  A.  KENNY,  owner  of  one 
of  the  leading  dressmaking  establish- 
ments in  Scranton,  is  a  woman  of  good 
business  ability,  and  by  sound  judgment  and  ex- 
cellent management  she  has  secured  considera- 
ble property  in  that  place.  A  native  of  England, 
she  is  the  si.xth  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family  of 
eleven  children  born  to  Michael  and  Bridget 
(Tobin)  Kenny,  all  of  whom  grew  to  manhood 
and  womanhood,  while  eight  arc  yet  living,  one 
brother  still  a  resident  of  England.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1866,  the  parents  left  their  old  home  in  Dur- 
ham, England,  where  the  father  had  engaged  in 
farming,  and  cam<>  to  the  New  World,  locating 
on  the  south  side  in  Scranton.  The  father  ob- 
tained employment  in  the  mines  of  Council  & 


740 


i'C)RTKAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Co.,  and  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Scran- 
ton  until  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1881,  when 
sixty-four  years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  was  liv- 
ing on  Fig  Street.  His  widow  is  still  a  resident 
of  this  city. 

Miss  Kenny  obtained  her  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  place,  and  learned  the  dress- 
maker's trade  with  Pettigrew,  the  leading  dress- 
maker of  Scranton.  For  twelve  years  she  had 
charge  of  the  dressmaking  department  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company's  store,  re- 
maining with  them  until  they  discontinued  the 
millinery,  dressmaking  and  tailoring  depart- 
ments in  1888,  when  she  started  in  business  for 
herself  at  the  corner  of  Sprace  Street  and  Wash- 
ington Avenue,  where  the  Mears  Building  now 
stands.  In  February,  1893,  she  located  at  her 
present  place.  No.  433  Adams,  where  she  is  now 
conducting  one  of  the  finest  establishments  of  the 
kind  in  the  city. 

As  a  faithful  member  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
Miss  Kenny  takes  an  active  part  in  all  charitable 
and  benevolent  work.  .She  is  a  member  of  St. 
Peter's  congregation;  is  a  charter  member  of 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Cathedral;  has  belonged  to 
the  Sodality  of  the  Cathedral  since  its  organiza- 
tion; was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Woman's 
Keeley  League,  to  which  she  still  belongs;  is  an 
honorary  member  of  Associate  Charities  and  St. 
Joseph  Foundlings  Home.  Politically  her  sym- 
pathies are  with  the  Democratic  party. 


WILLIAM  FRINK.  About  forty-five 
years  have  rolled  away  since  this  gen- 
tleman began  his  railroading  career  as 
brakeman,  and  he  has  since  been  dispatcher  and 
station  agent,  having  filled  the  latter  responsible 
position  for  over  thirty  years.  For  almost  half 
a  century  he  has  been  an  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  if  there  were 
no  other  facts  to  argue  from,  this  one  alone 
should  prove  his  faithfulness  to  his  duty,  his  hon- 
esty and  integrity  of  purpose  and  the  esteem  in 
which  the  company  holds  him. 

Tlie  birthplace  of  Mr.  Frink  is  in  Susquehanna 
County,  Pa.,  whither  his  paternal  grandfather, 
William  Frink,  removed  with  his  familv  at  a  verv 


early  day  in  the  history  of  this  state.  The  lat- 
ter bought  a  farm  and  engaged  in  its  improve- 
ment during  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  and  so  was  his  son,  Benajah, 
father  of  our  subject,  whose  boyhood  home  was 
near  the  pretty  town  of  Norwich.  When  he  ar- 
rived at  man's  estate,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  management  of  a  farm  located  in  Auburn, 
Susquehanna  County,  and  continued  to  reside 
there  until  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His 
faithful  companion  and  helpmate,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Nancy  Hancock,  was  bom  in  Wilkes- 
barre  and  died  when  over  ninety-one  years.  Her 
father,  John  Hancock,  was  a  man  of  prominence 
in  his  day,  and  was  always  referred  to  as  "the 
squire.''  Relatives  of  theirs  were  concerned  in 
the  Wyoming  and  other  massacres  and  Indian 
troubles  of  the  early  days.  The  four  sons  of 
Benajah  and  Nancy  Frink  were:  Orrin,  Tracy, 
Isaac  and  William,  and  only  the  last-named  sur- 
vives. Orrin,  who  was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing, died  in  this  city;  Tracy  died  in  Montrose  and 
Isaac  died  in  Potter  County. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  boys  the  early 
years  of  our  subject  were  passed  on  the  old 
homestead.  In  1853,  when  he  was  twenty-eight 
years  old  (as  he  was  born  in  February,  1825), 
he  left  home  and  started  out  in  the  world  for  him- 
self. Coming  to  Scranton,  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western, 
and  for  about  six  months  was  brakeman  on  a 
coal  train  running  between  this  place  and  Great 
Bend,  a  distance  of  forty-eight  miles.  Then 
he  was  the  train  dispatcher  in  the  Scranton 
yards  until  the  Bloomsburg  branch  of  the  road 
was  completed  to  Kingston,  when  he  ran  the  first 
freight  train  over  the  line.  From  that  time  until 
this  new  branch  was  merged  in  the  general  rail- 
road system  he  was  the  agent  for  the  Blooms- 
burg division.  Since  then  he  has  been  station 
freight  agent  of  the  whole  system  in  Scranton, 
and  superintends  some  seventy  or  more  men. 

In  Brooklyn,  Susquehanna  County,  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Frink  and  Miss  J.  A.  Bissell,  daugh- 
ter of  a  noted  physician  of  the  place,  was  cele- 
brated in  March,  1853.  Mrs.  Frink  is  a  native  of 
the  village  of  Brooklyn  and  was  there  educated 
and  grew  to  womanlinod.     The  only  living  child 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


741 


of  this  worthy  couple  is  LilHan,  wife  of  E.  H. 
Shurtleff,  Esq.,  an  attorney  residing  in  Scranton. 
The  home  of  the  Frink  family  is  on  the  west 
side,  No.  11 19  Washburn  Street.  They  are 
members  of  the  Washburn  Street  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  political  matters  Mr.  Frink  is  a  true- 
blue  Republican. 


M 


ICHAEL  FRANCIS  FADDEN.  In 
political  circles  of  the  county,  the  name 
of  M.  F.  Fadden,  of  Priceburg,  is  well 
known  and  influential.  Believing  in  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Democratic  party,  he  has  ahvavs  zeal- 
ously advocated  them,  and  has  done  good  service 
for  his  chosen  political  organization.  In  the  his- 
tory of  the  country  and  upon  the  issues  of  the 
day  he  is  well  informed.  He  has  served  in 
various  positions  of  trust,  and  in  1896,  was  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  the  legislature,  but 
suffered  defeat  in  the  general  "landslide"  of  that 
year. 

The  entire  life  of  Mr.  Fadden  has  been  passed 
in  this  county.  He  was  born  in  the  borough  of 
Olyphant  May  5,  i860,  a  son  of  Dominick  and 
Bridget  (O'Mallcy)  Fadden,  who  were  natives  of 
County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  are  now  living  in 
Olyphant,  the  father  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
and  the  mother  about  seventy.  Of  their  ten 
children  Michael  F.  was  the  fifth  in  order  of 
birth.  In  his  boyhood  years  he  had  few  ad- 
vantages. The  family  were  poor,  comforts  were 
few  and  educational  advantages  impossible.  In 
spite  of  disadvantages,  he  began  for  himself  with 
a  determination  to  succeed.  Like  so  many  boys 
of  the  county,  his  first  work  was  in  the  break- 
ers, and  he  served  his  time  in  and  around  the 
mines  in  all  the  different  grades.  Unlike  many 
boys,  however,  his  leisure  hours  were  not  idled 
away  or  worse  than  wasted  in  the  companionship 
of  dissolute  men,  but  were  devoted  industriously 
to  the  study  of  the  English  branches,  which  he 
mastered.  Later  he  took  up  the  study  of  book- 
keeping and  soon  gained  such  thoroughness  in 
this  line  that  for  seven  years  he  was  the  trusted 
head  bookkeeper  of  a  general  mercantile  store 
in  Olyphant. 

Finally  resigning  this  position,  Mr.  Fadden 
moved  to  Dickson  City,  where  for  six  years  he 


was  proprietor  of  the  Grove  House.  He  next 
engaged  in  the  cigar  business  in  partnership 
with  Air.  Gallagher,  a  former  employer,  and  was 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  well  known  F.  &  G. 
cigar.  With  the  capital  thus  secured,  he  built 
the  Fadden  House-  at  Priceburg  and  here  has 
since  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  October 
8,  1882,  he  married  Miss  Nellie  Flynn,  and  seven 
children  were  born  of  their  union,  but  two  are 
deceased. 

During  his  residence  both  in  Dickson  City  and 
Priceburg,  Mr.  Fadden  has  taken  a  warm  inter- 
est and  active  part  in  local  politics.  Three  times 
elected  to  the  borough  council,  in  that, body  he 
has  served  as  treasurer,  secretary  and  chairman. 
He  was  his  party's  candidate,  in  1896,  for  the 
position  of  representative  of  the  fourth  district 
in  the  legislature,  and  made  a  creditable  cam- 
paign, though  defeated  with  others  of  the  ticket. 
Doubtless,  in  future  years  he  will  again  be  the 
party  nominee  for  positions  of  trust,  for  other 
Democrats  in  the  community  appreciate  his  tried 
fidelity  to  party  principles  and  his  fitness  for  of- 
ficial positions.  He  possesses  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree determination  of  character,  force  of  will  and 
energy  of  purpose — qualities  which  will  without 
doubt  further  enhance  his  success  in  the  future. 


WILLIAM  A.  GRAY  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Gray  &  Co.,  of  Scran- 
ton, dealers  in  wood,  slate  and  marble 
mantels,  grates  and  open  fireplaces,,  tiling  for 
floors,  mantels  and  walls,  marble  and  slate  for 
interior  decorations,  with  place  of  business  at 
No.  516  Lackawanna  Avenue.  Since  coming  to 
tliis  city  he  has  built  up  an  extensive  trade,  which 
he  first  carried  on  alone,  but  since  March,  1896, 
with  James  Flynn  as  his  partner.  The  firm  is 
the  leading  one  in  their  line  in  the  city  and  is 
known  as  a  reliable  concern. 

In  Liverpool,  England,  William  A.  Gray  was 
born  June  17,  1849,  and  there  he  was  reared  and 
educated.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  New  York  City.  His  father  was  a  seafar- 
ing man  with  the  Pacific  mail  line  steamers.  In 
New  York  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  five 


"4-2 


PORTRAIT    AXl)    RIOGRAIM  I  UWI,    RI-XdRO. 


years  to  tlic  marl)lL-  cutter's  trade,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  his  term  began  as  a  salaried  work- 
man, remaining  in  that  city  until  he  came  to 
Scranton  in  August,  1890,  for  the  purpose  of  es- 
tablishing his  present  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Gray  May  21,  1886, 
united  him  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Rarascale,  who 
was  born  in  London,  England,  and  is,  like  him- 
self, a  member  of  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church. 
Their  family  comprises  three  children,  Florence, 
Jessie  and  William  A.  In  politics  Mr.  Gray  has 
been  a  Republican  from  the  time  of  coming  to 
this  country  to  the  present.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  Scranton  Lodge  No.  123,  B.  P. 
O.  E.,  and  Tecuphia  Lodge  \o.  487,  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  New  York  City.  As  a  citizen,  he  is  upright 
and  consistent,  always  identifying  himself  with 
anv  progressive  movement  for  the  benefit  of  the 
city.  His  time  has  been  given  .so  closely  to  busi- 
ness affairs  that  it  has  been  impossible  for  him 
to  take  an  active  part  in  politics  or  local  matters, 
but  his  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  community 
has  been  none  the  less  on  that  account.  A  man 
of  sterling  worth  and  business  ability,  he  is  just- 
ly meeting  with  success  in  his  enterprises. 


ALBERT  B.  EYNON,  cashier  of  the  West 
Side  Hank,  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  Car- 
bondale,  Pa.,  September  4,  1847,  ^1"^  •*  of 
Welsh  descent.  His  paternal  grandfather,  John 
Eynon,  a  native  ot  Wales  and  a  car])enter  by 
trade,  took  his  family  to  Canada  in  1H34,  but  the 
following  year  canu-  to  the  .States  and  began  to 
work  at  his  trade  in  I'eckville,  Pa.  His  last  days, 
with  the  exception  (jf  a  shon  time  spent  in  Sus- 
quehanna County,  were  passed  in  Scranton, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  nearly  eighty  years. 
Thomas,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Wales  in  1821  and  was  the  eldest  of 
six  children.  In  1835  he  came  with  the  family 
to  Lackawanna  County,  being  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Carbondale,  where  he  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  carpenter  and  builder.  Afterward  he 
came  to  Scranton,  where  he  engaged  in  mining 
and  was  foreman  in  the  work  of  sinking  the  Con- 
tinental shaft.  His  next  venture  was  the  open- 
ing of  a  mercantile  establishment  in  Hyde  Park, 


which  he  sold  later,  and  accepted  the  position  of 
general  inside  foreman   of  the   Lehigh   Coal   & 
Navigation   Company  at    Summit   Hill,   Carbon 
Coimty,  Pa.     After  a  time  he  went  to  Ohio  and 
was   foreman   in   a   mine   at    Trondale,    Jackson 
County,  then  engaged  in  merchandising   at   Al- 
liance, Ohio,  and  later  was  employed  as  foreman 
in  coal  operations  at  Steubenville.    At  this  writ- 
ing he  is  owner  of  a  mercantile  store  in  North 
Main  Avenue,    Hyde    Park.     He  married    Jane 
Leyshon,   a   native  of  Wales,  and    daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  (Wood)  Leyshon,  the  former  of 
whom  owned  canal  boats  in  Wales,  but  engaged 
in  farming  after  his  emigration  to  Pennsylvania. 
Of  three  children   now  living,  the   subject   of 
this  sketch  is  the  eldest,  the  others  being  Jennie, 
wife  of   Dr.   R.   G.   Reddoe  of  Hyde   Park,   and 
George  F.,  who  is  in  partnership  with  his  father 
and  brother  under  the  firm  name  of  G.  F.  Evnon 
&  Co.    When  four  years  of  age,  our  subject  was 
brought  to  Scranton  and  reared  in   Hyde  Park, 
attending   the   public    schools    here.     For    three 
years,  when  a  young  man,  he  followed  the  car- 
penter's trade,  and  when  twenty  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Eynon  &  Jones,  merchants  of 
Hyde  Park.    In  1869  he  went  to  Irondale,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store.   Later 
he  was  a  member  of  the  mercantile  house  of  Ev- 
non  &  Son  at  Alliance,  that  state,  but  after  a 
time    went   back   to   Irondale.     In    1873    he    re- 
turned   to    Scranton,  where  he  began  merchan- 
dising on  Main  Avenue,  continuing  there  until 
the  year   1877,   when  he  was   chosen   cashier  of 
the  West  .Side  Rank,  a  position  since  held  bv  him. 
The  bank  had  been  organized  in  1874,  he  being 
one  of  the  stockholders,  and  a  year  later  he  was 
made  a  director,  which  position  he  lield  uiUil  iiis 
election  as  cashier.  L'pon  the  organization  of  the 
bank  George  R.  Sanderson  was  elected  president 
and   i!enj;unin  Hughes  vice-president,     'i'he  first 
cashier  served  a   short  time  only,   and  his   suc- 
cessor  dying   in    1877   '<?ft    the    position   vacant. 
.\liout  1881  Mr.  Hughes  was  made  president  and 
he  has  since  held  that  ofifice,  the  vice-president 
being  Reese  T.  Rrooks.    The  first  location  of  the 
bank  was  at  No.  in  North  .Main  Avenue,  after 
which  it  was  at  No.  106  South  Main  until  1883, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  at  No.  109  North 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


743 


Alain,  wlierc  a  general  banking  business  is  car- 
ried on.  For  the  convenience  of  depositors, 
among  whom  are  many  working  people,  the  bank 
is  open  Wednesday  and  Saturday  evenings. 

At  Scranton,  May  6,  1874,  Mr.  Evnon  mar- 
ried Miss  Annie  Hughes,  daughter  of  Hon.  l?en- 
jamin  Hughes.  They  are  the  parents  of  f(,)ur 
sons;  T.  Albert,  member  of  the  class  of  1897, 
dental  department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; B.  G. :  H.  B.  and  Paul.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Eynon  is  a  charter  member  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge, 
Knights  of  Honor,  in  which  he  is  reporter.  While 
in  Ohio  he  united  with  the  Masonic  and  Odd 
Fellows'  orders.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican 
and  has  served  as  delegate  to  various  local  con- 
ventions. In  the  Plymouth  Congregational 
Church  he  has  been  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  and  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school.  He  is  known  as  a  man  of  strict 
integrity,  one  who,  by  fair  business  dealings  with 
all,  has  gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  probity 
and  honor. 


FRED  DURR,  proprietor  of  Durr's  Hotel. 
at  No.  313  Lackawanna  Avenue.  Scran- 
ton, and  member  of  the  select  council  from 
the  eighth  ward,  was  born  in  Dunsbach,  Wur- 
temberg,  Germany,  November  i,  1844.  and  is 
the  youngest  son  of  J.  M.  and  Kathrina  (Buck) 
Durr.  His  father,  who  was  a  fanner  and  shoe- 
maker, died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years;  his 
maternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Ger- 
man army  during  the  Napoleonic  wars.  Of  the 
family  of  six  children,  three  came  to  America, 
two  of  whom  died  in   Philadelphia. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  and  six  months, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  left  home  to  begin  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  cabinet-maker's  trade  in 
Ilshofifen.  Wurtemberg,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years,  later  traveling  as  a  journeyman.  In 
1866  he  went  to  Bremen  and  took  passage  on  the 
steamer  "Herman,"  which  after  a  voyage  of  two 
weeks  landed  in  New  York  City.  April  29,  of 
that  year,  he  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
worked  at  the  cabinet-maker's  trade  for  eigiit 
months.  Later  he  was  with  a  brother,  John, 
who  had  a   restaurant  at   Sixteenth   Street  and 


Rich  -Avenue,  that  city.  January  i,  1870,  he  went 
to  Pittston  as  clerk  in  a  hotel,  remaining  until 
August  of  that  year,  when  he  came  to  Scranton 
as  clerk  in  the  hotel  of  John  Zeidier.  In  the 
fall  of  1872  he  retiu-ned  to  Philadelphia  and  spent 
the  winter. 

Returning  to  Scrantun,  .Mr.  Durr  accepted  a 
clerkshii)  '"  t'lt'  L'nion  Restaurant  at  Xo.  313 
Lackawamui  Avenue,  afterward  bought  the  place 
and  in  1876  established  what  has  since  been 
known  as  Durr's  Hotel.  He  is  interested  in 
various  enterprises,  and  is  president  of  the  Tay- 
Electric  Light  Company.     Since  coming  to 


Scranton  he  has  married,  his  wife  having  been 
Mrs.  Adeline  Graeber,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many. A  firm  Republican  in  politics,  in  1880  he 
was  elected  to  represent  the  eighth  ward  in  the 
select  council,  and  was  re-elected  in  1883,  serv- 
ing six  years  at  that  time,  and  in  1894  was  again 
chosen  to  the  same  position.  He  is  now  chair- 
man of  the  fire  department  committee  and  a 
member  of  a  number  of  important  committees. 
All  improvements  receive  his  support  and  his 
connection  with  many  of  these  has  been  quite 
important.  Pie  aided  in  securing  the  new  house 
for  the  Nay-Aug  Engine  Company  of  the  eighth 
ward  and  in  the  paving  of  Spruce  Street,  Penn 
and  Franklin  Avenues.  For  years  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  city  and  county  committees. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Durr  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Liederkranz,  for  years  has  been  pres- 
ident of  the  Turn  Verein;  in  1875  joined  Schiller 
Lodge  No.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  has  been 
past  master  and  representative;  is  a  member  of 
Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  and  is 
a  demitted  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  is  not  connected  with  any 
denomination,  but  aids  in  the  support  of  Zion 
Lutheran  Church,  to  which  his  wife  belongs.  At 
this  writing  he  is  president  of  the  Scranton  Hook 
&  Ladder  Company. 


R 


EV.  J.  IGXATICS  DUNN.  Since  enter- 
ing the  priesthood  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
Father  Dunn  has  labored  tireiesslv  and 
zealously  to  promote  the  cause  to  which  he  is 
devotedly  attached.     Throughout  the  diocese  of 


■44 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Scranton  he  is  held  in  esteem  as  a  gentleman 
possessing  many  estimable  qualities  of  head  and 
heart,  and  one  who  may  be  relied  upon  to  assist 
in  every  enterprise  for  the  advancement  of  the 
church.  For  some  years  he  has  held  the  posi- 
tion of  assistant  to  Rev.  P.  J.  McManus  of  St. 
Paul's  Church,  Scranton,  and  his  intelligent  and 
able  co-operation  with  the  rector  has  greatly 
aided  in  the  promotion  of  the  work  in  this  lo- 
cality. 

The  Dunn  family  originated  in  Ireland.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  William,  was  born  in  Kings 
County,  and  was  orphaned  when  quite  young. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  came  to  America  and 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Mystic,  Conn., 
going  from  that  place  to  New  London,  the  same 
county  and  state.  In  the  fall  of  1863  he  removed 
to  Wilmington.  Del.,  and  there  worked  at  his 
trade  until  1892,  when  he  retired  from  active 
labors.  He  died  December  25,  1896.  During 
the  Civil  War  he  served  for  nine  months  as  a 
member  of  Company  E,  Twenty-sixth  Regiment 
of  Connecticut  \^olunteers,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  that  time  he  was  honorably  discharged.  He 
was  in  several  battles,  in  one  of  which  he  was 
severely  wounded.  By  his  marriage  to  Catherine 
Sexton,  a  native  of  County  Cavan,  Ireland,  he 
became  the  father  of  three  children,  but  Ignatius, 
the  youngest,  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

The  childhood  years  of  our  subject  were  passed 
partly  in  Mystic,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  De- 
cember 27,  1857,  and  partly  in  New  London, 
Conn.  When  six  years  of  age  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Wilmington,  Del.  His  education 
was  begun  in  public  schools  and  continued  in 
the  parochial  schools.  In  1872  he  entered  Mount 
St.  Mary's  College  at  Emmitsburg,  Md.,  where 
he  remained  but  one  year.  He  afterward  stayed 
at  home  and  continued  his  studies  under  private 
tutors  for  a  few  years,  and  then  concluded  to 
learn  the  carriage  trade.  At  this  he  served  but 
a  year,  when  he  determined  to  again  take  up  his 
studies.  In  1878  he  entered  St.  Charles  College, 
at  Ellicott  City,  Howard  County;  Md.,  and  con- 
tinued his  studies  there  until  graduating  three 
years  later.  He  afterward  spent  two  years  in 
Wilmington,  recuperating  his  health  which  had 
been  somewhat  impaired  by  overwork  in  school. 


Meantime  he  was  employed  as  clerk  and  book- 
keeper. However,  it  was  not  his  intention  to 
enter  upon  a  business  life,  and  his  work  in  that 
line  was  only  preparatory'  to  his  chosen  profes- 
sion. In  1883  he  entered  St.  Bonaventure's 
Seminary  at  Allegany,  Cattaraugus  County,  N. 
Y.,  and  after  four  years'  study  of  philosophy  and 
theology  he  completed  his  studies  in  1887.  On 
the  22d  of  August,  the  same  year,  he  was  or- 
dained to  the  holy  priesthood  by  the  Rt.-Rev. 
Bishop  O'Hara.  in  St.  Peter's  Cathedral,  Scran- 
ton, and  immediately  received  the  appointment  of 
assistant  to  the  rector.  Rev.  D.  O'Haran  of  St. 
Mary's  Church  at  Wilkesbarre,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years.  His  next  appointment  was 
that  of  assistant  to  the  rector  at  St.  John's  Church 
on  the  south  side,  Scranton,  and  he  aided  Father 
E.  J.  jMelley  there  for  three  and  one-half  years, 
after  which,  in  1892,  he  was  transferred  to  St. 
Paul's  Church,  where  he  still  remains.  In  the 
work  here  he  is  deeply  interested,  and  his  active 
assistance  in  every  department  has  materially 
advanced  the  cause. 


ASA  EUGENE  COBB.  Tlie  family  of 
which  this  gentleman  is  a  representative, 
was  one  of  the  earliest  established  in  Jef- 
ferson Township,  John,  who  came  from  New 
York  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  being  the 
first  01  the  name  to  locate  here.  He  was  well 
known  among  the  pioneer  residents  of  this  local- 
ity and  was  an  energetic,  hard-working  man. 
His  son,  Asa,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  on 
the  old  homestead  in  1818  and  assisted,  in  youth, 
in  the  clearing  of  the  land,  a  portion  of  which  fell 
to  him  as  his  inheritance.  In  the  old  homestead 
lie  was  considerably  annoyed  by  the  swinging 
doors  that  were  fanned  by  the  wind.  Later  he 
erected  the  house  now  occupied  by  our  sub- 
ject. It  is  a  very  substantial  structure  and  is 
peculiar  in  the  fact  that  the  doors  do  not  swing 
on  hinges,  but  are  sliding,  he  havmg  resorted  to 
this  method  of  obviating  the  annoyance  of  pre- 
vious years.  His  death  occurred  w^hen  he  was 
seventy-six. 

Tlie  mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth  C.  Enzel- 
in,  was  born  in  Wayne  County  and  is  still  living, 


JAiMi:S  M.   RVERHART. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


747 


a  resident   on   the  old   home  farm.     Her  eight 
children  are  named  as  follows:     Mary  E.,  wife 
of  W.  G.  Doud,    of    Scranton;    J.    Eliza,    Mrs. 
George  Rozell,  of  Spring  P>rook  Township;  Asa 
Eugene;  Ida,  a  teacher  in  Spring  Brook  Town- 
ship; William  Jasper,  who  is  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  in  Bradford  County;  Lillian,  a  mis- 
sionary in  China;  John,  a  farmer  of  Spring  Brook 
Township;  and  Luella,  who  lives  in  Scranton.  On 
the  home  farm,  where  he  was  born  January  8, 
1853,  our  subject  was  reared  to  manhood.     In 
April  of  1874,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  went 
to  Saunders  County,  Neb.,  and  spent  the  sum- 
mer there.     Returning  home  in  November,   he 
took  a  commei-cial  course  in  one  of  the  business 
colleges  of  Scranton.     In  1879  '"-'  went  to  Kan- 
sas, where  he  stayed  a  little  while,  then  drove  by 
team  to  San  Juan,  Col.,  spending  six  weeks  on 
the  road.     On  arriving  at  his  destination,  he  en- 
gaged in  mining  and  prospecting  for  gold  and 
silver.    Finally  returning  to  the  old  homestead  in 
the  winter  of  1888,  he  has  since  devoted  himself 
to  its  cultivation. 

In  former  years  Mr.  Cobb  was  a  Democrat, 
but  now  affiliates  with  the  Prohibitionists.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Patriotic  Order 
Sons  of  America.  In  August,  1896,  he  married 
Adaline  Snyder,  daughter  of  Jesse  Snyder,  and 
a  lady  who  is  quite  popular  in  this  community. 


JAMES  MARION  EVERHART,  a  manu- 
facturer, coal  operator  and  capitalist,  of 
Scranton,  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  a  royal 
German  family,  the  record  of  which  is  traceable 
directly  back  to  the  thirteenth  century.  At  that 
time  the  name  was  spelled  Eberhard,  but  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject  changed  it  to  its  pres- 
ent form.  Eberhard  "the  Noble,"  was  born 
March  13,  1265,  and  was  a  Wurtemberger  by 
birth,  his  parents  belonging  to  the  royal  family. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  daring  and  successful 
warriors  Wurtemberg  ever  had.  In  appearance 
he  was  large  and  dignified,  erect  and  well  pro- 
portioned. As  a  military  man  he  was  stern  and 
rather  arbitrary.  He  was  very  liberally  educated 
for  the  times  and  was  more  than  ordinarily  in- 
telligent even  in  childhood.  At  the  early  age  of 
■   31 


fifteen  years  he  conceived  the  idea  of  establish- 
ing the  kingdom  of  Wurtemberg.  A  few  years 
later,  after  consultation  witii  his  friends  and  some 
of  the  surrounding  leaders,  he  actually  set  up  his 
throne.  This  was  ridiculed  by  the  surrounding 
dukes  and  kings,  lint  it  was  not  long  until  he 
succeeded  in  gathering  around  him  an  army  not 
only  strong  enough  to  defend  himself,  but  able 
to  assist  him  in  acquiring  new  territory.  He  was 
eminently  fitted  for  a  leader  and  carried  on  an 
almost  continuous  warfare  for  forty  years,  until 
he  fully  established  the  still  flourishing  kingdom 
of  Wurtemberg,  with  the  grand  city  of  Stuttgart 
for  its  capital.  He  reigned  nearly  forty-si.x  years 
and  died  June  5,  1325,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of 
his  age. 

Of  his  three  sons,  only  the  youngest,  Ulrich, 
survived  him,  and  he  succeeded  to  the  throne. 
His  reign  was  short  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Eberhard  "the  Groaner,"  or  as  he  was 
sometimes  called,  "the  Rushing  Beard,"  who  was 
a  great  and  good  man  and  accomplished  as  much 
for  Wurtemberg  as  any  of  her  rulers.  In  his 
family  he  was  kind  and  afifectionate ;  as  a  mili- 
tary man,  heroic,  brave  and  daring.  His  armies 
he  always  led  in  person.  In  those  days  the 
weapons  used  were  the  saber,  lance  and  spear, 
and  he  always  claimed  to  be  able  to  contend 
with  "five  of  the  best  warriors  they  could  bring," 
which,  too,  he  fully  demonstrated.  He  died  quite 
suddenly,  March  15,  1392,  in  the  sixty-seventh 
year  of  his  age. 

Ulrich,  a  son  of  Eberhard  "the  Groaner,"  fell 
in  love  with  a  sister  of  a  young  duke  who  at  the 
time  was  engaged  in  war  with  Eberhard.  He 
spent  much  time  in  her  company  and  in  the  ene- 
my's land,  which  so  enraged  the  father  that  he 
crossed  his  name  off  the  family  record  and  de- 
cided to  disinherit  him.  Finally,  however,  Ul- 
rich decided  to  return  to  his  father's  assistance 
and  took  charge  of  a  division  of  the  army  in  the 
battle  of  Reuttingen,  where  he  was  repulsed  and 
slightly  wounded.  His  father  did  not  think  he 
had  done  his  duty  and,  when  they  were  seated  at 
table,  took  his  sword  and  cut  the  tablecloth  in 
two  between  them  to  indicate  complete  separa- 
tion. Ulrich  determined  to  redeem  himself  and 
as  soon  as  his  wounds  were  healed,  again  went  to 


74^ 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


war  anil  in  a  tierce  battle  at  Doffingen  gained  a 
glorious  victory  against  great  odds.  Just  as  vic- 
tory was  won  he  was  slain  by  three  cowards,  who 
crept  up  behind  him.  His  father  was  greatly 
grieved  and  when  found  alone  in  his  tent  was 
weeping  and  would  not  be  comforted.  Of  this 
sad  scene  there  is  a  large  picture  in  the  Corcoran 
Art  Gallery  at  \\'ashington,  in  the  Boston 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts  and  in  the  museum  at 
Rotterdam,  where  there  is  al-so  one  representing 
the  cutting  in  two  of  the  tablecloth. 

Eberhard  "the  Mild"  commenced  to  reign 
about  A.  1).  i.^v-'.  and  held  the  throne  about 
twenty-five  years.  He  did  much  to  raise  his 
kingdom  to  a  high  state  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment, and  was  well  liked  all  over  Germany.  He 
died  May  i6,  1417,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  Eberhard  "the  Younger,"  born  August  23. 
1388.  At  about  twenty  years  of  age  he  married  a 
wealthy  young  woman  named  Henrietta,  of  the 
royal  line  of  King  Sigesmund.  Duke  Eberhard 
died  July  2,  1419,  and  left  two  sons,  Ludwig  and 
Ulrich,  and  a  daughter  Anna.  Upon  his  death 
his  widow,  Henrietta,  claimed  the  right  to  reign 
in  his  stead  and  took  possession.  Tliis  aroused 
great  opposition,  but  she  continued  to  hold  the 
throne  until  her  self-will  and  domineering  spirit 
made  her  so  unpopular,  even  among  her  own 
people,  that  in  the  seventh  year  of  her  reign  it 
was  found  necessary  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  her 
elder  son,  Ludwig. 

The  throne  next  passed  in  succession  to  Duke 
Eberhard  "with  the  Beard."  who  was  born  De- 
cember II,  1445,  and  died  l'"ebruary  24,  1496. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew.  Count  Eberhard 
"the  Young,"  born  l''ebruary  i.  1447.  and  died 
in  1504.  Duke  Eberhard  HI  commenced  to 
reign  in  1633  and  held  the  throne  for  forty-one 
years.  He  had  great  difficulties  to  encounter,  as 
his  reign  began  during  the  noted  Thirty  Years 
War,  when  almost  the  whole  of  Germany  was 
laid  waste  by  the  arniy.  Though  he  made  a 
vigorous  defense,  he  was  not  successful.  His 
army  of  thirty-one  thousand  was  defeated  by  a 
superior  force  in  1634.  He  left  twelve  thousand 
dead  on  the  field  and  four  thousand  were  taken 
prisoners,  .'\fter  four  years'  banishment  he  was 
allowed  to  return,  but  found  nothing  except  dev- 


astation and  ruin,  b'orty  thousand  vineyards  and 
two  hundred  and  eighty-eight  thousand  farms 
and  meadows  had  been  destroyed,  and  even  four 
years  after  the  close  of  the  war  there  were  still 
missing  several  cities,  villages,  churches.  ])ublic 
l)uildings  and  dwellings.  With  commendable 
s])irit  and  energy  he  at  once  went  to  work  and 
graduallv  rebuilt  the  waste  places  and  restored 
the  countrv.  establishing  good  laws  and  the  wor- 
ship of  God.  His  death  occurred  July  2.  1674, 
and  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  William  Lud- 
wig. 

Duke  Leopold  Eberhard  was  the  next  ruler 
and  it  was  during  his  time  that  the  Eberhards 
ceased  to  reign  in  Wurteiiiberg.  He  agreed  to 
relinquish  all  claims,  both  for  himself  and  family, 
in  favor  of  Duke  Eberhard  Ludwig.  who  was 
considered  the  next  legal  heir,  for  a  certain  pay- 
ment jx-r  annum.  This  was  agreed  to.  but  the 
plan  was  frustrated  by  a  still  more  distant  rel- 
ative, Duke  Charles  Augen.  There  was  strife  at 
that  time  ])etween  the  Protestants  and  Catholics, 
and  the  Catholics  were  victorious.  By  marrying 
into  a  Catholic  family  of  the  foyal  line  and  join- 
ing that  church,  Duke  Charles  Augen  was  en- 
abled to  get  favors  at  headquarters  and  in  that 
way  was  made  Duke  of  Wurtemberg.  Substan- 
tiation of  the  above  will  be  found  in  the  history  of 
Germany. 

The  religious  war  caused  many  families  to 
leave  the  country  and  come  to  America,  and 
among  others  was  Frederick  Eberhard.  who  land- 
ed in  Philadelphia  March  30,  1737.  It  is  believed 
he  came  direct  from  Wurtemberg,  where  he  be- 
longed to  the  nobility,  as  he  was  often  heard  to 
sav  that  he  "was  next  to  the  prince."  He  settled 
in  Chester  County.  Pa.  His  son.  Christian,  who 
was  born  in  1728,  and  died  in  1777,  was  a  man 
of  prominence  and  held  a  royal  commission 
under  the  crown.  Of  his  nine  children  seven  at- 
tained maturity.  Of  these  James  Everhart  (as 
he  spelled  the  name),  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Chester  County.  Pa.,  in  1760, 
and  engaged  in  farming.  During  the  Revolu- 
tionarv  War  he  served  under  General  Washing- 
ton and  passed  the  memorable  winter  of  i'/?-?^ 
at  Valley  Forge.  He  was  remarkable  for  activity, 
strength  and  a  robust  constitution.     He  was  one 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RRCoRll 


74'J 


of  the  foremost  men  of  his  coninuinit\-  and  liis 
judgment  was  often  sought  in  the  settlement  of 
disputes  that  arose.  He  died  in  1852,  in  iiis 
ninety-third  year. 

His  three  sons  were  William,  John  and  James. 
James  was  born  on  the  home  farm  in  Chester 
County  in  1789,  served  as  an  officer  in  the  War 
of  1812,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  at  Pughtown,  in  his  native  county. 
As  money  was  scarce  at  that  time,  he  took  a  ship 
load  of  oak  bark  to  England  and  exchanged  it 
for  merchandise.  The  oak  bark  was  used  in  Eng- 
land for  calico  printing.  He  became  engaged  in 
the  iron  business  in  addition  to  his  mercantile 
establishment  and  also  had  a  foundry.  It  was  at 
the  time  when  the  anthracite  coal  industry  was 
in  its  infancy,  and  one  day  two  four-horse  loads 
of  coal  passed  his  place,  destined  for  Philadelphia 
(there  being  no  railroads),  for  an  experiment  to  be 
introduced  as  fuel.  He  became  interested,  bought 
them  and  successfully  used  the  coal  in  his  foun- 
dry. The  next  two  loads  were  taken  to  Phila- 
delphia, but  were  thrown  into  the  street,  and  the 
new  fSlt  decfered*of  no  value,  as  they  could  not 
make  it  burn.  The  trouble  was  they  did  not  un- 
derstand that  it  required  an  underdraft.  In  1820 
he  settled  in  Robeson  Township,  Fierks  County, 
where  he  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, though  he  had  on  his  farm  a  tannery  and 
sawmill  at  the  head  waters  of  French  Creek. 
Later  he  bought  the  Jefferson  furnace  in  Schuyl- 
kill County  and  operated  it  for  years,  in  the  manu- 
facture of  pig  iron,  having  ore  mines  of  his  own. 
In  1828  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  from 
P.erks  County,  and  server!  two  terms.  The  sec- 
ond time  he  received  the  unanimous  support 
of  both  parties.  He  was  a  believer  in  educa- 
tion and  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  free  school 
system.  Prior  to  its  adoption,  however,  he  had 
schoolhouses  built  in  his  neighborhood,  stand- 
ing the  entire  expense  himself.  In  1817  he  mar- 
ried Mary  .M.,  the  only  child  of  Isaac  and  Cathar- 
ine Templin,  who  was  born  in  Robeson.  Berks 
County,  Pa.  Of  their  children  John  died  at  Pitts- 
ton  in  1889,  aged  seventy-one;  Mrs.  Eveline 
Heckel  died  in  1885,  aged  sixty-one;  William 
served  in  the  emergency  call  for  troojis  and  died 
in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one;  James  M.  was 


next  in  order  of  birth;  Sanniel  A.  resides  at  Read- 
ing; Oliver  1.  died  in  1862;  and  Dr.  Lsaiah  !•". 
resides  in   .ScrantfMi. 

James  M.  Everhart  was  born  in  Berks  County, 
Pa.,,  June  7.  1828.  He  was  educated  in  the  o«m- 
mon  schools,  but  on  account  of  failing  health 
entered  his  father's  tannery  and  learned  the  busi- 
ness thoroughly,  .\fter  recovering  his  healtli,  he 
entered  the  .\'ew  LondoTi  Academy,  where  he 
graduated  with  honor  in  1848.  He  was  in  a 
store  at  Westchester,  Pa.,  with  an  uncle,  for  two 
}ears,  tlien  entered  a  jobbing  house  in  Philadel- 
phia. In  1853  he  went  to  Pittston,  I 'a.,  to  look 
after  the  lauded  interests  of  his  father  in  that  sec- 
tion. L'nder  his  supervision  these  interests  were 
largely  increased.  He  gave  his  services  and  influ- 
ence to  assist  in  repelling  the  invasion  by  Lee's 
army  in  1863  and  contributed  largely  to  the  com- 
fort and  encouragement  of  the  l'"e<leral  arniv.  In 
1867,  in  company  with  his  brother.  Dr.  Everhart, 
he  made  an  extended  tour  through  Europe  and 
thus  gained  valuable  information.  In  1873  he 
removed  to  Scranton  and  Ixjught  an  interest  in 
the  'Scranton  brass  works.  A  year  later,  upon  the 
death  of  his  partner,  he  accjuired  sole  control, 
and  his  mechanical  skill  and  inventive  genius 
here  found  a  ready  outlet.  He  improved  and  in- 
vented many  appliances  that  greatly  aided  in  his 
work,  and  some  of  which  are  in  general  use  by 
the  trade.  In  1889  he  took  a  trip  to  Central 
America  in  his  mine  interests,  and  in  1891  he 
went  to  Europe  to  settle  a  complicated  mining 
case  for  a  company  of  w-hich  he  was  president. 
In  1895  he  took  an  extended  trip,  going  through 
British  America,  Alaska,  Oregon,  Washington 
and  California,  and  visited  many  of  the  mining 
districts  in  I'tah,  California  and  Colorado. 

.Mr.  Everhart  has  not  let  his  money  lie  idle, 
but  invests  it  where  it  will  do  good  and  give 
labor  to  many  workmen.  He  is  president  of 
the  Everhart  Coal  Company  and  is  the  manag- 
ing director  in  both  the  Moosic  Mountain  and 
Mt.  Jessup  Coal  Companies.  He  was  the  origi- 
nator and  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Trad- 
ers National  Bank,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
financial  institutions  in  the  city,  and  is  a  director 
in  the  same.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the  Scran- 
ton  Drop  Forging  Company  and  an  organizer 


750 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  (Jircctur  of  the  Moosic  .Mountain  Railroad 
Company.  Picsides  those  named  he  is  inter- 
ested in  many  operations  and  manufacturing  es- 
tablisliments  here,  and  has  large  interests  in  coal 
and  timber  lands.  He  has  avoided  taking  offices 
of  a  political  nature,  though  often  urged  by  his 
Republican  friends  to  allow  them  to  use  his 
name.  He  has  no  desire  to  enter  the  political 
arena,  nor  has  he  the  time  if  he  had  the  inclina- 
tion. He  is  actively  interested  in  St.  Luke's 
Episcopal  Church  and  is  a  vestryman  of  the 
same.  In  personal  appearance  he  is  a  man  of 
strong  physique,  with  a  face  forceful  in  char- 
acter, and  is  of  a  mild  and  even  disposition.  His 
business  abilities  are  of  no  ordinary  kind,  as  is 
evidenced  by  the  success  of  the  varied  enterprises 
in  which  he  is  engaged.  His  disposition  is  of 
rather  a  retiring  nature,  but  his  friendship  once 
secured  is  lasting.  His  constitution  is  robust  and 
he  is  blessed  with  excellent  health.  The  years 
that  have  past  rest  lightly  on  his  shoulders  and 
he  is  more  active  and  energetic  than  many  men 
who  lack  a  score  of  his  years. 


CHARLES  R.  CONNELL,  secretary, 
treasurer  and  manager  of  the  Lackawan- 
na Knitting  Mills,  also  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Scranton  lUitton  Company,  Lim- 
ited, and  one  of  the  able  young  business  men  of 
Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city,  September  22, 
1S64,  the  son  of  Hon.  William  Council.  He  was 
given  every  educaticMial  advantage  afiforded  bv 
the  schools  of  this  locality,  for  some  time  attend- 
ing Williston  Seminary  at  East  Hampton,  Mass. 
Possessing  the  business  ability  characteristic  of 
the  family,  inclination  led  him  at  an  early  age  to 
gain  a  thorough  insight  into  commercial  afifairs. 
In  1883  'ic  took  a  position  with  the  Hunt  &  Cou- 
ncil Company,  and  remained  with  them  for  two 
years.  The  organization  of  the  Scranton  But- 
ton Company,  Limited,  and  his  election  to  the  of- 
fice of  secretary  led  to  his  resignation  with  the 
Plunt  &  Conncll  Company,  and  his  active  identi- 
fication with  the  other  concern. 

From  the  inception  of  the  Lackawanna  Knit- 
ting Mills,  Mr.  Council  has  been  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  industry,  believing  that  it  ofifered  op- 


portunities for  profitable  employment  to  manv 
working  people  here  and  also  a  chance  for  con- 
siderable pecuniary  remuneration  to  the  projec- 
tors. In  December,  1886,  a  building  was  started 
and  completed  so  that  manufacturing  operations 
began  in  June,  1887.  In  the  fall  of  1888  he  was 
made  secretary,  treasurer  and  manager  of  the 
works,  and  his  able  discharge  of  duties  proves  his 
enterprise  and  efficiency  as  a  business  man.  The 
works  cover  an  entire  block,  corner  of  Brook 
Street  and  Remington  Avenue,  and  are  the  larg- 
est in  the  state  outside  of  Philadelphia,  employ- 
ment being  furnished  to  five  hundred  hands. 
Large  quantities  of  woolen  underwear  are  manu- 
factured, the  sales  for  which  extend  throughout 
the  entire  country.  The  plant  generates  its  own 
electricity  with  power  furnished  by  six  boilers. 

At  the  same  time  Mr.  Connell  is  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Scranton  Button  Company,  Lim- 
ited, which  has  a  large  plant  adjoining  the  mills, 
and  employs  one  hundred  and  fifty  hands.  In 
1879  Ii£  became  a  member  of  Company  C,  Thir- 
teenth Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  in  which  he  served  for 
ten  years.  A  member  of  the  board  of  trade,  he 
has  served  upon  important  local  committees  and 
in  every  way  possible  has  endeavored  to  enhance 
the  business  welfare  of  Scranton.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Scran- 
ton Club,  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  and  Peter  Williamson  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery,  K.  T.  In  this  city 
he  married  Miss  Lizzie  Shafer,  who  was  born  in 
Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  Charles  Sha- 
fer, of  Scranton.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  Bernard  and  Gladvs. 


JOHN  COLLIGAN  has  been  a  resident  of 
Scranton  since  young  manhood  and  for 
some  time  followed  the  bricklayer's  trade, 
but  devotes  his  attention  now  principally  to  con- 
tracting and  building.  He  is  one  of  those  citi- 
zens— of  whom  the  city  has  a  considerable  num- 
ber— who  came  here  from  a  foreign  land  and 
have  identified  themselves  closely  with  local  in- 
terests. County  Clare,  Ireland,  is  the  place  of 
his  birth,  and  March  6,   1842,  the  date  thereof. 


,'     'IV'^^/ 


M    J.    Ml'RKAV. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


753 


When  he  was  about  eight  years  of  age  his  par- 
ents, Patrick  and  Annie  (Barry)  Colligan,  re- 
moved from  their  native  county  to  Scotland, 
where  the  father  secured  work  as  a  day  laborer. 
In  July,  1866,  he  brought  the  family  to  America 
and  made  a  short  sojourn  in  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  remaining  there  from  July  to  December, 
1866,  but  in  the  latter  month  removed  to  Scran- 
ton.  Here  he  passed  his  remaining  days  and  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 

While  a  boy  in  Scotland  the  subject  of  this 
sketcli  learned  the  bricklayer's  trade,  which  has 
been  his  principal  occupation  in  life.  He  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  America  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Scranton  since  1866,  beginning  work 
at  his  trade  at  once  after  coming  here.  Some 
years  later  he  formed  a  partnership  with  a  broth- 
er and  began  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  the  two 
continuing  together  until  1893,  when  the  connec- 
tion was  dissolved.  Since  that  time  he  has  car- 
ried on  the  business  alone.  Among  the  con- 
trac'-s  he  has  had  are  those  for  St.  Patrick's 
Church  and  parsonage;  House  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, erected  at  a  cost  of  $50,000;  orphan  asy- 
lum, costing  about  $25,000;  and  many  of  the 
residences  of  the  city.  In  political  affairs  he  votes 
the  Democratic  ticket  at  national  elections,  but  in 
city  and  county  matters  is  liberal,  voting  for  the 
man  rather  than  the  party.  Reared  in  the  Catho- 
lic faith,  he  is  actively  identified  with  this  church. 
December  27,  1870,  he  married  Johanna  Behan, 
of  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Annie,  John  and  Aloysius. 


M. 


J.  MURRAY,  a  successful  coal  operator 
residing  in  Dunmore,  was  born  in 
County  Sligo,  Ireland,  March,  10, 
1846,  the  son  of  Peter  and  Bridget  (Walsh)  Mur- 
ray, natives  respectively  of  Counties  Sligo  and 
Mayo.  His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  in  the  old 
country,  crossed  the  ocean  in  1850  and  established 
his  headquarters  in  Dunmore,  securing  work  in 
the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company. 
Three  years  later  he  was  joined  by  his  family. 
Continuing  in  the  employ  of  the  same  firm  until 
he  retired,  he  remained  a  resident  of  Dunmore 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  February,  1894, 


at  the  age  of  about  eighty.  His  wif"  who  died 
in  1892  at  eighty-five  years,  was  the  daughter  of 
Michael  Walsh,  a  farmer  of  County  Mayo  and  a 
participant  in  the  rebellion  of  1798. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  brother,  An- 
thony J.,  are  the  only  sons  in  the  family,  and  they 
have  one  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Russell,  of  Bethlehem, 
Pa.  When  a  child  of  seven  years,  our  subject 
was  brought  to  the  United  States,  the  voyage 
being  made  on  a  sailing  vessel,  "Western  World," 
from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  and  taking  six 
weeks  and  three  days.  The  vessel  ran  ashore  on 
Sandy  Hook  and  came  nearly  being  torn  to 
pieces,  but  the  passengers,  after  three  days  on 
the  ship,  were  taken  off  in  row  boats  and  brought 
to  New  York  harbor  on  another  ship.  From 
New  York  Mr.  Murray  proceeded  via  Erie  Rail- 
road to  Lackawaxen,  then  by  canal  to  Hawley, 
and  from  there  by  the  Gravity  road  to  Dunmore. 
At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  was  given  work 
with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  afterward 
was  made  driver  boy  and  then  slate  picker  for 
a  mining  company.  Next  he  and  his  brother  se- 
cured work  as  slate  pickers  in  the  Diamond  mines, 
walking  three  miles  to  and  from  work  each  day, 
and  receiving,  he  thirty  cents  and  his  brother 
twenty-five  cents  per  day.  His  next  position 
was  as  slate  picker  in  the  von  Storch  mine  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  which 
necessitated  a  walk  of  two  miles  each  morning 
to  the  place  of  work.  From  slate  picker  he  was 
transferred  to  the  position  of  driver  boy  and  then 
car  runner,  and  \vas  the  first  boy  to  run  a  car 
there  after  the  tunnel  was  opened.  He  began 
to  learn  mining  in  the  old  shaft  No.  i  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  now  abandoned. 

Going  west  in  1866,  Mr.  Murray  secured  em- 
ployment in  Youngstown,  Ohio,  but  afterward 
went  to  Murphysboro,  111.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  car  shops  of  the  Mt.  Carbon  Coal 
&  Iron  Company,  learning  the  trade  of  a  car 
builder.  On  his  return  to  Duimiore,  he  secured 
work  in  Roaring  Brook  mine,  but  soon  went 
back  to  Ohio,  where  he  spent  four  months  in 
Youngstown.  On  his  return  he  resumed  work 
for  the  Roaring  Brook  Coal  Company,  then  was 
with  Filer,  Marsh  &  Reilly  in  Green  Ridge  col- 
liery (now  Johnson's)   and  in  a  month  became 


754 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


their  assistant  mine  foreman,  continuing  in  the 
position  for  three  years.  Next  he  engaged  in  min- 
ing in  the  same  slope  for  five  years,  after  which 
he  was  a  miner  for  the  Gipsy  Grove  mine  of  the 
Pennsylvania      Coal     Company      for     eighteen 
months.     About  that  time  he  conceived  the  plan 
of  mining  for  himself.     In  1882,  with  his  brother, 
Anthony    j.,  he  began  in  an  abandoned  mine  of 
the  Roaring  Brook  Coal  Company.    He  had  but 
four  men  to  assist  him.  and  his  outfit  was  worth 
not  more  than  $60,  consisting  of  a  truck,  two 
screen  jackets,  and  a  mule.     For  this  he  was  in 
debt.     Working  night  and  day,   with  little   rest 
and   no  recreation,   he   managed  to  get  a  start. 
After  the  first  winter  Edward  Spencer  would  not 
again   lease  the   slope,  but   he   obtained  a  lease 
from    Dr.    Throop  and   the    Pennsylvania    Coal 
Com])any.     Three  years'  work  there  exhausted 
the  mine,  and  he  then  secured  work  in  the  em- 
plov  of  O.  S.  Johnson  in  the  Green  Ridge  col- 
liery, his  brother  going  with  the   Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company.    Eighteen  months  later  he  joined 
his  brother  with  that  company,  but  as  soon  as 
they  were  able  to  get  another  lease,  they  again 
started  out  for  themselves,  securing  a  lease  from 
Throop  &  Parker  of  a  mine  considered  worthless. 
A  new  shaft  was  sunk,  which  they  operated  a 
short  time.    They  then  started  to  sink  deeper,  but 
the  distance  was  greater  than  they  had  calculated 
and   the   work    was    extremely    difficult.     The\ 
operated   the   mine   for  two   years  with   a   small 
breaker,  and  in  tlu-  fall  of  iSc)2  Iniih  a  new  break- 
er and  sank  the  shaft  to  the  second  and  third  vein. 
They  are  now  mining  from  the  first,  second  and 
third  Dunmore  veins  and  have  a  colliery  with  a 
capacitv  of  five  Inmdred  Ions  per  day,  which  is 
o])erated  under  the  firm  name  of  Murray,  Corney 
&    iVown,   the  nu-nib(.T>  being   M.  J.  and  A.  J. 
.Murrav.    jnhn    Corney    and     .Mrs.     I'lrown    itlu- 
widow   of  the    gentleman    originally    connected 
with  the  firni).    Murray's  mine  is  operated  by  one 
hundred  hands  and  is  managed  by  our  suljjcct. 
the  coal  being  handled  by  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western. 

Mr.  Murray  owns  and  occupies  a  comfortable 
residence  in  Monroe  Avenue,  Dunmore,  and  also 
owns  other  realty  here.  He  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Dunmore  I'^lectric  Light.  Heat  t^- 


I'ower  Conipan\,  of  which  he  is  the  president. 
Politically  a  Democrat  at  all  times,  he  was  for 
two  terms  a  member  of  the  borough  council,  and 
for  five  years  was  justice  of  the  peace,  having 
been  connnissioned  by  Governor  Ho}t.  In  1897 
he  was  elected  school  director  and  is  serving  in 
that  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  and  of  the  Catholic 
Mutual  Benevolent  .Association.  His  first  wife 
was  Bridget  Corney,  sister  of  his  partner,  John 
Corney.  She  died  in  Dunmore,  after  having  be- 
come the  mother  of  ten  children ;  Peter,  a  gen- 
eral merchant  of  Dunmore;  Lyda,  at  home; 
Annie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year;  Bridget, 
Mrs.  INIcDade,  of  Dunmore;  Michael,  member 
of  the  class  of  1897,  Stroudsburg  State  Normal; 
Ettie,  at  home;  Patrick,  who  died  in  boyhood; 
Nellie,  who  died  in  July,  1896,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years;  Aggie,  at  home;  and  John,  who  died  in 
infancy.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Murray 
united  him  with  Bridget  McAndrew,  of  Dun- 
more, and  four  children  were  born  of  this  union. 
The  familv  are  respected  by  all  who  know  them 
and  arc  iimniinent  in  the  work  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 


FS.  DOUGLASS,  M.  D.  The  world  has 
little  use  for  the  misanthrope.  The  uni- 
•  versal  truth  of  brotherhood  is  widely 
recognized,  also,  that  he  serves  God  best  who 
serves  his  fellow-men.  There  is  no  profession  or 
line  of  business  tliat  calls  for  greater  self-sacri- 
fice or  more  devoted  attention  than  the  medical 
profession,  and  the  successful  physician  is  he, 
who  tlirough  love  of  his  fellowmen  gives  his 
tiuK  and  attention  to  the  relief  of  human  suffer- 
ing. Dr.  Douglass  is  one  of  the  ablest  repre- 
sentatives of  this  noble  calling,  and  since  May, 
1884,  has  been  one  of  the  successful  practitioners 
of  TTvde  Park,  Scranton,  located  at  Xo.  1030 
West  Lackawanna  Avenue. 

The  I')cctor  was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  in  X'o- 
vember,  1855,  a  son  of  Stephen  M.  Douglass,  a 
native  of  Scotland.  The  paternal  grandfather 
came  to  America,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days.  When  a  yomig  man  the  father  crossed  the 
.-\tlantic  and  took   u])  his  residence  in   Newark, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


755 


where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  coach 
bodies  for  some  time,  but  later  removed  to 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  where  he  was  a  contractor  in 
the  same  Hne  of  work.  Returning  to  Xewark  he 
there  followed  carriage-making  until  called  to  his 
final  rest  at  the  age  of  forty -five.  He  was  twice 
married,  having  by  the  first  wife  two  children,  one 
of  whom  is  still  living.  George  M..  of  Newark. 
N.  J.  For  his  second  wife  he  chose  Esther  Ba- 
corn.  a  native  of  New  York  City,  and  a  daughter 
of  Garrett  Bacorn,  who  was  also  born  in  that 
city,  and  became  an  extensive  shoe  manufacturer 
of  that  place.  The  Bacorn  family  is  of  Holland 
origin,  related  to  the  Concilyeas,  and  was  early 
founded  in  New  York.  The  Doctor  is  the  onlv 
child  of  his  father's  second  marriage.  After  the 
death  of  Mr.  Douglass  his  mother  was  again 
married,  and  there  was  one  child  born  cif  that 
union,  Maude  Brown,  of  East  Orange.  N.  J. 
At  that  place  the  mother  departed  this  life  at  the 
age  of  forty-six  years. 

Dr.  Douglass  obtained  a  good  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  high  school  of  Newark.  On  account 
of  ill  health  he  went  south,  and  later  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Geor- 
gia, where  he  graduated  in  March,  1883,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  He  first  opened  an  office  in 
Luzerne,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  whence  he  came 
to  Scranton,  where  he  now  enjoys  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice,  which  is  justly  merited,  as  he  is 
widely  recognized  as  a  most  skillful  physician 
and  surgeon. 

In  Scranton  Dr.  Douglass  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Miss  Esther  J.  Bacorn,  who  was  born  in  that 
city.  Her  father.  John  Bacorn,  a  native  of  New 
York  City,  came  to  Scranton  at  an  early  day.  and 
was  first  employed  as  a  blacksmith  by  the  Iron  & 
Coal  Compan} .  after  which  he  served  as  veter- 
inary for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Company  for  sixteen  years,  but  now,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years,  has  laid  aside  active  busi- 
ness and  is  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest  at  his 
home  in  Scranton.  He  is  the  oldest  and  one  of 
the  most  honored  members  of  the  Masonic  and 
Odd  Fellows  lodges  at  that  place.  The  Doctor 
and  his  wife  have  three  interesting  children,  John 
F.,  Lillian  and  James. 

The  Republican  part\-  finds  in   Dr.  Douglass 


one  of  its  ardent  supporters.  He  is  medical  ex- 
aminer for  over  a  dozen  life  insurance  companies, 
and  also  for  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and 
the  Knights  of  the  .Maccabees,  with  which  he 
holds  membership,  lie  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Lackawanna  Medical  .Society,  and  in  social 
as  well  as  professional  circles,  holds  a  leading 
])lace,  his  pleasant,  genial  manners  gaining  him 
hosts  of  warm  friends. 


E 


DGAR  G.  COURSEN,  proprietor  of  the 
grocery  at  No.  429  Lackawanna  Avenue, 
Scranton.  is  the  son  of  Joseph  Hurd  and 
iMary  E.  (Shafer)  Coursen,  and  the  grandson  of 
Nathan  Coursen,  whose  record  appears  in  the 
sketch  of  Col.  H.  A.  Coursen,  upon  another  page. 
His  father,  who  was  born  in  Susse.x  Countv,  N.  J., 
June  4,  1821,  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Stillwater  and  there  held  the  position 
of  postmaster  for  thirty-five  years,  until  1893. 
when  a  change  in  administration  caused  him  to 
resign.  Sinc^"  then  he  has  made  his  home  upon 
a  farm  near  that  place. 

The  maternal  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  of 
(jerman  descent.  The  first  of  the  name  in  this 
country  v.as  Casper  Shafer,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  about  171 1  and  emigrated  to  America, 
landing  in  Philadelphia.  For  some  years  he 
lived  near  (iermantown,  then  went  to  the  Hard- 
wick  patent  and  settled  at  Stillwater  in  1741. 
There  he  married  Maria  Kairina,  daughter  of 
John  Peter  Bernhardt,  and  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  in  1 721,  and  accompanying  her  father  to 
this  coimtry  in  1731.  They  had  four  children 
and  the  third.  Col.  .Abraham,  married  Sarah, 
youngest  daughter  of  Nathan  Armstrong,  of 
Scotch- Irish  liricage.  She  was  born  near  John- 
sonburg,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  January  10,  1761, 
and  her  father  was  born  near  Londonderry,  Ire- 
land, about  1717,  and  came  to  this  country  about 
1740.  Col.  Abraham  Shafer  was  born  Decem- 
ber 17,  1754.  He  had  ten  children  and  the  third, 
Nathan  Armstrong  Shafer  (then  spelled  Schaef- 
fer),  was  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
and  was  born  February  17,  1786,  and  died  De- 
cember 2,  1849.    ^*^  established  a  successful  tan- 


7S6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nery  at  Stillwater,  April  1 1,  1825.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  the  township  was  held  at  his  house  and  he 
was  elected  a  menil^er  of  the  town  committee. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  Sussex  Bank  and  a 
member  of  the  assembly  in  1825.  For  fifteen 
years  from  January  21,  1833,  he  was  judge  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas.  He  married  .Sarah, 
daughter  of  John  and  Martha  (Hunt)  Linn,  and 
they  had  seven  children.  The  Linns  were  of 
Scotch-Irish  origin.  Joseph  Linn,  who  was 
born  in  1725  and  died  April  8,  1800,  married  Mar- 
tha Kirkpatrick,  who  was  born  in  Belfast,  Ire- 
land, in  1728.  During  the  Revolution  he  was 
adjutant  in  the  second  regiment  of  Sussex  mi- 
litia. John,  the  youngest  of  his  eight  children, 
married  }ilartha,  daughter  of  Lieut.  Richard 
Hunt,  May  19,  1791,  and  their  second  child, 
Sarah,  was  married  to  Mr.  .Shafer. 

Mary  Elizabeth,  eldest  child  of  Nathan  A.  Sha- 
fer, was  born  January  21,  1823,  and  November 
14,  1844,  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Hurd  Cour- 
sen,  who  was  born  June  4,  1821,  a  son  of  Isaac 
Ventile  and  Pliebe  (Hurd)  Conrsen.  She  was 
educated  at  Miss  Mann's  school  in  Morristown, 
and  is  a  lady  of  noble  character,  whose  beautiful 
Christian  life  has  been  a  blessing  to  her  family. 
She  is  now  seventy-five  and  her  husband  sev- 
enty-six years  of  age.  Their  son,  W.  E.,  repre- 
sents a  New  York  firm,  and  resides  at  Succasun- 
na;  Emma  I-.  and  Lucilla  are  at  home.  Our  sub- 
ject, who  was  third  in  order  of  birth,  was  born  in 
Stillwater,  N.  J.,  July  30,  1852,  and  received  a 
public  school  education.  In  September,  1869,  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  for  three  years  was  em- 
ployed in  the  dry-goods  house  of  Coursen  & 
Blair,  after  which  he  was  with  W.  J.  Crane  one 
year,  then  one  year  with  his  former  employers. 
Associated  with  A.  H.  Coursen,  in  1874,  he  form- 
ed the  firm  of  A.  H.  &  E.  G.  Coursen,  grocers, 
opening  a  store  within  two  doors  of  his  present 
location.  March  28,  1893,  he  bought  out  his 
partner  and  has  since  continued  the  business 
alone.  Since  1880  he  has  been  at  his  present 
place,  where  he  has  the  finest  house  of  the  kind 
in  the  city,  being  the  leading  fancy  grocer  in 
northeastern  Pennsylvania.  While  he  handles 
every  kind  of  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  he  has 
always  refused  to  keep  liquors  in  stock. 


In  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  Mr.  Coursen  married  Miss 
Rebecca  Cissel,  who  was  bom  in  Georgetown, 
D.  C,  received  her  education  in  New  York  City, 
and  is  the  mother  of  three  children:  Gertrude 
Linn;  E.  G.,  Jr.,  and  Katharine  Lawrence  Bar- 
nard. R.  S.  T.  Cissel,  father  of  Mrs.  Coursen,  was 
formerly  a  business  man  of  Georgetown,  later  of 
New  York  City,  and  now  resides  in  Elizabeth, 
N.  J.  In  the  early  part  of  the  war,  when  the  gov- 
ernment was  bankrupt,  and  the  future  uncertain, 
he  furnished  a  portion  of  the  supplies  for  the 
army.  While  in  Georgetown  he  built  a  church 
there,  and  he  is  now  an  elder  in  the  Westminster 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Elizabeth.  His  parents 
came  from  England  and  setded  in  the  south. 

Active  in  the  work  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  Mr.  Coursen  has  had  charge  of  the 
music  in  the  Sunday-school  for  more  than  fif- 
teen years.  He  is  interested  in  the  west  side  mis- 
sion work  of  his  church,  is  a  member  of  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.,  and  chairman  of  the  advisory  board 
of  the  Florence  Mission.  Along  business  lines 
he  is  active  and  progressive,  and  is  identified 
with  the  board  of  trade.  His  energy  is  shown 
in  the  building  up  of  the  establishment  which  he 
now  owns  and  in  the  work  he  has  accomplished 
for  social,  religious  and  educational  measures  in 
his  city. 


EDWARD  G.  CONNER,  superintendent  of 
the  Lackawanna  Knitting  Mills  of  Scran- 
ton, was  born  near  Annapolis,  Md.,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1856,  the  son  of  Gilbert  M.  and  Jane 
Caroline  (Taylor)  Conner.  His  father,  who  was 
a  native  of  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  was  an  ex- 
tensive tobacco  planter  and  miller  in  Maryland 
and  also  for  a  time  manufactured  water  wheels 
in  Baltimore.  Prospered  financially  for  many 
years,  he  was  finally  ruined  in  business  by  the 
Rebellion,  during  which  his  buildings  were  de- 
stroyed, his  plantation  laid  waste  and  the  accu- 
mulations of  years  lost.  About  1863  he  went 
back  to  Saratoga  County,  where  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  water  wheels  on  a  small  scale. 
There  he  died  at  the  age  of  about  fifty-one  years. 
The  first  of  his  family  to  settle  in  the  United 
States  was  Edward  Conner,  who  established  his 
home  in  the  Mohawk  ^'allev  in  1700. 


J.  J    i;ii.hi';imi';r.  m.  d. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


759 


The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Charl- 
ton, Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  now,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years,  makes  her  home  in 
Pittsburg,  Pa.  The  family  of  which  she  is  a 
member  originated  in  England,  whence  Edward 
Taylor,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Taylor,  emigrated 
to  America  in  1688.  His  eldest  son,  Edward, 
was  born  August  8,  1678,  and  married  Catherine 
Norford,  by  whom  he  had  eleven  children.  Their 
son,  Joseph,  born  in  Alarcn,  1720,  resided  in 
Upper  Freehold,  N.  J.,  married  Elizabeth  Ash- 
ton,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  and  died  in 
1766.  Next  in  line  of  descent  was  John,  born  in 
August,  1749,  and  died  in  April,  1829;  he  was 
a  resident  of  Charlton,  N.  Y.,  from  1752  until 
his  death  at  eighty  years  of  age,  and  was  the  first 
judge  of  county  court  in  Saratoga  County,  fill- 
ing the  office  from  1809  to  1818.  He  also  served 
in  the  legislature  and  his  brother  was  the  first 
speaker  of  the  house.  Our  subject's  maternal 
grandparents  were  Edward  and  Eunice  (Curtis) 
Taylor,  the  former  bom  in  February,  1781,  and 
died  in  December,  1866. 

During  the  progress  of  the  war  our  subject  was 
taken  to  the  north  by  his  parents  and  settled  with 
them  near  Albany,  N.  Y.  His  education  was  ob- 
tained principally  in  Egbert's  Institute  in  Cohoes, 
his  home  town.  When  about  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  went  to  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  where  for  three 
years  he  was  employed  in  a  mill  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  underwear,  being  foreman  during  a  part 
of  the  time.  In  1882  he  was  given  charge  of  a 
woolen  mill  in  Valatie,  Columbia  County,  and 
was  employed  there  as  superintendent  about  nine 
years.  From  that  place  he  went  to  Rome,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  in  charge  of  a  mill  about  two  years. 
In  1879  he  came  to  Scranton  and  has  since  been 
the  superintendent  of  the  Lackawanna  Knitting 
Mills,  a  very  responsible  position  and  one  which 
he  fills  with  credit  to  himself.  The  mill  is  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  country  for  the  manufacture 
of  underwear  and  has  an  extensive  trade  among 
the  jobbers  throughout  the  United  States. 

November  29,  1879,  ^^r.  Conner  married  Har- 
riet Marsh,  of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  and  they  and 
their  daughter,  Ada  C,  occupy  a  comfortable 
residence  in  Cedar  Avenue.  While  he  is  not  ac- 
tive in  politics,  he  is  a  firm  Republican  and  al- 


ways votes  that  ticket  in  local  and  general  elec- 
tions. He  is  not  identified  with  any  church,  but 
contributes  to  the  Baptist  Church,  with  which  his 
wife  is  identified. 


J  J.  BILHEIMER,  Ph.  G.,  M.  D.  In  com- 
parison of  the  relative  value  to  mankind 
•  of  the  various  professions  and  pursuits,  it 
is  widely  recognized  that  none  is  so  important  as 
the  medical  profession.  From  the  cradle  to  the 
grave  human  destiny  is  largely  in  the  hands  of 
the  physician.  Our  subject  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  this  noble  calling,  and  has  built  up 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice  in  Priceburg,  his 
present  home. 

The  Doctor  was  born  at  Bath,  Northampton 
County,  Pa.,  in  1867,  and  comes  of  a  family 
that  was  early  established  in  that  county,  where 
many  of  the  name  still  live.  The  first  to  locate 
there  was  John  Bilheimer,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany 
and  a  Lutheran  in  religious  belief.  By  occupa- 
tion he  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith,  as  was  also 
the  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  John  Bilheimer, 
Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Northampton  County,  and 
carried  on  business  near  Bath.  The  birth  of  the 
father,  Christian  Bilheimer  occurred  at  that  place, 
and  after  reaching  manhood  he  came  into  posses- 
sion of  the  old  homestead,  which  is  now  occu- 
pied by  his  son,  Milton,  while  both  parents  now 
live  with  the  Doctor  in  Priceburg.  The  mother, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Louisa  Shive,  was 
also  born  in  Northampton  County,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  John  Shive,  a  native  of  Bucks  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  who  engaged  in  farming  in  the  vicinity 
of  Bath.  His  father,  George  Shive,  was  also  a 
native  of  Bucks  County,  and  removed  with  his 
family  to  Bath  at  an  early  day.  The  Shive  fam- 
ily were  mostly  members  of  the  Reformed 
Church.  Christian  Bilheimer  was  twice  married, 
having  by  the  first  wife  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  still  living,  while  by  the  second  union  there 
were  three  children,  the  Doctor  being  the  second 
of  these. 

After  completing  his  literary  education  in  a 
select  school  at  Bath,  Dr.  Bilheimer  secured  a 


y6o 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


teacher's  certificate,  and  for  one  winler  followed 
that  profession  in  Monroe  County.  In  1885  he 
beg;an  the  study  of  pharmacy  in  his  native  place, 
and  two  years  and  a  half  later  entered  the  Phil- 
adelphia College  of  Pharmacy,  from  which  he 
g-raduated  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  G.  He  matric- 
ulated at  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  the  same 
cil\',  and  graduated  from  that  noted  institution 
with  the  class  of  i8gi,  receiving  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  In  May  of  the  same  year  he  opened  an 
office  at  Priceburg,  where  his  skill  and  ability 
soon  won  recognition  so  thai  he  now  enjoys  an 
extensive  practice.  He  is  an  honored  and  prom- 
inent memlier  of  the  Lackawanna  County  Medi- 
cal Society;  the  State  Medical  .Society;  the 
American  Medical  Association,  Golden  Chain 
Lodge  No.  945,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Priceburg;  Knights 
of  the  Golden  Eagle  and  Foresters,  being  medi- 
cal examiner  for  the  last  two,  and  junior  past 
chief  of  the  Foresters. 

In  Shenandoah,  Pa.,  Dr.  Bilheimer  led  to  the 
marriage  altar  Miss  Mary  A.  Pearson,  who  was 
born  near  Bath  in  Northampton  County,  where 
her  father,  John  Pearson,  follows  agricultural 
pursuits.  Of  the  three  children  born  of  this 
union  only  one  is  now  living.  Esther.  The  par- 
ents are  both  consistent  members  of  the  Luther- 
an Church,  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the 
social  circles  of  Priceburg,  and  in  politics  the 
Doctor  is  an  ardent  Republican.  He  is  a  pleas- 
ant, genial  gentleman  and  has  made  many  friends 
in  his  adopted  city. 


GJ.  CHAMI'.l'.KI.  \l\,  .M.  1).,  a  promi- 
nent physician  and  surgeon,  has  long 
•  successfully  engaged  in  practice  in 
Dunmore.  He  was  born  near  what  is  ntjw  Line's 
Station,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  January  18,  1824, 
and  comes  of  an  honored  pioneer  family  of  this 
region.  His  parents,  James  and  .Susan  (Roach) 
Chamberlain,  natives  of  liristol,  luigland  (where 
he  was  known  as  a  corn  factor),  emigrated  to 
America  soon  after  their  marriage  in  1818,  and 
located  first  in  Philadelphia,  where  the  father  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1820  he 
went  to  Luzerne  County,  taking  up  his  residence 
at   what   is   now    Blakelv,    Lackawamia   County. 


Purchasing  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land, 
he  erected  thereon  a  log  house,  where  he  contin- 
ued to  reside  until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  when 
he  removed  to  Scranton  I'then  called  Slocum's 
Hollow),  though  he  still  kept  his  farm.  He  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  some  years  at  that  place 
and  in  Hanover  Township,  but  died  in  Wilkes- 
barre  in  September.  1828,  at  the  early  age  of  thir- 
ty-six years,  leaving  his  widow  with  the  care  of 
three  small  children:  Jane  T.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lafferty,  and  died  in  North  Car- 
olina; Elizabeth  M.,  now  Mrs.  Wilder,  of  Pitts- 
ton,  Pa.;  and  G.  J.,  of  this  sketch.  Mrs.  Cham- 
berlain reared  Ids  family  in  Wilkesbarre,  wdiere 
she  remained  imtil  her  removal  to  Pittston,  in 
1846,  making  her  home  with  a  daughter  for  a 
time.  Later  she  went  to  Center  County,  Pa.,  but 
spent  her  last  days  in  Dunmore,  dying  in  April, 
1876,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Her  fath- 
er, John  Roach,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but 
spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  England,  being  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  milling  and  the  manufac- 
ture of  starch  at  Bristol  on  the  Avon, 

The  Doctor  spent  the  days  of  his  bovhood  and 
youth  in  Wilkesbarre,  and  after  completing  his 
literary  studies  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  four 
years,  having  charge  of  schools  in  Sugar  Loaf 
\'alley,  Nesf|uehoning,  Carbon  County,  Ashley, 
Pa.,  and  also  the  Plymouth  Academy  and  Wilkes- 
barre private  schools.  Going  to  Schuylkill  Coun- 
ty, in  1846,  he  become  chief  clerk  of  the  super- 
intendent of  upper  division  of  Schuylkill  naviga- 
tion, with  whom  he  remained  until  1848,  settling 
up  their  accounts  and  paying  ovit  $400,000.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  John  G.  Koehler,  of  Schuylkill  Haven,  and 
in  1848  entered  the  Pennsylvania  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Philadelphia,  a  branch  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania College  of  Gettysburg,  graduating  from 
that  institution  in  1850  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
For  twent\--one  years  he  successfully  engaged  in 
practice  in  Philadelphia,  during  a  part  of  which 
time  he  had  charge  of  a  ward  in  Volunteer  Hos- 
])it;il,  ou  the  corner  of  Broad  and  Prime  Streets. 
In  1 87 1  he  removed  to  Dunmore  and  opened  an 
office  at  his  present  site  on  the  corner  of  Blake- 
lv and  Bloom  Streets,  wdiere  he  has  since  engaged 
in  general  practice  with  the  exception  of  eighteen 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGR.\PHICAL   RECORD. 


7fn 


months  spent  in  Xol)leto\vn,  Wayne  County,  to 
which  place  he  removed  in  1878.  He  holds  an 
enviable  position  in  the  ranks  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity of  Lackawanna  County,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  skillful  and  popular  practitioners  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  The  special  object  which 
brougfht  Dr.  Chamberlain  to  Dunmorc  was  to 
look  after  property  which  his  father  had  houg-ht 
in  this  valley,  but  he  was  defrauded  out  of  his 
rights  by  unscrupulous  parties.  Under  the  name 
of  the  Chamberlain  Coal  Company,  he  sunk  a 
shaft  and  built  a  breaker,  but  was  obliged  to  re- 
linquish these. 

In  Schuylkill  Haven  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Dr.  Chamberlain  and  Miss  .Sarah  Lewis, 
a  daughter  of  David  D.  Lewis,  a  native  of  Bucks 
County.  Pa.,  who  was  superintendent  of  the  up- 
per division  of  the  Schuylkill  Navigation  Com- 
pany. His  father,  Robert  Lewis,  of  Bucks  Coun- 
ty, was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and 
married  Sarah  Fish,  the  daughter  of  a  widow  who 
resided  in  Wilkesbarre  in  the  old  Red  House,  a 
noted  landmark  on  South  River  Street.  During 
the  Wvoming  massacre.  Mrs.  Fish  fled  with 
Colonel  Sullivan's  party  over  the  mountains,  and 
after  the  war  she  married  Col.  Zebulon  Butler, 
who  commanded  the  American  forces  during  that 
struggle.  Mrs.  Chamberlain's  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  B.  Youch,  was  born 
in  Reightlingen.  Wurtemberg,  Germanv.  and 
came  to  America  with  an  uncle.  Lewis  Wernwag, 
a  bridge  builder  for  the  L^nited  States  govern- 
ment, who  invented  a  bridge,  the  model  of  which 
may  still  be  seen  in  Washington,  D.  TT.  He  built 
the  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill  River  at  Phila- 
delphia, which  was  the  largest  single  span  bridge 
at  that  time  in  the  L^nited  States,  Mr,  Lewis,  the 
father  of  Mrs,  Chamberlain,  patented  a  railroad 
frog,  known  as  the  Lewis  Improved  Frog,  which 
he  sold  to  different  railroad  companies.  He  died 
in  Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and 
his  wife  in  Schuylkill  Haven,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six. 
Mrs,  Chamberlain  was  born  at  Waterloo,  Schuyl- 
kill County,  Pa,,  and  by  her  mamage  to  the  Doc- 
tor has  become  the  mother  of  five  children,  name- 
ly: Edwin,  who  was  educated  at  Lafayette  Col- 
lege, and  is  now  city  engineer  of  Reading,  Pa.: 
William  W,.  a  jeweler,  who  died  in  Dnnmore  at 


the  age  of  thirty-two;  David  L,,  an  e.xpiri  ma- 
chinist residing  in  Philadeli)hia:  firacc  L.,  at 
home:  and  George  L.,  who  was  killed  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years  by  falling  from  a  cherry  tree  in 
Philadelphia. 

For  some  years.  Dr.  Chamberlain  was  the 
health  officer  of  Dunmorc,  but  resigned  when 
the  opposite  party  got  into  power.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  Republican  with  tem()erancc  senti- 
ments, and  is  an  active  and  prominent  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Dnnmore,  of  which 
he  is  ruling  elder,  and  has  been  for  many  vears, 
and  also  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school. 


CORNELIUS  COMEGYS  is  engaged  in 
tiie  practice  of  the  legal  profession  in 
Scranton.  with  his  office  in  the  Republic- 
an lUiilding,  I'rom  his  first  residence  in  this  city 
he  has  been  identified  with  the  social,  intellectual, 
humanitarian  and  material  interests  of  the  place, 
and  by  liis  recognized  pui)lic  spirit  has  contrib- 
uted to  the  ])romotion  of  many  enterprises  cal- 
culated to  benefit  the  peojile.  His  firm,  quiet, 
reasoning  faculties,  which  are  his  by  education 
and  training,  enable  him  to  grapple  with  the  sal- 
ient points  of  a  case  and  the  technicalities  of  le- 
gal jurisprudence,  and  have  secured  for  him  a 
position  of  prominence  at  the  bar  of  Lackawanna 
County, 

Of  .southern  ancestry,  and  the  son  of  Dr.  Henry 
C,  Comegys,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume,  Cornelius  Comegys  was  born  in 
Greensboro.  Md.,  October  25,  1858,  The  years 
of  boyhood  were  spent  in  attendance  at  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  place  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  entered  St,  John's  College.  Annapo- 
lis, from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1877.  Fortified  by  the  possession  of  general  in- 
formation of  a  wide  range,  he  began  his  prepa- 
ration for  a  professional  career  by  entering  the 
office  of  Edward  Ridgeley,  an  attorney  of  Do- 
ver, Del,,  with  whom  he  remained  about  three 
vears.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  April 
term  of  court,  1882,  at  Denton,  Md. 

After  having  traveled  for  a  few  months  in 
search  of  a  suitable  location.  Mr.  Comeg}-s  fixed 
upon  Scranton  as  affording  the  best  opportunity 


762 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  a  young  lawyer,  and  accordingly  came  to  this 
city,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  Oc- 
tober term  of  1883.  He  at  once  opened  an  office 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  a 
short  time  he  received  the  appointment  of  assist- 
ant district  attorney  to  Judge  Edwards  and  filled 
that  position  about  five  years,  when  his  increas- 
ing private  practice  obliged  him  to  resign.  He 
has  been  in  continuous  practice  here  and  is  one  of 
the  popular  attorneys  of  the  city.  In  1889  he 
married  Miss  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  Thomas  D. 
Bevin.  of  Scranton,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Margaret  Bevin  and  Cornelius  Breck.  The  fam- 
ily attend  the  Episcopal  Church. 

In  his  political  views  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Com- 
egys  has  often  stumped  the  surrounding  country 
in  the  interests  of  the  party  and  has  long  been  in- 
fluential in  its  ranks.  In  his  opinion  regarding 
the  tariff,  he  advocates  a  protective  tariff,  suf- 
ficient to  keep  the  American  workmen  free  and  in- 
dependent, and  favors  the  plan  of  taking  the  tar- 
iff issue  out  of  politics,  and  placing  it  in  the  hands 
of  a  commission  with  a  bureau  attached  to  the  de- 
partment of  state,  to  which  statistics  be  furnished 
regularly  of  the  industries  and  condition  of  the 
people  in  this  and  other  countries.  From  this 
statistical  information  the  tariff  may  be  judicious- 
ly regulated.  His  name  has  been  mentioned  as 
candidate  for  congress  and  in  connection  with 
other  political  nominations,  and  certainly  it  would 
be  difficult  for  his  party  to  find  a  man  better 
equipped  to  represent  its  principles  in  a  public 
office  of  trust. 


THADDEUS  E.  CARR,  senior  memlx^r  of 
the  firm  of  T.  E.  Carr  &  Son,  of  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  Unadilla,  Otsego  County, 
N.  Y.,  July  24,  1832,  and  is  a  member  of  a  Scotch 
family  long  resident  in  New  England.  His  fath- 
er and  grandfather,  both  named  Hezekiah,  were 
born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  and  by  occupation  were 
farmers.  The  latter,  who  was  a  minute-man  in 
the  Revolution,  removed  to  Unadilla,  N.  Y.,  in 
181 2,  joining  some  Vermont  acquaintances  who 
had  founded  a  settlement  there.  He  was  then 
quite  old,  but  was  active  and  vigorous,  and  culti- 
vated and  improved  a  farm  from  the  wilderness. 


He  died  when  lacking  onl\-  one  month  of  being 
one  hundred  years  of  age;  his  wife  died  when 
more  than  ninety-eight  years  of  age. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  lifelong 
farmer  in  Unadilla,  died  at  seventy-six  years.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  a  Baptist.  He  married 
Rhoda  Hinsdale,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut 
and  died  in  early  life.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Elias  Hinsdale,  a  minute-man  of  the  Revolution, 
who  moved  by  team  and  wagon  from  his  native 
place  to  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  about  1812,  and 
there  engaged  as  a  farmer  and  blacksmith  until 
old  age  prevented  further  active  work.  He  died 
when  ninety  years  of  age.  Our  subject  was  one 
of  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  of 
whom  the  daughter  and  himself  are  living. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  Thaddeus  E.  Carr  began  for  him- 
self at  sixteen  years  of  age.  Having  considerable 
natural  ability  as  a  stock  dealer,  he  began  to  buy 
and  sell  on  a  small  scale,  but  gradually  increased 
as  business  prospered.  He  became  a  drover  and 
followed  cattle  on  the  road  forty  days  at  a  time, 
driving  from  Ohio  and  New  York  to  Connecti- 
cut. While  living  in  Oneonta,  N.  Y.,  he  opened 
the  first  meat  market  there  and  carried  it  on  for 
years,  continuing  at  the  same  time  his  sheep  and 
cattle  business.  In  1868  he  removed  to  Bing- 
hamton,  where  he  continued  as  a  dealer  and  pro- 
prietor of  a  market.  In  November,  1873,  he  came 
to  Scranton,  and  opened  a  market  in  Lackawan- 
na Avenue.  In  December,  1885,  he  bought  and 
built  at  his  present  location,  Nos.  213-215  North 
Washington- Avenue,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
people  declared  it  was  a  foolish  undertaking,  he 
kept  steadfastly  on  and  soon  built  up  a  fine  busi- 
ness. His  was  the  first  business  house  on  this  side 
of  the  court  house  square,  but  was  soon  followed 
by  others,  until  the  neighborhood  is  a  recognized 
business  center.  For  some  years  his  son  has  been 
interested  in  the  business  and  the  firm  name  is 
now  T.  E.  Carr  &  Son. 

In  addition  to  the  market,  the  firm  own  a  gar- 
den farm  in  Elmhurst,  consisting  of  sixty-three 
acres  planted  to  garden  stuffs  and  with  suitable 
buildings.  The  firm  also  own  slaughter  house, 
manufacturing  place  and  ice  house,  and  ship  ice 
to  the  market  by  car.     Six  men  are  employed  on 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


763 


the  farm  and  eight  in  the  market,  while  three  de- 
livery wagons  are  used  to  accommodate  custo- 
mers. Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Mr.  Carr 
has  been  engaged  in  the  business  about  fifty 
years,  he  is  still  energetic,  enthusiastic  and  enter- 
prising, with  a  heart  and  mind  as  young  as  most 
men  of  fifty. 

The  marriage  of  ^Ir.  Carr,  in  P.ainbridge,  N. 
Y.,  united  him  with  Miss  Lorissa  P.irdsell,  who 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Otsego,  Otsego  County, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Birdsell,  a  farmer  and  old 
settler  of  that  place.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Deatta,  wife  of  L.  M.  Potter, 
who  is  associated  in  business  with  his  father-in- 
law;  Frank  L.;  and  Belle,  wife  of  Frank  Coop- 
er, who  is  bookkeeper  for  the  firm.  The  only 
son  married  Elizabeth  Schanz,  of  this  city,  and 
they  have  three  children :  Blanche,  T.  E.,  Jr.,  and 
Hazel.  Politically  Mr.  Carr  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat of  the  old  Jeffersonian  belief  and  holds  de- 
cided opinions  of  his  own  regarding  the  public 
questions  of  the  age.  Fraternally  he  was  made  a 
Mason  while  in  New  York. 


RICHARD  BUSTEED,  JR.,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  New  York  in  1854,  in  the  house 
built  by  his  father  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Madison  Avenue  and  Thirtieth  Street, 
which,  notwithstanding  the  great  changes  of  the 
last  forty-five  years  in  the  then  residential  por- 
tion of  that  city,  remains  to  the  present  time  un- 
altered. His  mother  was  Miss  Cordelia  F. 
Doane,  daughter  of  Philo  Doane,  a  retired  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Doane  &  Sturgis,  ship  owners. 
Her  mother  was  a  Miss  Nichols  and  one  of  the 
heirs  of  the  famous  Nichols  patent  of  the  state  of 
New  York. 

Mr.Busteed's  father, Hon. RichardBusteed,  was 
the  son  of  Colonel  Busteed  of  the  British  army,  a 
native  of  Tralee,  County  Kerry,  Ireland,  who  was 
appointed  a  governor  of  the  Island  of  St.  Lucia, 
a  British  possession  in  the  West  Indies.  Dis- 
agreeing with  the  British  government  upon  ac- 
count of  the  natural  political  proclivities  of  his 
nativity,  he  removed  his  family  to  Canada,  there 
founding  and  editing  a  newspaper,  the  conduct 
of  which  eventually  ruined  him  financially  on  ac- 


count of  the  continued  hostility  of  its  owner  to 
the  British  government.  Being  left  in  destitute  cir- 
cumstances, his  children  migrated  to  New  York, 
where  Richard,  a  mere  lad,  became  a  printer. 
He  soon  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  aided 
by  his  relative,  Thomas  Addis  Emmett,  and  hav- 
ing become  the  favorite  pupil  of  Charles  O'Con- 
nor, he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  and  at  once  achieved  phenomenal 
success,  popularity  and  renown  even  for  those 
times.  Commencing  with  nothing  at  twenty- 
three,  he  was  a  rich  man  and  elected  corporation 
counsel  (it  was  then  an  elective  office)  of  the  city 
of  New  York,  by  the  largest  Democratic  major- 
ity up  to  then  ever  given,  having  defeated  Samuel 
J.  Tilden  for  the  nomination  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
two.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  became 
a  war  Democrat  and  shortly  thereafter  a  most 
vigorous  Republican.  He  was  in  several  nation- 
al conventions  and  became  the  intimate  friend 
and  companion  of  Lincoln.  Seward,  Stanton, 
Blaine  and  Andrew  G.  Curtin,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  men  of  that  day.  During  the 
reconstruction  period,  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  his  cabinet,  he  relinquished  one  of 
the  most  lucrative  practices  in  New  York,  and 
accepted  the  position  of  United  States  district 
judge  of  the  state  of  Alabama.  His  career  in  this 
position  is  part  of  the  history  of  the  country  of 
that  time,  and  is  too  well  known  to  require  men- 
tion here.  Although  a  life  position,  he  resigned  it 
in  1875  to  enter  into  a  partnership  with  his  only 
son,  Richard  Busteed,  Jr.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  at  that  time  was  in  the  senior  class  of 
the  law  school  of  Columbia  College  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  having  returned  from  Europe,  where 
he  had  been  sent  to  die  by  such  physicians  of  this 
country  as  Agnew,  Hammond  and  Sayre,  but 
having  been  saved  by  those  of  international  repu- 
tation, Veneuil  of  France,  and  Sir  William  Fer- 
guson of  England. 

Deprived  bv  ill-health  from  acquiring  tiie  rudi- 
mentary elements  of  a  common  school  education, 
the  subject  of  our  sketch,  when  he  returned  to  this 
country  from  his  prolonged  sojourn  abroad,  had 
acquired  all  the  habits,  customs  and  mannerisms 
of  a  man  of  the  world,  yet  was  unfamiliar  with 
the  elementary  principles  of  a  student.     Handi- 


7<M 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


capped  hv  ever  constant  jjliysical  ]);iin  and  llic 
lack  of  knowledge  of  how  to  study,  Mr.  Busteeil 
entered  a  class  of  such  men  as  has  never  Ijefore 
or  since  been  graduated  from  Cnhimhia  College 
Law  School,  men  who  upon  graduation  at  once 
achieved  national  fame,  and  who  even  in  his  re- 
tirement pay  him  the  greatest  possible  respect. 
He  practiced  law  in  New  York  until  1887  as  a 
partner  of  his  father,  both  living  together  at  Ja- 
maica, Queens  County,  Long  Island,  where  he 
had  actively  entered  into  politics,  and  where 
meeting  with  the  most  violent  opposition  from 
the  notorious  ring  that  had  there  iniopiJDsed  ex- 
isted for  twenty-five  years,  he  was  enabled  to  ob- 
tain a  controlling  position  and  became  noted  for 
his  finesse  and  ability  to  coalesce  antagonistic  fac- 
tions and  disrupt  deals  made  by  his  enemies. 
Constantly  crushing  under  foot  the  excruciating 
physical  pain  under  which  lie  always  labored,  Mr. 
Busteed  succeeded  in  this  decade  of  his  life  in  be- 
coming probably  the  best  known  Mason,  politi- 
cian, lawyer  and  man  of  the  world  of  his  age  in 
the  state  of  New  York;  but  family  dissensions 
over  which  he  had  no  control  and  which  had  been 
a  carking  care  at  his  soul  during  the  entire 
period,  overcame  him  in  1887,  and  his  futile  ef- 
forts since  he  was  a  little  child  to  keep  his  family 
together,  occasioned  him  to  leave  New  York. 
Although  not  desiring  to  resume  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  yet  having  suffered  from  e.xtra- 
malignant  attacks  of  his  chronic  disease  of  rheu- 
matism, he  was  compelled  to  relinquish  his  tem- 
])orary  occupation  of  a  traveling  salesman,  in 
which  capacity  he  had  made  a  success,  and  had 
traveled  from  Maine  to  Mexico,  and  upon  the 
solicitation  of  several  attorneys  in  Scranton,  he 
came  to  this  place  and  has  opened  a  law  of^ce, 
where  in  a  dilettante  way  he  practices  law. 

Since  his  arrival  Mr.  Busteed  has  met  with  so 
many  extraordinary  and  unusual  misfortunes  that 
it  is  very  distasteful  to  him  to  be  (|uoted,  and 
while  we  are  not  at  liberty  to  state  that  he  is  a 
pessimist,  yet  we  gather  fmni  his  conversation 
that  he  feels  as  though  his  biogra])hy  more  ap- 
])ropriately  belongs  in  our  history  of  Long  Island 
and  Queens  County  than  it  does  in  this  of  Lacka- 
wanna County,  where  he  feels  as  though  he  were 
btu  a  bird  of  passage. 


The  fact  is  .Mr.  Busteed  is  a  thorough  cosmo- 
politan, and  has  large  ac(|uaintance  and  would 
be  as  nuich  at"  home  in  London  as  in  New  York, 
ISoston  as  in  Rome,  and  X'ienna  as  New  Orleans. 


MAJ.  .\10NTR( 
thirteenth  Ri 
chief  enginee 


"ROSE  BARNARD,    of    the 
Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  formerly 

leer  for  the  Hillside  Coal  & 
Iron  Company,  civil  and  mining  engineer,  and 
contractor  for  blue  stone,  with  ofifice  in  the  Re- 
publican Building,  Scranton,  but  now  chief  engi- 
neer for  the  Blossburg  Coal  Company  at  Arnot. 
Pa.,  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  i860. 
The  Barnard  family  is  of  English  origin.  The 
first  of  the  name  to  come  to  this  country  was 
his  grandfather,  Robert,  son  of  Samuel  Barnard, 
and  a  resident  of  the  L'nited  States  from  early 
manhood.  After  coming  here  he  married  Sophia 
Cropley,  an  English  lady,  and  for  years  he  was 
connected  with  Corcoran  in  the  banking  lousi- 
ness in  Washington. 

The  Major's  father.  Col.  Robert  W.  Barnard, 
was  born  in  Georgetown,  D.  C,  and  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  in  Washington  until 
1861.  At  the  first  call  for  volunteers  in  the 
I'nion  service  he  enlisted  and  through  his  ac- 
quaintance with  Gen.  Lorenzo  Tliomas  was 
given  a  commission  as  lieutenant  in  the  Nine- 
teenth I'nited  States  Infantry,  in  which  he  soon 
rose  to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  afterward  was 
commissioned  colonel.  His  regiment  was  with 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  during  most  of  the 
war.  He  was  present  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  when 
Hood  was  finally  routed.  At  the  close  of  the 
conflict  he  was  nuistered  out  as  colonel  of  volun- 
teers, and,  in  his  former  rank  of  captain,  went 
south  and  west,  being  stationed  at  Newport 
Barracks,  Covington,  Ky.,  later  at  Little  Rock, 
l"t.  Smith  and  l-'t.  Riley.  In  the  spring  of  1867, 
with  (leneral  Hancock,  he  went  upon  an  Indian 
exjjedition  through  Kansas  and  Colorado,  leav- 
ing his  family  meantime  at  Ft.  Riley,  Kan.  From 
there  he  was  transferred  to  P"t.  Sumner,  N.  M., 
of  which  he  had  charge  for  a  few  months.  He 
was  then  removed  to  Pine  Blufif,  Ark.,  and  from 
there  ordered  to  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  remaining 
in  that  citv  until  his  death,  when  his  remains  were 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


765 


interred  in  (3ak  Hill  Cemetery,  Washington,  I). 
C.  He  was  Ijorn  in  September,  1827,  and  died 
in  July,  1870. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Catherine,  was  born 
in  Montrose,  Susquehanna  County,  the  daughter 
of  George  Fuller,  also  a  native  of  that  place.    Tlic 
latter   part    of   her   life   was   spent   in    Scranton, 
where  she  died  in  June,  1896.     Her  grandfather, 
Edward  Fuller,  was  of  English  descent,  a  lineal 
descendant   of  one  of  the  "Mayflower"  passen- 
gers, and  was  born  in  Connecticut  about  1770, 
being  the  first  of  the  family  to  settle  in  Susque- 
hanna County.     He  was  the  first  sheriff  of  the 
county,  for  years  was  proprietor  of  a  hotel,  and 
died  in  1854.    George  Fuller,  M.  C,  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1802  and  early  identified  himself 
with  the  Democratic  party.      In    1826    he    was 
elected  clerk  of  the  board  of  county  commission- 
ers and  served  for  two  years;  in  1835  was  chosen 
county  treasurer  and  in  1839  became  prothono- 
tary,  serving  for  three  years.     For  twenty  years 
he  was  editor  of  what  is  now  the  Montrose  "Re- 
publican."   He  served  the  last  year  of  the  twenty- 
eighth  congress  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  A.  H.  Read.     In  1S35  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton   and    engaged    in    the    mercantile    business. 
When  Scranton  became  a  city  he  was  commis- 
sioned to  settle  up  the  affairs  of  the  old  board. 
Dusing  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  he  was  trus- 
tee in  settling  the  affairs  of  the  Scranton  Trust 
Company  and  Savings   Bank.     After  an  illness 
of  but-  two  days,  he  died  suddenly  of  paralysis  in 
November,  1888. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  Rob- 
ert, who  was  born  in  1852,  was  in  the  gunboat 
service  during  the  war  and  afterward  entered  the 
United  States  navy,  but  in  1871  was  washed  over- 
board from  his  ship,  which  was  owned  by  A.  A. 
Lowe  &  Co..  of  New  York.  George  F.  is  super- 
intendent of  tlie  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Com- 
panv.  Frederick  lives  in  Bradford  and  Edward 
in  Scranton.  Eleanor  is  the  wife  of  J.  W  .  Part- 
ridge, of  Ft.  Collins,  Col.  Our  subject,  who  was 
next  to  the  youngest  in  order  of  birth,  spent  his 
earlier  years  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  far  west- 
ern frontier  and  his  earliest  recollections  are  of 
forts,  soldiers,  long  rides  in  wagons,  and  danger- 


ous trips  from  one  post  to  another.  After  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1870  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton with  the  other  niemlx-rs  of  the  family  and 
received  his  education  in  the  ])ublic  and  high 
schools  here.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  became 
surveyor  with  the  Delaware, Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Railroad  Company,  and  later  was  engaged 
in  railroad  work  with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company.  For  six  months  he  was  employed 
in  New  York  City,  then  engaged  in  govern- 
ment survey  from  Pittston  to  .Athens  along  the 
Susquehanna  River,  and  in  1883  began  as  a  min- 
ing engineer  with  the  Pancoast  Coal  Company. 
After  two  years  he  conmienced  j^rivate  practice 
as  civil  and  mining  engineer,  but  in  1886  took  a 
position  with  the  Hillsdale  Coal  &  Iron  Com- 
panv.  of  which  he  was  chief  engineer  from  June, 

1891,  until  February,  1897,  and  is  now  chief  en- 
gineer for  the  Blossburg  Coal  Company  at  .Vr- 
not.  Pa.  The  Hillside  has  six  collieries  and  nine 
shafts  in  Lackawanna,  Luzerne  and  Susquehan- 
na Counties,  the  engineering  oversight  of  which 
is  in  the  hands  of  Major  Barnard  and  two  assist- 
ants. In  1892  he  began  as  a  contractfjr  for  blue 
stone  for  buildings,  and  this  he  has  since  con- 
tinued. 

The  marriage  of  Major  Barnard,  I'ebruary  10, 

1892,  in  Connecticut,  united  him  with  Miss  Het- 
ty F.  Jarvis,  of  Hartford.  In  1877  he  was  one 
of  the  original  members  of  the  old  Thirteenth 
Regiment  and  for  five  years  he  w-as  a  private  in 
Company  D;  in  1882  he  was  made  corporal;  the 
following  year  sergeant,  in  1886  first  sergeant, 
March  i,  1889,  was  commissioned  captain,  and 
April  9,  1895,  was  made  major  of  the  regiment, 
which  he  has  since  held.  He  is  connected  with 
the  Scranton  Engineers'  Club  and  in  politics  is 
a  stanch  Republican. 


Ll'THER  C.  BORTREE,  deputy  sheriff 
and  a  farmer  residing  in  Covington  Town- 
ship, was  born  January  24.  1832.  on  the 
estate  where  he  now  makes  his  home.  His  fath- 
er. William,  was  born  in  County  Mayo.  Ireland, 
and  accompanied  his  parents  to  America  at  the 
age  of  eight  vears,  settling  in  Xobletown,  Wayne 
Cx>untv,  Pa.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1819 


766 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  came  to  Luzerne  (now  Lackawanna)  County 
and  worked  in  the  employ  of  others  until  1830, 
when  he  purchased  the  place  in  Covington  Town- 
ship, where  the  remainder  of  his  life  was  busily 
passed.  Farming  was  his  life  work  and  in  it  he 
continued  until  his  death  at  sixty-six  years  of  age. 
A  Republican  in  political  views,  he  served  as 
supervisor  of  the  township  and  held  other  local 
offices.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Bortree,  a  na- 
tive of  County  Mayo,  a  farmer  and  shoemaker, 
and  fraternally  a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Maria  Goodrich,  and  died  when  about 
forty-five  years  of  age.  Of  her  nine  children  the 
following  survive:  Luther  C;  William,  who 
resides  in  Scranton,  and  is  employed  as  engineer 
for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Rail- 
road; Amasa,  who  is  engineer  on  a  passenger 
train  for  the  same  road;  Wells,  who  is  also  with 
this  company:  and  George,  who  lives  in  Mos- 
cow. The  early  years  of  Luther  C.  Bortree  were 
spent  in  the  home  of  his  parents.  When  his 
mother  died  in  1848,  the  family  broke  up  house- 
keeping, and  he  secured  work  on  a  farm,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years.  Afterward  he  was 
employed  in  a  handle  factory  in  this  township  for 
three  years.  His  next  position  was  that  of  fore- 
man in  the  building  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western  Railroad.  In  1857  he  returned  to 
the  old  home  farm  of  fifty-three  acres,  which  he 
had  purchased  while  working  on  the  railroad. 
Since  that  time  he  has  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  is  deputy-sherifif. 

November  26,  1864,  Mr.  Bortree  enlisted  in 
Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-ninth 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  as  a  private,  and  served 
until  June  23,  1865,  being  present  at  Strawben-y 
Plains,  October  7,  1864,  and  at  Chapin's  Farm, 
and  in  front  of  Richmond.  He  was  on  the  skir- 
mish line  when  Lee  surrendered,  and  in  the  last 
fight  was  wounded  Ijy  a  shell  striking  his  left 
hand  and  cutting  off  a  portion  of  his  little  finger. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  the  home 
farm.  Prior  to  entering  the  service  he  had  held 
the  position  of  deputy  sherifif  about  three  years, 
and  on  his  return  from  the  front  he  was  again 
appointed  to  the  position,  which  he  has  since 
filled.    In  national  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 


lican, but  is  liberal,  giving  others  the  same  privi- 
lege of  freedom  of  thought  he  demands  for  him- 
self. At  one  time  he  was  deputy  United  States 
marshal;  has  also  served  as  constable,  tax  collec- 
tor, school  director,  superintendent  of  the  poor 
and  as  supervisor  for  several  terms. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Bortree,  January  28,  1856, 
united  him  with  Miss  Rebecca  J.,  daughter  of 
Edward  Wardell,  of  this  county.  She  was  born 
June  8,  1835,  and  died  May  5,  1892,  having  had 
six  children.  Walter,  the  eldest  child,  died  at 
eighteen  years;  William  E.  is  a  resident  of  Colo- 
rado; Addie  married  George  W.  Beeten  and  died 
August  5,  1895,  leaving  a  son,  George  B.,  who 
has  been  adopted  by  our  subject;  Lizzie  is  the 
wife  of  Edward  Wombarger,  of  Colorado;  Stan- 
ley is  a  teacher  in  Miller's  State  Normal  School; 
and  Etta  is  the  wife  of  Richard  Bell,  of  this  town- 
ship. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Bortree  is  a  charter  member 
of  Moscow  Lodge  No.  504,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  was 
made  a  Mason  in  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  at 
Scranton,  August  8,  1848,  and  is  identified  with 
the  Masonic  Veterans'  Association,  and  for  thir- 
ty-nine years  has  been  a  master  mason.  An  ac- 
tive Grand  Army  man,  he  is  a  member  of  T.  D. 
Swartz  Post,  and  belongs  to  the  Veteran  Soldiers' 
Association.  In  addition  to  his  farm  work,  he 
has  often  been  engaged  as  auctioneer,  in  which 
he  is  quite  successful.  His  farm  is  situated  only 
one  mile  from  the  village  of  Moscow,  and  though 
small,  is  so  well  cultivated  that  it  produces  more 
than  many  places  of  twice  its  size. 


THOMAS  G.  BARRETT,  M.  D.,  who  has 
his  office  and  residence  at  No.  1920  Brick 
Avenue,  Scranton,  is  a  native  of  County 
Mayo,  Ireland,  and  a  son  of  Prof.  Michael  and 
Catherine  (Burke)  Barrett.  His  father,  who  de- 
voted his  life  to  educational  work  and  was  recog- 
nized as  a  successful  teacher,  came  to  America 
in  middle  life  and  spent  his  last  days  in  St.  Louis, 
dying  there  at  an  advanced  age.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  in  Jacksonville,  111.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  all  sons,  of 
whom  only  three  survive.  The  eldest,  John,  is  a 
schoolteacher,  and  resides  in  Pittston:    Edward 


OWEN  n.  JOHN. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


769 


lives  in  St.  Louis;  the  youngest,  Dominick,  who 
was  a  schooheacher,  died  in  UHnois. 

Educated  in  Ireland  and  a  student  in  a  classical 
school  in  County  Aiayo,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  afterward  became  a  member  of  the  engi- 
neers' corps  in  the  British  army,  and  went  to 
Bengal,  India,  on  a  government  survey.  Two 
years  were  spent  there  in  the  service  and  he  then 
returned  to  England,  where  he  entered  the  Hyde 
Military  College,  in  order  to  perfect  himself  in 
the  theory  and  practice  of  military  tactics  and 
philosophy.  Two  years  were  spent  there,  and 
during  the  latter  portion  of  this  time  he  was  an 
instructor  in  musketry.  On  the  expiration  of  the 
two  years,  he  was  honorably  discharged  from 
the  army.  He  then  entered  Trinity  College, 
Dublin,  and  took  a  four  years"  course  in  medi- 
cine, but  left  just  prior  to  the  time  for  gradua- 
tion. 

In  1864  Dr.  Barrett  came  to  America  and  at 
once  opened  an  office  in  St.  Louis,  but  the  follow- 
ing year  returned  east  and  selected  Pittston,  Pa., 
as  his  future  home.  There  he  began  professional 
practice  and  during  the  years  that  followed  be- 
came known  as  a  well  informed,  skillful  physi- 
cian. In  1892  he  removed  to  Scranton.  where  he 
has  since  been  an  exponent  of  the  science  of  al- 
lopathy. While  in  Luzerne  County,  he  served  as 
street  commissioner,  burgess  and  justice  of  the 
peace  in  Hamptown.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Catholic  and  holds  membership  in  the  Church  of 
the  Holv  Rosarv. 


OWEN  D.  JOHN.  Since  1856  Mr.  John 
has  been  a  resident  of  America  and  dur- 
ing that  entire  period  his  home  has  been 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  is  well  known  among  the 
citizens  of  Scranton  and  is  especially  prominent 
in  the  fourth  ward,  from  which  he  was  elected 
alderman  in  1894.  His  office  is  at  No.  105  North 
Main  Avenue.  Like  many  of  the  foremost  citi- 
zens of  Lackawanna  County,  he  is  of  Welsh  birth 
and  lineage.  He  was  born  near  .St.  Clair,  which 
lies  in  the  mountainous  siiire  of  Carmarthen, 
September  6,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
Frances  (Davis)  John,  natives  of  Pembrokeshire. 
Plis  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  dierl 


at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  and  his  mother  when 
fifty-six.  Of  their  ten  children  Owtn  D.  was  the 
\oungest  and  the  only  one  of  the  number  who 
came  to  America. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen,  anxious  t(j  secure  work, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  from  his  home  in 
the  south  of  Wales  to  the  rich  and  fertile  shire  of 
Glamorgan,  in  the  southernmost  part,  and  at 
Aberdare  he  worked  for  some  time  in  the  mines. 
In  1856  he  took  passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  at 
Aberdare  and  proceeded  to  Swansea  and  Liver- 
pool, where  he  boarded  the  sailer,  "John  Bright," 
bound  fur  America.  After  a  pleasant  voyage  of 
thirty-five  days  he  landed  in  New  York,  and  from 
there  went  to  St.  Clair,  Schuylkill  Countv,  Pa., 
securing  work  in  the  mines.  Within  a  vear  he 
was  engaged  in  mining  coal  on  contract  and 
carried  on  a  jobbing  business  until  October,  1859, 
when  he  came  to  Scranton.  taking  a  position  in 
the  Ham])ton  mines.  Since  then  he  has  been 
engaged  principally  in  mining,  having  been  em- 
ployed by  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Company  in  Diamond  shaft  for  twenty-four  vears. 
In  1884  he  retired  from  mining  and  has  since  de- 
voted his  attention  to  other  interests. 

Several  thousand  dollars  of  bounty  tax  hav- 
ing accrued  against  the  old  borough  of  Hyde 
Park,  Mr.  John  was  in  1884  appointed  by  the 
council  of  that  borough  to  act  as  collector,  which 
he  did  in  the  fourth  and  fourteenth  wards.  It 
was  a  difficult  tax  to  collect,  but  through  the  col- 
lections of  1884,  1885  and  1887  it  was  liquidated. 
Meantime  Mr.  John  also  served  as  assessor  and 
collector  of  the  county  tax.  continuing  in  the 
latter  capacity  until  1890.  In  1868  he  was  elected 
from  the  fourth  ward  as  a  member  of  the  conmion 
council,  and  served  two  years  and  si.x  months. 
At  intervals  he  has  also  aided  in  compiling  the 
city  directories.  In  1890  he  was  census  enumera- 
tor for  a  portion  of  the  fourth  ward.  In  1894  he 
was  nominated  on  the  Rejiublican  ticket  as  alder- 
man from  the  fourth  ward,  the  then  incumbent 
(Democratic)  of  the  office  being  his  opponent, 
and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  two  to  one.  He 
took  the  oath  of  office  in  May  of  that  year  and 
has  since  served  with  efficiency,  representing  the 
various  interests  of  the  people  in  a  manner  satis- 
factorv  to  them  and  creditable  to  himself. 


770 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  residence  of  Mr.  John  is  situated  at  No. 
322  Deckers  Court,  Scranton.  In  this  city  he 
married  Miss  Mary  A.  Pembridge,  who  was  born 
in  Monmouthshire,  Wales,  came  thence  with  her 
parents  to  America  at  the  age  of  eight  years  and 
settled  near  Scranton.  They  are  the  parents  of 
four  children  now  living,  namely:  Ellsworth  E. 
and  Horace  G.,  who  are  machinists  by  trade;  Al- 
fred C,  who  is  employed  as  pressman  on  the 
"Tribune,"  and  Gertrude,  who  is  at  home. 

Since  becoming  a  citizen  of  this  country  Mr. 
John  has  always  been  active  in  the  Republican 
party.  He  is  a  loyal  patriot,  and  during  the  late 
war  would  have  enlisted,  had  not  his  wife's  ill 
health  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  leave 
home.  Fraternally  he  is  past  grand  of  Silurian 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was  delegate  to  the  grand 
lodge  in  1884.  In  1862  he  aided  in  organizing 
the  True  American  Ivorites,  calling  the  lodge  No. 
I,  but  on  learning  of  the  existence  of  another, 
changed  the  number  to  two.  In  this  he  has  held 
official  position.  Personally  he  is  a  man  of 
genial  and  affable  disposition,  one  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  meet  and  who  holds  a  high  place  in 
the  regard  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


M' 


A  I.  M.  L.  BLAIR.  Lackawanna  was  not 
behind  the  other  counties  of  this  state  in 
contributions  of  men  and  money  to  assist 
in  carrying  on  the  Civil  War.  Among  the  soldiers 
who  won  commendation  on  the  field  for  their 
bravery  were  many  who  had  enlisted  here,  men 
of  unflinching  courage  and  true  patriotism,  with 
the  valor  to  dare  even  the  most  hazardous  under- 
takings in  order  to  secure  success  for  the  Union. 
Such  a  one  was  the  subject  of  this  record,  one  of 
tlie  respected  and  influential  citizens  of  Scranton. 
The  Blair  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and 
was  early  represented  among  the  people  of  New 
England.  The  Major's  grandfather,  Enoch  Blair, 
was  born  in  Massachusetts  and  for  many  years 
resided  in  Blandford,  Hampden  County,  where 
was  born  his  son,  Alvan.  The  latter  at  an  early 
age  accompanied  his  parents  to  Madison  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  the  journey  being  made  on  foot  and 
with  ox  carts.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  New 
York  and  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  taking  part 


in  the  battle  of  Sackett's  Harbor.  Such  was  his 
industry  that,  although  he  began  without  means, 
he  became  well-to-do,  owning  several  different 
farms.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican  and  in 
ante-bellum  times  was  known  as  a  pronounced 
Abolitionist.  His  religious  connection  was  with 
the  ;\lelhodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  attained 
advanced  years,  dying  in  1883  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five.  He  was  the  father  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, to  whom  he  gave  the  best  advantages  pos- 
sible at  the  time.  About  the  same  time  that  he 
died  occurred  the  death  of  his  wife,  Vemera 
Brooks,  a  native  of  Pownal,  Vt.,  and  eighty-one 
years  old  at  decease. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rog- 
er Brooks,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  removed  from 
Vermont  to  Utica  with  ox  teams,  stopping  in 
that  city,  and  erecting  the  first  frame  building 
there  on  the  site  of  Bagg's  Hotel.  Later  he  went 
to  Madison  County,  where  he  bought  and  cleared 
a  large  farm,  then  removed  to  Oneida  County 
and  made  it  his  home  until  his  death,  when  sev- 
enty-seven. He  and  his  family  possessed  re- 
markable mechanic  skill  and  could  make  any- 
thing in  wood,  though  they  had  only  the  crude 
and  simple  tools  of  those  days.  He  was  of  Eng- 
lish descent  and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Uni- 
versalist. 

The  twelve  children  that  comprised  the  fam- 
ily of  Alvan  and  Yernera  Blair  attained  years  of 
maturity  and  ten  are  still  living,  M.  Lewis  being 
one  of  the  youngest  of  the  number  and  the  only 
one  residing  in  this  county.  He  was  born  in 
Aladison  County,  N.  Y.,  Januarj-  18,  1836.  Aft- 
er attending  the  district  schools  for  some  time 
and  spending  two  terms  at  Cazenovia  Seminary, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  to  teach  school 
in  Madison  County,  where  he  followed  the  pro- 
fession for  two  winters.  In  1858  he  came  to 
Pennsylvania  and  engaged  in  teaching  at  Hick's 
Ferry,  in  the  vicinity  of  Wilkesbarre.  In  the 
spring  of  1859  he  came  to  Hyde  Park  and  for 
three  years  taught  school  at  Tripp's  Crossing  in 
Providence  Township,  after  which  he  embarked 
in  the  grocery,  provision  and  bakery  business 
in  South  Main  Street,  lieing  in  partnership  with 
W.  H.  Freeman. 

In  1862  our  sulijcct  was  commissioned  second 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


771 


lieutenant  by  the  governor  at  Harrisburg  and  at 
once  began  recruiting  a  company  for  service  in 
the  war.  This  became  Company  E,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Forty-third  Pennsylvania  Infantry  and 
was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Luzerne  in  August, 
1862,  he  being  elected  captain  by  the  boys  in  the 
old  Joseph  Fellows  hall  that  still  stands.  Going 
to  the  front  the  company  remajned  in  camp  for 
six  weeks,  and  was  then  ordered  into  service, 
taking  part  in  many  important  engagements, 
among  them  the  following:  The  second  battle 
of  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg, 
Rappahannock,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North 
Anna  River,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg,  Weldon 
Railroad  and  Hatcliie's  Run. 

The  first  day  at  Gettysburg  was  perhaps  the 
most  disastrous  to  the  company  of  any  of  their 
engagements.  Sixty-nine  men  entered  the  field, 
but  at  the  end  of  the  day  there  were  only  eleven 
left,  the  others  having  been  killed,  wounded  or 
taken  prisoners.  The  remaining  men  were  con- 
solidated with  another  company,  Captain  Blair 
having  command  of  both.  However,  he  had  been 
seriously  wounded  on  that  memorable  first  day 
by  the  concussion  of  one  of  the  Federal  guns  and 
was  obliged  to  return  home  on  a  furlough.  At 
first  it  was  feared  that  he  could  not  recover,  but 
a  strong  constitution  enabled  him  to  regain  a 
portion  of  his  former  strength,  and  after  about 
three  months  at  home,  he  returned  to  resume  his 
command.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  New  York  Harbor,  June  13,  1865. 

For  some  time  after  his  return  to  Hyde  Park, 
Major  Blair  was  unable  to  engage  in  business  of 
any  kind,  but  as  soon  as  he  had  sulificiently  re- 
gained his  health,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  Wells  and  commenced  in  the  insurance  and 
real  estate  business  here.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
alderman  from  the  fifth  ward  on  the  Republican 
ticket,  serving  a  term  of  five  years.  In  1881  and 
1886  he  was  re-elected  to  the  office.  Through  a 
change  in  the  law  his  term  did  not  expire  until 
June  5,  1892,  at  which  time  he  was  again  chosen 
for  the  position,  to  serve  until  April,  1897.  His 
tenure  of  office  has  been  longer  than  that  of  any 
other  alderman  in  the  city.  His  office  is  lo- 
cated at  No.  102 1  Scranton  Street,  while  his  resi- 
dence is  at  No.  146  South  Main  Avenue.     While 


he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  stanch  in  his  advo- 
cacy of  party  principles,  in  his  official  position,  he 
strives  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  peo- 
ple, regardless  of  party,  and  is  regarded  as  a  just, 
impartial  and  accommodating  man. 

At  Summit  Hill,  Carbon  County,  Major  Blair 
married  Miss  Hattie  Phillips,  who  was  born  in 
Nesquehoning,  Carbon  County,  Pa.,  but  was 
reared  in  this  county.  Her  father,  Hon.  Thomas 
Phillips,  now  deceased,  was  a  well  known  min- 
ing engineer  and  for  some  time  was  connected 
with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Company.  Major  Blair  and  his  wife  lost  one 
daughter,  Annie  V.,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  are 
the  parents  of  four  living  children:  L.  Augusta, 
Thomas  A.,  Edith  Wynn  and  M.  L.,  Jr.  Fra- 
ternally the  Major  is  connected  with  Hyde  Park 
Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  a  member  of 
Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R. 
After  the  war  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
staff  of  Gen.  E.  S.  Osborne,  commander  of  the 
Ninth  Division,  Pennsylvania  National  Guard, 
and  held  the  rank  of  major  and  paymaster  for 
eight  years,  until  the  law  went  into  effect  calling 
for  re-organization.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Simp- 
son Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he 
has  been  trustee. 


CHARLES  THOMPSON,  M.  D.,  who  is  a 
practicing  physician  and  proprietor  of  a 
drug  store  at  No.  643  East  Market  Street, 
Scranton,  was  born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  May  12, 
1844,  the  son  of  John  I.  and  Phoebe  J.  (Sayres) 
Thompson,  natives  respectively  of  Ulster  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  New  Jersey.  His  father,  who  was  a 
stationary  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  accompanied 
them  to  Carbondale  in  an  early  day  and  there 
married.  In  1868  he  came  to  Scranton  and  took 
a  position  as  engineer  in  the  Dodge  breaker  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany, later  was  in  their  employ  in  the  Bellevue 
mines  until  his  retirement.  He  is  still  living  in 
Scranton,  in  Hampton  .Street,  and  is  quite  hale 
for  one  of  eighty-two  years.  Flis  wife,  who  was  a 
devoted  Christian  and  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  died  in  this  city  in  Decern- 


//- 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


her,  1892,  aged  seventy-fdur.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jolin  Sayrcs,  who  brought  liis  family  from 
New  Jersey  to  Carljondale  in  an  early  day. 

The  family  of  hdni  1.  rhomjison  consisted  of 
seven  children,  but  onl\-  three  attained  mature 
years  and  one  son  and  daughter  are  now  living. 
Charles  was  reared  in  Carbondalc.  then  an  in- 
significant \illage  with  few  indications  of  its 
present  i)o|)ulaiion  and  ]iros]ierfty.  His  educa- 
tion was  limited,  for  he  was  obliged  to  become 
self-supporting  at  an  early  age,  and  the  success 
which  he  has  attained  is,  in  view  of  this  circum- 
stance, the  more  conmiendable.  When  twelve 
years  of  age  he  began  to  work  on  the  Delaware 
&:  H^udspn  Railroad  and  later  held  the  position 
of  brakeman  on  the  Gravity.  In  1867  he  came 
to  Scranton  as  stationary  engineer  in  the  em])loy 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  at  the 
Dodge  breaker,  and  continued  there  and  in  other 
places  with  the  same  company  for  sixteen  years. 

Meantime  our  subject  had  studied  pharmacy 
with  D.  J.  Tliomas  and  in  1883  he  resigned  as  en- 
gineer in  (irder  to  embark  in  the  drug  business, 
which  he  did  at  once,  opening  a  store  in  Hamp- 
ton Street.  One  year  later  he  located  at  No.  508 
South  Alain  Avenue  and  remained  there  until 
1890,  when  he  sold  out  to  D.  M.  Jones,  the  pres- 
ent proprietor  of  that  store.  In  1891  he  entered 
the  MedicoChirurgical  College  of  Philadelphia, 
where  he  graduated  three  years  later  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  Returning  to  Scranton,  he  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  North  Alain  Avenue,  Provi- 
dence, for  ten  months,  and  in  June  of  1895  opened 
an  office  at  his  ])resent  location.  No.  643  East 
Market  Street,  Green  Ridge,  where  he  also  has 
established  the  first  drug  business  in  that  street. 
He  takes  an  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to 
medicine  and  pharmacy,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Pharmaceutical  Association. 

The  ])roblems  affecting  otu'  natioii.il  welfare 
have  received  thoughtful  allenlinn  fi-imi  Dr. 
Thoi'npson,  who  believes  iirnil\  in  the  principles 
of  the  Re]niblican  party,  lie  is  a  member  of  the 
I£lectric  City  Union,  r.r.incli  of  the  lupiitable 
Aid,  in  which  he  is  medical  examiner.  His  first 
marriage,  which  took  place  in  Waymart,  united 
him  with  Miss  Ella  Schoonover,  who  w;is  born  in 


1  lawley.  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  George  Schoon- 
over, a  farmer  there.  She  died  in  Scranton,  hav- 
ing been  the  mother  of  three  children:  Mary  A., 
wife  of  Charles  I'Vost,  of  Binghamton;  Ella  M., 
who  died  at  fourteen  years,  and  Charles  A.,  who 
died  in  infancy.  The  present  wife  of  Dr.  Thomp- 
son was  Miss  Ella  AlacArthur,  who  was  born  in 
this  city,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  MacArthur. 
an  employe  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Scran- 
ton, having  come  here  when  it  was  a  wilderness. 
Four  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Thompson,  and  of  these  two  are  living. 
Warren    E.   and   Blanche  E. 


JACOB  D.  CLARK  has  resided  in  Scranton 
since  this  now  flourishing  city  was  a  very 
small  village  and  has  established  a  business 
in  the  wholesale  and  retail  cigar  trade.  He  was 
born  in  Phillipsburg,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  June 
14,  1835,  and  was  only  one  year  old  when  his  par- 
ents, Eleazar  and  .-Xnna  (Lippincott)  Clark,  re- 
moved to  Easton,  Pa.,  Intt  after  a  short  sojourn 
there  went  to  Honesdale,  Wayne  Countv.  In 
the  latter  place  his  boyhood  years  were  passed. 
At  an  early  age  he  became  self-supporting,  and 
in  youth  learned  the  cigar  maker's  trade,  which 
has  been  his  occupation  throughout  life. 

October  i,  1854,  Mr.  Clark  came  to  Scranton 
and  secured  employment  with  W.  J.  Walker, 
who  sent  out  the  first  tobacco  and  cigar  traveling 
salesmen  from  this  place,  and  the  first  cigars 
made  in  Scranton  were  manufactured  by  our  sub- 
ject. .-\fter  a  year  or  more  the  latter  purchased 
his  employer's  business  and  this  he  has  since 
managed  and  conducted,  being  in  business 
alone  most  of  the  time.  He  is  thoroughly  famil- 
iar with  all  the  details  connected  with  the  busi- 
ness, is  an  ex])ert  in  judging  the  cpiality  of  cigars, 
.inil  is  known  as  a  reliable  business  man.  Hav- 
ing engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  trade 
since  1856,  he  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  business 
Uicn  of  the  city  and  ranks  among  tlu'  well  known 
])ioneers   in   his   line. 

The  marriage  of  .Mr.  Clark,  which  occurred  in 
iX^L,  uniUMJ  him  witii  Loretta  A.  Reed,  member 


(;i';()R(;k  f.  kkklow. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


775 


of  an  old  faruily  of  Hyde  Park,  Scranton.  They 
are  the  parents  of  three  children,  Alta  Lynn, 
Charles  and  Anna,  all  of  whom  are  with  their 
parents.  While  upon  national  issues  Mr.  Clark 
favors  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
yet  he  is  inclined  to  be  liberal  in  local  matters, 
voting  for  the  man  wdioni  he  believes  to  be  best 
qualified  for  any  particular  office,  without  regard 
to  his  political  belief.  For  himself  he  has  never 
sought  office.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
Peter  Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  this 
citv. 


GEORGE  F.  KELLOW.  The  position  of 
alderman  is  one  which,  to  a  conscientious 
man,  carries  with  it  many  responsibili- 
ties and  important  duties.  This  fact  is  appreciated 
by  no  one  mone  than  by  Mr.  Kellow,  who  repre- 
sents the  fourteenth  ward  of  Scranton  in  this 
office.  He  is  fitted  for  the  position,  not  only  by 
his  long  interest  in  and  identification  with  the 
progress  of  the  place,  but  also  by  reason  of  his 
ability,  energy  and  perseverance.  It  has  been  his 
aim,  since  entering  upon  the  position,  to  en- 
courage such  measures  as  will  best  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  constituents,  and  in  this  endeavor 
he  has  been  quite  successful. 

Born  in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  July 
1 6,  1849,  ^^^-  Kellow  is  of  English  ancestry.  His 
father,  Thomas,  who  was  a  son  of  John  Kellow, 
a  farmer,  was  born  in  Endellion,  England,  in 
1810,  and  his  wife,  Bridget  Cox,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  locality  as  himself.  For  a  time  he  fol- 
lowed the  mason's  trade  in  England,  but  after  the 
birth  of  two  children,  he  and  his  wife  came  to 
America  and  in  1832  settled  in  Honesdale,  Pa., 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  mason  and  general 
contractor.  He  died  in  that  place  in  1851,  when 
forty-one  years  of  age.  His  widow  reared  their 
family  of  nine  children  and  died  in  1866,  aged 
fifty-six  years.  In  religious  belief  she  was  a 
Methodist  and  she  carried  into  her  everyday  life 
the  principles  of  her  faith,  being  tenderly  devoted 
to  her  family  and  obliging  and  kind  to  those  in 
need. 

Of  the  family  of  nine,  five  sons  now  survive, 
George   F.  being  the  youngest  of  the   number. 


He  has  two  brothers  in  .Scranton:  David,  a  car- 
penter, and  Richard,  roadniaster  on  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  road.  .-Vnother  brother,  Capt. 
William  KelUnv,  who  was  corporal  of  Companv 
C,  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  captain  of 
Company  B,  Thirteenth  Regiment  Pennsylvania 
National  Guard,  was  formerly  a  well  known  poli- 
tician of  Scranton  and  for  fifteen  years  was  select 
councilman  from  the  sixteenth  ward.  He  was 
foreman  in  the  shops  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company  for  twenty-seven 
years,  until  his  death  in  March,  1895.  Two 
brothers,  John  ami  Thomas,  reside  near  Hones- 
dale. John,  now  a  farmer,  was  captain  of  a  com- 
pany in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Regiment, 
or  Second  Heavy  Artillery,  during  the  Civil  War. 

In  1868,  about  two  years  after  his  mother's 
death,  the  subject  of  this  record  came  to  Scran- 
ton and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company,  under  his 
brother  William.  When  the  latter  was  trans- 
ferred to  tlie  other  shop,  in  1888,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  foreman,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  hold  until  he  resigned  to  become  alder- 
man. He  understood  every  department  of  the 
work  and  had  under  his  charge  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  men.  With  the 
exception  of  another  foreman,  he  was  the  oldest 
man  in  the  company's  employ,  and  his  long  rec- 
ord of  faithful  service  speaks  volumes  for  his 
energy,  honesty  and  ability. 

Firmly  believing  in  the  principles  for  which 
the  Republican  party  stands,  Mr.  Kellow  gives  it 
his  allegiance  and  its  candidates  his  vote.  In 
1896  he  was  elected  alderman  of  the  fourteenth 
ward  on  the  Republican  ticket,  receiving  a  ma- 
jority of  thirty-five  in  a  strong  Democratic  ward 
and  being  the  only  member  of  his  party  who  was 
successful  in  that  ward.  He  was  elected  Febru- 
ary 18  and  took  the  oath  of  office  May  6,  being 
commissioned  by  Governor  Hastings  to  office 
for  a  term  of  five  years.  He  has  been  active  in 
city  and  county  conventions,  and  for  three  terms 
of  one  year  each  was  in  the  common  council 
from  the  fourteenth  ward. 

In  .Scranton  Mr.  Kellow  married  Elizabeth 
Weinschenk,  daughter  of  Anthony  Weinschenk, 
who  was  for  some  years  foreman  of  the  Lacka- 


77^ 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wanna  Iron  &  Steel  foundry  in  this  city.  They 
are  the  parents  of  six  children:  Herbert  F.,  a 
confectioner  and  cigar  dealer  here;  Jessie  May: 
Harry;  Grace,  who  died  at  nine  years;  Maud 
and  Marie.  The  family  attend  the  Simpson 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  which  they  be- 
long. Fraternally  Mr.  Kellovv  is  associated  with 
the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  and  Nay- 
Aug  Council  No.  344,  American  Mechanics. 


PATRICK  E.  SPELLMAN,  special  officer 
for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad  at 
their  depot  in  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Honesdale,  Pa.,  February  12,  1849,  ^nd  is  of 
Irish  parentage  and  descent.  His  father,  Mich- 
ael Spellman,  son  of  William,  a  farmer,  was 
born  in  County  Sligo,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, meantime  working  on  the  home  farm  and 
learning  the  trade  of  stone  mason.  After  his 
marriage  to  Ellen  Helena,  a  native  of  the  County 
Mayo,  in  1847  he  came  to  America  and  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Honesdale  and  Carbondale 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  construction  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  his 
work  being  principally  on  aqueducts.  In  May, 
1854,  he  came  to  Scranton  with  William  J.  Mor- 
gan, working  under  the  superintendence  of 
James  Archbald,  chief  engineer,  in  the  employ 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Rail- 
road. He  retired  from  active  work  in  1885  and 
has  since  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Scran- 
ton. Of  his  children,  William  H.,  formerly  as- 
sistant train  dispatcher  for  the  Panhandle,  was 
killed  in  Pittsburg;  Michael  F".  is  lieutenant  of 
police  in  Scranton;  Annie,  wife  of  P.  F.  May, 
also  resides  here. 

When  five  years  of  age  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  brought  b}-  liis  pare^nls  to  Scranton, 
where  he  attended  the  public  and  parochial 
schools,  the  latter  being  conducted  by  Father 
Whittle  and  situated  on  the  corner  of  Franklin 
Avenue  and  Spruce  Street.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
he  began  to  work  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  coal 
department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  and  later  was  employed  in  the 
mines.  In  1864  he  joined  the  government  con- 
struction corps  under  Captain  Buzzard  of  Scran- 


ton and  went  south,  accompanying  General  Sher- 
man on  his  march  from  Tennessee  through 
Georgia  to  Atlanta  and  the  sea,  then  returning 
through  the  Carolinas  to  Murfreesboro,  Tenn., 
where  supplies  were  cut  off  during  the  engage- 
ment between  Generals  Thomas  and  Hood  for 
three  days  and  the  men  were  held  on  short  ra- 
tions. He  also  stood  under  the  memorial  apple 
tree  three  days  after  the  surrender  of  General 
Johnston  to  General  Sherman.  He  viewed  the 
Anderson  (Georgia)  prison  and  Libby  prison  in 
Richmond,  Va.,  and  witnessed  the  evacuation  of 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  after  the  Union  troops  had  fired  the 
city  and  left  it  to  the  mercy  of  the  flames.  An  im- 
portant incident  of  his  life  at  the  front  happened 
when  he  was  in  the  Carolina  pinery,  nine  miles 
from  Raleigh.  He  viewed  the  destruction  of  a 
gin  and  rosin  pile  twenty  feet  in  altitude  and  cov- 
ering nearly  an  acre  of  land.  The  rosin  had  been 
ignited  by  a  straggling  soldier  while  cooking  his 
noonday  meal  and  he  never  knew  he  did  it. 
During  this  time  he  saw  the  rebel  generals  John- 
ston, Beauregard,  Longstreet,  Hood,  and  others, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C,  in  1865,  after  the  signing  of 
the  declaration  of  peace.  He  was  also  in  the  bay 
on  the  steamship  "Baltic"'  immediately  after  the 
surrender  of  Ft.  Fisher  and  later  visited  the  fort. 
In  June.  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  service  and  re- 
turned to  his  home. 

Resuming  work  in  the  coal  mines,  Mr.  Spell- 
man  remained  in  that  occupation  for  some  time. 
For  four  years  from  August  2,  1870,  he  was  an  all 
around  man  for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Express  Company,  and  for  twelve  years 
was  their  night  agent,  remaining  in  that  responsi- 
ble position  vmtil  the  company  sold  out  to  the 
LInited  States  Express  Company.  He  continued 
for  two  years  with  the  latter  concern,  making  in 
all  eighteen  years  in  the  express  business,  after 
which,  for  a  short  time,  he  was  general  foreman 
in  the  construction  of  the  street  railways.  Au- 
gust I,  1877,  he  stood  on  Lackawanna  Avenue, 
corner  of  Franklin  Avenue,  when  the  striking 
miners  were  shot  down  by  the  vigilance  commit- 
tee on  the  corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Wyoming 
Avenues.  He  saw  the  dead  and  wounded  lying 
on  the  street  and  Father  Dunn  administering  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


777 


rites  of  the  church  to  the  dying.  April  i,  1890, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Railroad  Company  as  special  officer  at  their 
depot,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since  been  em- 
ployed. 

By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  H.  Marren,  a 
native  of  Madison,  Ind.,  Mr.  Spellman  has  one 
son  living,  William  P.,  and  has  lost  by  death  two 
sons  and  a  daughter.  He  built  the  residence 
which  he  occupies  at  No.  942  Monsey  Avenue, 
and  has  also  erected  several  other  residences  in 
the  seventh  ward.  In  religion  he  is  connected 
with  the  Catholic  Church,  worshiping  at  St. 
Peter's  Cathedral,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Knights.  His  political  affiliations  are  with 
the  Democratic  party  and  upon  that  ticket  he 
was  elected  assessor  of  the  seventh  ward,  serving 
from  1883  to  1888.  In  the  latter  year  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  select  council  for  two 
years,  and  while  filling  that  position  served  on 
the  building  committee  during  the  erection  of 
the  city  hall.  He  has  also  been  connected  with 
the  city  and  county  committees,  and  has  rendered 
his  party  considerable  active  service. 


WILLIAM  R.  WILSON,  foreman  of  No. 
I  shaft  and  colliery  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company,  of  Dunmore, 
was  born  at  Eckington,  Derbyshire,  England, 
November  15,  1865.  His  grandfather,  Richard, 
was  engaged  in  coal  mining  at  Durham,  Eng- 
land, and  died  there  at  forty  years  of  age.  His 
father,  John,  was  born  near  Durham  and  was  en- 
gaged in  sinking  shafts  by  contract  there.  In 
November,  1879,  he  brought  his  family  to  this 
country  and  located  at  Wyoming,  Luzerne  Coun- 
ty, Pa.  He  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  business 
in  this  country  and  was  a  shaft  sinking  boss  for 
different  companies,  not  only  up  and  down  in 
this  valley,  but  out  in  western  Pennsylvania  as 
well.  He  married  Anna,  daughter  of  George 
Harrison,  a  farmer,  and  they  had  five  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living,  as  follows:  James  R., 
foreman  of  No.  2  shaft  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company;  Esther,  residing  in  Cambridge,  Mass.; 
George   H.,   with   the   Pennsylvania   Coal   Com- 


pany, in  Dunmore;    William  R. ;    and  Margaret 
in  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

William  R.  remained  in  England  until  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  this  country  in  1879  and  attended 
the  public  school  until,  when  but  nine  years  of 
age,  he  began  working  in  the  mines  as  driver  boy 
and  worked  there  until  coming  to  this  country, 
landing  in  New  York  on  his  fourteenth  birthday. 
He  immediately  came  to  this  valley  and  began 
working  in  the  Lehigh  Valley  mines  as  a  driver 
boy  inside  the  mine,  then  was  engaged  in  loading 
coal  at  the  Spring  Brook,  after  which  with  his 
father  and  brother  he  was  engaged  in  sinking 
and  opening  mines  for  different  companies. 
Among  others  may  be  mentioned  the  Schooly 
mines,  where  at  eighteen  years  of  age  he  had 
charge  of  a  shift;  the  Clear  Spring  mine  at  Pitt- 
ston,  and  the  Stermerville  mine  for  the  Lehigh 
Valley  Coal  Company.  He  then  went  to  Pitts- 
burg and  was  a  member  of  a  mine  engineers 
corps  for  a  year,  then  returned  and  was  again  en- 
gaged in  sinking  and  opening  mines  for  Hartley 
&  Marshall  at  Banksville,  then  for  John  R.  Davis 
at  Moosic  Mountain,  next  at  Gypsy  Grove,  then 
for  a  time  was  mining  at  No.  i,  after  which  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  foreman  for  B.  F.  Fillmore 
in  building  the  Scranton  Electric  Street  Railroad. 
He  then  again  went  back  to  sinking  shafts  for 
Robbins  &  Co.,  at  Glenshaw,  Pa.,  little  thinking 
that  he  would  one  day  be  boss.  Later  he  had 
charge  of  sinking  a  shaft  for  Calumet  Coal  Coke 
Company,  then  at  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  he  was  fore- 
man in  charge  of  digging  a  railroad  tunnel,  which 
occupied  nine  months,  after  which  he  went  to  Mc- 
Donnall  Station,  Pa.,  and  was  engaged  sinking 
a  shaft  for  Sortis  &  Pattison,  then  was  em- 
ployed at  Grindstone,  Pa.,  and  at  Bishop,  fifteen 
miles  from  Pittsburg,  at  the  same  occupation, 
after  which  he  went  to  New  York  and  was  fore- 
man in  an  iron  ore  mine.  He  then  returned  to 
Dunmore  and  after  working  awhile  at  No.  5, 
helped  open  two  drifts  at  the  Bunker  Hill  mine 
and  was  then  foreman  for  nearly  a  year.  On 
being  transferred  to  another  mine,  he  was  fore- 
man about  two  years  and  eight  months.  No- 
vember I,  1896,  he  was  made  mine  foreman  at 
No.  I  shaft  and  colliery,  and  since  that  date  has 
looked  after  the  interests  of  the  company  to  their 


7/8 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


entire  satisfaction,  and  being  one  of  the  best  in- 
formed men  in  mining  i?  well  fitted  for  tlic  po- 
sition. 

In  Green  Ridge  Mr.  Wilson  married  Miss 
Edith  S.  Matthews,  who  was  liorn  in  Providence. 
Her  father,  .Sidney  .Nfatthews.  is  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  since  coming  to  this  comitry  has  been 
a  locomotive  engineer  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson 
have  been  born  three  children.  In  the  spring  of 
1896  Mr.  Wilson  was  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
licans as  a  candidate  for  school  director  of  Dun- 
more,  and  in  the  election  was  given  the  largest 
majority  ever  obtained  by  a  Republican  in  the 
borough  of  Dunmore.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Mark's  Episcopal  Church,  and  fraternally  is  a 
member  of  King  Solomon  Lodge  Xo.  584,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  the  Dunmore  branch  of  the  Sons  of 
St.  George. 


CHARLES  WATRES.  a  well  known  citi- 
zen of  Scranton,  and  an  engineer  on  the 
Delaware  &  Lackawanna  Railroad,  is  a 
native  of  Lackawanna  County,  his  birth  Iiaving 
occurred  in  Mt.  \'ernon,  Blakely  Township,  De- 
cember 27,  1848.  His  father,  Lewis  S.  Watres, 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  influential  and 
prominent  citizens  of  Scranton,  while  his  mother 
was  a  poetess  of  much  ability,  known  as  "Stella 
of  the  Lackawanna,"  and  was  also  noted  for  her 
kindness  and  liljcrality.  She  was  a  sister  of  Dr. 
Horace  Hollister  and  Herschel  Hollister.  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Lackawanna  Count>-,  who 
are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Our  sub- 
ject is  next  to  the  oldest  in  a  family  of  four  chil- 
dren, the  others  being  Mrs.  John  L.  Hull;  Hon. 
Louis  A.  Watres,  ex-lieutenant  governor  of 
Pennsylvania;  and  Carrie  W'.,  wife  of  Judge  Ed- 
ward C.  Lovell,  of  Elgin,  111.  A  more  extended 
mention  of  the  family  is  given  in  the  sketch  of 
Hon.  Louis  A.  Watres  on  another  page  of  this 
volimie. 

Until  1 86 1  Charles  Watres  remained  in  ^It. 
Vernon,  where  he  attended  the  district  schools, 
and  later  pursued  his  studies  in  Archbald  and 
Scranton,  removing  to  the  last  named  place  in 
1865.     Two  years  later  he  became  fireman  on  the 


road  with  which  he  is  still  connected,  and  in 
.Vpril,  1869,  was  promcjted  to  be  engineer,  now- 
serving  as  extra  passenger  engineer  with  head- 
quarters at  Scranton.  his  residence  being  at  Xo. 
916  .Mulberry  Street.  .Always  careful  and  watch- 
ful, he  has  proved  one  of  the  most  trusted  em- 
ployes of  the  road  and  has  the  high  regard  of  the 
officials,  as  well  as  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all 
who  know  liim. 

<  )n  the  i6th  of  May,  1871,  in  Corbettsville, 
ISroome  County,  X.  Y.,  Mr.  Watres  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Aliss  Rebie  E.  Soules,  who  was 
born  near  Rrantford,  Ontario,  Canada.  Her 
father,  John  Soules,  a  native  of  X'ova  Scotia,  set- 
tled near  P.rantford,  where  he  engaged  in  cabinet 
making  until  called  from  this  life  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  He  was  of  English  origin. 
His  wife,  Eliza  (Sturges)  Soules,  was  born  in 
Brantford,  Ontario,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Sturges,  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  whose 
father.  Captain  Sturges,  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  under  Wasliington.  The  Captain 
with  his  family  emigrated  to  Canada  at  an  early 
day,  and  he  and  his  children  located  on  farms 
near  Brantford  in  the  tnidst  of  the  forest.  Three 
years  later  \\'illiam  Sturges  with  his  wife  and 
baby  returned  to  I^hiladelphia  on  horseback  to 
see  her  mother,  of  whom  they  had  heard  nothing 
for  a  year,  and  whom  they  found  dead.  In  the 
same  manner  they  returned  to  their  Canadian 
liome. 

Mrs.  Watres  is  the  youngest  of  eleven  children 
who  reached  maturity,  namely:  Rachel,  who 
died  in  the  west;  William,  who  died  in  Canada; 
.Simon,  a  resident  of  Michigan,  who  was  in  the 
I'nion  army  during  the  Civil  W'ar;  Jane,  who 
died  in  Canada;  Mary,  who  still  makes  her  home 
in  that  country;  James,  a  resident  of  Illinois; 
Maria,  who  died  in  Texas ;  Wilson,  a  locoiuotive 
engineer  living  in  Galesburg,  ill. ;  Peter,  who  was 
a  member  of  a  Michigan  regiment  during  the 
Rebellion,  and  died  in  Kansas;  and  Silas,  now  a 
physician  of  Hudson,  Mass.,  who  was  also  a 
member  of  a  .Michigan  regiment  in  the  same 
struggle.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  one 
son,  Lewis  S.,  an  electrician,  who  is  now  super- 
intendent of  the  Jirookside  Coal  Company  at 
Moosic,  Lackawanna  County. 


WILLIAM  H.  SEAMANS. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


781 


Mr.  Watres  is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  Locomotive  Engineers,  belonging  to  Samuel 
Sloan  Division  No.  276,  of  Scranton.  The  Re- 
publican party  finds  in  him  an  earnest  supjiorter, 
and  he  does  all  in  his  power  to  advance  its  in- 
terests. Mrs.  Watres  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  First  Church  of  Christian  Scientists  of 
Scranton,  and  for  a  time  was  a  member  of  its 
board  of  directors. 


^  T  71LLIAAI  H.  SEAAIANS.  No  name  is 
\/\/  more  faniiliarly  known  in  the  north- 
'  '  western  part  of  Lackawanna  County 
than  that  of  .Seamans,  and  it  is  so  thoroughly  in- 
terwoven with  the  history  of  this  section  that  ref- 
erence to  it  in  this  volume  is  very  appropriate. 
Brought  to  Abington  Township  by  his  parents 
in  early  childhood,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  wit- 
nessed the  development  of  a  farm  from  the  un- 
cleared wilderness  and  the  gradual  increase  in 
the  population  of  the  surrounding  country.  Now, 
when  near  the  sunset  of  his  life,  his  mind  reverts 
with  pleasure  to  the  scenes  of  early  days  and  the 
many  transformations  wrought  by  Father  Time, 
with  the  aid  of  the  pioneer's  good  right  arm. 

The  Seamans  family  originated  in  England. 
A  legend  of  the  family  told  to  Horace  Seamans 
by  George  B.  Seamans,  of  East  Pembroke,  Gene- 
see County,  N.  Y.,  is  as  follows:  King  James 
\  I  of  Scotland  became  James  I  of  England,  the 
family  name  being  Stuart.  The  family  were  ar- 
dent Catholics,  but  one  renounced  the  faith  and 
was  banished  to  \'irginia,  but  was  allowed  to 
take  his  money  and  other  treasure,  a  large 
amount  of  silver.  The  king  gave  him  a  grant 
of  land  in  the  new  coimtry,  on  part  of  which  now 
stands  Charleston.  This  man  had  a  wife  and 
three  sons.  Some  disease  incident  to  the  climate 
killed  him.  In  course  of  time  the  mother  again 
married,  and  at  her  death  her  second  husband 
became  guardian  of  the  three  boys.  He  married 
again  and  had  a  family,  the  mother  of  which  was 
very  an.xious  to  get  rid  of  the  Stuart  boys.  The 
stepfather  would  not  kill  them,  but  took  them  to 
the  sea  and  bribed  a  captain  to  take  them  to  the 
Plymouth  Rock  country  under  the  name  of  Sea- 
mans and  get  them  a  good  home  and  they  would 


be  [jrovided  for.  The  oldest  boy  knew  whv  he 
had  been  sent  away  and  when  he  became  of  age 
he  told  his  brothers  of  their  pro])erty  in  Virginia 
and  said  he  was  going  back  to  claim  it.  He  went 
on  a  vessel  that  was  never  heard  from  and  that 
is  supposed  to  have  sunk.  Two  years  later  the 
second  boy  made  a  similar  attempt,  but  the  ves- 
sel was  wrecked  and  only  two  were  saved  to  tell 
the  sad  tale  of  disaster.  The  third  boy  decided 
that,  as  both  of  his  brothers  had  lost  their  Hves 
in  the  attempt  to  claim  their  property,  he  would 
remain  in  the  Plymouth  Rock  country,  and  re- 
tain the  name  of  Seamans. 

John,  our  subject's  father,  was  a  son  of  John, 
Sr.,  and  was  born  in  Massachusetts.  Afterward 
he  removed  to  Rhode  Island  and  there  married 
Lovina  Potter,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  of 
.Scotch  descent,  and  the  daughter  of  Nathan  Pot- 
ter, a  Revolutionary  soldier.  Two  years  after 
the  birtli  of  their  son,  William  H.,  which  occurred 
November  14,  1815,  they  removed  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  settled  in  Abington  Township,  this 
county,  upon  an  unimproved  farm.  Here  the 
father  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  and  she 
one  month  after  his  demise,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one.  All  but  one  of  their  eleven  children  attained 
mature  years  and  four  are  now  living,  three  sis- 
ters and  one  brother. 

The  earliest  home  which  our  subject  remem- 
bers is  the  one  made  by  his  parents  in  this  coun- 
ty. His  father,  hoping  to  better  his  condition, 
had  made  freciuent  removals,  having  come  from 
Connecticut  to  this  county,  returned  to  the  Nut- 
meg State  two  years  later,  afterward  spent  one 
year  in  New  York  State,  next  going  back  to  his 
first  home,  and  later  again  removed  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. On  coming  here  with  his  wife  and  six 
children,  he  had  a  yoke  of  o.xen,  horse  and  wagon, 
and  six  cents  in  cash,  but  while  he  was  very  poor, 
he  was  industrious  and  made  a  living  for  his  fam- 
ily at  the  shoemaker's  trade  and  upon  his  farm. 
Learning  the  carpenter's  trade  in  youth,  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  our  subject  procured  lumber  and 
framed  a  Ijarn,  after  which  he  followed  the  oc- 
cupation oi  carpenter  for  a  time.  October  8, 
[843.  he  married  Miss  Junia  E.  Townsend,  who 
was  born  in  Pittston,  Pa.,  ^^larch  8,  1823,  and 
died   at  the   family   home   in   Benton   Township 


782 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


December  3,  1892,  mourned  as  a  noble  Christian 
woman,  a  true  wife  and  devoted  mother.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Polly  (Osterhout) 
Townsend,  who  were,  it  is  thought,  born  in  New 
Jersey,  and  both  died  here  in  advanced  years. 

The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seamans  was 
John,  born  July  20,  1844,  who  was  killed  by  the 
cars  February  4,  1891,  being  at  the  time  a  county 
officer.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1867,  with 
Martha  J.  Green,  daughter  of  Lyman  Green, 
and  a  refined  and  cultured  lady.  One  son  was 
bom  of  this  union,  Harry  W.,  July  13,  1874,  a 
young  man  of  great  promise  and  intelligence,  and 
a  graduate  of  Keystone  Academy  in  June,  1895. 
After  his  marriage  our  subject  settled  in  Benton 
Township,  purchasing  eighty-seven  and  one-half 
acres,  to  which  he  added  by  subsequent  purchase 
until  his  landed  possessions  aggregated  several 
hundred  acres.  A  portion  of  his  property  is  val- 
uable coal  land.  In  former  years  he  had  con- 
tracts for  getting  out  railroad  timber  for  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Company.  His 
first  presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  General  Har- 
rison and  in  1856  he  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  has  since 
affiliated.  In  religious  belief  he  holds  to  the  Uni- 
versalist  faith.  At  his  pleasant  home,  with  his 
daughter-in-law  and  grandson,  the  evening  of 
his  days  is  being  happily  passed  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  rest  earned  by  years  of  devotion  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs. 


EA.  ATHERTON.  The  f^rst  of  the  Ath- 
crton  family  who  settled  in  America 
•  was  Col.  Humphrey  Atherton,  a  native 
of  Dorchester,  England,  who  early  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  was  made  a  member  of  artillery 
and  afterward  became  its  captain.  At  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Indian  War,  about  1637,  he  came 
to  America,  where  he  was  colonial  representative 
for  nine  years  and  major-general  in  charge  of 
colonial  forces.  He  died  in  1661.  His  family 
consisted  of  ten  children,  who  scattered  and  be- 
came the  founders  of  numerous  branches. 

Cornelius,  the  second  lineal  descendant  of 
Humphrey,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1736 
and  resided  near  Boston,  where  he  worked  in  an 


armory  belonging  to  Samuel  Adams  and  made 
guns  for  the  Revolution.  During  the  war  for  in- 
dependence the  armory  was  burned  by  the  Brit- 
ish. While  residing  there  his  son  went  to  school 
with  John  Quincy  Adams.  Afterward  he  moved 
to  West  Point,  and  while  there  the  "Vulture,"  a 
British  man-of-war,  anchored  near  by  for  the 
purpose  of  receiving  the  American  garrison 
which  Arnold,  the  traitor,  had  designed  to  deliver 
to  Major  Andre  for  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
pounds  and  a  general's  commission.  While  the 
"Vulture"  lay  in  wait  for  the  return  of  Major 
Andre,  Cornelius  Atherton,  knowing  it  to  be  the 
enemy's  fleet  procured  an  old  cannon,  drew  it 
upon  a  height  overlooking  the  river  and  fired 
upon  the  vessel.  The  second  shot  took  effect  and 
compelled  the  ship  to  weigh  anchor  and  proceed 
down  the  river.  Arnold's  plot  failing.  Major  An- 
dre made  haste  to  reach  the  vessel  and  escape. 
Not  finding  the  ship  he  procured  a  horse  and 
rode  down  the  river,  but  coming  in  contact  with 
Washington's  pickets  was  captiired  and  suffered 
death  as  a  spy.  Had  it  not  been  for  Mr.  Ather- 
ton's  efforts  his  treason  would  never  have  been 
known.  E.  A.  Atherton,  of  Glenburn,  who  fur- 
nished the  data  for  this  sketch,  has  a  sworn  state- 
ment of  these  facts. 

In  1761  Cornelius  Atherton  married  Mary 
Delano,  who  died  in  1774,  having  had  nine 
children.  From  West  Point  he  moved  to  New 
Jersey,  thence  to  Shawnee,  Wyoming  County, 
Pa.,  and  was  living  there  at  the  time  of  the  mas- 
sacre in  1778.  As  the  time  for  the  battle  ap- 
proached his  eldest  son,  Jabez,  eighteen  years  of 
age,  begged  his  father  to  let  him  go  in  his  place, 
as  the  father's  death  would  leave  the  family  des- 
titute. The  son  went,  was  killed,  and  his  name 
now  heads  the  list  on  the  W'yoming  monument. 
When  the  news  of  defeat  reached  the  settlement 
Cornelius  tore  up  the  floors  in  his  log  house  and 
made  a  raft,  upon  which  he  placed  the  women 
and  children  and  a  few  necessities.  They  floated 
down  the  Susciuehanna  River  to  Nanticoke, 
while  the  two  remaining  boys,  John  and  Eleazer, 
drove  the  horses  and  cattle  to  a  place  of  safety. 
At  Nanticoke  they  were  met  by  other  refugees. 
A  company  was  organized  and  all  that  remained 
of  a  once  prosperoits  settlement  fled  over  moun-  . 


PORTR.'MT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


783 


tain  and  stream,  through  one  of  the  wildest  re- 
gions of  Pennsylvania  to  New  Jersey.  On  the 
way  a  woman  fell  exhausted,  unable  to  walk  fur- 
ther. Mrs.  Atherton,  who  was  sick  at  the  time, 
was  riding  an  old  horse,  and  the  woman  was 
placed  behind  her,  but  the  burden  was  too  great 
for  the  animal  and  he  sank  to  the  ground.  The 
men,  already  overburdened,  made  a  stretcher  of 
poles  and  boughs  and  carried  her  to  New  Jersey. 
They  camped  at  night  in  the  woods  and  subsisted 
on  berries,  with  rye  flour  made  into  mush  and 
eaten  with  milk  obtained  from  the  cows  they 
were  driving.  After  a  heart-broken  and  tedious 
journey  thev  arrived  at  a  place  of  safety  in  New- 
Jersey. 

When  peace  was  declared  Cornelius  came  back 
with  his  sons,  John  and  Eleazer,  and  bought  five 
hundred  acres  of  land,  where  now  stands  the  bor- 
ough of  Tavlor,  Lackawanna  County.  The  sons 
settled  upon  the  land,  while  the  father,  who 
had  lost  his  first  wife,  went  to  Bainbridge, 
Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  and  married  a  Miss 
Johnson  in  1786,  having  seven  children  by  that 
union.  He  died  there  December  4,  1809.  His 
career  was  a  remarkable  one,  and  he  was  a  man 
of  strong  traits  of  character.  He  was  very  in- 
genious, and  not  only  made  guns,  but  also  the 
first  pair  of  clothier's  shears  ever  made  in  Amer- 
ica. He  discovered  the  secret  of  making  steel 
and  entered  into  a  contract  with  Messrs.  Reed, 
iron  manufacturers,  of  New  York,  to  convert  a 
certain  amount  of  iron  into  steel  for  them,  but 
their  failure  in  business  soon  afterward  prevented 
the  contract  from  being  carried  out.  A  copy  of 
this  contract  is  on  file  in  the  records  of  the  Genea- 
logical Society  of  History  and  Science  in  the  city 
of  Scranton.  He  was  a  believer  in  future  punish- 
ment, but  thought  it  would  be  of  a  disciplinar}' 
nature  and  not  eternal,  and  that  all  would  even- 
tuallv  be  brought  to  a  state  of  happiness  in  the 
future.  He  frequently  held  meetings  where  he 
read  sermons  and  exhorted  men  to  lead  a  Chris- 
tian life. 

Eleazer  A.  Atherton,  our  subject's  father,  was 
bom  in  1764.  He  commenced  to  clear  his  land 
in  Lackawanna  County  about  1784  and  for  three 
years  lived  alone  in  the  woods.  It  is  said  of  him 
that  at  one  time  he  walked  one  hundred  miles 


to  see  his  sweetheart  in  New  Jersey.  In  1790 
he  married  Martha  Kanaan,  who  was  born  in 
New  Jersey  in  1773,  and  with  whom  he  lived  on 
the  same  farm  for  sixty  years.  To  this  place  he 
brought  his  wife  and  all  her  earthly  possessions 
on  the  back  of  one  horse,  he  walking  by  her  side. 
lie  opened  the  first  vein  of  coal  along  the  Lacka- 
wanna River  and  drew  coal  on  sleds  to  Bing- 
hamton,  N.  Y.,  in  the  winter.  Accumulating  a 
valuable  property,  he  built  a  large  mansion, 
which,  though  seventy  years  old  (1896),  is  in  good 
repair.  His  family  consisted  of  nine  children. 
Two  daughters,  Martha  and  Mary,  died  young. 
The  two  eldest,  Thomas  and  Margaret,  never 
married.  Elisha  married  Catharine  Delts,  but 
had  no  children.  Sarah,  Mrs.  Elisha  Blackman, 
had  one  son,  but  he  died  young.  Joseph  married 
Phebe  Vosburg  for  his  first  wife  and  later  mar- 
ried Harriet  Merchant,  having  three  children  by 
each  marriage.  John  and  his  wife,  Rebecca  Skin- 
ner, had  three  children,  William,  Augusta  and 
Margaret,  who  attained  maturity.  Eleazer  A. 
chose  as  his  wife  Phebe  Lewis,  daughter  of  Jo- 
siah  Lewis,  government  surveyor  and  descendant 
of  Chief  Justice  Lewis,  who  occupied  that  posi- 
tion during  the  administration  of  George  Wash- 
ington. E.  A.  Atherton  and  his  wife  had  six  chil- 
dren who  attained  mature  years:  Anna  M., 
Louise  E.,  William  L.,  Thomas  E.,  James  May 
and  Ellen  May  (twins). 

Eleazer  Atherton  was  a  teetotaler,  strongly  op- 
posed to  the  drink  habit  and  to  the  use  of  tobac- 
co. In  early  life  he  was  inclined  to  Universalism, 
but  later  experienced  a  change  of  heart  and  unit- 
ed with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Ever  after- 
ward he  was  a  faithful  follower  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  a  great  Bible  reader.  The  writer  has 
seen  him  many  times,  after  he  became  very  deaf, 
standing  in  the  pulpit,  beside  the  minister,  with 
ear  trumpet  in  hand,  listening  with  great  eager- 
ness to  the  preached  word.  He  died  March  3, 
1852,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  three 
months,  and  was  buried  in  Taylor,  Lackawanna 
County.  His  wife,  Martha  Kanaan,  is  said  to 
have  been  very  handsome  in  her  youth,  and  was 
greatly  beloved  by  her  acquaintances  for  her 
sweet  and  loving  disposition.  Early  in  life  she 
gave  evidence  of  having  received  that  spiritual 


784 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


change  necessary  to  salvation,  and  was  always 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  her  Christian  du- 
ties. She  taught  the  first  Sunday-school  in  Lack- 
awanna County,  and  always  opened  the  scliool 
with  prayer.  In  her  connections  she  was  a  Bap- 
ti.st.  She  died  .May  31.  1859.  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven,  and  was  buried  by  the  side  of  her  husbantl 
at  Taylor. 

The  first  public  school  in  Lackawanna  was 
kept  in  1808  by  George  (lordon,  whose  mother 
was  a  sister  of  Eleazer  .\tlu'rton.  It  was  held  in 
the  latter's  barn.  The  teacher,  though  Inil  four- 
teen years  of  age,  had  a  certificate  from  Judge 
(iarricli  Mallory  of  the  Luzerne  County  courts, 
which  certified  that  he  understood  the  common 
English  branches  and  could  read  Latin.  He 
agreed  to  take  his  pay  the  next  fall  in  grain  de- 
livered at  HoUenbach's  mill,  near  Wilkesbarre. 
The  family  of  Eleazer  Atlierton  were  all  profes- 
sors of  religion,  and  it  may  truly  be  said  that  their 
walk  and  conversation  were  consistent  with  their 
professions.  Thomas,  who  was  born  in  1792  and 
died  in  1868,  was  a  great  statistician  and  could 
give  the  majorities  of  the  different  winning  polit- 
ical parties  from  his  boyhood  to  his  old  age.  Eli- 
sha  was  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  for 
many  years  and  a  director  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Pittston.  Joseph,  who  was  born  in  1800, 
was  an  invalid  for  some  years  before  his  death, 
in  1845.  John  M.,  w'ho  was  born  in  1808  and 
died  in  1878,  w-as  converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
and  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
which  he  was  an  active  member  until  his  death; 
like  his  father,  he  was  strongly  opposed  to  the 
use  of  liquor  and  tobacco. 

E.  A.  Atherton,  the  yoimgesl  member  of  the 
family  and  its  only  survivor,  was  burn  in  1816. 
He  united  with  the  Baptist  Clun-ch  in  early  life 
and  has  held  close  to  his  faitli  in  (iod  for  many 
years.  He  is  perhaps  better  informed  than  were 
his  brothers,  owing  to  some  e.xteiU  to  the  later 
age  in  which  he  lived.  A  strong  man  in  argu- 
ment, he  is  read\  ;it  all  times  to  dt'nounce  sin 
and  innuorality  wherever  found.  I  lis  religious 
experiences  have  been  deep  and  profound,  and 
have  largely  guided  ;ind  shaped  his  cliin-acter. 
He  has  served  two  terms  of  three  years  eacii  as 
register  of  wills  in  the  great  and  growing  county 


of  Lackawaiuia,  and  as  such  was  prominent  as 
being  the  embodiment  of  tnUh  and  justice  in  all 
of  his  decisions. 

Eleazer  A.  Atherton  was  married  in  1845  to 
Phebe  E.  Lewis,  daughter  of  Josiah  Lewis,  gov- 
ernment surveyor,  and  Margaret  Lewis,  nee  De- 
lanv;  and  granddaughter  of  William  Lewis,  of 
Philadelphia,  who  was  one  of  the  first  lawyers  of 
his  times.  He  was  adinitted  to  the  bar  in  1773. 
In  1787  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania legislature.  In  1789  he  was  re-elected,  and 
the  same  year  was  also  appointed  by  George 
Washington  United  States  attorney  for  the  dis- 
trict of  Pennsylvania.  In  1791,  he  was  made 
L'nited  States  judge  for  the  same  district.  This 
appointment,  in  George  Washington's  handwrit- 
ing, is  in  the  possession  of  one  of  the  members  of 
the  Lewis  family.  He  was  associated  with  all 
the  interests  of  the  new  born  republic,  and  even 
at  that  early  day,  took  some  steps  toward  the 
abolishment  of  slavery.  He  was  married  in  early 
life  to  Miss  Rosanna  Lort,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  two  daughters  and  Josiah,  the  only  son. 
His  second  wife  was  Frances  Burden.  The 
"Colonial  Dames"  records  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis 
as  frequent  guests  at  the  presidential  mansion 
during  the  presidency  of  George  Washington, 
and  especially  speaks  of  Mrs.  Lewis  as  an  Irish 
beauty,  who  from  the  social  life  abroad  to  which 
she  had  the  entree  as  daughter  of  Sir  John  Es- 
mond of  Huntingdon  Castle,  and  wife  of  Richard 
Durden,  brought  a  charm  and  grace  of  manner 
ecjual  to  her  beauty  into  the  republican  court  of 
Mrs.  Washington.  The  now  famous  Strawberry 
Hill  mansion,  situated  in  Fairmount  Park,  Phila- 
delphia, was  the  summer  home  of  William  Lewis. 


THOMAS  H.  WATTS.  TJic  business  of 
which  this  gentleman  is  the  head  and 
which  lias  been  successfully  conducted 
under  his  management  for  many  years  was,  in 
iSi)3,  incorporated  under  the  firm  name  of  The 
T.  H.  Watts  Company,  Limited.  Since  1889  the 
head(|uarters  oi  the  company  have  been  at  Nos. 
~2T,-~2^  West  Lackawanna  .Xvenue.  removal  hav- 
ing been  made  to  tiiis  place  on  account  of  rail- 
road facilities  afforded  here.     A  large  wholesale 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


785 


trade  in  flour  and  provisions  is  carried  on,  and 
the  market  of  northeastern  Pennsylvania  is  sup- 
plied with  the  products  of  the  best  flour  mills  of 
the  country,  among  them  the  Consolidated  Mill- 
ing Company  of  Minneapolis  and  R.  D.  Muh- 
bard  ^filling  Company  of  Mankato,  Alinn.  This 
is  the  largest  flour  house  in  the  city  and  one  of  the 
largest  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

The  Watts  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  origin. 
Henry  \\'atts,  our  subject's  father,  when  a  young 
man,  emigrated  to  .\merica,  settling  in  Carbon- 
dale  about  1848.  From  that  time  he  was  em- 
ployed as  coal  sales  agent  for  the  Delaware  &: 
Hudson  Canal  Company  until  his  death  in  1888, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  After  settling  in 
Carbondale,  he  married  Isabella  Miller,  whose 
parents  had  come  to  Carbondale  in  an  early  day: 
she  is  still  living  and  resides  in  Scranton.  ( )f 
seven  children,  all  but  one  are  living,  namely: 
William  J.,  of  Scranton,  manager  for  the  eastern 
half  of  Pennsylvania  of  the  Consolidated  Milling 
Company  of  Minneapolis:  Thomas  H.:  Frank 
D.,  of  the  firm  of  ^Miller  &  Watts,  wholesale 
meats  and  provisions,  in  Scranton:  George  A., 
bookkeeper  and  payniaster  for  the  Lackawanna 
Coal  Company  at  Olyphant:  Mary,  Mrs.  L.  .\. 
Roberts,  of  Carbondale:  and  Margaret,  who 
lives  in  Scranton. 

Born  in  Carbondale  in  1855.  the  subject  of  this 
article  in  1872  came  to  Scranton  as  an  employe 
in  the  freight  ofifice  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company.  Three  years  later  he  took  a 
position  with  Forrester  Brothers,  wholesale  flour 
dealers,  and  while  there  gained  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  that  line  of  business.  In  1880  he  began 
business  at  No.  22  Lackawanna  Avenue  and  five 
vears  later  removed  to  his  present  location. 
Since  the  incorporation  of  the  com])any,  he  has 
held  the  position  of  manager.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Scranton  Board  of  Trade  and  maintains  an 
interest  in  all  enterprises  for  the  benefit  of  the 
cit}". 

With  his  wife  and  son,  Henry,  Mr.  Watts 
makes  his  home  in  Glenburn,  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railro.-id.  Mrs.  Watts 
was  formerly  Aliss  Annie  Carling,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Louise  Carling,  early  settlers  of  Scran- 
ton.    In  1886  our  subject  was  elected,  on  the  Re- 


jnililican  ticket,  a  member  of  the  conuiion  council 
from  ilif  ninth  ward  and  served  for  liirec  terms, 
during  one  of  which  he  was  president  of  tiic 
council.  Many  inii)rovenients  were  eflfccled  dur- 
ing his  connection  with  the  council,  among  them 
the  introduction  of  electric  lights,  asiihalt  ])av- 
ing  and  city  sewerage. 


C"l..  I'lIILII-  J.  XMTTICK,  owner  and 
pniprietor  of  the  drug  store  at  No.  415 
I'enn  Avenue,  Scranton,  and  well  known 
as  lieutenant-colonel  of  i'atriarchs  Militant,  Ue- 
|)artmeiU  of  Pennsylvania,  I.  O.  O.  P.,  was  born 
in  Si.xth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  December  2-/. 
1854,  the  son  of  George  and  Barbara  (Kandel) 
\  etter,  natives  respectively  of  Xeustadt,  Bavaria, 
and  Em.skirchen,  Bavaria,  Germany.  His  father, 
who  was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  emigrated  to 
America  in  young  manhood,  and  worked  at  his 
trade  in  .\cw  York  City,  being  for  a  time 
in  the  employ  of  Steinway.  Soon,  however, 
he  started  in  business  for  himself  as  a  manu- 
facturer of  fine  furniture  in  Melrose,  and 
there  continued  until  his  death  in  1880,  at 
ilie  age  of  fifty-nine.  PVaternally  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Indei)endent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  various  (ierman  societies.  His  wife, 
\\  hom  he  married  in  New  York  City,  still  resides 
there.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children, 
of  whom  four  attained  years  of  maturity  and  two 
are  living. 

In  1861  our  subject  accompanied  his  parents 
in  their  removal  from  Houston  Street,  where 
they  resided  at  that  time,  to  Melrose,  New  York 
City,  and  there  he  was  the  recipient  of  public 
school  advantages.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
began  the  study  of  pharmacy  under  John  B. 
Eckl,  with  whom  he  thoroughly  learned  the  busi- 
ness. Coming  to  Scranton  in  1869,  he,  however, 
found  no  opening  as  a  pharmacist,  so  returned 
to  New  York,  resuming  work  with  Eckl  and  also 
studying  medicine  with  Dr.  Zcuchner.  In  1872 
he  entered  the  College  of  Pharmacy,  where  he 
took  two  courses  of  lectures,  and  in  1875  again 
came  to  Scranton,  tliis  time  meeting  with  more 
success  than  before.  He  engaged  as  pharmacist 
for  Dr.  Ladd  in  the  Star  Pharmacv  and  when  it 


786 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  sold  the  following  year  he  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  car  shops  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company.  In  1877  he 
opened  a  pharmacy  at  No.  417  Penn  Avenue, 
later  removed  his  store  to  No.  407  in  this  square, 
and  after  two  years,  having  purchased  and  re- 
modeled the  building  at  No.  415,  came  here, -and 
has  since  carried  on  a  large  retail  drug  business. 
He  is  registered  as  a  pharmacist  and  physician 
in  this  state,  but  confines  his  attention  to  the 
former,  never  having  entered  the  medical  prac- 
tice. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Perseverance  Club 
Colonel  Vetter  took  an  active  part,  and  for  the 
fourth  time  has  been  re-elected  its  president. 
This  is  the  home  office  and  he  is  therefore  at  the 
head  of  the  club,  which  has  a  membership  of 
about  two  thousand.  He  is  treasurer  of  Branch 
No.  I  of  the  Cosmopolitan  Building  Association 
of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  Interested  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  advancement  of  Scranton  and  the 
welfare  of  its  enterprises,  he  is  personally  con- 
nected with  the  Scranton  Axle  Works  and  the 
Scranton  Lace  Curtain  Manufacturing  Company. 
In  tliis  city  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ellen  Nolan, 
who  was  burn  in  Hastings,  England,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Philip  J.,  Jr., 
member  of  the  class  of  1897,  Scranton  high 
school;  William,  and  Catherine.  He  filled  the 
unexpired  term  of  Mr.  Chamberlain  as  member 
of  the  board  of  school  control  from  the  six- 
teenth ward. 

A  record  of  the  life  of  Colonel  Vetter  would  be 
incomplete  were  no  mention  made  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lov.'S.  April  10,  1882,  he  joined  Globe  Lodge 
No.  958,  and  in  July,  1882  entered  Scrantonia  En- 
campment No.  81.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
and  a  charter  member  of  the  Uniform  Degree 
Camp  No.  4  in  1883  and  became  its  caj)taiii. 
Later  it  was  merged  into  the  Patriarchs  Militant 
as  Canton  Scranton  No.  4,  and  he  was  transferred 
from  captain  to  assistant  surgeon  of  the  second 
regiment,  and  fnjui  that  was  promoted  t<i  chief 
of  staff  of  Brigadier-General  Deans,  witii  the  rank 
of  lieutenant-colonel,  which-  he  has  since  held. 
•He  is  past  officer  of  Globe  Lodge,  treasurer  and 
trustee  of  the  lodge,  representative  to  the  grand 


lodge,  past  officer  in  the  encampment  and  one  of 
its  trustees,  and  representative  to  the  grand  en- 
cam])mcnt  of  Pennsylvania,  and  district  deputy 
grand  patriarch  of  Lackawanna  County.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  connection  with  this  society,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  LTnion  Lodge 
of  ]\Iasons  and  the  IMaccabees.  In  the  English 
Lutheran  Church  in  Adams  Avenue  he  is  a 
charter  member  and  has  been  a  deacon;  before 
the  congregation  had  effected  its  organization, 
the  members  met  in  his  store,  and  in  the  work  of 
building  a  church  and  arousing  interest  in  the 
cause  he  was  the  prime  mover.  Since  1879  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  .State  Pharmaceutical 
Association  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  its 
meetings.  A  true  blue  Republican  in  politics, 
he  has  been  active  in  the  city  and  comity  commit- 
tees and  was  chairman  of  the  latter  at  the  time 
J.  H.  Scranton  received  the  nomination  in  1894. 
When  the  plan  of  separating  Lackawanna  from 
Luzerne  County  was  proposed,  he  was  active  in 
its  favor  and  his  enthusiasm  in  the  movement 
never  faltered,  in  spite  of  obstacles  and  discour- 
agements, and  at  last  he  was  rewarded  in  seeing 
the  formation  of  the  new  county. 


EDWARD  FARR,  who  has  been  a  resident 
of  Scranton  since  thS  fall  of  1856.  was 
born  in  Monmouthsliire,  South  Wales, 
April  8,  1827,  and  is  a  member  of  an  old  English 
family.  His  father,  Edward,  and  grandfather, 
who  bore  the  same  name,  were  born  in  liere- 
ford,  an  inland  county  in  the  west  of  England, 
and  by  occupation  the  latter  was  a  farmer,  the 
former  a  miner  and  a  dealer  in  produce.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary,  daughter  of 
James  Williams,  both  natives  of  Monmouthshire; 
Mr.  Williams,  who  owned  a  water  mill  in  his  na- 
tive place,  emigrated  to  America  in  middle  life 
and  died  in  Elyria,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
two.  Our  subject's  father  joined  his  children 
in  America  and  died  at  Mineral  Ridge,  Ohio,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight;  the  wife  and  mother 
died  in  Ohio  at  the  same  age  as  her  husband, 
and  her  funeral  was  attended  by  seventy-four  de- 
scendants. Nine  of  her  children  are  still  living,  of 
wiiom  the  eldest  is  seventy-five  and  the  youngest 
over  fifty. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


787 


The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  third  in 
order  of  birth  among  the  children  of  the  family, 
grew  to  manhood  in  Alonmoutlishire.  and  as 
there  were  no  free  schools  at  that  time  and  place 
he  was  prevented  from  enjoying  educational  priv- 
ileges. When  only  eight  years  of  age  he  began 
to  work  in  the  iron  ore  mines,  his  work  being  to 
push  ore  cars  from  the  dump  to  the  opening  of 
the  drift  or  the  foot  of  the  shaft.  After  some 
years  of  hard  labor  he  acquired  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  ore  mining  and  later  became  a  coal 
miner.  In  April,  1848,  he  went  from  Swansea  to 
Liverpool  and  there  took  passage  on  the  sailer, 
"Stephen  Baldwin,"  which  landed  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  after  a  voyage  of  five  weeks  and  three 
days.  While  sailing  on  the  broad  Atlantic  he 
celebrated  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of  his 
birth. 

Reaching  the  Lfnited  States,  the  young  man  at 
once  sought  employment  in  the  occupation  with 
which  he  was  most  familiar.  For  a  time  he 
worked  as  a  miner  at  Minersville,  Pa.,  then  at 
Bloomsburg  and  Summit  Hill.  Carbon  County. 
In  the  fall  of  1856  he  came  to  Scranton  and  for  a 
number  of  years  engaged  in  teaming,  after  which 
he  started  a  brickyard  on  what  is  known  as  Kel- 
ley's  patch.  Two  years  later  he  sold  out,  ex- 
changing the  property  for  a  hotel  in  North  Main 
and  opening  what  was  known  as  the  Fourth 
Ward  Hotel,  which  he  carried  on  for  eight  years. 
Removing  to  No.  1024  West  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue, he  conducted  Farr's  House  at  that  number 
for  twenty  years.  In  1891  he  sold  out  and,  in 
partnership  with  his  son,  Hon.  John  R.  Farr, 
built  a  store  at  No.  1026  West  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue, 25x200  feet  in  dimensions,  where  he  keeps  a 
stock  of  furniture  and  household  goods  and  also 
manufactures  mattresses  of  the  best  grades.  On 
the  first  floor  he  has  stoves  and  other  house  fur- 
nishing goods,  on  the  second,  carpets,  cloaks, 
suitings  and  clothing. 

While  living  in  Summit  Hill  Mr.  Farr  married 
Elizabeth  Dobbs,  who  was  born  in  Monmouth- 
shire and  died  in  Scranton.  Her  father,  Richard 
Dobbs,  was  a  business  man  and  successful  con- 
tractor of  Wales.  She  was  the  mother  of  four 
children,  namely:  Hon.  John  R.,  publisher  of 
the  "Courier  Progress"  of  Scranton,  a  successful 


newspaper  man  and  prominent  Republican  poli- 
tician, who  in  the  fall  of  1896  was  elected  for  his 
fourth  term  as  representative  of  the  first  legisla- 
tive district  of  this  county  in  the  state  legislature ; 
Catherine,  wife  of  Dr.  Fenton,  of  Wilkesbarre; 
Mary,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Jones,  of  Scranton;  and 
William,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Scranton 
Gas  &  Water  Company.  The  second  marriage 
of  Mr.  Farr  united  him  with  Mary  Ann  Griffiths, 
who  was  born  in  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Edward  and 
Gomar. 

During  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Farr  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  G,  Fifty-first  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  and  sen-ed  for  one  year,  taking  part  in 
many  important  engagements  up  to  and  includ- 
ing the  siege  of  Petersburg.  •  Through  meritori- 
ous service  he  won  the  commendation  of  his  of- 
ficers. At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  service.  At  one  time  he  was 
actively  connected  with  several  army  organiza- 
tions, but  has  withdrawn  from  all  but  the  Union 
Veteran  Soldiers'  Association.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  stanch  upholder  of  the  principles 
advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 


JL.  ATHERTON.  The  historical  record  of 
a  county  as  well  as  that  of  a  nation  is 
•  chiefly  the  chronicle  of  the  lives  and  deeds 
of  those  who  have  conferred  honor  and  dignity 
upon  society.  The  world  judges  the  character  of 
a  community  by  that  of  its  representative  citizens, 
and  yields  its  tribute  of  admiration  and  respect  for 
the  genius,  learning  or  virtues  of  those  whose 
works  and  actions  constitute  the  record  of  a 
county's  prosperity  and  pride;  and  it  is  their 
character  as  exemplified  by  probity  and  benev- 
olence, kindly  virtues  and  integrity  in  the  affairs 
of  life,  that  ever  affords  worthy  examples  for 
emulation  and  valuable  lessons  of  incentive. 
Among  the  representative  citizens  of  Scranton 
is  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch. 

Mr.  Atherton  was  born  in  1836,  in  what  is  now 
Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  a  son  of  Jona- 
than A.  Atherton,  whose  sketch  is  given  in  con- 
nection with  that  of  his  son,  H.  F.,  on  another 


788 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


page  of  this  work.  Our  subject  was  brought  to 
Hyde  Park  in  1838,  and  at  that  place  pursued  his 
studies  in  the  little  red  school  house.  In  1855 
he  removed  to  Sus<|uehanna  County,  where  for 
two  years  he  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  car- 
riages, hiring  expert  carriage  makers,  and  for  the 
following  eight  years  he  made  his  home  in  Mont- 
rose, residing  there  during  the  dark  days  of  the 
Rebellion.  He  became  a  mendjer  of  Company 
B,  Twenty-eighth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  \'ol- 
unteer  Militia,  and  on  the  second  emergency  call 
served  from  June  16  until  July  27,  1863. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Atherton  sold  oiU  his  lousi- 
ness at  Montrose  on  account  of  the  war,  and  in 
November,  1864,  came  to  Scranton  to  enter  the 
service  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
prnv,  by  which  he  has  since  been  employed. 
For  some  time  he  served  as  general  coal  inspect- 
or; in  1866  was  jiromoted  to  be  superintendent 
of  the  Grassy  Island  mines  at  Olyphant,  which 
he  opened  and  operated  for  two  or  three  years; 
was  then  made  superintendent  in  charge  of  the 
Olyphant  and  Grassy  Island  mines;  in  1872  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  Leggetts  Creek 
mines,  which  position  he  held  until  made  super- 
intendent of  the  Marvine  mines.  In  1882  he 
took  charge  of  the  Manville  mines  under  the  Del- 
aware &  Hudson  and  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Companies,  and  there  remained  until 
i8y2,  when  he  was  given  the  position  of  assistant 
outside  superintendent  of  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Canal  Company,  serving  under  A.  H.  \'and- 
ling,  superinteniK-iU,  until  January  I,  181^7,  when 
upon  the  resignation  of  that  gentleman,  C.  C 
Rose  was  appointed.  I  le  is  jirompt  and  re- 
liable in  the  discharge  of  every  duty,  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  company,  as 
well  as  the  respect  of  those  under  him. 

C)n  the  22d  of  J-'ebruary,  1857,  in  Montrose, 
Susf|uehanna  County,  .Mr.  Atherton  married  Miss 
Clara  L.  Bullard,  a  native  of  that  county,  and 
a  daughter  of  llezekiah  Bullard,  who  was  born 
in  West  .\'ortham])ton,  Mass.,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  181 2,  and  became  a  ])ioneer  settler 
of  Sus<|uehanna  County,  wdiere  he  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Matilda  Dean,  was  also  a  repre- 
sentative of  a  worthy  New  England  family.    Mrs. 


.Xtherton  died  on  the  12th  of  August,  1871,  leav- 
ing one  son,  Dolph  !'>.,  who  was  educated  in  Wy- 
oming Seminary,  and  is  now  the  efficient  secre- 
tary of  the  board  of  trade  of  Scranton.  He  is 
very  popular  and  a  most  promising  young  man, 
and  the  success  that  he  is  achieving  is  due  to  his 
own  energy  and  good  management.  In  Scran- 
ton, Mr.  Atherton  was  again  married,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Mrs.  Nellie  M.  (Frost)  Rlair, 
a  native  of  Boston,  r^Iass.  Her  father,  Samuel 
I'Yosl,  was  born  in  Charlestown  the  same  state, 
and  was  a  carriage  manufacturer  by  occupation, 
carrying  on  that  business  for  many  years  in 
-Springfield,  Mass.,  where  his  death  occurred.  He 
married  Miss  Dolly  Green,  a  native  of  Pepperell, 
Mass.  Airs.  Atherton,  a  most  estimable  lady, 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Boston  and  Spring- 
field. 

Religiously,  Mr.  Atherton  is  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church;  socially  is  connected 
with  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Provi- 
dence; and  politically  is  a  pronounced  Repub- 
lican. He  holds  membership  in  the  New  Eng- 
land Society.  Pleasant  and  genial  in  manner, 
and  a  pleasing  conversationalist,  he  makes  manv 
friends,  although  he  is  rather  retiring  in  dis- 
position. He  is  very  liberal  and  public-spirited, 
and  of  unquestioned  integrity  and  honor,  always 
gaining  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all 
with  wliom  he  comes  in  contact  cither  in  busi- 
ness or  social  life. 


LATON  S.  FULLER.  The  village  of  Elm- 
hurst  is  the  home  of  a  goodly  number  of 
men  who  have  put  forth  such  industrious 
and  well  directed  efforts  that  they  liave  been  en- 
abled to  retire  ivum  the  cares  of  business  life  and 
art'  now  spending  their  time  in  ease  and  enjoy- 
ment. Among  this  number  is  Mr.  Fuller,  who 
for  many  years  successfully  engaged  in  the  drug 
business,  retiring  in  1886.  On  a  slight  eminence, 
connnanding  an  excellent  view,  in  i8(;i  he  erect- 
ed a  cozy  and  attractive  residence,  that  was  de- 
signed by  U.  G.  Schoonmaker,  and  in  this  com- 
fortable home  he  hopes  to  spend  his  remaining 
years. 

The  parents  of  our  suljject,  Charles  and  Maria 


HON.   N.   C.   MACKIiV,   I\I     I). 


PORTR.\IT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


791 


(Scovel)  Fuller,  were  natives  respectively  of  Con- 
necticut and  the  Wyoming  \'alley  and  died  when 
eighty-four  and  seventy-five  years  of  age.  For 
forty  years  prior  to  his  death  the  father  resided 
in  Scranton,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business.  Nine  children  were  born  of  his 
marriage,  and  of  these  five  are  living:  Laton 
S.;  Mary  L.  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Barnum,  both  of 
whom  reside  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y. ;  John  D.,  of 
Elmhurst,  and  Francis  M.  The  eldest  of  the  sur- 
viving members  of  the  family  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  Wyom- 
ing Valley,  May  2,  1824,  and  continued  to  reside 
at  his  native  place  until  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
meantime  gaining  a  practical  common-school 
education. 

The  life  occupation  of  Mr.  Fuller'  was  that  of 
a  druggist,  and  he  was  thus  engaged  from  twen- 
ty-five to  sixty-two  years  of  age.  Beginning  in 
business  with  very  limited  capital,  by  resolution 
and  perseverance,  combined  with  judicious  man- 
agement, he  won  his  way  to  a  position  of  influ- 
ence among  other  business  men  of  the  commun- 
ity. He  enjoys  the  respect  of  the  people  among 
whom  he  transacted  business  in  a  thoroughly 
honorable  manner  for  so  long  a  period.  Though 
never  identifying  himself  actively  with  public  af- 
fairs, he  is  well  posted  upon  current  topics  and 
supports  the  Republican  party  from  principle.  At 
one  time  he  served  as  postmaster  of  Scranton. 
In  religious  views  he  is  associated  with  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 


HON.  NATHAN  C.  MACKEY,  M.  D. 
Among  the  people  residing  in  and  around 
Waverly,  Dr.  Mackey  has  a  reputation 
as  a  reliable,  skillful  physician.  The  distinguish- 
ing characteristics  of  his  professional  life  may  be 
enumerated  in  few,  but  significant,  words.  He 
possesses  an  unshaken  faith  in  his  profession, 
keenness  of  mental  analysis,  conscientious  devo- 
tion to  the  welfare  of  his  patients,  and  indomit- 
able energy.  Animated  by  the  highest  motives 
of  his  profession,  his  constant  aim  and  fixed  pur- 
pose liave  been  to  save  life  and  relieve  suffering. 
For  service  such  as  he  has  given  in  liis  profession, 
the  least  reward  that  can  be  given  is  the  respect 
and  friendship  of  the  people. 
33 


In  addition  to  duties  connected  with  his  profes- 
sion. Dr.  Mackey  has  taken  an  important  part  in 
matters  relating  to  the  public  welfare.  Of  Re- 
publican faith,  by  inheritance  and  study,  he  has 
never  voted  any  other  ticket  than  this,  since  he 
cast  his  first  tjallot  for  General  Grant  in  1872.  In 
the  fall  of  1888  lie  was  elected  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  state  legislature,  where  he  rendered 
efficient  service  in  behalf  of  his  constituents. 
Again  in  1896  he  was  elected  to  the  assembly, 
where  he  now  looks  after  the  interests  of  his  fel- 
low citizens,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  public 
measures. 

Referring  to  the  history  of  the  Mackey  family, 
the  Doctor's  grandfather,  George  Mackey,  was 
born  in  New  York  and  died  near  DundafT,  Pa.,  at 
the  age  of  sixty;  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Samniis,  a 
native  of  Long  Island,  passed  away  at  New  Mil- 
ford,  Pa.,  aged  seventy-six.  The  great-grand- 
father !\Iackey  came  from  the  north  of  Ireland, 
where  the  family  originally  resided.  Our  subject's 
father,  David  Mackey,was  born  in  Albany  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  January,  181 3,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Pennsylvania,  settling 
near  Dundaff,  Susquehanna  County.  Later  he 
moved  to  New  Milford,  the  same  county,  and 
there  remained  until  his  death,  April  19,  1869. 
His  wife  was  Miranda  Griggs,  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  August,  1812,  and  died  December 
31,  1886.  Of  their  twelve  children,  nine  are  yet 
living,  two  of  whom  are  physicians  and  one  an 
attorney. 

In  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  born  September  7,  1848.  Reared 
on  the  home  farm,  he  attended  the  district  schools 
and  academy  at  New  Milford.  His  winters  from 
seventeen  until  twenty-one  were  employed  in 
teaching,  after  which  he  attended  the  normal 
school  at  Mansfield  for  two  years,  and  then  re- 
sumed teaching.  In  the  meantime  he  had  gained 
a  fundamental  knowledge  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion through  study  with  Dr.  A.  C.  Blakeslee,  and 
deciding  to  make  this  his  life  work,  he  became  a 
student  in  the  medical  department  of  Yale  Uni- 
versity, and  later  entered  the  medical  department 
of  the  University  of  New  York  City,  from  wliich 
he  graduated  in  1875. 

For  about  a  year  Dr.  IMackey  carried  on  prac- 


792 


PORTRAIT   AXI)    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ticf  in  Hopbottoni,  Susquehanna  County.  He 
then  removed  to  Springvillc,  where  he  continued 
his  practice  for  five  years.  While  in  Hopbottoni, 
Xovember  23,  1875,  he  married  Miss  Xcllie  Mar- 
cy,  who  was  born  in  Nicholson,  Pa.,  and  died  at 
Springvillc  in  October.  1879,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three.  Her  two  children  died  in  infancy.  April 
24,  1883,  Dr.  Mackey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Anna  -M.  Bliss,  who  was  bom  in  Waverly, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  sons,  Robert 
B.,  Richard  X.  and  Roger  D.  Mrs.  Mackey  is  a 
granddaughter  of  Edwin  and  Anna  Biiss,  who 
came  from  Connecticut  to  Pennsylvania.  Her 
father,  Miles  W.  Bliss,  was  born  in  Sus(|uelianna 
County  in  1825,  settled  in  Waverly  about  1856, 
was  here  engaged  in  tlio  mercantile  business 
about  twenty-five  years,  and  also  carried  on  a 
hotel;  lie  died  in  this  place  in  August,  1895;  he 
married  Hannah  Holcomb,  who  was  bom  in 
Bradford  County,  Pa.,  in  January,  1826,  and  died 
here  January  i,  1891.  By  their  marriage  seven 
children  were  born,  of  wJioni  all  but  one  are 
living. 

July  4,  1876,  Dr.  Mackey  removed  from  Hop- 
bottom  10  Springvillc,  and  there  remained  until 
April  I,  1881.  After  a  few  months  in  Scranton 
he  came  to  Waverly,  where  for  four  years  he  was 
in  partnership  with  Dr.  L.  \'an  Sickle,  but  has 
since  been  alone.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Susque- 
hanna County,  Lackawanna  County  and  State 
Medical  Societies,  and  fraternally  is  connected 
with  Waverly  Lodge  Xo.  301,  F.  and  A.  M.,  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  Church,  to  which 
he  still  adheres,  and  in  tlie  work  of  which  lie  takes 
a  warm  interest. 


DAXIEL  II.  JEXKIXS,  M.  D.  Of  Welsh 
l)irlh  and  ancestry.  Dr.  Jenkins  possesses 
the  integrity  and  indomitable  spirit  that 
have  so  often  been  exemplified  by  Welshmen  the 
world  over.  I-Vom  early  boyhood  he  lias  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world  and  succeeded,  by  in- 
dustry and  economy,  in  securing  an  excellent 
medical  education,  since  which  time  lie  has  en- 
gaged in  professional  practice,  having  his  office 
at  Xo.  122  West  Market  Street,  Scranton.    In  ad- 


dition to  his  general  practice  he  has  held  the  po- 
sition of  jail  physician  for  the  count\  since  Janu- 
ary, 1896. 

The  Doctor's  faiher.  II.  G.,  was  burn  in  .Mon- 
mouthshire. England,  and  was  the  son  of  Harry 
Jenkins,  a  miner  there.  In  youth  he  learned  the 
machinist's  trade,  which  he  followed  more  or  less 
through  much  of  his  active  life.  With  a  sailor, 
Dick  Ennis,  he  assisted  in  building  the  viaduct 
at  his  native  place.  In  April,  1866,  he  came  to 
America  and  secured  employment  as  machinist  in 
a  large  railroad  shop  in  Jersey  City,  but  after  one 
year  there,  went  to  Hampton  Junction,  and  for 
one  and  one-half  years  worked  as  a  machinist  in 
the  shops  of  the  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey. 
In  1869  he  located  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  where  for  a 
time  he  was  foreman  in  the  railroad  shops,  but  aft- 
erward engaged  in  business  for  himself.  The  win- 
ters of  1892  and  1893  he  spent  in  Florida,  since 
which  time  he  has  resided  continuously  in  Kings- 
ton. He  married  Eleanor  Griffith,  a  native  of 
Monmouthshire,  and  daughter  of  Daniel  Grif- 
fith, a  miner,  wlio  died  in  Kingston  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  three  chil- 
dren who  lived  to  mature  years,  of  whom  the  sur- 
vivors are  Daniel  H.  and  George,  of  Kingston. 
The  former  was  reared  principally  in  Kingston, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools  and  Wyom- 
ing -Seminary.  In  1887  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class  of  Lehigh  University,  and  in  1888 
graduated  in  the  electrical  engineering  course. 
Then  going  to  Brooklyn,  he  was  employed  in  the 
electric  light  factory  of  the  Excelsior  Company, 
later  was  with  the  Mutual  Company,  and  after- 
ward traveled  on  the  road  for  the  Ft.  Wayne  Com- 
])any,  his  route  including  Philadelphia  and  Media, 
Pa.;  Youngstown,  Ohio;  Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  and 
Coney  Island.  His  next  position  was  that  of  su- 
perintendent of  a  plant  at  Kingston,  which  con- 
cluded his  experiences  in  the  electrical  business. 

in  1889  (Hir  subject  began  the  study  of  medicine 
with  a  physician  of  Brooklyn,  and  in  tlie  fall  of 
that  year  he  entered  the  Long  Island  Medical 
College  at  Brooklyn,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1892,  with  honors  and  the  degree  of  M.  D.  In 
order  to  secure  his  medical  education,  he  was 
obliged  to  work  early  and  late,  paying  his  own 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


79.^ 


way  as  he  went  alono;.  (  )n  the  completion  of  his 
studies  he  was  appointed  assistant  physician  to 
Lackawanna  Hospital,  which  position  he  held 
from  April  y  to  September  20.  He  then  entered 
the  L'niversity  of  Pennsylvania,  and  graduated 
in  1893  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  that  in- 
stitution. Returning  to  Scranton,  he  opened  an 
office  at  Xo.  1932  North  Main  Avenue,  where  he 
has  since  conducted  a  general  practice. 

At  Hyde  Park  in  the  fall  of  1888  Dr.  Jenkins 
married  Aliss  Maggie  S.  Roberts,  an  accom- 
plished lady,  born  in  Glamorganshire,  W'ales,  and 
thence  accompanied  her  parents,  William  W.  and 
Gwenllian  Roberts,  who  died  in  Hyde  Park.  Two 
boys,  William  West  and  Daniel  H.,  Jr.,  deceased, 
were  born  of  the  union.  The  family  attend  the 
Baptist  Church,  to  which  Dr.  Jenkins  contrib- 
utes regularly.  He  still  owns  good  business  proji- 
erty  on  Main  Street,  Kingston,  which  he  rents. 
Politically  he  supports  the  measures  and  men 
advocated  by  the  Republican  party,  but  is  not  ac- 
tive in  politics.  In  the  Lackawanna  Coimty  Med- 
ical Society,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  he  takes 
a  warm  interest,  as  he  does  in  all  matters  and  or- 
ganizations for  the  good  of  the  profession.  En- 
ergetic and  industrious,  he  was  efficient  in  the 
electrical  business  and  is  proving  no  less  capable 
as  a  physician,  having  by  his  skill  in  diagnosis 
and  accuracy  in  treatment  won  the  confidence  of 
his  patients. 


JOHN  G.  GUTKNECHT,  an  energetic  busi- 
ness man  and  successful  brewer  of  Dick- 
son City,  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  John  G  Gutknecht  &  Co.  He  is  a  native  of 
Loenengen  Kreis  Klappenburg,  Oldenburg,  Ger- 
many, born  April  4,  1837.  His  father,  Bernard 
.^nton  (nitknecht,  a  native  of  the  same  place,  was 
a  hotelkeeper.  and  tilled  the  position  of  action- 
ater,  or  sherifif,  as  the  office  is  called  in  this  coun- 
try. He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  The 
mother,  Theresa  (Granert)  Gutknecht,  was  born 
in  Lingerich,  Hanover,  in  1801,  and  departed  this 
life  in  1861.  In  the  family  were  six  children  who 
grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  namely:  Au- 
gusta, still  a  resident  of  Germany:  John,  of  this 
sketch:    Ber;iard,  of  Newark,  N.  J.:    Eliza,  who 


died  in  Germany;   Mina,  who  makes  her  home  in 
01yj)hant,  I 'a.:    and  Rosa,  of  ( ierniany. 

The  public  schools  of  his  native  land  furnished 
our  subject  his  educational  privileges,  and  on 
leaving  the  school  room  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  he  assumed  charge  of  the  hotel  whicli  he 
conducted  for  iiis  mother  until  her  death,  after 
which  he  sold  the  place.  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  1S61,  he  married  .Miss  Rmilia  Kutter,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children:  Ignatz.  a  practical 
brewer  and  a  graduate  of  the  Brewers'  school  in 
New  York  City:  and  .\ugusta,  wife  of  (ieorge 
1  hifnagel.  an  able  financier  and  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  John  (].  Gutknecht  &  Co. 

Mr.  Gutknecht  contimied  in  the  hotel  business 
in  the  i'atherland  until  1868,  when  he  resolved  to 
try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and  came  alone 
to  this  country  with  the  intention  of  sending  for 
his  family  later.  For  a  year  he  worked  in  a 
brickyard  or  at  any  other  employment  he  could 
find,  and  then  secured  a  position  in  the  brewery 
of  Mr.  Koehler.  lie  at  once  sent  for  his  familv, 
but  received  word  that  his  wife  was  ill  and  the 
following  letter  stated  that  she  was  dead,  having 
passed  away  in  February,  1870.  He  continued  to 
work  for  Mr.  Koehler.  steadily  advancing  in  po- 
sition and  .salary  until  he  became  head  brewer, 
a  position  which  he  filled  for  five  years.  For  four 
years  he  also  had  charge  of  the  fermenting  room. 
In  1881  he  returned  to  Germany  for  his  children, 
being  gone  about  four  months,  and  on  again 
coming  to  the  United  States  resumed  work  with 
his  old  employer,  having  charge  of  the  fermenting 
room  for  three  years,  his  old  place  of  head  brewer 
having  been  taken  during  his  absence.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  obtained  a  position  in  the 
ale  brewery  of  Kayer  Brothers,  of  Rahway,  N. 
J.,  where  he  remained  until  they  were  closed  out, 
when  he  became  connected  with  a  brewery  in 
Binghamton,  X.  V.,  entering  the  employ  of 
Ehresman  &  Schwab  at  that  place  in  August, 
1884,  and  remaining  with  them  for  nearly  ten 
years. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  his  son  had 
almost  completed  his  course  in  the  Brewers' 
school,  and  together  with  his  son-in-law,  who  was 
then  manager  in  a  telegraph  office  in  New  York, 
they  concluded  to  embark  in  the  brewing  busi- 


794 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ness  on  their  own  account,  and  accordingly  in 
February,  1894,  they  purchased  the  Bryden  brew- 
ery in  Dickson  City,  Pa.,  which  at  that  time  was 
not  doing  a  very  extensive  business.  However, 
under  the  able  management  of  our  subject  and 
his  partners  the  business  has  steadily  increased, 
the  first  year  manufacturing  three  thousand  bar- 
rels of  ale,  the  second  seven  thousand  barrels,  and 
the  third  over  fifteen  thousand  barrels.  In  1896 
they  also  remodeled  their  plant,  which  is  now 
equipped  with  the  latest  improved  machinery  for 
the  manufacture  of  ale,  and  the  product  turned 
out  has  become  justly  celebrated  in  the  Lacka- 
wanna Valley.  The  capacity  of  the  brewery  is 
sixty  thousand  barrels  annually,  and  seven  wag- 
ons are  kept  constantly  on  the  road.  The  plant 
is  conveniently  located  on  the  main  road  between 
Scranton  and  Carbondale,  and  has  a  switch  track 
connected  with  the  New  York.  Ontario  &  West- 
ern Railroad.  The  members  of  the  firm  are 
straightforward,  honorable  business  men,  and 
have  met  with  a  well  deserved  success  in  their 
undertakings.  Socially,  Mr.  Gutknecht  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Scranton  Liederkranz,  while  his  son- 
in-law  belongs  to  the  Turn  Verein  and  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


GEORGE  D.  KINGSLEY,  one  of  the  most 
energetic  and  progressive  business  men 
of  Lackawanna  County,  is  a  resident  of 
Blakely  and  superintendent  of  Johnson's  collieries 
in  Dickson  City.  He  was  born  January  31,  1858, 
in  the  village  which  is  still  his  home  and  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  a  pioneer  family  nf 
Pennsylvania.  The  Kingsleys  suffered  greatly  by 
the  Indian  raid  into  the  beautiful  Wyoming  Val- 
ley, to  which  they  had  ficd  from  Wyalusing  on 
account  of  the  atrocities  connnitled  by  the  red 
men  in  the  latter  place.  In  June,  1778,  Nathan 
Kingsley,  great-great-grandfather  of  George  D., 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians  and  carried  to 
Niagara.  During  his  captivity,  November  2, 
1778,  his  eldest  son,  Nathan.  Jr.,  was  killed,  and 
another  son,  together  with  Frances  Slocum,  was 
carried  into  captivity.  When  Frances  was  found 
sixty  years  afterward  by  her  brother,  she  related 
that  the  little  Kingsley  lad  had  cried  and  the  In- 


dians took  him  ofif  by  himself  and,  she  supposed, 
ended  his  sufferings.  It  is  certain  that  his  friends 
never  heard  of  him  afterward.  .Vathan  Kings- 
ley  escaped  in  six  months  to  find  his  wife  and 
only  one  son  remaining.  He  returned  to  Wya- 
lusing, and  in  May,  1787,  was  commissioned  one 
of  the  judges  of  Luzerne  County,  an  office  which 
he  resigned,  January  14,  1790,  on  account  of  the 
great  dif-ficulty,  for  a  man  of  his  age,  in  reach- 
ing Wilkesbarre.  A  portion  of  the  house  which 
he  built  in  Wyalusing  is  still  standing  and  there 
his  death  occurred.  He  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut. 

Roswell  Kingsley,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Wyalusing,  but  in  early  life  removed 
to  Bridgewater,  where  he  engaged  in  farming. 
He  spent  his  last  days  in  Hyde  Park,  Lacka- 
wanna County.  The  birth  of  S.  D.  Kingsley,  our 
subject's  father,  took  place  in  Bridgewater  Town- 
ship, Susquehanna  County,  where  he  was  reared 
to  manhood  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 
In  Lackawanna  County  he  was  employed  as  a 
contractor  in  the  construction  of  breakers.  From 
1868  until  1875  he  was  with  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  road  as  master  builder  in 
the  valley,  and,  though  now  sixty-four  years  of 
age,  is  still  engaged  in  contracting.  He  is  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  a  highly  esteemed 
resident  of  Blakely.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Blakely, 
was  Anna  E.,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  B.  and 
Rhoda  Horton  (Callender)  Kenyon,  the  former  a 
well  known  Baptist  minister.  Her  maternal 
grandfather.  Sanuiel  Callender,  belonged  to  the 
old  Callender  family  of  Pdakcly,  which  was  well 
represented  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  her  great- 
grandfather being  a  body  guard  of  General  Wash- 
ington during  that  struggle. 

George  D.  Kingsley  is  the  eldest  of  four  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living.  In  the  schools 
of  .Scranton  he  obtained  his  early  education,  and 
in  1873  entered  Whitestown  Seminary  of  LUica, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  completed  the  prescribed  course. 
In  1876  he  became  connected  with  his  father  in 
business,  but  two  years  later  entered  the  service 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany as  clerk,  being  located  in  various  places  at 
dififerent  times.  In  1886  he  was  outside  foreman 
at  .Xvondale,  which  position  he  resigned  in  June, 


RUBiiRT  P.  SAVAGE. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


797 


1896,  to  accept  that  of  superintendent  of  collieries 
No.  I  and  2  belonging  to  the  Johnson  Coal  Com- 
pany, and  now  has  personal  supervision  of  both 
mines,  which  under  his  able  management  are 
profitably  worked.  His  marriage,  at  Waverly, 
Pa.,  in  1879,  united  him  with  Lizzie,  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Harriet  (Fellows)  Wolcott;  she 
was  born  in  Scranton  and  obtained  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  Kingston.  By  her  marriage 
one  child,  Jeannette,  has  been  born.  In  political 
belief  Mr.  Kingsley  is  an  ardent  Republican  and 
does  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  interests  of 
his  town  and  county.  As  a  citizen  and  business 
man,  he  has  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,  and  in  social 
life  he  has  made  hosts  of  warm  personal  friends. 


ROBERT  P.  SAVAGE,  ?.  retired  carriage 
manufacturer  and  real  estate  owner  of 
Dunmore,  has  withdrawn  from  active  par- 
ticipation in  business  and  is  now  enjoying  the 
well-earned  fruits  of  his  labors.  He  was  born  in 
Chilcompton,  Somersetshire,  England,  in  1835, 
a  son  of  Joseph  Savage,  whose  father  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  there.  Joseph  Savage  came  to 
America  about  1845  and  in  the  following  year 
settled  in  Scranton,  having  spent  the  intermediate 
time  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  took  the  contract  for 
the  slope  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  St^el  Com- 
pany to  their  first  drift  and  then  operated  it  for 
a  time.  About  1849  he  located  in  Dunmore  and 
entered  the  employment  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company,  with  which  he  remained  until  he  re- 
tired, and  his  death  occurred  here  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  He  married  Rhoda,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  Puddy,  who  was  an  extensive 
sheep  raiser  in  England  and  whose  family  was  an 
old  and  prominent  one  there.  Mrs.  Savage  died 
in  England  when  our  subject  was  quite  young, 
leaving  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  our  subject  is  the  eldest. 

Robert  P.  Savage  spent  his  childhood  in  Eng- 
land until  ten  years  of  age,  when  he  came  with 
the  family  to  this  country,  sailing  from  New  Port 
on  the  Italian  man-of-war  "Ida  Kiss,"  bound  for 
New  York  City,  and  consuming  three  months  in 
the  voyage.  He  remained  in  New  York  about 
four  years  and  then  came  to  Scranton.    He  start- 


ed in  as  an  apprentice  to  learn  blacksmithing  and 
carriage  ironing  with  Esterbrooks,  Barton  &  Co., 
and  spent  three  years  there.  When  they  sold  out 
he  settled  in  Dunmore  and  started  a  business  for 
himself.  This  was  in  1852  or  1853,  and  the  place 
was  then  known  as  Bucktown.  He  built  a  shop 
on  what  is  now  Chestnut  Street,  and  was  the 
second  blacksmith  to  locate  in  this  place.  He  en- 
gaged in  manufacturing  carriages  and  wagons, 
together  with  blacksmithing,  and  continued  in 
business  there  until  1862,  when  he  sold  out  to 
take  a  part  in  the  defense  of  his  country. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Savage  enlisted  in  the 
Fifty-Second  New  York  Infantry,  and  was  as- 
signed to  the  pontoon  department.  He  served 
six  months  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  when 
he  received  his  honorable  discharge  on  a  phy- 
sician's certificate  of  disability.  One  month  later 
he  returned  and  was  employed  in  the  bridge  de- 
partment, remaining  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  all  through  on  the  Chattanooga  &  Nash- 
ville Railroad  and  was  in  the  campaign  of  Shell 
Mountain  and  Whiteside,  having  charge  of  the 
bridge  at  the  latter  place,  and  was  there  when 
Jefferson  Davis  was  brought  through  a  prison- 
er. In  January,  1865,  he  returned  home  and 
bought  out  the  business  at  his  old  place  and  con- 
tinued there  until  1875,  when  he  again  sold  out 
and  this  time  retired  from  business.  He  then 
bought  property  in  tliis  part  of  the  borough, 
which  he  subdivided,  platting  it  into  new  lots 
and  building  it  up.  He  opened  up  properties  on 
Chestnut,  South  Blakely  and  Green  Ridge  Streets, 
and  built  his  own  residence  at  No.  120  Green 
Ridge  Street. 

In  1862,  at  Carbondale,  Mr.  Savage  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Potter,  who  was  born  in  Exeter 
Township,  Luzerne  County.  Her  father,  Charles 
W.  Potter,  was  born  in  what  is  nov\'  Throop,  then 
called  Goose  Ridge,  where  his  father  Elisha  S., 
who  was  a  native  of  New  England,  had  settled  at 
an  early  day,  coming  to  this  country  on  horse- 
back. He  bought  land  and  engaged  in  farming 
and  was  also  justice  of  the  peace  in  Providence, 
where  his  death  occurred.  Charles  W.  Potter  was 
a  clerk  with  Judge  Porter  at  Martin's  Creek, 
Northampton  County,  and  there  married  Sarah 
A.,  a  daughter  of  Samuel   Eakin,  who  was  of 


798 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Scotch-Irish  descent.  They  first  lived  in  a  ht- 
tle  cottage  in  Exeter  Townshi]),  until  the  mother 
bought  fifty  acres  of  land  in  Dunniore,  where  they 
located  about  1847.  -^'r.  Potter  was  a  success- 
tul  merchant  and  invested  in  coal  lands.  He 
bought  back  the  old  farm  and  gave  it  to  his 
mother,  who  died  here  in  1894.  He  made  a  great 
deal  of  money  and  gave  away  fortunes.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace  and 
was  also  deputy  sheriff.  His  death  occurred  here 
in  1857.  He  left  three  children:  Mrs.  Savage, 
Mrs.  Kate  Stanton,  residing  in  Xew  York  State, 
and  Mrs.  Frances  Wagner,  of  Dunmore.  }ilrs. 
Savage,  who  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  was  reared 
here  and  received  her  education  in  the  public 
school  and  Wyoming  Seminary.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  -Savage  were  born  three  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Bunnie,  now  Mrs.  Harris,  of  Concord,  .\". 
C. ;  Charles  P.,  supply  agent  for  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company,  wdio  also  served  as  clerk  of  the 
council  for  six  years;  and  Maud  Kathryn. 

Mr.  Savage  was  a  member  of  the  first  coun- 
cil of  the  borough  and  has  served  in  that  body 
for  ten  years,  six  years  of  which  he  was  j)resi- 
dent.  He  was  elected  burgess  for  two  terms  in 
succession,  serving  four  years  in  that  capacity, 
and  has  also  been  assessor.  I'or  many  years  he 
affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  is  now 
independent  in  politics.  Fraternally  he  was  a 
member  of  Hiram  Lodge,  but  has  been  demitted. 
Mrs.  Savage  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Dunmore. 


A.VTHOXY  A.  WALSH,  who  holds  the 
position  of  tipstaf?  at  the  Scranton  court- 
house, is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  Ct)un- 
ty  Mayo,  March  20,  1833.  The  family  of  which 
he  is  a  member  has  been  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  County  ^layo  as  far  back  as  any  record 
can  be  obtained.  His  great-grandfather,  .Mat- 
thew, was  a  tanner  and  currier  there,  while  his 
grandfather,  Michael,  followed  the  trade  of  a  shoe- 
maker in  the  same  place:  the  latter  died  at  the  age 
of  ciglity-seven. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Anthony  WalsJi,  was 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits  in  County  Mayo 
throughout  his  entire  active  life,  and  died  there 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six.    He  married  Mary  Dur- 


kan,  daughter  of  Thomas,  and  granddaughter  of 
Daniel  Durkan,  farmers  by  occupation  and  life- 
long residents  of  that  county.  She  is  still  living, 
now  quite  advanced  in  years,  but  comparatively 
strong  for  one  of  her  age.  Of  her  family  of  eight 
children,  five  are  living,  namely:  Anthony: 
Michael,  an  engineer  on  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joe 
Railroad  and  a  resident  of  the  latter  Missourian 
city;  Mrs.  Ann  Melloday,  of  Dunmore,  Pa.;  Mrs. 
liridget  Smith,  also  of  Dunmore;  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Gallagher,  who  lives  at  the  old  home  in  Ireland. 

In  boyhood  our  subject  attended  the  national 
schools  of  Ireland.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he 
went  to  Lancashire,  England,  and  there  learned 
the  trade  of  a  brickmaker.  March  31,  1864,  he  ar- 
rived in  New  York  City,  having  made  the  voyage 
of  nineteen  days  on  the  sailing  vessel,  "Great 
Western."  After  remaining  in  Philadelphia  some 
time,  he  proceeded  to  Archbald,  Pa.,  and  engaged 
in  mining  in  the  employ  of  Eaton,  Simpson  & 
Jones,  being  with  that  firm  for  thirteen  years.  In 
1877  he  came  to  Scranton  as  a  miner  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Reilly  &  Johnson.  July  3,  1878,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  mayor,  T.  V.  Powderly.  a  mem- 
ber of  the  police  force  of  Scranton.  and  was  as- 
signed to  duty  in  the  central  part  of  the  city.  He 
served  successively  under  four  mayors,  T.  \'. 
Powderly,  Francis  A.  Beamish,  Col.  Ezra  H.  Rip- 
ple and  J.  H.  Fellows,  resigning  from  the  force  in 
i8gi.  In  January  of  the  following  year  Judge 
Smith  appointed  him  tipstafif  at  the  court-house, 
in  which  capacity  he  has  since  served.  When  he 
became  connected  with  the  police  force,  there 
were  but  fourteen  men  on  it,  but  the  number  of 
officers  has  since  been  increased  to  fort\--five. 
covering  the  same  territory  as  before. 

In  January,  1870,  Mr.  Walsh  began  tlie  con- 
struction of  the  residence  which  he  nmv  occu])ies 
at  No.  451  Phelps  Street.  He  also  built  a  double 
house  on  the  corner  of  Phelps  Street  and  Wash- 
ington Avenue,  and  another  in  Wyoming  Ave- 
nue, his  ])roperty  possessions  being  c|uite  valua- 
ble. Politically  a  Democrat,  he  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  to  conventions  and  has  served 
on  connnittees.  While  in  Archbald  he  was  a 
member  of  tlie  school  board  and  local  superin- 
tendent of  the  same,  and  has  also  held  a  collec- 
tor's position  in  Scranton.     He  is  a  Catholic  in 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


799 


religious  belief  and  belongs  to   St.   Peter's   Ca- 
thedral. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Walsh,  in  England,  united 
him  with  Bridget  Trinlin.  a  native  of  Countv 
Mayo,  Ireland,  and  daughter  of  Michael  Trinlin. 
a  farmer  there.  She  died  in  i86g,  and  Mr.  W'al.'^h 
afterward  married  a  second  time,  in  Archbald,  his 
wife  being  Aliss  Julia  O'Hara,  a  native  of  Coun- 
ty Mayo,  and  daughter  of  Richard  and  Bridget 
(Carroll)  O'Hara,  of  Raragan.  They  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Maria,  who 
died  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  twenty -five;  Anthony, 
Jr.,  a  tinsmith  by  occupation:  Julia  and  Richaril, 
deceased:  and  Lizzie,  at  home.  In  1891  our  sub- 
ject went  to  Europe  and  enjoyed  a  two  months' 
trip  through  England,  W'ales  and  Scotland,  also 
visited  his  old  home  in  Ireland.  In  1896  his 
wife  and  children  visited  the  old  country,  spend- 
ing some  time  amid  the  pleasant  scenes  familiar 
to  Mrs.  Walsh  in  her  girlhood. 


REV.  BRUXO  IWANOVVSKI,  pastor  of 
St.  Mary's  Polish  Catholic  Church  in 
Priceburg.  is  a  native  of  Rzeszotary,  Rus- 
sian Poland,  and  a  son  of  Bazcliy  and  Veronika 
(Gronczewska)  Iwanowski,  who  were  both  l)orn 
in  Prussian  Poland,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Russian  Poland.  The  father  was  a  real  estate 
dealer  in  that  country,  and  there  departed  this 
life  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  His 
father,  Paul  Iwanowski,  also  a  native  of  Prussian 
Poland,  was  descended  from  an  old  Polish  no- 
ble family,  and  was  an  officer  under  the  Prussian 
government.  Our  subject  is  the  youngest  and 
only  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children  that  entered 
the  priesthood.  Two  of  his  brothers  are  now  resi- 
dents of  Warsaw,  Russian  Poland. 

During  his  boyhood,  F'athcr  Iwanowski  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  his  native  land,  and 
later  took  a  course  at  Skempe  College,  where  he 
graduated  in  1886.  The  same  year  he  entered  the 
Seminary  Plock,  graduating  from  that  institution 
at  the  end  of  four  years— two  years  spent  in  the 
study  of  philosophy  and  two  in  theology.  In  1890 
he  came  to  America,  and  for  one  year  was  a  stu- 
dent in  St.  \'incent's  College,  near  Pittsburg, 
after  which  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in 
St.  Nicholas  German  Catholic  Church  in  VVilkes- 


barre,   on   the   7th    of  June,    1891,   by    Kt.-Rev. 
O'Hara,  bishop  of  the  Scranton  diocese. 

For  six  months.  Father  Iwanowski  then  served 
as  assistant  to  F'ather  Granlewich  of  St.  Stanis- 
laus Church  at  Nanticoke,  Pa.,  during  which  time 
he  held  services  in  Priceburg,  first  once  a  month 
and  later  twice  a  month.  He  organized  the  con- 
gregation and  on  the  4th  of  January,  1892,  be- 
came the  first  resident  pastor  of  St.  Mary's 
Church.  He  finished  paying  for  the  little  church 
and  in  1892  erected  a  comfortable  parsonage 
on  Carmel  .Street.  In  1893  'i*-'  '^^'^^  instrumental 
in  building  the  present  house  of  worship,  which 
is  the  largest  church  in  Priceburg.  An  efficient, 
active  and  zealous  worker  for  the  church,  leather 
Iwanowski  has  succeeded  in  building  up  the 
congregation  until  it  now  numbers  three  hun- 
dred families,  and  ccinducts  a  flourishing  paroch- 
ial school  in  the  basement  of  the  church.  In  con- 
nection with  the  church  and  Sunday-school  va- 
rious benevolent  and  social  organizations  have 
been  formed,  including  the  St.  Joseph  Society, 
Sons  of  Poland,  St.  Michael  Archangel,  St.  Fran- 
cis Society,  Guards  of  King  John  Sobieski. 
Guards  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Guards  of  St.  Martin, 
and  Society  of  St.  John  the  Uaptist.  Father  Iwan- 
owski is  held  in  high  esteem  not  only  by  the  peo- 
ple of  his  own  congregation,  but  by  the  residents 
of  Priceburg  generally.  His  discourses  are  schol- 
arly and  effective  in  their  appeals  to  follow  the 
teachings  of  the  Master. 


J 


OHN  HALL.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Jeremiah  Hall,  for  many 
years  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of 
North  Abington  Township.  Impressed  upon  the 
minds  of  his  children  and  friends  is  the  example  of 
his  noble  and  honorable  life,  which,  fraught  as  it 
was  with  unremitting  toil  and  patient  industry, 
was  a  model  of  the  sterling  qualities  that  char- 
acterized a  man  who  lived  nearer  to  nature  in  its 
puritv  than  to  the  artifices  of  society.  All  life  is 
but  preparatory  to  the  life  to  come.  So  of  him  it 
may  be  said  that,  while  his  years  were  many  in  the 
land  which  the  Lord  gave  him,  they  were  only 
preparatory  to  eternity.  He  toiled,  he  struggled, 
he  acquired,  he  died,  but  his  life  is  continued 
above. 


8oo 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  first  of  this  family  to  settle  in  Lackawan- 
na County  was  Jonathan  Hall,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, who  removed  to  I'emisylvania  and  set- 
tled on  the  site  of  the  present  homestead  near 
Glenburn.  Working  industriously,  he  accunui- 
lated  considerable  property  and  was  well-to-do  for 
those  times.  At  the  age  of  eighty-six  he  closed 
his  eyes  upon  the  scenes  of  earth.  His  wife,  who 
was  Eunice  Capwell,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island 
and  died  in  Lackawanna  County  at  the  age  of 
eighty.  Of  their  eight  children,  two  are  still  liv- 
ing, both  advanced  in  years. 

Jeremiah,  son  of  Jonathan  Hall,  was  born  at 
the  home  place  near  Glenburn  in  1810  and  in 
boyhood  became  familiar  with  the  scenes  of  pio- 
neer life  in  this  locality.  Like  most  boys  of  that 
day,  his  education  was  gained  by  experience  rath- 
er than  from  text  books.  In  old  age  he  was  ac- 
customed to  narrate  his  adventures  and  many  in- 
cidents which  the  youth  of  to-day,  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  advantages  for  which  the  early  set- 
tlers laid  the  foundation  in  self-denial  and  hard- 
ships, could  scarcely  realize.  Reared  on  the  farm, 
the  duties  of  agriculture  soon  became  an  open 
book  to  him,  and  he  was  quick  to  grasp  the  ad- 
vantages gained  by  the  invention  of  agricultural 
implements  and  other  things  that  lightened  the 
farmer's  burdens. 

In  September,  1835,  Jeremiah  Hall  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Polly,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Hannah  Shippey,  who  removed  to  Lacka- 
wanna County  from  the  vicinity  of  Glens  Falls, 
N.  Y.,  about  1816,  and  settled  near  Peckville.  Mr. 
Shippey,  who  had  served  in  tlie  War  of  1812,  en- 
gaged in  the  lumbering  business  and  also  worked 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  when  opportunity  ofTered. 
He  was  a  dead  shot  with  the  rifle  and  frequently 
entertained  his  grandchildren  with  stories  of  en- 
counters with  wild  beasts  while  this  country  was 
as  yet  a  wilderness.  More  than  once  he  shot 
deer  in  the  pond  that  covered  the  site  of  the  pub- 
lic buildings  in  .Scranton.  He  died  in  1872  in  his 
seventy-ninth  year,  having  survived  liis  wife 
about  twenty  years.  Jeremiah  and  Polly  Hall 
had  eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  the  fam- 
ily homestead,  August  20,  1849,  a"<i  grew  to 
manhood    here.     In   company   with   his   brother 


Charles,  he  manages  the  Hall  estate  of  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres,  and  of  this  property  the 
two  brothers  have  since  made  a  valuable  farm. 
While  his  attention  has  been  given  principally  to 
his  persijual  affairs,  he  has  not  neglected  the  pub- 
lic interests,  but  maintains  a  close  connection  with 
matters  of  general  importance.  Interested  in  ed- 
ucational affairs,  he  served  as  school  director  for 
twelve  years,  and  in  that  position  assisted  large- 
ly in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  schools  of  this 
locality. 

October  22,  1874,  Mr.  Hall  married  .Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Whaling  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
sons,  Samuel  W.,  Charles  S.  and  Lawrence  J. 
Mrs.  Hall  was  born  in  North  Abington  Township, 
now  Waverly  borough,  and  was  one  of  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  only  two  are  living.  Her  father, 
Samuel  Whaling,  was  born  in  Wayne  County, 
Pa.,  in  November  of  1821,  and  for  fifty  years  has 
run  a  blacksmith  shop  and  wagon  factory  in  Wav- 
erly borough.  He  married  Lydia  Rice,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  and  died  here.  Mrs.  Hall's 
paternal  grandparents  were  Mark  and  Elvira 
( Whitmore)  Whaling,  natives  of  Connecticut,  but 
for  many  years  residents  of  Wayne  County,  Pa. 
The  maternal  grandparents  were  Earl  and  Betsey 
Rice,  natives  of  New  England,  who  died  in  this 
county. 


CHARLES  M.  GROSVENOR.  The  value 
to  any  community  of  a  citizen  is  not 
marked  merely  by  the  success  that  has  at- 
tended his  efforts  in  business  undertakings,  but 
also  by  his  character  in  public  and  private  life,  his 
honorable  adherence  to  all  that  is  good,  his  per- 
sonal integrity  and  the  interest  he  has  taken  in 
the  welfare  of  his  section.  Judged  by  these  stand- 
ards, Mr.  Grosvenor  is  a  valued  and  valuable  citi- 
zen, for  at  all  times  he  has  been  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  his  fellowmen  and  desirous  of  setting 
the  example  of  an  honest  and  upright  life.  A 
farmer  of  Scott  Township,  he  owns  and  operates 
fifty-seven  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  is  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  the  dairy  business. 
This  farm  is  the  birthplace  of  Mr.  Grosvenor, 
and  April  30,  1852,  the  date  of  his  birth.  His 
father,  Jerome,  a  son  of  Joseph  Grosvenor,  came 
to  Lackawanna  County,  and  after  a  short  sojourn 


ni-;ATCHC()TT  C.    IlINMAN. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


803 


in  North  Abington  Township,  removed  to  Scott 
Township.  He  was  a  man  of  local  prominence, 
interested  in  public  affairs,  and  served  creditably 
as  tax  collector  and  school  director.  By  his  mar- 
riage to  Loretta  Gritman,  he  had  eight  children: 
Phoebe,  Charles  ^L,  Clark,  Clara,  Emma  (de- 
ceased), Ruth,  Lillie  (deceased),  and  Julia.  Late 
in  life  the  father  removed  to  North  Abington 
Township  and  there  he  died  August  3,  1885,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-two.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
1870. 

Educated  in  the  common  schools,  Mr.  Grosve- 
nor  gained  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  common 
branches  of  study,  and  has  since  extended  his 
knowledge  by  reading.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years  he  began  for  himself,  purchasing  a  portion 
of  the  old  homestead  and  turning  his  attention  to 
its  cultivation.  Agriculture  has  been  his  life 
work  and  as  he  is  energetic  and  economical,  he 
has  become  well-to-do.  The  principles  of  the 
Republican  party  receive  his  support  both  in  lo- 
cal and  national  elections.  He  is  an  advocate  of 
the  public  school  system  and  has  officiated  as 
school  director  for  three  years.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  at  Peck- 
ville. 

The  marriage  of  Air.  Grosvenor  took  place  No- 
vember 30,  1873,  at  which  time  Miss  Arabella 
Cordner,  an  estimable  young  lady  of  this  town- 
ship, became  his  wife.  They  are  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  reg- 
ular attendants  at  its  various  services.  Their  fam- 
ily consists  of  five  children:  Leslie,  Stella,  Dora, 
!Maud  and  Nina. 


HEATCHCOTT  C.  HINMAN.  Nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since 
this  worthy  citizen  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  inhabitants  of  the  thrifty  city  of  Scranton  and 
during  all  these  years  his  name  has  been  a 
synonym  for  the  most  exemplary  integrity, 
straightforwardness  of  conduct  and  reliability  in 
every  particular.  He  is  one  of  the  men  who 
maintain  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  fellows 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  considers  his  own  in- 
terests as  but  secondarv  to  the  general  good.  The 


financial  success  which  he  so  richly  deserves  is 
now  his  portion,  and  his  multitude  of  well-wishers 
rejoice  in  his  prosperity. 

Born  in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1847,  om"  subject  is  a  son  of  A.  L.  and 
Catherine  (Keene)  Hinman.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  a  farmer  in  Connecticut.  The  father 
set  forth  in  early  manhood  to  seek  his  fortune 
and  for  some  time  taught  school  in  Wayne  Coun- 
ty. Afterward  he  settled  permanently  on  a  farm 
at  Aldenville  seven  miles  from  Honesdale.  The 
rest  of  his  days  were  spent  in  honest,  industrious 
toil  and  in  all  his  ways  he  ever  sought  to  do  his 
duty  toward  God  and  man.  His  upright  and 
useful  life  reached  the  three-score  and  ten  years 
allotted  to  man,  when  he  died  as  he  had  lived, 
strong  in  the  faith  of  the  Christian  religion,  he 
having  been  identified  with  the  Baptist  Church 
many  years.  His  faithful  wife  survived  him,  her 
death  occurring  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
two  years,  in  January,  1896,  on  the  old  home- 
stead. She  w-as  born  in  Canaan,  Wayne  County, 
being  a  daughter  of  Captain  Keene  whose  title 
w-as  won  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  Keenes  were 
originally  from  Sweden,  and  at  an  early  day  in 
our  country's  history  became  residents  of  the 
United  States. 

H.  C.  Hinman  was  reared  to  the  arduous  duties 
of  farm  life  with  his  two  brothers  and  sister. 
He  attended  the  common  schools,  managing  to 
obtain  a  good  general  education.  In  1867  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  sash  and  blind  maker  at 
Pittston  and  served  as  such  for  three  years.  Then, 
to  more  thoroughly  learn  the  trade,  he  worked 
for  some  two  years  longer  at  small  wages.  Thus 
fully  equipped  for  practical  business  he  came  to 
Scranton  in  1872,  taking  charge  of  the  factory 
of  Joseph  Ansley.  When  nearly  thirteen  years 
had  elapsed,  he  remaining  in  the  same  respon- 
sible position,  the  factory  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
Mr.  Hinman  then  rented  a  new  building,  put  in 
machinerv  and  continued  manufacturing  as  be- 
fore. 

In  1887  our  subject  purchased  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Kaufhold  of  the  firm  of  Kaufhold  &  Co., 
furniture  manufacturing  establishment,  convert- 
ing it  into  a  sash  and  blind  factory.  At  the  same 
time  he  incorporated  the  business  as  the  Scran- 


8o4 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ton  Wood\vt)rkiiisi'  Company,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $20,000  all  paid  in.  I  Fc  is  the  president  and 
niana,s^cr  while  Charles  llenwood  is  the  secretary 
and  treasnrer.  The  plant,  located  at  Xo.  510- 
516  Pcnn  Avenne.  is  complete  in  every  respect 
and  facilities  for  all  kinds  of  fine  work,  veneer- 
ing, tnrning,  carving  and  general  cabinet-making 
are  here  to  be  found  in  addition  to  doors,  sashes 
and  blinds.  Two  boilers  of  one  hundred  horse- 
power each  and  an  engine  of  one  hundred  and 
twcnt\-  horse-power  are  required  to  run  the  ma- 
chinery. The  building  is  three  stories  and  base- 
ment in  height  and  the  deptli  of  the  mill  is  about 
two  hundred  fi'ct.  I'rom  thirty  to  forty  hands 
are  given  steadv  employment  and  more  will  be 
added  as  business  increases. 

October  22,  1S71,  Mr.  Hinnian  and  Miss 
Amelia  S.  Henry,  a  native  of  Sus(|uehanna  Coun- 
ty, were  united  in  marriage  in  Pittston.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  drace  and  Jucl- 
son  living,  Charles  and  Henry  both  deceased. 
The  pleasant  family  residence  is  at  No.  424  Tenth 
Street. 

One  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Hampton 
Street  Methodist  Episco^jal  Church,  Mr.  H^in- 
man  has  always  been  greatly  concerned  in  its 
growth  and  general  success.  He  has  spared  him- 
self no  labor  to  efifect  this  end  and  from  its  organ- 
ization has  been  president  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees. Ten  years  he  served  as  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday-schfjol  and  aided  materially  in 
building  up  that  important  ])ranch  of  clnircb 
work.  From  the  organization  of  the  church 
about  fifteen  years  ago  he  has  served  and  still 
continues  in  that  capacity,  as  chorister.  He  is 
a  steward  and  class-leader  and  was  honored  by 
being  made  k)cal  preacher  in  1SS6.  In  politics 
he  is  iiK-ntituMl  with  the  Prohil)ition  ]iarty  and 
socially  he  is  one  of  the  tnembers  of  the  Patri(jtic 
Order  Sons  of  America 


TIIO.M.'XS  R.  YOCNG.  mine  foreman  in 
the  eni])loy  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company  and  a  resident  of  Dunmore,  was 
born  jiere  Decembir  5,  1S60,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  and  T-",li7.al)etli  (P>rvden)  Young,  natives 


of  Scotlatid.  His  father,  who  was  born  and 
reared  u]3on  a  farm  in  Ayrshire,  came  to  America 
in  1S44  and  settled  in  Carbondale,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  teaming.  Afterward  he  removed  to 
Dunmore  and  took  a  ])osition  with  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company,  but  later  engaged  in  min- 
ing for  the  same  company  nearly  forty  years. 
He  died  in  1891,  aged  seventy-one.  In  religious 
belief  he  was  a  Presbyterian.  His  wife,  who  re- 
sides on  Cherry  and  Elm  Streets,  Dunmore,  was 
a  daughter  of  James  Bryden,  who  bnntght  his 
family  to  Carbondale  from  Scotland  and  was  em- 
ployed there  as  a  mine  superintendent  until  his 
death.  At  the  time  the  mine  caved  in  there,  in 
1846,  he  was  one  of  the  hunting  party. 

The  family  of  William  Young  consisted  of 
fourteen  children,  rdl  but  one  of  whom  attained 
mature  \ears,  namely:  James,  now  assistant  mine 
superintendent  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany: Maggie,  who  lives  in  Carbondale,  111.: 
Mary,  of  Hyde  Park;  Andrew,  who  died  in  Dun- 
more; Alexander,  of  Kent,  Portage  County, 
Ohio;  William,  deceased;  David,  who  lives  in 
Cleveland,  Oliio ;  Thomas  R. ;  Robert,  fireman 
on  the  Erie  &  Western  road  and  a  resident  fif 
Dumnore;  Kate,  Belle,  Jennie  and  Lizzie,  who 
reside  in  Dumnore.  Thomas  R.  Young  was 
reared  in  Dunmore  and  attended  the  public 
schools  in  early  b(jyliood.  At  the  age  of  eleven 
he  secured  work  as  gate  l)oy  in  the  mines  at  the 
Civpsv  Grove  colliery  of  the  Pemisylvania  Coal 
Com])an\ .  and  after  a  few  years  was  made  driver, 
later  engaged  in  track  laying  and  wall  building. 
I'ebruary  i,  18S7,  he  was  made  mine  foreman  for 
the  Pemisylvania  t'oal  Company  at  shaft  Xo.  i, 
and  remained  there  until  Xovember,  1896,  when 
he  was  transferred  to  his  present  position,  at 
shaft  No.  5.  The  place  is  a  responsible  one  and 
the  fact  that  he  is  filling  it  very  satisfactorily 
shows  that  he  is  a  man  of  energy,  ability  and 
faithfulness. 

Politically  Mr.  Young  is  a  pronounced  l\ei)ub- 
lican,  never  varying  from  the  jiarty  ])riiicii)les. 
I  le  is  identified  with  the  Junior  (  )rder  of  ,\ineri- 
can  Mechanics  and  the  Knights  of  Fythias  and 
was  formerly  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  (  ).  I'".  In 
Mmmiore  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Mock, 
daughter  of  John   Mock,  who  was  born  in  Eng- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


8o^ 


land  and  came  to  Scranton  at  the  time  the  Grav- 
ity road  was  building.  Mrs.  Young  was  born  in 
Scranton  and  by  her  marriage  had  a  daughter, 
Lucretia,  who  died  at  eight  years. 


COL.  HEXRY  A.  COURSEX,  who  is  in 
command  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment 
of  the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  is 
a  descendant  of  one  of  three  brothers  who  emi- 
grated to  America  and  settled,  one  in  the  south, 
another  in  New  England  and  the  third  on  Long 
Island.  By  the  English  ancestors  the  name  was 
spelled  Corson.  Tlie  Colonel's  father,  Isaac  V., 
was  born  in  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  and  for  many 
years  was  postmaster  and  a  merchant  of  Fredon. 
One  of  his  sons  is  now  in  charge  of  the  post- 
ofifice,  which  has  been  in  the  family  for  seventy- 
five  years.  He  died  in  1855,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Phoebe  Hurd,  was 
born  in  Sparta,  N.  J.,  where  her  father.  Daniel 
Hurd,  was  a  farmer  and  hotelkeeper,  until  his 
death.  She  departed  this  life  in  1885,  aged 
eighty-five.  Of  her  fourteen  children,  eleven 
were  living  in  1885  and  eight  still  survive.  Hamp- 
ton A.  is  a  wholesale  grocer  at  No.  307  Green- 
wich Street,  New  York;  Gersham  A.  is  a  broker 
in  San  Francisco,  Cal.;  Joseph  H.  is  a  retired 
merchant  of  Stillwater,  N.  J.;  Dr.  W.  S.  is  a  phy- 
sician in  Oakridge,  Passaic  County,  N.  J. ;  Hon. 
William  P..  who  occupies  the  old  homestead,  was 
the  only  Republican  ever  sent  to  the  state  legis- 
lattire  from  Sussex  County  and  served  in  that 
body  for  three  successive  years:  Isaac  O.  also  re- 
sides at  the  old  home. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  the  young- 
est of  the  family,  was  born  in  Stillwater  Town- 
ship, Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  in  March,  1841,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
Blairstown  Academy,  later  taking  a  commercial 
course  in  Newton,  N.  J.  From  that  place  he  went 
to  ^lilford.  Pa.,  but  six  months  later  enlisted  in 
the  Union  service  for  war.  Reference  to  his  army 
career  is  made  later.  He  returned  to  his  old  home 
in  Newton,  the  latter  part  of  June,  1863,  and  Sep- 
tember 24,  1864,  he  came  to  Scranton  and  se- 
cured work  in  the  office  of  the  provost  marshal, 


with  whom  he  remained  until  January,  1865.  On 
leaving  there  he  began  in  the  dry-goods  business, 
having  three  partners  at  different  times,  but  final- 
ly sold  out  and  bought  an  interest  in  a  whole- 
sale and  retail  crockery  store  in  Lackawanna 
Avenue,  the  firm  name  being  Hitchcock  & 
Coursen,  until  1876,  when  the  senior  member  re- 
tired, and  the  business  was  conducted  under  the 
name  of  H.  A.  Coursen,  but  in  1881  a  re-organi- 
zation was  effected  under  the  title  of  Coursen, 
demons  &  Co.,  Limited.  In  March,  1895,  Colo- 
nel Coursen  sold  his  interest  in  the  concern  and 
retired  from  active  business. 

March  25,  1865,  in  Scranton,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lauretta  A.  Blair, 
daughter  of  James  Blair.  Of  their  seven  chil- 
dren, the  following  survive:  Mrs.  Anna  B.  Saw- 
yer, of  Boston,  Mass.:  Harry  M.,  a  graduate  of 
Blairstown  Academy,  now  a  contractor  in  Scran- 
ton, and  sergeant  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  P. 
N.  G. :  Charles  E.,  a  graduate  of  Wyoming  Semi- 
narv  at  Kingston,  Pa.,  and  now  connected  with 
the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Steel  Company :  and  Walter  H.,  at  home.  The 
family  have  a  summer  residence  at  Cottage  City, 
^lass.,  on  Martha's  \'ineyard.  For  years  Colonel 
Coursen  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade.  He 
is  identified  with  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No. 
139,  G.  A.  R..  and  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potoiuac.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in 
religious  connection  a  member  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

At  the  time  the  war  broke  out  our  subject  was 
residing  in  Milford,  Pike  County,  Pa.  He  went 
to  Port  lervis,  N.  Y.,  and  enlisted  in  a  company 
of  light  artillery  that  expected  to  enter  service. 
Their  plans  not  maturing,  he  returned  to  Milford 
with  a  gentleman  who  tried  unsuccessfully  to 
raise  a  company.  Later  a  friend  from  Branch- 
ville,  N.  J.,  where  he  had  formerly  lived,  asked 
him  to  return  there  and  assist  in  raising  a  com- 
pany. This  he  did  efficiently,  though  only  eigh- 
teen years  of  age.  He  raised  about  one-half  the 
company  when  the  other  man,  James  H.  Wil- 
liamson, backed  out.  About  this  time  L.  D. 
Simms  came  from  Newark  and  represented  him- 
self as  having  been  in  the  regular  army  for  eight 
vears.    He  urged  our  subject  to  renew  his  efforts. 


8o6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  he  did  so,  securing  about  seventy  volunteers, 
while  Simms  had  only  one  and  Daniel  Burrell 
eight.  While  our  subject  went  home  to  raise 
more  men,  Simms  went  to  the  governor,  stating 
he  had  twenty-five  men,  and  asking  for  a  second 
lieutenant's  conmiission.  He  was  about  to  get 
it  when  the  secretary  of  state,  W.  S.  Johnson, 
glancing  at  the  paper,  saw  it  was  Company  I 
from  Newton,  his  old  home.  As  he  did  not  know 
the  man,  he  investigated  matters  and  two  men 
from  Newton  gave  away  the  plan  devised  by 
Simms.  In  addition  to  this,  Williamson  wrote 
the  governor,  requesting  that  his  brother-in-law 
be  commissioned  second  lieutenant,  but  was  re- 
fused. 

I'inally,  with  his  men,  our  subject  marched  to 
Washington  and  in  that  city,  October  3,   1861, 
was   commissioned   second   lieutenant   of    Com- 
pany I,  Seventh  New  Jersey  Infantry.     In  the 
battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  he  took  part, 
being  at   the   siege   of  Yorktown,   and   at  Wil- 
liamsburg, where  he  was  wounded  in  the  lower 
left  arm ;  Fair  Oaks  or  Seven  Pines;  Oak  Grove; 
the  seven   days'  battle  before   Richmond,   when 
he  had  command  of  two  companies;  Savage  Sta- 
tion,  ]\Ialvern  Hill,   Bristow  Station,  Graveton, 
second   Bull  Run,  after  which  he  was  commis- 
sioned first  lieutenant  of  Company  A,   Seventh 
Regiment,  September  5,  1862,  in  recognition  of 
his  bravery  in  that  engagement;  Chantilly,  Cen- 
terville,  the  operations  on  the  Orange  &  Alex- 
andria Railroad  and  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  when 
he  was  with   Burnside's  Second  Corps.     March 
28,  1863,  he  was  made  captain  of  Company  E, 
Twenty-third   New   Jersey   Infantry,   and   trans- 
ferred to  the  Fir.st  Brigade,  First  Division,  Sixth 
Corps.     Later  he  was  at  Chancellorsville,  Fred- 
ericksburg Heights  and  Salem  Church,  and  was 
on   duty  at  Harrisburg,  during  the  Gettysburg 
campaign.     .Although    having    been    previously 
mustered  out  about  three-fourths  of  the  regiment 
volunteered  to  serve  during  the  emergency.     He 
was  mustered  out  at  Beverly,  N.  J.,  June  27,  1863, 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service. 

In  1877  Colonel  Coursen  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  four  companies  of  the  Scranton  City 
Guard,  and  was  elected  captain  of  Company  C 
and  commissioned  August  14  of  that  year.  When 


the  Thirteenth  Regiment  was  formed,  October 
10,  1878,  he  continued  as  captain  of  Company  C 
until  October  4,  1883,  when  he  was  commis- 
sioned major  of  the  Thirteenth  National  Guard. 
October  4,  1888,  he  was  made  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  April  9,  1895,  he  was  elected  and  commis- 
sioned colonel  of  the  Thirteenth,  which  for  sev- 
eral years  has  had  the  highest  rating  at  the  an- 
nual encampment  of  any  regiment  in  the  state.  It 
is  composed  of  eight  companies,  six  from  Scran- 
ton, one  from  Honesdale,  and  one  from  Mont- 
rose. During  the  riots  of  1892  it  was  encamped 
at  Homestead  for  three  weeks. 


RFV.  JOHN  LOUGHRAN,  rector  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church  in  Minooka  and  one  of 
the  well  known  Catholic  priests  of  the 
county,  was  born  in  Dorsey,  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  February  18,  1833.  In  boyhood  he  at- 
tended the  national  schools  and  St.  Patrick's 
College  in  the  city  of  Armagh,  where  he  ob- 
tained a  finished  classical  education.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-four,  in  February,  1857,  he  entered  St. 
Charles  Seminary,  on  Eighteenth  and  Race 
Streets,  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  ordained  to 
the  priesthood  of  the  Catholic  Church,  July  3, 
1859,  by  Bishop  Newman. 

Beginning  his  ministerial  work,  Father  Lough- 
ran  for  nine  months  had  entire  charge  at  Beaver 
Meadows,  Hazleton  and  Audenried  during  the 
absence  of  Father  Scanlon,  after  which  he  was 
given  the  pastorate  at  Friendsville,  Susquehanna 
County.  During  the  four  years  he  remained 
there,  he  also  attended  and  had  charge  of  serv- 
ices in  Middletown,  Warren  and  Auburn.  This 
district  now  requires  the  services  of  three  priests. 
His  work  was  quite  arduous,  involving  not  only 
the  spiritual  interests  of  the  people,  but  aLso  the 
remodeling  and  refitting  of  the  church  houses. 
Auburn  was  twenty-two  miles  from  Friendsville, 
where  he  made  his  home,  and  considerable  travel 
was  therefore  necessarily  entailed  upon  him. 

About  1864  Father  Loughran  accepted  a  pas- 
torate at  Archbald,  Lackawanna  County,  where 
he  remained  for  eleven  years,  meanwhile  super- 
intending the  erection  of  the  edifice  there  and 
raising  $45,000  with  which  to  pay  for  it.     Prior 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


807 


to  the  erection  of  the  church  he  purchased  the 
old  parochial  residence  and  lot  with  his  own 
funds  and  upon  his  removal  from  Archbald  pre- 
sented it  to  the  congregation.  While  in  Arch- 
bald  he  also  held  services  regularly  at  Olyphant. 
During  his  residence  there  he  was  instrumental 
in  securing  for  the  congregation  a  cemetery  at 
a  cost  of  about  $2,000.  In  February,  1875,  he 
came  to  Minooka  and  has  since  had  charge  of 
the  church  at  this  place,  which  numbers  in  its 
membership  about  four  hundred  families.  He 
has  also  had  charge  of  the  congregation  at  Old- 
forge,  where  he  succeeded  in  securing  the  erec- 
tion of  a  church  at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000,  but 
unfortunately  this  building  was  recently  burned. 
For  some  years  he  has  had  an  assistant,  who  re- 
lieves him  of  much  of  his  detail  work,  thus  en- 
abling him  to  concentrate  his  attention  upon  the 
highest  interests  of  his  people.  He  is  known  as 
Father  John  among  his  parishioners,  by  whom 
he  is  greatly  beloved  for  his  many  noble  traits  of 
character,  and  he  is  also  popular  among  members 
of  other  denominations. 


CAPT.  HIRAM  S.  TRAVIS,  formerly  of 
Moscow,  and  a  resident  of  Lackawanna 
County  from  1845  until  his  death,  was 
born  in  Fishkill,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  Octo- 
ber 25,  1808.  When  he  was  quite  small  his  par- 
ents died  and  afterward  he  made  his  home  with 
an  uncle  upon  a  farm.  Necessity  obliged  him  to 
work  hard  for  a  livelihood  at  an  age  when  most 
boys  are  in  school,  but  the  experience  was  in 
some  respects  helpful  to  him,  for  it  caused  him 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  probity  and  industry 
upon  which  his  character  in  manhood  was  built. 
Patriotism  was  one  of  his  prominent  traits,  and 
he  cherished  his  country  and  its  interests  as  dear- 
er than  his  own  welfare.  His  first  military  ex- 
perience was  during  the  Mexican  War,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  service  and  went  to  the  front.  He 
was  quite  advanced  in  years  when  the  Civil  War 
began,  but  fired  by  the  patriotic  spirit  that  age 
cannot  quench,  he  gave  the  government  his  loyal 
support,  and  in  April,  1861,  raised  a  company 
of  men  for  three  months'  service  and  of  them  he 


became  the  captain.     Afterward  he  drilled  raw 
recruits  and  later  organized  another  company. 

Settling  in  Scranton  in  1845,  Captain  Travis 
worked  at  the  mason  and  carpenter's  trades  for 
a  short  time  there,  but  in  1846  came  to  Moscow 
and  purchased  the  house  where  he  continued  to 
make  his  home  until  the  time  of  his  death.  The 
people  of  this  village  soon  came  to  regard  him 
highly  and  he  held  a  prominent  place  in  their 
esteem  and  in  the  affairs  of  the  town.  The  Re- 
publican party  received  his  allegiance  and  its 
principles  his  support.  For  some  years  he  held 
the  ofifice  of  constable,  also  served  as  school 
director,  and  in  various  other  local  positions 
proved  his  fidelity  as  a  citizen  and  his  efficiency 
as  an  ofificial.  Ever  interested  in  Grand  Army 
afTairs,  he  identified  himself  with  the  post  at  Mos- 
cow, of  which  he  remained  an  active  member  as 
long  as  he  lived.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  connected  with  the  Methodist  Church  and 
to  it  his  widow  still  belongs.  At  the  close  of  a 
useful  life,  filled  with  kind  acts  and  helpful  deeds, 
he  passed  quietly  away  February  i,  1890. 

The  lady  who  for  forty-five  years  was  the  faith- 
ful helpmate  of  Captain  Travis  and  who  now 
survives  him,  was  Emily  Ann  Colckglaser,  of 
Moscow,  who  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
April  II,  1826,  and  was  married  July  26,  1845. 
Her  parents,  Samuel  W.  and  Anna  (Biesecker) 
Colckglaser,  were  born  in  this  state  June  15,  1799. 
and  July  26,  1805,  respectively.  The  former,  who 
was  a  mason  by  trade,  came  to  Moscow  about 
1845  3nd  made  his  home  here  until  his  death, 
June  27,  1872.  In  religious  belief  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
His  widow  is  still  living,  and  though  now  ninety- 
two  years  of  age,  retains  her  faculties  and  is  well 
preserved. 

Eleven  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Cap- 
tain and  Mrs.  Travis,  but  five  are  deceased. 
Charles  Henry,  born  May  4,  1846,  is  an  engineer 
on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  road; 
Susan  Ann  was  born  November  24,  1847,  and 
died  May  12,  1849:  Sarah  was  born  August  i, 
1849,  and  died  July  17,  1892;  Samuel  W.,  born 
May  8,  1851,  is  a  fireman  on  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  road  and  makes  his  home 
in  Moscow:   Mary  E.  was  born  July  8,  1853.  and 


8o8 


PORTRAIT    AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


died  Xovember  4.  1887:  Harritn  E.  was  born 
-May  25,  1856:  Esther  E.,  September  25,  1858; 
Zadie.  April  5,  1861:  Nellie,  February  22,  1865; 
Ida,  bom  March  31,  1867,  died  December  7, 
1871 ;  and  James  was  born  January  9,  1870,  and 
died  August  13,  1870.  Though  some  years  have 
passed  since  Captain  Travis  departed  this  life, 
his  name  has  not  been  forgotten,  but  his  memory 
is  still  green  in  the  hearts  of  his  companions  of 
days  gone  by,  and  the  recollection  of  his  honor- 
able life  is  a  heritage  of  which  his  children  may 
well  be  proud. 


H(  )\.  GEORGE  FARBER.  There  is  n.) 
element  which  has  entered  into  our  com- 
posite national  fabric  which  has  been  of 
more  practical  strength,  value  and  utility  than 
that  furnished  by  the  sturdy,  persevering  and 
honorable  sons  of  Germany,  and  in  the  progress 
of  our  L'nion  this  element  has  played  an  im- 
portant part.  Intensely  ])ractical,  and  ever  hav- 
ing a  clear  comprehension  of  the  ethics  of  life, 
the  German  contingent  has  wielded  a  powerful 
influence,  and  this  service  can  not  be  held  in 
light  estimation  by  those  who  appreciate  true  civ- 
ilizaiion  and  true  advancement. 

The  subject  of  this  review  comes  from  stanch 
German  stock,  and  was  born  in  Allebach,  Prus- 
sia, May  28,  1840,  a  son  of  Joseph  Farber,  also  a 
native  of  the  Rliine  Province.  The  grandfather, 
Joseph  I'"arber,  who  operated  both  a  grist  and 
saw  mill  in  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1843, 
and  here  lived  retired  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred after  he  had  passed  the  one  hundredth 
milestone  on  life's  journey.  Joseph  Farber,  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  also  left  the  Fatherland  in 
1843  ^'-'I'l  'lis  family,  and  arrived  in  New  York 
after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage  of  eighty-six 
days.  There  he  remained  until  1845,  when  he 
came  to  Scranton,  where  his  brother-in-law, 
Louis  Engle,  was  living.  Here  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany until  his  enlistment  in  t86i  in  Companv  C, 
One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Pennsylvania  Infan- 
try, which  belonged  to  the  Army  of  ilu-  X'irginia. 
He  faithfully  served  until  honorably  discharged 
on  account  of  physical  disaljility.     I'or  a  time  he 


conducted  a  grocery  store  in  Petersburg  (now 
Scranton),  and  spent  his  last  days  here,  where  he 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  He  had  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Engle,  who  was  born  in  .Allebach, 
Prussia,  May  28,  1812,  and  died  in  1877.  Her 
parents  came  to  America  in  1848  and  died  in  the 
vicinity  of  .Scranton.  Our  subject  is  the  oldest 
of  seven  children,  five  boys  and  two  girls,  the 
others  being  Frederick,  with  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Coal  Company  of  Scranton;  Louis,  with 
tile  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company:  Charles,  who 
served  through  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  the 
Seventy-seventh  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  died 
in  Scranton,  May  28,  1892;  Jacob,  who  died  in 
the  same  place  in  1849:  Mrs.  Sophia  C.  Stark, 
now  a  resident  of  Dunmore;  and  Louisa,  wife  of 
A.  Price  of  Scranton. 

On  the  I2th  of  March,  1843,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  arrived  in  Scranton,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated,  first  attending  the  school  that  stood 
above  the  old  grist  mill  and  later  one  in  Dun- 
more,  then  known  as  liucktown.  In  1S48  he 
went  with  his  parents  to  Greenville,  but  returned 
to  Dunmore  on  the  completion  of  the  Gravity 
road,  and  in  185 1  removed  to  what  is  now  Peters- 
burg, the  tenth  ward  of  .Scranton,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Fie  began  business  life  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  two  years,  w'as  then  driver 
in  the  old  Diamond  mine  for  many  years,  and 
later  served  in  the  same  capacity  with  the  Swartz 
&  Spencer,  now  the  Rooney  P.rookville  Com- 
pany, after  which  he  was  again  with  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War. 

Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  Mr.  l*"ar- 
ber  enlisted  in  August,  1S61,  in  Company  B, 
Ninth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  and  was  mustered 
in  at  Harrisburg,  October  7,  1861.  Witli  his 
command  lie  participated  in  the  following  en- 
gagements: Tompkinsville  and  Paris,  Ky. ;  Rich- 
mond: P^erryville:  Carter's  raid  in  East  Tennes- 
see. I'ranklin,  Thompson  Station,  Spring  Hill. 
I'rentwood,  Franklin,  Harpeth  Creek,  Triune, 
Rover,  Middletown  and  .Shelbyville,  'I'enn.:  La 
I'^ayette,  (ia.:  Chickamauga,  September  19,  20 
and  21,  1863:  Newmarket,  Ala. :  Danbridge,  ^los- 
sv  C'reek,  second  engagement  at  Danbridge,  Sev- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


809 


iersville,  Fair  Garden  and  Reedyville,  Tenn. ; 
Lovejoy  Station,  ^ilacon,  Guswall,  Buckhead 
County,  Waynesboro  and  Savannah,  Ga. ;  John- 
son Station  and  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Averysboro, 
Bentonville,  Raleigh  and  Morrisville,  N.  C.  He 
was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army 
at  Benton  House,  X.  C,  April  26,  1865.  He  vet- 
eranized January  i,  1864,  and  after  a  thirty  days' 
furlough  rejoined  the  army  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  being  honorably  discharged  in 
July,  1865,  after  four  years  of  most  arduous  and 
faithful  service. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Scranton,  Mr.  Far- 
bcr  was  captain  of  a  boat  on  the  Pennsylvania 
Canal  for  one  season,  and  then  operated  in  coal 
on  a  small  scale  for  about  a  year.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  mining  for  Hunt  &  Davis  and  the  Lack- 
awanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  for  some  years, 
and  subsequently  conducted  the  Fairview  Hotel 
at  No.  1315  Ash  Street  in  the  tenth  ward  for 
eighteen  years,  retiring  from  business  in  1889. 
He  is  still  the  owner  of  a  large  store  building  on 
the  corner  of  Ash  and  Irving  Streets,  and  has  a 
fine  residence  and  other  property  in  the  city,  all  of 
which  has  been  accumulated  through  his  own  in- 
dustrious and  well  directed  efforts.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Scranton  to  JMiss  Carolina  Gorletz,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  a  daughter  of  Philip  Gor- 
letz, who  died  in  Scranton. 

Mr.  Farber  has  ever  taken  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs,  was  a  commissioner  and  mem- 
ber of  the  select  council  of  the  city  of  Scranton 
from  1872  until  1878,  representing  the  tenth  ward, 
and  in  1879  was  first  elected  register  of  wills  for 
Lackawanna  County,  but  the  supreme  court  de- 
cided against  him  as  an  illegal  election.  The  fol- 
lowing year,  however,  he  was  again  elected  to 
that  position  for  three  years,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  also  a  member  of  the  select  council,  but  re- 
signed in  December,  1884,  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
assembly,  being  elected  in  1884  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  by  a  majority  of  nine  hundred  votes. 
While  a  member  of  the  legislature  he  introduced 
a  bill  for  the  appropriation  of  $25,000  to  the  Lack- 
awanna Hospital,  and  the  bill  was  passed  and 
signed  for  $15,000.  In  1886  he  was  again  the 
nominee  of  his  party  for  state  representative,  but 
this  time  was  defeated.     In   1890  he  was  elected 


a  member  of  the  select  council,  in  which  he  served 
for  four  years,  and  was  an  important  factor  in 
securing  many  useful  and  valuable  improvements. 
He  is  also  county  tax  collector  for  the  tenth  ward, 
and  is  one  of  its  most  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizens.  For  eighteen  years  he  has  been 
an  influential  member  of  the  county  Republican 
committee,  and  at  the  same  time  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  committee,  of  which  he  has  served 
as  chairman.  Fraternally  he  affiliated  with  Union 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.;  the  Knights  of  Pythias  so- 
ciety, of  which  he  is  a  past  officer;  and  Colonel 
Monies  Post,  No.  319,  G.  A.  R,,  of  which  he  is 
a  charter  member,  and  was  also  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  old  post,  No.  loi.  He  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Peters- 
burg, and  as  a  distinguished  citizen,  upright,  hon- 
orable man  and  honored  veteran  of  the  late  war, 
he  is  assuredly  worthy  of  representation  in  a  work 
of  this  character.  In  1894  he  made  a  trip  to  Eu- 
rope and  spent  three  delightful  months  in  visiting 
his  old  home,  and  different  parts  of  Germany, 
Italy  and  France.  He  also  attended  the  Colum- 
bian Exposition  at  Chicago,  111. 


CHARLES  D.  MACKEY,  M.  D.  The 
philosophy  of  success  in  life  is  an  inter- 
esting study  and  affords  a  lesson  from 
which  all  may  profit.  In  choosing  an  occupation 
in  life,  taste,  mental  gifts,  opportunity  and  dis- 
position to  labor  should  be  considered,  for  with- 
out these  important  qualifications  success  is  im- 
possible. Of  Dr.  Mackey  it  may  be  said  that  na- 
ture fitted  him  for  the  profession  he  has  chosen, 
and  the  gifts  of  nature  have  been  supplemented 
by  careful  and  painstaking  study  of  the  medical 
science.  While  his  residence  in  Dalton  has  been 
comparatively  brief  he  has  already  gained  a  good 
practice  and  a  name  among  the  professional  men 
of  the  locality. 

The  record  of  the  Mackey  family  will  be  found 
in  the  sketch  of  the  Doctor's  brother,  X.  C. 
•Mackey,  M.  D.,  of  Waverly.  Charles  D.  was 
born  in  New  Milford,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa., 
Tune  7.  1854,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm, 
receiving  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  afforded.     At  the 


8io 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


age  of  fourteen  he  loft  home  and  began  in  the 
world  for  himself,  being  for  some  years  variously 
occupied,  but  all  the  time  saving  his  earnings 
with  a  view  to  further  study.  For  four  years  he 
read  medicine  under  his  brother's  supervision 
and  afterward  had  the  advantage  of  a  course 
of  lectures  in  the  University  of  New  York.  In 
1882  he  graduated  from  the  Baltimore  Medical 
College  and  immediately  opened  an  office  in 
Lynn,  but  after  two  years  sold  his  practice  there 
and  removed  to  Montrose.  Ten  years  later  he 
again  sold,  and  in  April,  1895,  came  to  Dalton, 
where  he  has  erected  a  number  of  buildings  and 
engaged  actively  in  practice. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  K. 
B.  Hayes,  Dr.  Mackey  has  never  failed  to  sup- 
port Republican  principles  and  candidates,  and 
at  various  times  he  has  been  elected  to  ofifice  by 
this  party.  With  his  family  he  is  interested  in 
religious  enterprises  and  contributes  to  their  ad- 
vancement; he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
June  7,  1884,  he  married  Miss  Mary  R.  Lyman, 
and  three  children  have  blessed  their  union,  but 
one  is  deceased,  the  others  being  Helen  M.  and 
Hugh  S.  Mrs.  Mackey  was  born  in  Susquehanna 
County,  this  state,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Elisha 
B.  and  Sarah  (McCain)  Lyman.  Her  father,  a 
native  of  the  same  county  as  herself,  went  to 
Colorado  in  1883  and  died  at  Golden  at  the  age 
of  fifty-four.  His  entire  active  life  had  been  de- 
voted to  farm  work,  in  which  he  was  successful. 
Mrs.  Lyman  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  died  in 
Susquehanna  County  when  forty-three,  having 
been  the  mother  of  eight  children,  all  but  one  of 
whom  are  still  livins;. 


WILLIAM  WARD.  One  of  the  early 
residents  of  Spring  Brook  Township, 
who  has  been  associated  with  its  his- 
tory since  the  early  days  of  its  settlement,  when 
forests  were  dense,  blazed  trees  served  as  guide- 
posts  and  roads  were  conspicuous  by  their  ab- 
sence, is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  His  connec- 
tion with  the  township  has  not  been  merely  that 
of  a  farmer  anxious  to  clear  and  improve  a  home- 
stead; it  has  also  been  that  of  a  public-spirited 
citizen  who  seeks  the  good  of  the  people.     As 


an  instance  of  the  latter,  it  may  be  stated  that 
when  he  accepted  the  position  of  supervisor  of 
the  town  he  found  it  indebted  to  the  extent  of 
$3,000;  at  once  taking  hold  of  the  matter,  by 
diligent  effort  and  an  economical  administration 
he  succeeded  in  paying  off  one-half  of  the  debt. 
After  three  years  in  the  position,  he  refused  to 
serve  longer  and  retired  with  the  grateful  appre- 
ciation of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Frank  and  Mary 
(Robinson)  Ward,  were  lifelong  residents  of  Eng- 
land, where  the  former  died  at  forty  and  the  latter 
when  seventy  years  of  age.  They  had  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  are  living,  one  being  in 
Australia.  William  was  born  in  England  April 
10,  1824,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  He  had 
little  chance  for  securing  an  education  and,  like 
many  boys,  did  not  care  to  improve  the  oppor- 
tunities he  did  have.  The  death  of  his  father 
obliged  him,  when  he  was  only  twelve  years  of 
age,  to  begin  to  provide  for  his  mother.  April 
15,  1851,  he  set  sail  for  America  on  the  brig, 
"Thomas,"  of  Gould,  and  arrived  in  New  York 
May  31,  following.  He  at  once  proceeded  to 
Philadelphia  and  after  three  days  there  came  to 
Lackawanna  County,  settling  near  his  present 
location.  His  first  work  was  the  making  of 
shingles  for  a  barn  built  near  here  and  afterward 
he  worked  at  anything  he  could  find  to  do.  Be- 
ing industrious,  handy  with  tools  and  a  natural 
mechanic,  he  was  seldom  out  of  work.  His  earn- 
ings were  economically  saved  until  he  had  suf- 
ficient to  enable  him  to  purchase  his  present  prop- 
erty. Clearing  the  land,  he  literally  hewed  out 
a  farm  from  the  wilderness  and  finally  made  a 
home  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud.  He  has 
worked  in  nearly  all  of  the  sawmills  in  the  town- 
ship and  has  helped  to  clear  the  larger  part  of  the 
land. 

August  16,  1864,  Mr.  Ward  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Fifty- 
second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  aiid  for  some  time 
was  engaged  in  duty  near  Ft.  Sumter,  being 
honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
For  a  time  after  coming  to  this  country  he  voted 
the  Democratic  ticket,  but  since  the  war  he  has 
always  adhered  to  Republican  principles.  Since 
the  organization  of  the  Grange,  he  has  served  as 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


813 


its  treasurer.  April  3,  1854,  he  married  Emily 
Phillips,  member  of  a  pioneer  family  of  the  Lack- 
awanna Valley,  and  her  death,  February  15,  1892, 
was  a  heavy  bereavement  to  the  family.  Five 
children  were  born  of  their  union,  of  whom  these 
survive:  Francis  Edward,  who  is  with  his  father; 
Mrs.  -\Iary  Caroline  Steen,  of  Pittston;  and  Mrs. 
Hannah  Martin,  of  Duryea. 


TYLMAN  C.  ROBINSON,  the  extensive 
lumber  dealer  and  contractor  of  Carbon- 
dale,  was  born  in  Greenfield  Township, 
Luzerne  (now  Lackawanna)  County,  about  nine 
miles  from  the  present  city  of  Carbondale,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  September  7,  1843.  His 
father.  Joseph,  was  born  on  Long  Island,  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1813,  the  son  of  a  poor  man,  who  suc- 
ceeded only  in  making  a  bare  living  for  his  fam- 
ily. Ambitious  to  make  his  way  in  life,  at  the 
age  of  si.xteen  he  started  out  on  foot,  with  all  of 
his  earthly  possessions  done  up  in  a  small  bundle. 
He  made  his  way  into  the  wilderness  of  beech 
woods  in  Luzerne  County,  now  known  as  Green- 
field Township,  Lackawanna  County,  and  in 
1809  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  for  which  he 
promised  to  pay  about  $110  in  installments  of 
$5.  Though  he  did  not  have  enough  to  make 
even  the  first  payment,  he  was  ambitious  and 
determined  to  succeed.  Working  at  any  honest 
occupation  that  ofifered  itself,  he  managed  to 
make  the  payments  as  they  fell  due. 

The  first  work  of  the  young  farmer  was  to 
clear  the  land  by  cutting  down  the  trees,  in  order 
to  make  room  for  the  putting  up  of  a  log  house, 
one-half  mile  from  where  his  wife  is  now  buried. 
When  the  land  was  cleared,  he  began  to  till  the 
soil  and  little  by  little  placed  the  property  under 
good  cultivation.  As  time  passed  by,  he  became 
well-to-do,  as  the  result  of  sacrifices  and  economy. 
In  his  community,  too,  he  attained  prominence 
and  was  frequently  called  upon  to  serve  in  local 
offices.  In  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  he  was 
a  devoted  member,  he  served  as  deacon  for  thir- 
ty-five years.  He  is  now  about  eighty -four  years 
of  age,  and  his  feeble  health  prevents  him  from 
taking  an  active  part  in  the  work  that  formerly 
34 


engaged  his  attention.  He  lives  on  a  portion  of 
the  old  farm,  making  his  home  with  a  daughter. 
November  14,  1833,  Joseph  Robinson  married 
Electa  Carpenter,  who  was  born  in  Hartford 
Pa.,  August  27,  1809,  a  daughter  of  Cyril  Car- 
penter and  in  her  girlhood  a  fine  horseback  rider. 
Many  times  before  her  father  built  a  mill,  she 
started  ofi  on  horseback  with  a  bag  of  corn  and 
made  her  way  through  the  woods  to  Wilkes- 
barre,  the  nearest  milling  town,  and  about  forty- 
five  miles  by  the  road  she  had  to  travel.  Often, 
when  returning  home  in  the  night,  the  wolves, 
at  that  time  very  troublesome,  would  follow  her 
for  miles  and  she  would  have  to  light  a  torch 
to  drive  them  away.  In  these  days  when  every 
comfort  is  to  be  had,  it  is  difficult  to  compre- 
hend the  hardships  which  pioneer  women  met 
with  the  utmost  bravery.  She  was  a  woman  of 
great  courage  and  in  the  most  trying  times  kept 
her  presence  of  mind,  which  carried  her  through 
dangers  that  would  have  cost  a  less  determined 
woman  her  life.  She  attained  an  advanced  age, 
dying  August  30,  1883,  and  her  body  lies  in  the 
old  Carpenter  graveyard,  on  the  site  of  the  log 
house  in  which  she  was  reared,  close  beside  the 
Sickler's  pond.  Like  her  father  and  husband, 
she  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church, 

Cyril  Carpenter,  Mrs.  Robinson's  father,  a  pio- 
neer of  Lackawanna  County,  a  man  of  enterprise 
and  ability  and  a  leader  in  his  community,  was 
born  September  14,  1766,  and  died  October  19, 
1854.  He  was  an  expert  in  the  use  of  tools  and 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  as  well  as  farming. 
He  built  and  operated  the  first  saw  and  grist  mill 
in  this  section  of  the  country.  His  family  consisted 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  Of  his  sons 
we  note  the  following:  Tylman,  a  farmer  and 
mill  owner,  was  born  June  15,  1798,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  eiglity-two  years;  Tyler,  born  July  9, 
1797,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  a  foreman  on 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Gravity  road  from  Car- 
bondale to  Honesdale  when  it  was  first  started; 
Cyril,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  born  February  12, 
1806,  removed  to  Ottawa,  LaSalle  County,  111., 
where  he  died  May  4,  1889,  and  where  his  family 
still  reside;  Daniel,  born  March  24,  1807,  was  a 
natural  mechanic  and    a    farmer    in  Greenfield, 


8i4 


PORTR.\IT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


where  liis  whole  hfc  was  spent,  and  died  October 
lo,  1880. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  a  family 
of  seven  children,  having  three  brothers  and 
three  sisters.  Mary  A.,  born  October  28,  1835, 
married  William  Rankin,  a  farmer,  January  i, 
1851,  and  they  reside  on  a  portion  of  the  old 
homestead,  her  father  being  with  them.  Lucinda, 
born  November  14,  1838,  married  M.  R.  Mal- 
lory  June  23,  1855,  3"*^  '^'•^^  October  15,  1864. 
leaving  one  child  and  having  lost  two.  Joseph 
Tyler,  born  May  13,  1841,  is  a  teaming  and  job- 
bing contractor  in  Scranton.  Julia,  born  June 
19,  1846,  was  married  January  i,  1872,  to  I.  B. 
Scull.  Daniel  Cyril,  born  September  16,  1848, 
and  Charles  M.,  born  March  18,  1851,  died  of 
the  black  fever  within  nine  days  of  each  other, 
in  1864,  at  the  time  when  that  disease  scourged 
the  entire  country  around  Sickler's  pond. 

Growing  to  manhood  upon  the  home  farm, 
with  few  school  advantages,  our  subject  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  began  to  learn  the  carpenter's 
trade  under  his  uncle.  Daniel  Carpenter,  who 
was  a  framer  as  well  as  a  farmer.  After  helping 
to  build  two  barns,  he  was  able  to  plan  and  build 
the  third  without  assistance,  which  he  did  with- 
out making  a  mistake.  When  but  nineteen  years 
of  age  he  married  Lois  Britton,  of  Falls  Town- 
ship, Wyoming  County,  June  29,  1862,  after 
which  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for 
one  year,  then  bought  a  farm  and  engaged  in  till- 
ing the  soil.  Later  he  contracted  to  furnish 
large  (|uantitics  of  lumlier  for  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad,  in  which,  he  was  engaged  for 
two  years,  and  tJu-n  began  a  contracting  busi- 
ness in  Carbondale,  building  up  a  large  lumber 
and  mill  business.  He  was  the  possessor  of  con- 
siderable wealtli,  bin  the  depression  from  1873 
until  1878  left  him  financially  ruined.  His  prop- 
erty was  sold  and  he  gave  up  even  what  the  law 
allowed  him  to  keep,  ofifering  also  tin-  furniture 
in  his  house,  but  this  the  creditors  would  not  ac- 
cept. After  his  affairs  were  straightened  out  and 
his  property  sacrificed,  he  was  still  in  debt  $3,000, 
but  he  had  hosts  of  friends  who  encouraged  him 
to  make  another  start.  Some  of  those  he  was 
owing  ofifered  to  furnish  material  assistance, 
among  them  Judge  D.  K.  Morss,  a  man  of  large 


means  and  one  of  his  warmest  personal  friends. 

Purchasing  on  time  payments  his  old  plant, 
Mr.  Robinson  again  started  out  in  business. 
Since  then  he  has  been  very  successful  and  has 
accumulated  a  large  amount  of  property,  employ- 
ing many  men  and  building  up,  on  the  niins  of 
1878,  an  important  industry.  In  after  years  he 
was  able  to  return  the  kindness  of  his  benefactor, 
Judge  Morss,  by  watching  over  him  and  looking 
after  his  interests  during  the  long  illness  that 
preceded  his  death;  upon  his  demise  he  settled 
up  the  estate  and  on  Christmas,  1894,  was  sur- 
prised by  receiving  a  letter  with  a  check  for  $500 
from  the  widow. 

Of  late  years  Mr.  Robinson's  time  has  not  been 
entirely  given  to  his  business,  for  he  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  municipal  afTairs,  and  every 
good  enterprise  has  had  his  support.  He  did 
nuich  toward  raising  the  money  with  which  to 
start  the  silk  mill  in  Carbondale  and  was  largely 
responsible  for  the  paving  of  Belmont  .Street, 
working  for  the  improvement  of  the  town. 
Through  his  business  career  he  has  erected  three 
hundred  and  fifty  buildings  in  the  place,  among 
them  the  new  Methodist  Church,  in  which  he  is 
an  active  member  and  worker,  also  Odd  Fellows' 
hall,  St.  Rose  convent  and  the  new  D.  &  H. 
passenger  depot.  His  plant  and  home  are  sit- 
uated on  Robinson  Avenue,  named  in  his  honor. 
He  is  connected  with  the  board  of  trade.  A  tem- 
perance worker  and  identified  with  the  Prohibi- 
tion party,  a  few  years  ago  he  was  nomi- 
nated on  that  ticket  for  mayor  and  lacked  only 
a  few  votes  of  being  elected;  in  fact,  if  he  had 
made  a  vigorous  campaign  or  an  efifort  to  secure 
the  ofifice,  he  might  easily  have  won  success.  He 
was  nominated  for  councilman  on  the  temper- 
ance ticket.  He  hesitated  to  let  his  name  be  put 
on  any  ticket  when  he  was  first  approached. 
After  giving  him  some  days  to  consider  the  mat- 
ter, he  allowed  the  Prohibition  party  to  put  him 
on  their  ticket  for  common-councilman.  To  his 
surprise  he  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  with- 
out any  special  efifort  on  jiis  part.  He  has  tiie  sat- 
isfaction of  knowing  that  he  never  asked  a  man 
to  vote  for  him,  but  merely  says  that  if  he  is 
elected  he  will  accept  the  honor  of  the  ofifice  and 
do  the  best  in  his  power  for  the  interests  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


8i: 


city.  For  thirty  years  he  has  1ieen  asso- 
ciated with  the  Independent  (Jrder  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. His  family  consists  of  his  wife  and  three 
daughters,  the  latter  being  named  as  follows: 
Mary,  wife  of  Charles  F.  Baker,  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  C.  D.  Winters  &  Co.,  of  Jermyn ; 
^linnie,  wife  of  William  Rowe  Moon,  a  mer- 
chant of  Belmont  Street,  Carbondale;  and  Lil- 
lian, who  is  with  her  parents. 


THOMAS  WALTERS  came  to  Madison 
Township  about  1858  and  for  ten  years 
afterward  was  employed  in  a  sawmill, 
after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  car- 
penter's trade.  As  the  years  passed  he  saved  his 
earnings  economically  and  these  he  invested  in 
the  purchase  of  a  farm  of  nine  acres.  Not  many 
years  afterward  he  bought  an  adjoining  place 
of  thirtv-six  acres,  and  to  the  cultivation  of  his 
property  his  attention  is  principally  given,  though 
he  still  continues  work  at  carpentering  to  some 
extent.  He  is  numbered  among  the  influential 
farmers  of  the  township  and  is  highly  regarded 
by  his  neighbors  and  associates. 

Born  in  St.  Clair,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  Oc- 
tober 2,  1835,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son 
of  Philip  and  Mary  (Jones)  Walters,  natives  of 
Wales.  His  parents  came  to  America  about  1833 
and  settled  in  Schuylkill  County,  where  the  father 
worked  in  coal  mines  for  a  number  of  years. 
Turning  his  attention  to  agriculture,  he  operated 
a  farm  in  Bradford  County,  Pa.,  for  a  time.  Re- 
moving thence  to  Carbon  County,  this  state,  he 
returned  to  his  former  work  as  a  miner,  but  sub- 
setjuently  went  back  to  his  Bradford  County 
farm  and  there  died  at  fifty-two  years  of  age. 
His  widow,  who  is  now  ninety-three  years  of  age, 
makes  her  home  with  a  daughter  in  Washington. 

Until  the  age  of  twenty  years  our  subject  re- 
mained at  home  with  his  parents.  He  then  be- 
gan mining  in  Jane.sville  and  Plymouth,  Pa.,  but 
spent  only  a  few  years  in  this  occupation.  About 
1858  he  came  to  Madison  Township,  Lackawan- 
na County,  and  here  was  employed  in  a  sawmill 
for  ten  years,  then  purchased  his  present  farm. 
April  23,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Jemima  Daven- 
port, of  Plymouth,  Pa.,  and  they  have  two  chil- 


dren: William  T.,  born  January  18,  1858,  now 
a  farmer  of  this  township:  and  John  L.,  born. 
March  5,  1861,  a  merchant  at  Madisonville,  this 
township. 

Believing  that  no  question  before  the  countrv 
today  is  more  vital  than  the  extinction  of  the 
liquor  traffic,  Mr.  Walters  gives  his  support  to 
Prohibition  principles  and  is  an  active  worker 
in  tlic  temperance  cause.  He  is  interested  in  edu- 
cational matters  and  for  ten  years  has  rendered 
acceptable  service  as  school  director.  Fratern- 
ally he  is  connected  with  the  Patriotic  Order 
Sons  of  America.  In  the  Christian  Church,  of 
which  he  is  a  faithful  member,  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  deacon  about  thirty  years  and  was  then 
made  an  elder  and  as  such  has  since  served.  As 
a  citizen  he  is  interested  in  every  measure  for  the 
advancement  of  the  township:  as  a  friend,  he  is 
helpful  and  accommodating;  and  as  a  man,  he 
is  generous  to  the  needy,  sympathetic  with  those 
who  sufifer  and  kind  in  his  intercourse  with  all. 


CHRISTOPHER  F,  WARD.  There  is  no 
class  of  business  men  who  more  surely 
rear  up  visible  monuments  to  their  in- 
dustry and  their  enterprise  than  the  contractors 
and  builders  of  the  sightly  structures  that  have 
become  landmarks  both  locally  and  in  a  historical 
sense.  Among  those  who  for  years  have  devoted 
their  attention  to  this  line  of  work  is  C.  F.  Ward 
of  Taylor.  In  addition  to  and  in  connection  with 
this  industry,  since  1884  he  has  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  having  his  yards  in  Taylor. 
During  the  late  war  he  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
struction corps  and  assisted  in  keeping  in  repair 
the  railroads  between  Chattanooga  and  Cleve- 
land and  between  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta. 

In  what  is  now  the  village  of  Taylor  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  August  22,  1835,  ^ 
son  of  Daniel  and  Rebecca  (Phelps)  Ward.  At 
the  age  of  nine  years  he  removed  to  Scranton 
with  his  parents  and  obtained  his  education  prin- 
cipally in  the  schools  of  that  city.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  years  he  began  to  learn  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  at  it  he  continued  until  he  was  twenty- 
three,  when  he  commenced  his  present  work  as 
a  contractor  and  builder.     About  1876  he  came 


8i6 


PORTR.MT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  'l"a\  lor  and  here  has  since  made  his  home  and 
engaged  in  his  chosen  occupation.  He  is  accu- 
rate in  design,  honest  in  every  transaction,  and 
faithful  in  the  execution  of  his  contracts,  and  these 
qualities  being  recognized  bring  him  much  of  the 
work  in  his  special  line  in  this  locality . 

While  he  is  not  a  member  of  any  denomina- 
tion, Mr.  Ward  is  in  sympathy  with  the  work 
accomplished  by  the  churches  and  contributes  to 
religious  enterprises.  In  1861  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Phoebe,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Atherton;  they  became  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren: H.  A.,  deceased;  and  Blanche,  wife  of 
John  Atherton,  of  Taylor.  Despite  the  fact  that 
he  began  for  himself  a  poor  boy,  with  only  a 
meager  education,  Mr.  Ward  has  become  well- 
to-do,  which  fact  proves  that  he  is  a  man  of  good 
judgment  and  business  ability. 


WILLIAM  M.  SILKMAN  has  been  a 
resident  of  Scranton  for  many  years 
and  formerly  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business  here,  but  is  now  living  practically  re- 
tired. The  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  was 
first  represented  in  this  country  by  two  brothers 
from  Germany,  who  located  in  Westchester  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  One  of  these,  John,  had  a  son,  Daniel, 
and  the  latter  in  turn  had  a  son,  John,  a  native  of 
Westchester  County  and  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
William,  a  son  of  John  and  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Katonah,  Westchester  County,  April 
14,  1807,  engaged  in  business  in  New  York  City 
as  a  furrier  for  a  time,  then  returned  to  Katonah, 
and  in  1838  settled  in  Providence  Township,  near 
Hyde  Park,  now  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  purchas- 
ing a  farm  in  the  limits  of  what  is  now  Dunmore. 
Upon  the  place  there  were  two  giant  pine  trees, 
which  furnished  the  lumber  for  the  house.  Sub- 
sccjuently  he  moved  near  Carbondale,  where  Jer- 
myn  now  stands,  afterA'ard  going  from  there  to 
Providence,  where  he  bought  a  place  of  his  cous- 
in, Aaron  Silkman.  There  he  resided  until  his 
death,  August  23,  1874. 

In  the  buying  and  sale  of  coal  lands  and  real 
estate,  William  Silkman  did  an  important  busi- 
ness, and  for  some  years  he  was  agent  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  and  the  Delaware 


&  Hudson  Canal  Company.  Selling  his  Dun- 
more  farm  to  this  company,  he  purchased  a  place 
where  Jermyn  now  stands,  but  afterward  sold  it 
and  moved  to  Providence,  Scranton,  where  he 
had  an  office  across  the  street  from  his  residence, 
at  No.  2006  North  Main  Avenue.  For  years  he 
was  president  of  the  borough  cou.icil  and  its 
meetings  were  frequently  held  in  his  office.  The 
old  borough  charter  is  still  in  the  possession  of 
the  family,  and  is  kept  by  his  daughter,  among 
other  borough  papers.  It  was  one  of  his  chief 
ambitions  to  secure  the  separation  of  Lackawanna 
County  from  Luzerne,  and  to  this  end  he  spared 
neither  time  nor  money,  for  years  spending  his 
winters  in  Harrisburg  working  in  the  interests 
of  the  new  county  and  fighting  the  Luzerne 
forces.  However,  he  never  lived  to  see  the  reali- 
zation of  his  hopes,  but  died  a  few  years  before 
the  erection  of  the  new  county.  Politically  he 
was  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  belief  a  Meth- 
odist, serving  for  years  as  trustee  of  the  Provi- 
dence Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  William  Silk- 
man married  Miss  Mary  Bailey,  who  was  born  in 
Somersville,  N.  Y.  She  was  of  French  descent, 
and  died  in  Scranton  in  1891,  aged  eighty-two. 
Like  him,  she  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Her  father,  Jacob  Bai- 
ley, was  born  in  Somersville,  a  son  of  Thomas 
Bailey,  who  married  the  widow  of  Samuel  Jones, 
a  British  officer.  Our  subject  was  third  among 
eight  children,  of  whom  the  others  were  named 
as  follows:  John  B.,  who  was  general  manager 
of  the  freight  department  of  the  Erie  Railroad  at 
Long  Docks,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  New  York  in 
1875:  Henry  O.,  who  resides  at  Lake  Henry, 
Wayne  County,  Pa.;  Francis  B.,  of  Scranton; 
Mary,  who  died  at  twelve  years;  Carrie  and  Au- 
gusta, who  reside  at  the  old  homestead,  and  Theo- 
dore, who  was  engaged  in  business  in  New  York 
city  and  died  at  the  homestead  at  Providence  Oc- 
tober 30,  1896. 

From  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  in  October,  1834,  William  M.  Silk- 
man was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Scranton  at 
so  early  an  age  that  his  first  recollections  are  of 
sights  and  scenes  here.  In  1854  he  graduated 
from  Wyoming  Seminary,  after  which  he  assisted 


THOMAS  IIKOWN. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


819 


his  father  for  two  years,  and  then  took  a  position 
with  the  Pennsylvanina  Coal  Company,  being  first 
in  charge  of  their  weighing  department  and  later 
paymaster  at  Hawley.  In  1863  he  returned  to 
Scranton  and  became  a  member  of  the  hardware 
firm  of  Connell  &  Silkman,  in  Penn  Avenue,  near 
Lackawanna.  This  business,  in  which  he  success- 
fully engaged,  he  sold  out  in  1875,  and  afterward 
bought  the  livery  business  of  Daniel  Roberts, 
corner  of  Spruce  Street  and  Wyoming  Avenue, 
the  present  location  of  the  Dime  Bank.  In  1884 
he  sold  out  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to 
his  personal  interests.  He  is  vice-president  of 
the  Scranton  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Company. 
He  owns  the  building  corner  of  Spruce  Street 
and  Penn  Avenue,  which  he  built,  contracting  to 
complete  it  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  days,  and 
carrying  out  his  agreement  to  the  letter;  for  ten 
years  it  was  occupied  by  the  postoffice.  Political- 
ly he  is  a  Republican. 

In  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Silkman  married  Miss 
Frances  E.  Eltinge,  who  was  born  there,  the 
daughter  of  Richard  Eltinge,  M.  D.,  a  native  of 
Newpaltz,  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  and  a  successful 
medical  practitioner;  both  her  father  and  her 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza  Has- 
brouck,  were  of  Holland-Dutch  descent.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Silkman,  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Helen  M.,  the  wife  of  L.  G.  LaBar,  a  broker  of 
this  citv. 


THOMAS  BROWN,  deceased.  In  giving 
a  record  of  the  life  of  our  subject  we  are 
enabled  to  show  to  the  young  men  of  this 
country  what  may  be  accomplished  by  strict  at- 
tention to  business  and  a  steadfast  determination 
to  succeed  even  without  the  assistance  of  finan- 
cial backing.  Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  County 
Westmeath,  Ireland,  in  1850,  and  there  his  father 
still  resides  on  a  farm.  His  mother,  who  before 
her  marriage  was  Jane  Burke,  died  in  1895,  a 
month  after  hearing  of  her  son's  death.  Of  the 
six  children  our  subject  was  the  third  in  order 
of  birth,  the  others  being  John,  who  resides  on 
the  old  homestead,  and  four  sisters  who  are  mar- 
ried. 

Thomas  Brown  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  edu- 


cated in  the  national  schools  in  Ireland.  When 
about  twenty  years  of  age  he  removed  to  this 
country  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  where  he  re- 
mained a  few  years,  then  came  to  Scranton,  and 
though  an  entire  stranger  here,  having  no  rela- 
tives or  friends,  soon  obtained  employment  with 
the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  and  became  a 
practical  miner.  After  having  learned  the  busi- 
ness thoroughly,  he  saw  the  advantages  to  be  ob- 
tained by  operating  a  mine,  so  he  determined  to 
begin  for  himself.  He  formed  a  partnership  with 
some  other  parties  and  they  sunk  a  shaft.  The 
work  was  slow,  hard  and  tedious,  but  as  they  all 
worked  together  and  had  a  common  interest  in 
the  success  of  the  undertaking,  they  eventually 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  Clark  drift  and  then 
built  a  small  breaker.  This  answered  their  pur- 
pose for  some  time,  but  the  business  increasing 
they  were  obliged  to  build  a  new  one,  which  was 
completed  in  1892,  and  is  still  in  successful  ope- 
ration. In  the  same  year  he  made  a  four  months' 
trip  back  to  his  old  home,  visiting  his  father 
and  taking  a  tour  through  Ireland. 

When  looking  after  the  operation  of  the  mine, 
in  October,  1895,  by  the  falling  in  of  the  roof 
Mr.  Brown  was  killed,  thus  being  cut  ofif  from 
the  enjoyment  of  his  well  earned  competency 
while  yet  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  as  he  was  but 
forty-five  years  of  age.  In  January,  1881,  in  Dun- 
more,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Curry,  who  was 
a  native  of  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.  Her  fath- 
er, James  Curry,  was  an  early  settler  there, 
having  come  from  Ireland  when  a  young  man. 
In  1871  he  came  to  Dunmore  and  secured  work 
with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  continu- 
ing in  their  employment  until  his  death,  in  1885. 
He  married  Catherine  Brennen,  and  of  their  eight 
children  6nly  three  daughters  are  living,  the  eld- 
est of  whom  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Brown.  Dur- 
ing his  entire  life  Mr.  Brown  was  a  firm  adherent 
to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
religious  belief  held  membership  with  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  giving  his  support  to  the  church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  parties  who  succeeded  in  starting  the 
Dunmore  Electric  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Com- 
pany, of  which  Mrs.  Brown  is  a  stockholder  and 
director.    To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  were  born  four 


820 


PORTRAIT   AXD   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


children:  John,  Kate,  Nellie  and  Agnes.  Mr. 
Brown  built  a  comfortable  home  on  the  corner  of 
Center  and  Wood  Streets,  where  his  widow  still 
resides.  Since  her  husband's  death  she  has  con- 
tinued the  coal  operations  undertaken  by  him,  and 
as  her  representative  at  the  mine  employs  Thom- 
as Mullen,  her  sister's  husband,  as  superintend- 
ent to  look  after  her  interests. 


HOX.  LOUIS  ARTHUR  WATRES. 
Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  legal  fra- 
ternity, it  cannot  be  denied  that  members 
of  the  bar  have  been  more  important  actors  in 
public  affairs  than  any  other  class  of  the  com- 
munity. This  is  but  the  natural  result  of  causes 
which  are  manifest  and  rec|uire  no  explanation. 
The  ability  and  training  which  (pialify  one  to 
practice  law,  also  qualify  him  in  many  respects 
for  duties  which  lie  outside  the  strict  path  of  his 
profession  and  which  touch  the  general  interests 
of  society.  Holding  precedence  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  Lackawanna  County  is  Mr. 
Watres  of  Scranton,  who  is  also  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  the  city,  and  has  been  prom- 
inently identified  with  state  politics. 

His  father,  Lewis  S.  Watres,  was  born  in 
Phoenixville,  Pa.,  in  1808,  and  when  twenty-seven 
years  of  age  came  to  Lackawanna  Valley,  locat- 
ing at  what  is  now  Winton,  where  he  purchased 
four  liundred  acres  of  land,  and  began  developing 
his  timber  interests.  In  1837  he  erected  the  first 
church  in  the  valley, at  Pecktown — a  Presbyterian 
Church — and  he  bore  the  entire  expense,  with  the 
exception  of  $12  contributed  by  others.  To  him 
also  belongs  the  credit  of  o])ening  up  one  of 
the  first  ccjal  mines  in  tlie  valley  below  Car- 
boiidale.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  he 
recruited  a  company,  which  was  mustered  in  at 
iiarrisburg  and  assigned  to  the  Fifty-second 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  but  on  account  of  asthma 
he  was  prevented  from  going  to  the  front.  Later 
he  formed  another  company  which  became  a  part 
of  the  Fifty-sixth  Regiment.  He  served  as  jus- 
lice  of  the  peace  in  lilakely  Township,  and  the 
following  year  after  his  removal  to  Scranton  in 
1865  was  elected  alderman  of  the  ninth  ward, 
which  office  he  creditably  filled  up  to  the  time 


of  his  death  in  1882.  Xo  man,  perhaps,  ever 
lived  in  the  valley  who  had  more  friends  and  few- 
er enemies  than  Alderman  Watres.  In  every  re- 
lation of  life  he  was  tender,  sympathetic  and  loyal, 
and  he  possessed  a  strength  of  character  which 
served  him  well  and  made  him  conspicuous 
among  his  fellows.  His  wife,  a  talented  poetess, 
under  the  pen  name  of  "Stella  of  the  Lackawan- 
na," wrote  many  popular  poems,  some  of  which, 
since  her  decease,  have  been  published  in  book 
form.  In  the  family  are  four  children:  Mrs. 
John  L.  Hull:  Charles;  Louis  Arthur;  and  Car- 
rie, who  became  the  wife  of  Judge  Edward  C. 
Lovell  of  Elgin.  111.,  and  died  in  the  winter  of 
1896. 

r)ur  subject  was  born  at  what  is  now  Winton. 
Lackawanna  County.  April  21,  1851,  and  is  a 
descendant  of  the  renowned  James  Otis  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. At  an  early  age  Mr.  Watres  was 
obliged  to  leave  school  and  seek  emplovment, 
and  for  several  years  was  employed  at  various 
occupations.  He  finally  became  connected  with 
the  Scranton  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Company, 
serving  as  clerk,  teller  and  later  as  cashier.  Re- 
solved to  enter  the  legal  profession,  he  began  the 
study  of  law,  was  admitted  to  the  Lackawanna  bar 
in  1878,  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in 
practice,  retaining  a  clientele  of  so  representative 
a  character  as  to  alone  stand  as  evidence  of  his 
professional  ability  and  personal  popularity.  For 
twenty-four  years  he  has  now  been  an  officer  and 
director  in  the  bank  which  he  first  entered  as 
clerk,  and  is  now  serving  as  president  of  the  com- 
pany, as  well  as  the  Spring  Brook  Water  Supply 
Company,  the  Mansfield  Water  Company,  Brook- 
side  Coal  Company,  and  the  Scranton  &  Pittst(in 
Traction  Company.  In  addition  he  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  numerous  other  enter- 
prises in  Scranton  and  the  Lackawanna  Valley, 
and  was  president  of  the  Scranton  Passenger 
Railway  Company,  which  he  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing. 

Public  affairs  have  also  claimed  the  attention 
of  Mr.  Watres.  and  from  1882  until  1890  he  was 
a  prominent  member  of  the  state  senate.  He  was 
lieutenant-governor  from  1891  to  1895,  being 
elected  to  the  latter  position  by  a  majority  of 
22,365,   while   the   Democratic   governor,   Patti- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


821 


son,  at  ihe  same  time  was  elected  by  a  majority 
of  17,000.  He  was  ex-officio  president  of  the 
Pennsylvania  senate  and  ex-officio  president  of 
the  board  of  pardons,  and  by  act  of  the  general 
assembly  was  made  a  commissioner  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition 
and  subsequently  elected  vice-president  of  the 
board.  In  x\ugust,  1891,  he  was  elected  chairman 
of  the  Republican  state  committee.  In  religion 
he  entertains  strong  but  liberal  views,  and  is  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  was  married  in  1874  to  Miss  Effie  Hawley, 
by  whom  he  has  three  sons  living:  Harold, 
Laurence  and  Reyburn. 


W 


ILLIAM  R.  CASTNER,  who  is 
efficiently  serving  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad  Company 
as  assistant  yardmaster  at  Scranton,  was  born  at 
Changewater,  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  Septem- 
ber 25,  1866,  and  is  a  member  of  a  patriotic  fami- 
ly long  resident  in  that  locality.  His  paternal 
great-grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution, 
and  his  grandmother,  when  a  girl,  assisted  her 
mother  and  sister  in  caring  for  sick  and  wounded 
patriots.  The  grandfather,  Adam  Castner,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  died  in  New  Jersey  at 
the  age  of  seventy. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  P.  Castner,  was 
born  in  Hunterdon  County  and  until  twenty  years 
of  age  remained  on  the  home  farm,  but  at  that 
time  became  connected  with  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Railroad  as  brakeman.  later 
was  made  fireman  and  then  engineer  on  the  main 
line.  About  1883  he  was  transferred  to  Elmira  on 
the  Buffalo  division,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
During  his  thirty  years  of  connection  with 
railroading  he  has  been  fortunate  in  escaping  ac- 
cidents and  in  every  instance  has  proved  himself 
capable,  efficient  and  faithful.  He  is  of  remote 
German  descent  and  his  wife  of  Scotch  extrac- 
tion. The  latter  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna 
Reed,  and  was  born  in  Hunterdon  County,  the 
daughter  of  William  Reed,  who  was  engaged  in 
the  meat  business  at  Califon.  Their  children  are 
named  as  follows:  William  Richard;  Jennie,  who 
is  married  and  lives  in  Waverly,  Pa.;  Mrs,  Min- 


nie Rounds,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.;  Grace  and  Keziah, 
who  died  at  the  same  time  in  childhood;  George, 
who  died  one  year  before  his  sisters;  Laura, 
Grace,  Fannie,  Hattie  and  John,  who  are  with 
their  parents. 

When  in  1873  his  parents  came  to  Scranton, 
our  subject  accompanied  them  to  this  city  and 
here  attended  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of 
eleven  he  was  put  to  work  in  the  boiler  shop  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  He  then  became  fireman 
on  a  "bobtail"  engine  in  the  mine  runs.  When 
fifteen  he  began  as  a  brakeman  on  the  main  line 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  for  five  years,  after 
which  he  was  promoted  to  be  conductor.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1887,  he  accepted  the  position  of  assistant 
yardmaster,  which  he  has  since  held.  At  times 
he  has  had  some  narrow  escapes,  but  has  fortun- 
ately never  been  injured.  He  is  very  energetic 
and  industrious,  intolerant  of  shiftlessness  and 
laziness,  and  personally  possesses  a  stalwart  phy- 
sique and  a  rugged  constitution,  fitted  to  do  and 
endure. 

In  this  city  ]\Ir.  Castner  married  Miss  May 
Shififer,  who  was  born  and  grew  to  womanhood 
in  Scranton.  They  and  their  daughter.  Lulu  M., 
reside  at  No.  541  North  Lincoln  Avenue.  In  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  Mr.  Castner  is  past  chancellor, 
and  he  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Malta 
and  the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen.  His 
political  opinions  bring  him  into  affiliation  with 
the  Republican  party  and  this  ticket  he  votes  at 
all  elections.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
Simpson  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Hyde 
Park. 


JOHN  J.  WALSH,  M.  D.,  of  Scranton,  de- 
serves credit  for  the  position  he  has  won. 
Though  yet  only  young  in  years,  he  has 
a  large  and  increasing  patronage  and  has  met 
with  success  in  his  professional  career.  As  a 
physician,  he  is  patient,  constant  and  sympa- 
thetic, yet,  in  the  hour  of  extremity,  cool,  calm 
and  courageous,  thus  inspiring  the  sick  and  dis- 
tressed with  feelings  of  confidence.  Amid  all  his 
toil  he  still  finds  time  for  the  study  of  his  pro- 
fession, keeping  himself  abreast  with  all  the  prac- 


822 


rORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tical  details  and  important  discoveries  in  the 
healing  art.  Such  a  mind  as  his,  stored  with  the 
fruits  of  close  study  and  experience,  and  the 
genial  temperament  which  it  is  his  fortune  to 
possess,  can  yield  only  the  results  which  legiti- 
mately flow  from  such  qualities. 

The  Walsh  family  originated  in  Ireland,  from 
which  country  the  Doctor's  father,  Patrick,  a  na- 
tive of  County  Mayo,  emigrated  to  America,  set- 
tling in  Scranton  in  1846.  For  fourteen  years 
he  was  employed  by  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company,  after  which,  removing  to  Way- 
mart,  he  bought  a  farm  and  has  since  made  it 
his  home.  In  November,  1896,  he  attained  the 
age  of  seventy-seven,  at  which  time  he  was  still 
robust  and  hearty.  In  agricultural  work  he  has 
been  prospered  and  his  farm,  which  he  has  in- 
creased from  an  acreage  of  fifty  to  more  than  two 
hundred,  is  one  of  the  best  in  his  locality.  His 
wife,  in  maidenhood  Bridget  Loftus,  came  from 
County  Mayo  to  Pennsylvania  at  seventeen  years 
of  age,  and  is  still  living.  Of  their  seven  sons  and 
four  daughters,  five  sons  and  three  daughters 
are  living,  the  Doctor  being  the  fifth  in  order  of 
birth. 

From  Scranton,  where  he  was  born  May  30, 
1861,  John  J.  Walsh  was  taken  by  his  parents 
to  Waymart,  Wayne  County,  when  only  one 
month  old.  In  boyhood  he  varied  farm  labor 
with  study,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  having 
resolved  to  become  a  physician,  he  entered  fhe 
Flonesdale  Academy,  where  he  remained  for  a 
time.  Later,  for  two  years,  he  studied  at  the 
Waymart  Normal  School.  His  medical  studies 
were  commenced  under  Dr.  Niles,  then  of  Way- 
mart,  later  of  Carbondale,  and  after  eighteen 
months  with  that  gentleman,  he  entered  the  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College  of  Philadelphia.  From 
that  institution,  recognized  as  one  of  the  best 
in  the  United  States,  he  graduated  in  llie  spring 
of  1886,  and  at  once  opened  an  office  in  the  bor- 
ough of  Olyphant,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
His  success  was  such  as  to  warrant  him  in  seek- 
ing a  larger  field  for  his  growing  practice.  In 
1891  he  returned  to  Scranton,  the  place  of  his 
birth,  and  settled  on  the  south  side,  where  he 
has  his  office  and  residence  at  No.  11 17  Pitts- 
ton  Avenue.     He  was  married  in  Scranton,   fan- 


uary  3,  1894,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Mahon,  who  was 
born  in  this  city,  her  father,  James  Mahon,  now 
deceased,  having  been  an  early  settler  here.  They 
have  one  child,  Joseph. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Walsh,  James  and  Norah 
(Kennedy)  Mahon,  of  Scranton,  had  three  sons 
and  eight  daughters,  namely:  Thomas,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  general  insurance  business  as 
agent  for  this  and  other  counties;  Bernard,  a 
prospector  for  several  of  the  leading  coal  com- 
panies; James,  who  is  engaged  in  newspaper 
work;  Anna;  Laura;  Katherine,  Mrs.  T.  H. 
Langan,  of  Philadelphia,  who  died  August  22, 
1896;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  J.  Walsh;  Mary, 
Nellie,  Josephine  and  Alice.  Mrs.  Walsh  is  a 
refined  and  educated  lady  and  was  formerly  pre- 
ceptress in  the  Olyphant  schools.  She  was  also 
organist  at  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church  in  Oly- 
phant and  later  a  member  of  the  Cathech-al  choir 
in  Scranton. 


M 


ARION  DAVID  SNYDER,  M.  D.,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Dunmore,  was  born  in  East  Clififord, 
Susquehanna  County,  May  27,  1871.  His  great- 
grandfather, who  was  of  an  old  Pennsylvania 
family,  engaged  in  farming  and  carpentering, 
and  died  in  Scott  Township,  this  county.  His 
son,  Elias,  was  born  in  that  township  and  died 
there  at  nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  David  N., 
the  next  in  line  of  descent  and  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  also  born  in  Scott  Township,  but 
when  a  young  man  bought  a  farm  in  East  Clif- 
ford and  is  still  engaged  in  operating  it  there, 
and  has  served  as  supervisor,  etc.  He  married 
Mary  J.  Snyder,  who  though  of  the  same  name 
was  no  relation,  and  her  family  were  also  old 
settlers  in  Scott  Township.  She  died  in  East 
Clififord,  having  had  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living.  Abraham  E.,  a  graduate  of  Jefferson 
College  of  Philadelphia,  is  now  practising  medi- 
cine in  New  Milford,  Susquehanna  County;  Ella 
M.  is  a  professional  nurse  in  New  York  City; 
Myrtic  B.,  who  also  graduated  as  a  nurse  in  New 
York  City,  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  T.  Marvine,  of 
that  city.  David  N.  Snyder  served  three  years  in 
the  Civil  War  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Grand 


WILLIAM  SCHULL. 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


82.S 


Army  Post  at  Clifford.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  religious  connections 
is  a  member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church, 
^ilarion  D.  Snyder  spent  his  childhood  on  the 
farm  and  attended  public  school  and  later  the 
Keystone  Academy.  He  taught  school  for  one 
year  in  Susquehanna  County,  then  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  .having  a  natural  inclination 
for  the  life  of  a  physician.  In  1893  he  entered 
Jefferson  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1896  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  He  also  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia 
Lying-in  Charity  Hospital,  and  received  his  di- 
ploma the  same  year.  After  his  graduation  he 
was  engaged  in  the  practice  in  connection  with 
his  brother  until  January  i,  1897.  At  that  date, 
having  decided  to  open  an  ofifice  for  himself,  he 
came  to  Dunmore,  where  he  has  a  fine  location 
on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Cherry  Streets,  and  is 
engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery.  He  is  a  fellow  of  the  Parvin  Obstetri- 
cal Society  of  Philadelphia. 


WILLIAM  SCHOLL  is  one  of  the 
oldest  men  in  the  employ  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  Company  at  Scran- 
ton.  He  is  a  most  skillful  machinist  and  a 
genius  in  his  line.  His  improvements  have  been 
invaluable  to  the  company  and  he  continually 
brings  to  bear  upon  his  v/ork  unusual  care  and 
rare  devotion  to  his  superiors'  best  interests. 
Among  his  most  noticeable  inventions  is  one 
whereby  rails  are  rolled  mto  smaller  sizes.  Of 
this  he  is  the  patentee,  the  patent  being  issued  in 
the  name  of  Scholl  and  T.  G.  Wolf.  Another 
idea  of  his  was  to  supplant  the  old  system  of 
belts  by  a  new  process  of  gearing.  He  has  seen 
the  little  town  of  Slocum's  Hollow  develop  into 
the  large,  progressive  city  of  a  hundred  thousand 
or  more  inhabitants,  now  known  as  Scranton. 

The  parents  of  William  Scholl  were  Matthias 
and  Charlotte  (Roth)  Scholl.  The  father,  a  na- 
tive of  Prussia,  Germany,  followed  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  from  1813  to  1815  was  in  the  Ger- 
man army  under  the  command  of  Louis  Napo- 
leon. With  his  family  he  came  to  Scranton  in 
1857  and  here  both  he  and  his  faithful  helpmate 


died.  At  the  time  of  her  death  she  was  ninety 
years  old  lacking  a  month,  while  he  also  attained 
a  good  old  age,  being  in  his  eighty-sixth  year  at 
the  time  of  his  demise.  Of  their  seven  children, 
Catherine,  Maria,  Charlotte  and  Lena  reside  in 
Scranton;  Sophia  is  in  Germany;  and  Daniel,  who 
was  in  the  German  revolution  of  1848,  is  now  in 
his  brother's  department  in  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Steel  Company. 

William  Scholl  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Werschweiler,  Kriesbarn-Cassel,  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, September  19,  1830.  He  attended  the  na- 
tional schools  and  worked  on  the  old  farm  until 
1 85 1,  when  he  decided  to  come  to  America.  At 
Havre  de  Grace  he  took  passage  in  the  sailing 
vessel  "Danube,''  which  was  nineteen  days  in 
crossing  the  ocean.  From  New  York  he  came  to 
Scranton,  going  by  rail  to  Morristown,  by  wagon 
road  to  Honesdale  and  from  there  to  this  city. 
Very  soon  he  became  an  employe  with  the  com- 
pany he  is  still  with,  first  in  the  blacksmith  de- 
partment, later  in  the  foundry,  then  in  the  roll 
turning  shop.  In  the  foundry  he  was  advanced 
to  be  blacksmith  and  after  a  time  was  transferred 
to  the  machine  shop.  Two  years  later  he  was 
promoted  to  the  roll  turning  department  and  in 
1856  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  same.  From 
that  time  until  October,  1894,  he  had  all  of  the 
roll  turning  in  the  company's  three  mills  under 
his  supervision,  and  at  the  date  just  given  he  was 
also  placed  in  charge  of  the  steel  mill.  Rolls  of 
every  size  and  weight  can  be  manufactured  here 
and  rolls  weighing  as  high  as  twenty-nine  thou- 
sand pounds  are  sometimes  turned  out.  There 
are  ten  lathes  used  for  the  purpose. 

The  comfortable  and  tasteful  home  of  Mr. 
Scholl  is  situated  at  No.  346  Birch  Street.  His 
faithful  wife  was  before  their  marriage  Miss  Maria 
Rosar,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Rosar,  who  came  to 
Scranton  in  1853  and  lived  here  the  rest  of  his 
days.  Mrs.  Scholl  did  not  come  to  America  until 
her  father  had  been  here  a  year.  The  following 
children  were  born  to  our  worthy  subject  and 
wife:  William,  who  died  in  March,  1888,  when 
thirty  years  of  age  and  who  had  been  a  roll 
turner  by  occupation;  Joseph,  in  charge  of  a  roll 
turning  department  in  Laramie,  Wyo.;  John, 
foreman  under  his  father;    Maria,    Mrs.    Jacob 


826 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Klein,  of  Scranton:  Katie,  at  home;  Lena.  Airs. 
H.  W.  Siebecker,  of  Scranton ;  Henry  and  Robert, 
at  home:  and  .\nna,  wife  of  Wilham  Pfeffer,  of 
Olyphant.  Mr.  Scholl  is  interested  in  poHtical 
matters,  as  befits  a  good  citizen ;  he  votes  for  the 
nominees  of  the  Repubhcan  party,  but  has  never 
been  prevailed  upon  to  accept  an  office  of  any 
kind.  He  is  a  incniber  of  tlie  Lutheran  Church 
of  Peace. 


ISAAC  F.  MEGARGEL.  The  t^rni  of  Me- 
gargel  &  Connell,  the  oldest  wholesale  gro- 
cers of  Scranton,  are  well  known  throughout 
eastern  Pennsylvania  and  southern  New  York, 
and  have  a  large  trade  in  the  line  of  specialties 
in  many  states.  Their  store,  situated  at  Nos.  115- 
T17  Franklin  Avenue,  is  50x132  feet  in  dimen- 
sions and  four  and  six  stories  in  height,  aside 
from  basement,  also  containing  an  "L"  of  three 
stories,  17x25.  the  latter  especially  for  spice  mills, 
coffee  roasters,  elevators  and  machinery.  The 
six-story  addition  and  two  elevators  were  erected 
in  1888,  to  accommodate  the  increased  business 
of  the  house.  The  firm  manufacture  their  own 
extracts,  Jadwin's  tar  sirup.  United  States  bak- 
ing powder,  all  their  spices,  and  other  spe- 
cialties. While  this  business  demands  much  of 
his  attention,  Mr.  Megargel  has  other  important 
interests.  He  is  vice-president  and  a  director  of 
the  Scranton  Packing  Company,  in  which  he  is  a 
charter  member;  a  charter  member  and  director 
of  the  Lackawanna  Lumber  Company ;  vice-presi- 
dent and  a  director  of  the  Allegheny  Lumber 
Company;  president  of  the  Consumers'  Ice  Com- 
panv,  and  vice-president  and  a  director  of  the 
Clark  &  Snover  Company;  also  interested  in  sev- 
eral other  corporations  in  and  about  the  city. 

Mr.  Megargel  was  Ijorn  in  Sterling,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  in  August,  1841,  the  son  of  Isaac 
and  Calista  (Dayton)  Mfegargel,  natives  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  and  Massachusetts,  respectively.  His 
grandfather,  Allen  Megargel,  who  was  born  in 
Philadelphia  and  owned  a  farm  in  what  is  now  a 
])art  of  that  city,  removed  with  his  family  to  Pike 
County,  where  he  built  the  first  mills  in  that  lo- 
cality and  became  the  owner  of  a  large  tract  of 
land.     He  died  there  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight. 


The  paternal  great-great-grandfather  came  from 
Scotland  and  was  well  known  am(5ng  the  pioneer 
Quakers  of  Philadelphia.  When  a  young  man 
our  subject's  father  went  west  and  traveled 
through  Indiana  and  other  states,  seeking  a  suit- 
able location,  Init  finding  nothing  satisfactory  he 
returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Sterling, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  For  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  he  held  the  office  of  justice  of 
t^he  peace,  and  his  decisions  were  so  just  that  they 
were  never  reversed  by  higher  courts.  He  died  in 
1883  at  the  age  of  eighty. 

The  Dayton  family  was  of  Puritan  origin.  Our 
subject's  great-grandfather,  Milo  Dayton,  served 
in  a  Massachusetts  regiment  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, carrying  a  rifle  that  weighed  forty  pounds. 
The  grandfather,  Giles  Dayton,  was  born  in  the 
Bay  State,  thence  brought  his  family  to  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  and  built  a  sawmill  at  Sterling  and  a 
woolen  mill  at  Salem.  After  some  years  he  went 
back  to  Massachusetts  and  there  died.  He  in- 
vented a  number  of  useful  articles  and  also  built 
the  first  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  cording 
rolls  for  woolen  mills.  He  was  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian and  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Churcli.  His  wife  was  of  Puritan  stock  and 
the  daughter  of  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  Our 
subject's  mother  passed  away  in  1889,  aged 
eighty-six  years.  Her  four  sons  are  still  living: 
Giles  A.,  a  retired  business  man  of  Peckville,  this 
county ;  Justus  A.  and  Orlando,  both  members  of 
a  Peimsylvania  regiment  during  the  war,  and 
both  now  engaged  in  business  in  Vineland,  N.  J-, 
and  Isaac  F. 

When  seventeen  years  of  age,  in  1858,  our  sub- 
ject began  in  the  lumber  business  near  Elmhurst, 
this  county,  and  had  a  store  there  and  a  mill  for 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  Returning  to  Sterling 
in  1862,  he  became  interested  in  the  mercantile 
business.  In  1865 'he  sold  out  and  came  to  Scran- 
ton, where  he  carried  on  a  retail  grocery  business 
in  Lackawanna  Avenue,  near  Franklin,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1868  reinoved  to  New  York  city, 
where  he  was  similarly  engaged  in  Grand  Street 
Tuitil  the  fall  of  1869.  On  his  return  to  Scranton 
he  liad  a  retail  establishment  on  the  corner  of 
Washington  and  Lackawanna  Aveinies.  'In  1870 
lie  began  in  the  wholesale  business,  in   Lacka- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


827 


wanna  above  Franklin  Avenue,  as  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  A.  G.  Gilmore  &  Co.,  consisting  of 
that  gentleman,  WilHam  Connell  and  himself.  In 
1877  his  business  was  sold  to  Mr.  Gilmore,  and 
our  subject  and  James  L.  Connell  went  to  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  where  they  were  wholesale  gro- 
cers. Coming  back  to  Scranton  in  1878  they 
bought  the  old  business,  and  the  firm  of  Megar- 
gel,  Connell  &  Co.  was  established,  consisting  of 
our  subject,  James  L.  and  Alexander  Connell. 
The  death  of  Alexander  Connell  in  1882  caused 
a  change  in  the  firm,  which  has  since  been  Alegar- 
gel  &  Connell.  In  1881  they  built  and  located  at 
their  present  place,  where  they  have  since  built 
up  an  extensive  and  profitable  business. 

In  Stamford,  Conn.,  Mr.  Megargel  married 
Miss  Gertrude  Jones,  who  was  born  near  that 
city.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  sons:  Percy 
F.,  a  graduate  of  the  military  school  at  Aurora, 
N.  Y. ;  Roy  C,  a  student  in  Wesleyan  University, 
Middletown,  Conn.,  and  Ralph  G.,  who  is  attend- 
ing the  School  of  the  Lackawanna.  A  Republican 
in  politics,  Mr.  Megargel  is  identified  with  the 
Central  Republican  Club.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trade  and  actively  interested  in 
financial  matters  in  this  city.  In  religious  belief 
he  is  connected  with  the  Elm  Park  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  is  one  of  the  trustees  of 
the  congregation. 


CHARLES  C.  ROSE,  general  superinten- 
dent of  the  coal  department  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company,  and  one 
of  the  successful  civil  engineers  of  Scranton,  is  a 
descendant  of  substantial  New  England  ances- 
tors, who  for  successive  generations  were  honor- 
ably identified  with  the  history  of  the  country. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Rufus  Rose,  was  born 
in  Massachusetts  and  some  years  after  his  mar- 
riage removed  from  there  to  Sherburne,  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  in  farm 
pursuits  until  his  death  at  a  very  advanced  age. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  C.  Rose,  was 
born  in  Massachusetts,  accompanied  the  family 
to  New  York  and  was  reared  near  Sherburne. 
When  a  young  man  he  was  employed  on  Erie 
Canal  and   afterward   was  made  superintendent 


on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal,  continuing 
there  for  forty  years.  The  village  of  Rose  Point, 
in  which  he  resided,  was  named  in  his  honor. 
PVom  there  he  moved  to  Port  Jervis,  some  fifteen 
years  before  his  death,  and  there  passed  away  at 
si.xly-seven  years. 

The  marriage  of  \\  iliiani  C.  Rose  united  him 
with  Lovina  Shinier,  who  was  bom  in  Montague, 
N.  J.,  and  died  in  Port  Jervis  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Shinier, 
a  farmer  and  early  settler  of  Montague.  Of  her 
six  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters  are 
living.  Lyman  O.,  who  resides  at  Honesdale,  is 
superintendent  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal; 
William  R.  is  a  merchant  in  Phillipsport,  Sulli- 
van County,  N.  Y.  Our  subject,  who  was  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  spent  the  first  fourteen 
years  in  his  native  place  in  the  town  of  Deer  Park, 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  near  Rose  Point,  Wallkill  Acad- 
emy at  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  and  the  Xorwalk 
(Conn.)  Academy. 

For  one  year  Mr.  Rose  was  with  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal  Company,  after  which  he  was 
employed  in  the  office  of  the  superintendent  of 
the  Erie  Railroad  in  Port  Jervis,  and  then  was 
engaged  as  civil  engineer  in  an  engineering  corps 
near  Monticello.  Afterward  he  was  with  the  New 
Jersey  Midland,  and  then  for  five  years  was  em- 
ployed in  work  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  along 
Lake  Champlain  on  their  railroad.  For  two  years 
he  was  a  civil  engineer  and  surveyor  on  Staten 
Island  for  the  water  company,  and  also  held  the 
position  of  assistant  city  engineer.  For  one  vear 
he  was  with  the  Erie  as  a  civil  engineer,  and  later 
liuilt  the  reservoir  for  the  Port  Jervis  Water  Com- 
pany. His  next  position  was  with  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  in  the  construction  of  a 
new  road  between  Binghamton  and  Buffalo.  On 
the  completion  of  the  contract,  in  1882,  he  came 
to  Scranton  and  was  made  assistant  chief  engi- 
neer by  the  same  company,  being  selected  from  a 
corps  of  thirty.  In  January,  1896,  he  resigned 
and  took  a  position  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
as  assistant  superintendent  of  the  coal  depart- 
ment. January  i,  1897,  he  was  made  superin- 
tendent. 

In  1879  Mr.  Rose  married  Emma  K.  Watson, 


828 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Port  Kent,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Col.  C.  M.  Wat- 
son and  granddaughter  of  the  celebrated  Elkanah 
Watson.  By  that  union  one  son  was  born,  now 
living,  Emmason  C.  Tlie  wife  died  a  few  days 
after  the  birth  of  her  son.  In  Scranton  Mr.  Rose 
married  Miss  Emma  Vandling,  who  was  bom  in 
Kingston,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  A.  H.  Vandling, 
former  superintendent  of  the  coal  department  of 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company.  They 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Vandling  D.  Mrs. 
Rose  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Scranton  and  is  popular  among  the 
best  people  of  the  city.  While  never  aspiring  to 
political  ofificc,  our  subject  is  a  firm  Republican 
and  is  interested  in  the  success  of  his  party.  In 
the  Engineers'  Club  of  Scranton  he  held  for  a 
time  the  office  of  vice-president,  and  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engi- 
neers. He  is  connected  with  the  New  England 
Society  of  Scranton  and  is  justly  proud  of  the 
fact  that  his  forefathers  were  among  the  true  and 
tried  men  to  whose  courage  and  lofty  principle 
our  country  owes  much  of  its  progress  and  ad- 
vancement. 


JOHN  B.  BOGART  is  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing and  prosperous  citizens  of  Scranton  and 
occupies  the  responsible  position  of  general 
yardmaster  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western.  He  possesses  the  happy  faculty  of  read- 
ily making  friends,  and  by  his  genial  manner  and 
sterling  manhood  is  quite  as  apt  to  retain  such 
friends  for  a  lifetime.  In  all  his  relations  with  his 
fellowmen  his  conduct  is  invariably  actuated  by 
strictly  honorable  principles,  and  both  his  su- 
periors and  inferiors  in  office  know  that  they  can 
depend  upon  him  to  always  pursue  a  manly 
course. 

A  son  of  Cornelius  and  C'alherine  (Remsen) 
Bogart,  John  B.  was  born  in  Pjlauvelt,  Rockland 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  January,  1856.  (For  an  account 
of  the  parents  see  the  biography  of  Garrett  Bo- 
gart, which  appears  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume.) Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  town  of  his 
birth  and  when  he  had  received  a  good  general 
education  in  the  public  schools  fie  decided  to  be- 
come a  telegraph  operator.     In   1874  he  began 


learning  the  art  under  the  instruction  of  his  broth- 
er Frank  at  Hick's  Ferry,  Pa.,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  a  year  was  made  an  operator  at  Mt.  Poca- 
no  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western, 
and  was  then  at  the  Forks  until  1876.  His  next 
promotion  was  to  be  the  agent  and  operator  at 
Nay-Aug  (formerly  Greenville),  Pa.,  and  this 
place  he  retained  for  twelve  months.  The  next 
step  upward  was  when  he  became  baggage- 
master  between  Scranton  and  Northumberland, 
and  the  succeeding  eight  years  he  ran  as  a  con- 
ductor from  Scranton  to  Northumberland.  At 
the  close  of  this  period  he  was  made  night  yard- 
master  at  Scranton,  and  at  length,  in  1888,  was 
raised  to  his  present  position  of  general  yard- 
master.  He  has  four  day  and  four  night  assis- 
tants. 

While  so  frequently  going  to  Northumberland 
on  his  business  for  the  railroad,  Mr.  Bogart  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Mary  Renner  and  in 
time  their  marriage  was  celebrated,  the  event  tak- 
ing place  in  1881.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Renner,  an  engineer,  and  is  a  native  of  Northum- 
berland. They  have  one  child,  Melvin.  Mr.  Bo- 
gart is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Railway  Con- 
ductors, belonging  to  Lackawanna  Division  No. 
12.  In  matters  of  political  moment,  he  is  always 
sure  to  be  found  supporting  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party,  and  as  a  citizen  he 
endeavors  to  discharge  his  duty  at  all  times  and 
under  all  circumstances. 


SILAS  L.  STANTON  was  born  in  1839  upon 
the  farm  in  Scott  Township,  where  he  now 
makes  his  home.  Here  the  days  of  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  passed,  in  a  manner  similar 
to  other  farmer  boys  the  world  around.  When 
not  assisting  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil,  he  attended 
the  neighboring  public  school  and  there  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  education,  afterward  extended 
by  observation  and  experience.  He  was  a  young 
man  when  the  nation  became  plunged  in  a  ter- 
rible civil  strife  that  threatened  the  existence  of 
the  federal  government  and  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Union.  With  all  the  enthusiasm  and  ardor  of 
youth,  he  resolved  to  offer  his  services — 'his  life, 
if  need  be — to  aid  the  countrv  in  her  hour  of  need. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


829 


Shortly  after  President  Lincoln  had  issued  his 
first  call  for  volunteers,  the  name  of  Silas  L.  Stan- 
ton was  enrolled  as  a  private  in  Company  K, 
Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  the  date  of  his 
enlistment  being  August  26,  1861.  He  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Philadelphia  August  31,  1861, 
and  his  first  engagement  was  at  Blackwater,  Va. 
Afterward  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Deserted 
House  and  the  siege  of  Suffolk,  Alay  1 1  to  June 
II,  1863.  July  13  the  company  was  ordered  into 
camp  near  SufTolk.  The  next  engagement  was 
at  Jackson,  \^a.,  after  which  the  regiment  was 
stationed  at  Williamsburg  and  then  went  on  a 
raid  toward  Richmond.  With  others  he  took 
part  in  the  siege  of  Petersburg  and  later  was  at 
Bermuda  Hundred,  Va.  From  May  28  until 
June  9,  1864,  he  was  at  Petersburg,  and  from 
June  21  to  June  30  took  part  in  the  attack  against 
that  place.  He  participated  in  all  the  raids  by 
his  regiment,  never  being  off  duty.  He  was  dis- 
charged, with  the  rank  of  corporal,  August  30, 
1864,  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  of  service. 

October  28,  1865,  Mr.  Stanton  married  Miss 
Celinda  White,  of  Scott.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  Ella,  deceased;  Emma, 
wife  of  G.  Clarke  and  mother  of  a  son,  Henry; 
and  Sterling,  who  is  at  home.  In  politics  Mr. 
Stanton  is  a  Republican  of  no  uncertain  tone, 
and  has  been  a  strong  advocate  of  the  principles 
of  the  party  ever  since  attaining  his  majority. 


JOHN  L.  STONE.  North  Abington  Town- 
ship has  its  full  quota  of  vigorous,  enter- 
prising, thorough-going  business  men, 
whose  popularity  is  based  upon  both  their  social 
qualities  and  their  well  known  integrity  and  busi- 
ness activity.  Mr.  Stone  is  known  especially  as  an 
importer  of  stock,  in  which  line  he  has  successfully 
engaged  since  18S2.  The  Lackawanna  Breeders' 
Association,  of  which  he  is  secretary,  and  of 
which  L.  W.  Stone,  E.  G.  and  G.  N.  Carpenter 
and  J.  W.  Miller  are  the  other  directors,  owns  a 
farm  one  mile  from  Clarks  Summit  Station,  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad,  eight  miles  north  of  Scranton, 
and  here  has  a  fine  grade  of  Holstein-Friesian 
cattle. 


The  Lackawanna  herd  of  Holstein-Friesians 
now  numbers  about  one  hundred  head  of  import- 
ed, or  the  direct  descendants  of  imported,  animals. 
The  foundation  stock  was  selected  from  some 
of  the  best  herds  of  North  Holland  and  Fries- 
land,  that  have  long  been  acknowledged  to  be 
the  greatest  milk  and  cheese  producers  in  the 
world,  while  as  beef  and  veal  producers  they  ex- 
cel other  dairy  breeds.  Among  their  cattle  are 
representatives  of  certain  families  as  follows: 
The  Mooie  Aaggie,  Netherland,  Clothilde,  Mech- 
thilde,  Dekol,  Princess  of  Wayne  and  Pauline 
Paul.  Mooie  Sjoerd  gave  nine  thousand  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds  of  milk  in  one 
hundred  and  forty-eight  days  and  made  over 
seventy-three  pounds  of  butter  in  twenty-eight 
days.  Boukje  has  a  record  of  twenty-one  thous- 
and six  hundred  and  seventy-nine  pounds  of  milk 
in  one  year.  The  bag  of  one  of  the  cows  meas- 
ured five  feet  around  and  was  considered  a  great 
curiosity. 

At  one  time,  besides  the  cattle  on  the  stock 
farm  there  were  more  than  seventy  head  of  pnre- 
bred  Shropshire  sheep.  The  foundation  stock 
was  mostly  selected  by  the  association  from  some 
of  the  best  flocks  of  England.  Among  them  were 
"Lackawanna,"  bred  by  the  president  of  the 
Shropshire  Flock  Book  Association  of  England; 
and  "Major's  Minton,  No.  4633,"  bred  in  Canada, 
and  weighing  two  hundred  and  thirty  pounds 
when  a  yearling.  Mr.  Stone  is  well  informed  re- 
garding Shropshires  and  his  address  upon  this 
subject,  delivered  at  Scranton  before  the  Penn- 
sylvania Board  of  Agriculture  June  17,  1886,  is 
replete  with  important  facts,  concisely  stated. 

On  the  place  where  he  now  resides,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born  July  6,  1852.  His  father, 
Lora  W.  Stone,  who  was  born  on  the  same  farm 
May  15,  1818,  was  a  son  of  Lemuel  and  Anna 
(Colvin)  Stone,  the  former  a  native  of  Coventry, 
R.  I.,  but  early  in  life  removing  to  Pennsylvania, 
settling  in  Lackawanna  County  about  1807. 
There,  in  addition  to  following  the  carpenter's 
trade,  he  engaged  in  mixed  farming,  and  gained 
some  local  note  on  account  of  being  the  first 
man  in  the  neighborhood  who  worked  through 
the  haying  season  without  any  whisky.  He  was 
the  first  justice  of  the  peace  in  this  locality  and 


830 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


superintended  the  first  Sunday-school  established 
here.  He  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years  and 
five  months.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  died  on  the  old  homestead  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four.  Of  her  nine  chililren  only  two  are 
living. 

The  Stone  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
Hugh  Stone,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  about 
1635.  Tradition  says  that  he  came  from  Wales, 
but  this  information  is  regarded  as  unauthentic, 
and  the  probabilities  are  that  he  was  from  Eng- 
land, the  original  home  of  the  family.  In  1665  he 
married  Abigail  Wescott,  and  from  their  union 
sprung  the  present  representatives  of  the  family 
in  the  United  States.  Our  subject's  father  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  an  academy  in  Susquehanna 
County.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  to  teach 
and  continued  in  that  occupation  for  two  years. 
February  24,  1842,  he  married  Miss  Delia  Griffin, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  tw-enty-three;  her  only 
child  died  in  infancy. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Stone,  May  18, 
1845,  united  him  with  Celinda  Reynolds,  who 
was  born  in  lienton  Township  and  died  in  1848. 
The  only  child  born  of  this  union  died  when  two 
vears  of  age.  Afterward  he  married  Julia  A.  Gor- 
man, who  was  born  in  Benton  Township,  and 
died  here  January  14,  1894.  Of  their  five 
children,  two  are  living,  our  subject  and  Mrs. 
Hattie  P.  Stone,  the  latter  being  the  mother  of 
three  children.  John  L.  was  reared  here  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  Cornell  University,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1874.  August  31,  1876,  he 
married  Jennie  Parker,  of  whose  parents  men- 
tion is  made  in  the  sketch  of  her  brother,  R.  P. 
Parker.  To  their  union  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren, but  tui)  died  in  infancy  and  Ruth  (i.  at  the 
age  (jf  fourteen  years.  The  surviving  children  are 
Delia  May,  Helen  L.,  Mary  Diana  and  Julia  Ann. 

After  liis  marriage  Mr.  Stone  engaged  in  the 
stock  and  drover's  business  and  was  one  of  the 
first  breeders  of  fine  stock  in  this  locality,  \\~ith 
his  father  and  others  he  organized  the  Lacka- 
wanna Breeders'  Association,  before  mentioned. 
He  is  al.so  manager  of  the  Lackawanna  County 
Farmers'  Institute  and  frequently  delivers  lectures 
in  the  interest  of  the  work.     His  father  was  cap- 


tain of  a  local  militia  in  the  early  days  and  was 
offered  a  brigadier-general's  commission.  Both 
father  and  son  are  identified  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  to  which  the  former  has  belonged  for  six- 
ty years.  The  latter  has  served  as  deacon,  Sun- 
day-school superintendent  and  as  clerk  of  the 
Baptist  Association  of  this  section.  He  took  a 
very  prominent  part  in  arranging  for  the  eighty- 
ninth  anniversary  of  the  association,  held  with 
the  Forest  City  Cliurch,  September  9-10,  1896, 
a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  which  was  pub- 
lished in  pamphlet  form  recently. 

A  sketch  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Stone  would  be  in- 
complete were  no  mention  made  of  his  political 
belief  and  public  connections.  Stanch  in  his  ad- 
herence to  Prohibition  principles,  he  has  always 
stood  firmly  by  the  ticket  of  that  party,  even 
when  it  was  against  personal  interests.  Had  he 
been  willing  to  desert  his  party,  he  could  have 
been  nominated  and  elected  to  the  legislature  on 
the  Republican  ticket,  but  he  refused  to  accept. 
Since  the  nomination,  oit  the  Prohibition  ticket, 
of  Governor  St.  John  of  Kansas  for  the  presi- 
dency, he  has  been  actively  identified  with  the 
movement,  and  were  the  cause  blessed  with  more 
such  workers  as  he,  success  would  undoubtedly 
come  to  its  men  and  its  principles.  He  has  never, 
however,  felt  that  he  was  throwing  away  his 
vote,  even  though  the  principles  do  not  win,  for 
in  his  opinion  a  ballot  cast  for  right  and  justice 
and  national  honor  is  never  "thrown  awav." 


WP.  KENNEDY,  M.  D.,  physician  and 
surgeon,  practicing  his  profession 
•  in  Priceberg,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Starling  Medical  College  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and 
in  his  subsequent  practice,  by  his  devotion  to  his 
work  and  the  careful  study  and  diagnosis  of  the 
various  diseases  that  have  come  under  his  ob- 
servation, he  has  been  unusually  successful,  and 
has  gained  quite  a  rejuitation  as  a  skilled  prac- 
titioner. He  was  born  in  Dunmore,  Pa.,  in 
August,  1858,  a  son  of  William  Pitt  and  Cath- 
erine (Spencer)  Kennedy,  the  former  a  native 
of  Mt.  Pleasant,  Wayne  County,  and  the  latter  of 
Wilke.sbarre.  The  paternal  grandparents,  Charles 
and  Susan  (Bass)  Kennedv,  were  descended  from 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


831 


old  Connecticut  families,  and  were  both  born  in 
that  state,  but  at  an  early  day  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  j\It.  Pleasant,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  where 
their  deaths  occurred.  John  Spencer  and  wife, 
the  maternal  grandparents  of  the  Doctor,  were 
for  many  years  honored  residents  of  Scranton, 
where  he  engaged  in  cabinet-making,  and  both 
died  in  Hyde  Park.  In  the  county  of  his  nativity, 
William  P.  Kennedy  grew  to  manhood  and  learn- 
ed the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  later  worked 
for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company.  For  a  few 
years  he  made  his  home  in  Dunmore,  and  from 
that  place  removed  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  where  he 
opened  up  a  farm,  and  there  he  is  still  living,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  He  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  educational  afifairs,  and 
is  an  honored  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  his 
community.  The  Doctor  is  the  oldest  of  his 
three  children,  the  others  being  Fred,  who  re- 
sides on  the  old  home  farm;  and  Ida  F.,  now  Mrs. 
Benson,  of  Carbondale. 

When  only  a  year  old  Dr.  Kennedy  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  the  farm  near  Mt.  Pleasant, 
where  he  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  The  public  schools  afiforded  him  his  early 
educational  privileges,  and  he  later  attended  the 
Prompton  Normal  School  and  Mt.  Pleasant 
Academy.  In  1876  he  began  teacliing  in  Fell 
Township,  Lackawanna  County,  and  later  fol- 
lowed that  profession  in  the  public  schools  of  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Stockport  and  Demming.  While  pur- 
suing his  academic  course,  he  determined  to  en- 
ter the  medical  profession,  and  began  prepara- 
tions under  the  direction  of  Dr.  H.  D.  Miles,  of 
Mt.  Pleasant,  now  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  In 
1879  he  entered  the  Starling  Medical  College, 
where  he  graduated  in  April,  1882,  and  has  since 
successfully  engaged  in  practice  in  Priceburg,  be- 
coming the  pioneer  physician  of  the  place.  Two 
years  later  he  established  a  drug  store,  which  was 
the  first  opened  here,  and  is  still  profitably  con- 
ducted by  him. 

Dr.  Kennedy  was  married  in  Moosic,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mattie  Dennison,  a  na- 
tive of  Dimock.  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and 
a  daughter  of  George  Dennison,  who  was  also 
born  in  that  county  of  Connecticut  ancestry,  and 
died  in  Dimock.    By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer. 


but  his  Ijrothers  all  became  physicians.  The 
mother  of  Mrs.  Kennedy,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sally  Crocker,  was  born  in  Montrose, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Hyde  Crocker,  who  was  also 
descended  from  an  old  and  honored  Connecticut 
family.  Mrs.  Dennison  is  still  living,  and  is  the 
mother  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  name- 
ly: Charles  H.,  a  contractor  and  builder  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  Mrs.  Kate  Larrabee,  of  Suscjue- 
hanna.  Pa.;  Anna,  of  Scranton;  Thomas,  of  Colo- 
rado; George,  who  resides  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
in  the  state  of  Washington;  and  Mrs.  Kennedy. 
To  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  were  born  two  chil- 
dren: Florence,  who  is  yet  living;  and  Lillian, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

As  an  influential  and  progressive  citizen,  Dr. 
Kennedy  has  taken  quite  an  active  part  in  pro- 
moting the  welfare  of  his  adopted  town,  of  which 
he  served  as  auditor  three  years,  has  been  health 
officer  for  the  past  three  years  and  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  health.  He  belongs  to  the 
Lackawanna  County  Medical  Society;  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  Kingsbury 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Olyphant;  and  for  the  past 
four  years  and  a  half  has  been  corporal  in  Com- 
pany C,  Thirteenth  Regiment,  Third  Brigade, 
Pennsylvania  National  Guard.  His  political  sup- 
port is  given  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Repub- 
lican party. 


WARREN  H.  WHITE.  Probably  no 
resident  of  North  Abington  Township 
has  done  more  to  facilitate  its  agricul- 
tural interests  than  has  Mr.  White,  a  practical 
farmer,  who,  by  his  diligence  and  perseverance, 
has  become  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  home- 
stead. Not  only  is  he  a  thorough  and  skillful  ag- 
riculturist, but  he  is  also  a  liberal  and  public- 
spirited  citizen,  and  a  supporter  of  all  enterprises 
calculated  to  be  of  public  benefit.  Intelligent  and 
well-informed,  he  keeps  himself  thoroughly  post- 
ed in  regard  to  the  leading  events  of  the  day,  and 
is  in  fact  a  model  citizen.  His  excellent  wife  also 
deserves  more  than  a  mere  mention,  for  she  has 
been  his  efficient  helpmate  in  all  undertakings,  a 
devoted  mother  and  a  hospitable  Christian  lady. 
Thev  have  drawn  around  them  manv  friends,  who 


832 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


have  been  attracted  to  them  by  their  social  traits 
and  the  moral  and  substantial  elements  of  charac- 
ter which  form  the  basis  of  all  good  society. 

The  White  family  has  been  identified  with  the 
history  of  this  county  since  1827,  when  the 
grandparents  of  our  subject,  Joshua  and_Eliza- 
beth  (.Moore)  White,  came  hither  and  settled  in 
Abington  Township.  They  removed  to  this  place 
from  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  here  remained 
until  deatii,  the  grandfather  passing  away  when 
fifty-five  and  the  grandmother  when  ninety-three. 
With  them  came  to  this  county  their  son,  Sanford, 
a  youth  of  fifteen  years,  and  a  native  of  Delaware 
County.  He  assisted  in  clearing  a  farm  from  the 
surrounding  wilderness  and  devoted  himself  to 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of 
sixty.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elmina  Miller,  died  on  the  old  homestead  at  the 
age  of  eighty.  Of  their  twelve  children,  all  but 
two  attained  years  of  maturity  and  nine  are  liv- 
ing, mostly  farmers,  though  one  son,  B.  F..  is  a 
successful  business  man  of  Baltimore,  Md.  In 
the  log  house  which  for  years  was  the  home  of  the 
White  family,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
^Tarch  18,  1837.  Early  in  life  he  was  inured  to 
hard  work  and  became  familiar  with  the  various 
details  of  farm  life.  The  opening  of  the  Civil 
War  aroused  his  patriotic  spirit,  and  imbued  him 
with  the  fervid  loyalty  of  his  ancestors.  His 
paternal  grandfather  served  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  his  maternal  grandfather  experienced  all  the 
horrors  of  the  Wyoming  massacre,  escaping  from 
the  savages  by  hiding  under  a  mattress.  He  him- 
self has  had  some  experience  of  warfare,  having 
enlisted  in  October,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-seventh 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for 
nine  months.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
enlistment,  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Har- 
risburg,  and  returned  to  his  home. 

December  10,  1863,  Mr.  White,  married  Miss 
Aurora  Simrell,  who  was  'born  in  Scott  Township 
and  died  here  at  the  age  of  forty-eight.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Lydia(Wall)  Simrell, 
who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  part  of 
the  county.  Of  her  two  children,  one  survives, 
Georgiana,  who  married  A.  Foster,  and  is  the 
mother  of  two  children.   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  oc- 


cupy a  farm  belonging  to  her  father.  The  second 
marriage  of  our  subject  took  place  November 
14,  1880,  and  united  him  with  ^liss  Alice  Wil- 
liams. This  lady  was  one  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  seven  are  yet  living,  born  to  the  union  of 
John  D,  and  Susan  (Lane)  Williams,  natives  of 
Wyoming  County,  Pa.,  and  Owego,  N.  Y.  Both 
died  in  this  county,  Mr.  \\'illiams  when  seventy- 
six  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  Seven 
children  were  born  of  pur  subject's  second  mar- 
riage, all  but  one  living,  namely:  Carrie  M.,  Her- 
bert M.,  Jennie  E..  Henrv  O.,  Homer  E.  and 
Mabel  A. 

After  his  first  marriage  Mr.  White  engaged  in 
farming  in  Wayne  County  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Scott  Township,  remaining 
three  years,  then  to  Wyoming  County  for  one 
year,  returning  again  to  Scott  Township  for  two 
years,  since  which  time  he  has  resided  on  his  pres- 
ent home  farm.  The  farm  which  he  owns  orig- 
inally consisted  of  seventy-one  acres,  but  has  been 
added  to,  until  it  now  comprises  one  hundred  and 
four  acres,  devoted  to  mixed  farming.  Politicallv 
his  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  in  i860,  and 
four  years  later  he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 
He  gives  allegiance  to  no  party,  but  supports  the 
best  man  for  the  place  in  question.  At  this  writ- 
ing he  is  one  of  the  councilmen  of  the  borougH. 
in  which  capacity  he  is  rendering  efficient  service. 


J  WARREN  KNEDLER,  M.  D.,  resident 
physician  at  Elmhurst  and  a  young  man 
•  w^hose  ability  and  devotion  to  his  profes- 
sion will  undoubtedly  bring  him  prominence  and 
financial  success,  came  to  this  village  in  1895,  im- 
mediately after  the  completion  of  his  medical  edu- 
cation. .\  close  student  of  his  profession,  he  is 
prepared  by  thorough  experimental  knowledge 
to  successfully  engage  in  practice.  He  is  a  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  man,  and  this  conuuuni- 
ty  finds  in  him  a  valued  citizen  wlio  nianifests  a 
conunendable  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to 
its  welfare  and  advancement. 

Dr.  Knedler  and  his  sister,  Alice,  are  the  only 
children  of  James  F.  and  Eliza  (Hensinger)  Kned- 
ler, natives  of  Lehigh  County,  where  the  former 
has  been  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.     J.  ^^'■ar- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


835 


ren  was  born  in  that  county  December  7,  1871, 
and  was  given  excellent  educational  advantages 
in  his  youth,  of  which  he  was  not  slow  to  avail 
himself.  A  studious  reader,  and  possessing  a 
good  memory,  he  stored  his  mind  with  facts  that 
have  since  been  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  him. 
For  some  time  he  was  a  student  in  the  normal 
school  at  Kutztown,  from  which  he  graduated, 
and  then  turned  his  attention  to  teaching.  Two 
years  were  spent  in  that  profession.  His  natural 
inclination  was  always  for  medicine  and  he  had 
that  profession  in  mind  during  the  entire  time  he 
was  teaching. 

Entering  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  in  1891,  he  carried  on  his 
studies  there  for  four  years  and  then  graduated. 
Soon  afterward  he  established  himself  in  practice 
at  Elmhurst,  where  he  has  gained  many  friends. 
His  practice  is  not  limited  to  the  village,  but  ex- 
tends into  the  surrounding  county.  The  cases  en- 
trusted to  his  care  he  skillfully  handles,  thereby 
gaining  the  confidence  of  his  patients.  He  is  well 
posted  in  local  and  national  issues  and  votes  the 
Republican  ticket. 


EDWARD  CYRIL  GREWER,  M.  D.  The 
noted  Philadelphia  specialist  makes  his 
headquarters  at  Scranton,  though  he  has 
branch  offices  in  several  other  important  cities. 
He  devotes  his  time  energetically  to  his  chosen 
profession,  which  combined  with  his  knowledge 
and  skill  has  enabled  him  to  build  up  a  large  and 
growing  practice.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
December  11,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Anna  (Fine)  Grewer.  Nicholas  Grower,  (or,  as 
the  name  is  spelled  both  in  German  and  French, 
Grever)  was  born  in  1805  in  Lorraine,  one  of  the 
provinces  that  then  belonged  to  France,  but  is 
now  a  part  of  Germany.  He  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  about  twelve  years  of  age  and  remained 
in  Philadelphia,  following  the  occupation  of  a 
merchant  tailor,  until  1859.  In  that  year  he  re- 
moved to  Smyrna,  Del.,  and  remained  there  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1888.  While  in 
Philadelphia  he  married  Anna  Fine,  and  there 
were  born  to  them  three  children:  Adolph,  who 
now  resides  in   Scranton  and  is  fifty-two  years 

35 


of  age;  Lena,  who  lives  in  Philadelphia,  the 
widow  of  Risden  Crossley;  and  the  youngest, 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  Nicholas  Grewer 
saw  the  possibilities  at  Atlantic  City  and  was  the 
originator  of  that  noted  resort.  There  was  but 
one  house  in  that  place  when  he  started  build- 
ing, and  it  was  two  years  later  before  the  advent 
of  a  railroad. 

Dr.  Grewer  attended  a  German  school  in  Phil- 
adelphia and  when  the  family  removed  to  Smyrna 
he  went  to  the  public  schools  and  for  a  brief  time 
was  in  the  seminary  there,  but  was  obliged  to 
leave  the  latter  institution  owing  to  financial 
troubles  of  his  father,  who  had  endorsed  some 
paper.  He  then  entered  the  army  as  a  fifer  and 
was  afterward  detailed  as  a  drummer  boy  and 
was  supposed  to  be  the  youngest  in  the  army. 
He  was  enrolled  June  27,  1863,  and  to  get  into 
the  army  was  obliged  to  give  his  age  as  eighteen. 
He  received  his  discharge  August  22,  1863,  and 
then  took  up  the  printer's  trade.  While  engaged 
at  that  he  also  began  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der Dr.  Thomas  Green,  the  noted  surgeon  of 
Clayton,  Del.,  taking  up  this  study  without  the 
knowledge  of  his  father,  who  he  knew  would  be 
unable  to  assist  him  owing  to  the  financial  re- 
verses he  had  met.  He  followed  the  printer's 
trade  until  he  had  earned  enough  to  enable  him 
to  enter  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  one 
preceptor  he  had  there  was  Prof.  Harrison  Allen, 
who  has  a  national  reputation  as  a  professor  of 
zoology,  physiology  and  as  an  anatomist. 

March  12,  1874,  Dr.  Grewer  was  graduated 
from  this  well  known  institution  and  immediately 
began  practice  in  Philadelphia.  He  remained 
there  four  years  and  was  pension  examiner,  and 
medical  examiner  for  several  life  insurance  com- 
panies. In  1878  he  removed  to  Bushkill,  Pike 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  built  a  sanitarium  and  re- 
mained twelve  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  he  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business  for  two  years.  While 
there  he  was  elected  demonstrator  of  practical 
physiology  in  the  Medico-Chirurgical  College  of 
Philadelphia  and  is  now  an  honorary  member  of 
the  Alumni  Association  of  that  college,  and  a 
member  of  the  General  Alunmi  Association  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.    He  is  also  a  Fellow 


836 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  the  Leidy  Fellowship  of  Anatomy  of  Phila- 
delphia, a  member  of  the  Houston  Club  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Associated  Char- 
ities, of  Scranton  and  the  Lackawanna  Institute 
of  History  and  Science,  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Union  Veterans'  Union,  and  is  adjutant  of 
Col.  William  N.  Monies  Post  No.  319,  G.  A.  R. 

In  December,  1880,  at  Bushkill,  Dr.  Grewer 
married  Ida  J.,  daughter  of  Jacob  H.  and  De- 
borah Place,  the  former  a  native  of  Bushkill,  the 
latter  of  Bradford  County,  Pa.  Mr.  Place  is  the 
proprietor  of  a  noted  summer  resort  near  Bush- 
kill, called  the  Maple  Grove  House.  Seven  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Grewer,  as 
follows:  Lyell  B.  F.,  Carry  State  Marion,  Zell 
Risden  Paul,  Francis  Gurney  Aloysius,  Mossie 
Deborah  Isabel,  Anna  Hazel  and  Edna  Magda- 
lene. The  family  are  members  of  St.  Paul's  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church  of  Green  Ridge. 

Dr.  Grewer  is  one  of  the  men  who  seem  to 
have  followed  the  one  occupation  or  profession 
best  fitted  to  them,  and  his  struggles  success- 
fully encountered,  his  painstaking  and  assiduous 
study,  are  instructive  and  encouraging  to  the 
young,  and  show  an  example  worthy  of  emula- 
tion. He  seems  eminently  fitted  by  natural  in- 
clination for  his  life  work,  and  by  his  zeal  and 
ability  has  built  up  a  fine  patronage.  He  has  es- 
tablished branches  in  other  cities,  the  principal 
ones  being  at  Lock  Haven,  Pittsburg,  Buffalo, 
Cleveland,  Indianapolis,  St.  Louis  and  Pueblo. 

Owing  to  the  large  increase  in  the  Doctor's 
practice  he  has  been  obliged  to  build  a  sanitar- 
ium for  the  better  accommodation  of  his  patients, 
especially  those  from  outside  the  city,  and  it  is 
most  conveniently  arranged  for  the  treatment  of 
those  desiring  a  place  free  from  the  usual  ob- 
jections to  a  hospital.  Here  he  has  a  corps  of 
male  and  female  physicians  and  a  force  of  com- 
petent trained  nurses. 


FREDERICK  BOLDRY,  round  house  fore- 
man for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western,  in  Scranton,  is  an  example  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  by  a  young  man  who 
desires  to  forge  his  way  to  the  front.  He  has 
risen  to  this  important  position  entirely  through 


sterling  merit,  and  by  no  process  of  favoritism. 
At  all  times  he  is  known  to  be  a  steady,  sober, 
industrious  man,  one  who  deserves  the  success 
that  is  now  his  portion,  and  we  are  glad  to  give 
him  a  place  in  this  volume. 

A  son  of  Hugh  B.  and  Elizabeth  Boldry,  our 
subject  was  bom  June  6,  1842,  in  Marham,  Nor- 
folk, England.  The  father  was  also  a  native  of 
that  region,  and  was  a  blacksmith  and  machinist. 
He  passed  all  his  life  in  the  mother  country,  dy- 
ing when  over  seventy-five  years.  The  mother 
departed  this  life  in  England  when  she  was  about 
seventy-five.  Of  their  four  children,  Frederick 
was  the  youngest  and  his  boyhood  was  spent 
in  his  native  town,  where  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools.  In  1857,  when  a  little  past  his 
fifteenth  birthday,  he  decided  to  come  to  Ameri- 
ca. Leaving  London  in  the  ship  "Liverpool," 
tliirty-two  days  were  consumed  in  making  the 
voyage  to  New  York,  as  a  frightful  storm  was 
contended  with  on  the  way. 

In  the  metropolis  Mr.  Boldry  started  in  busi- 
ness as  a  carpenter,  but  in  October,  1861,  he 
entered  the  life  of  railroading  as  a  fireman  on  the 
Hudson  River  line.  Three  years  rolled  away, 
and  he  was  then  promoted  to  the  post  of  engineer 
on  tlie  same  railroad,  and  ran  a  switch  engine  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  In  1867  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton, and  took  charge  of  an  engine  attached  to 
coal  trains  plying  between  this  point  and  Great 
Bend,  and  between  Scranton  and  Hampton 
Junction.  Then  he  was  made  passenger  engineer, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  year  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  "Comet,"  the  special  engine  which  drew 
the  car  of  the  general  manager,  and  this  he  ran 
for  twelve  years.  It  was  in  1883  that  he  was 
promoted  to  be  foreman  of  the  Scranton  round 
house.  There  are  forty-two  stalls  in  the  build- 
ing. 

While  living  in  Poughkeepsie,  Mr.  Boldry  mar- 
ried Miss  Phoebe  A.  Eshleman,  who  was  bom 
in  that  city,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Ulrich  Eshle- 
man, a  well  known  business  man  of  the  place. 
The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boldry  is  at  No.  1317 
Washburn  Street.  They  have  four  children,  three 
daughters  and  a  son,  viz.:  Mrs.  Hannah  Chase, 
of  Scranton;  Charles  S.,  a  machinist  on  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western;    Mabel   M.  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


S37 


Minnie  A.,  at  home.  Mr.  Boldry  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers and  also  belongs  to  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Mutual  Aid  Society.  He  is 
a  member  of  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  politics,  is  a  true  blue  Repub- 
lican. With  his  wife  he  holds  membership  with 
the  Washburn  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 


HENRY  ARMBRUST  has  resided  in  Scran- 
ton  since  1861,  having  come  here  from 
Germany.  He  was  born  in  Rheinpfalz, 
Bavaria,  July  28,  1839,  the  son  of  John  and 
Magdalene  (Hentz)  Armbrust,  natives  of  the  same 
place  as  himself,  the  former  being  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer  there.  The  grandfather,  also  named 
John,  was  a  lifelong  agriculturist  in  Bavaria.  In 
the  parental  family  there  were  six  children,  of 
whom  two  came  to  America,  Henry  and  John, 
the  latter  a  retired  butcher  living  in  Cedar  Ave- 
nue. 

Reared  in  his  native  place,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  began  to  learn  the  confectionery  busi- 
ness at  the  age  of  fifteen.  In  the  spring  of  1861 
he  left  Bremen  on  a  steamer  bound  for  New 
York,  and  arriving  at  his  destination,  immediate- 
ly proceeded  to  Scranton,  where  he  joined  his 
brother  John.  Under  the  name  of  Armbrust 
Brothers,  the  two  formed  a  partnership  and 
started  in  the  retail  meat  business  in  Cedar  Ave- 
nue. Tlie  connection  continued  for  six  years  and 
was  then  dissolved,  though  our  subject  engaged 
in  the  retail  business  for  some  years  afterward. 
He  then  started  a  wholesale  business  at  Reming- 
ton Avenue  and  Locust  Street,  and  built  a  slaugh- 
ter house  and  sausage  factory  in  what  was  at  that 
time  an  unoccupied  portion  of  the  city,  contain- 
ing swampy  land  and  many  ducks;  now,  how- 
ever, there  are  many  factories  and  mills  in  the 
locality.  Cattle  are  shipped  from  the  west  in 
car  load  lots  and  are  conveyed  to  the  slaughter 
yards,  where  they  are  kept  until  in  good  condi- 
tion for  beef.  Hogs  are  also  killed  in  large  quan- 
tities. There  are  refrigerators,  ice  houses,  a  plant 
for  the  manufacture  of  sausage  by  steam,  and 
other  modern  improvements.  In  addition  to  the 
wholesale  business,  there  are  two  retail  meat  mar- 


kets, one  in  connection  with  the  wholesale  estab- 
lishment and  the  other  at  No.  701  Cedar  Ave- 
nue. 

While  in  Germany  Mr.  Armbrust  married 
Amalia  Matzenbacher,  a  native  of  that  country, 
and  they  reside  on  the  corner  of  Elm  Street  and 
Remington  Avenue.  Their  four  children  are 
Mrs.  Emma  Miller,  of  Scranton;  Henry,  Jr.,  who 
is  proprietor  of  the  upper  market;  Carl  P.,  in 
charge  of  the  market  in  Remington  Avenue;  and 
Julius,  who  assists  his  father  in  the  business.  Po- 
litically a  Republican,  Mr.  Armbrust  has  been  a 
member  of  the  county  committee  and  has  held 
ward  offices.  He  is  connected  with  Schiller 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Zion  Lutheran  Church.  When  he 
built  at  his  present  location,  he  selected  ten  acres, 
fenced  it  in  and  with  the  necessary  buildings  be- 
gan in  business.  There  was  not  a  house  or  fac- 
tory around.  But  after  about  five  years,  the  rail- 
road was  built  through,  and  soon  business  build- 
ings were  erected,  roads  opened  and  improve- 
ments introduced,  until  now  the  neighborhood 
is  well  settled. 


WILLIAM  W.  YEAGER.  Many  agri- 
culturists whose  energy,  uprightness 
and  progressive  spirit  would  make 
them  valuable  citizens  of  any  community  where 
their  lot  might  be  cast,  are  to  be  found  in  Madi- 
son Township.  To  this  class  belongs  Mr.  Yeager, 
a  lifelong  resident  of  the  township,  and  a  man 
whose  uprightness  of  character  has  never  been 
questioned  and  whose  efficient  management  has 
brought  him  prosperity.  He  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  a  pioneer  family,  whose  members 
have  usually  been  agriculturists,  people  of  simple 
habits,  unpretentious  characters  and  honest  lives. 
In  the  house  where  he  still  lives,  Mr.  Yeager 
was  born  August  20,  1850.  Of  his  parents,  Wil- 
liam and  Susan  (Biesecker)  Yeager,  mention  is 
made  upon  another  page.  He  grew  to  manhood 
upon  the  old  homestead  and  at  an  early  age 
gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  every  detail  con- 
nected with  farm  work.  Liking  the  occupation 
and  being  perfectly  familiar  with  it,  it  was  natural 
that  he  should  select  it  for  his  life  calling  when 


M 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  time  came  for  him  to  act  independently. 
About  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  purchased  a 
portion  of  the  home  farm  and  here  he  has  since 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits. 

April  3,  1871,  Mr.  Ycager  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Malvina,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Bird)  Heberling.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children :  Lana  M.,  Vernon  L.,  and  Orrin  G., 
who  have  been  given  excellent  advantages  in  the 
schools  of  the  county.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Yeager 
was  born  in  Berks  County,  Pa.,  and  was  left  an 
orphan  in  infancy.  When  six  years  of  age  he  was 
brought  to  this  township  and  here  lived  with 
Jacob  Kerkelow,  a  farmer,  for  six  years,  and 
afterward  made  his  home  with  George  Swartz, 
also  a  farmer  in  this  township,  until  attaining  his 
majority.  When  able  to  start  out  for  himself  he 
purchased  the  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Swartz  and 
there  successfully  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death,  at  seventy-one  years.  He  was  a  man  who 
stood  high  in  the  community  and  was  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  him.  His  wife,  who  was 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  came  to  this  township 
with  her  parents  when  quite  young  and  here  re- 
mained until  her  death,  at  forty-one  years.  Both 
she  and  her  husband  were  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

While  giving  his  attention  largely  to  farm 
work,  Mr.  Yeager  still  finds  time  to  keep  himself 
posted  regarding  current  events,  and  is  fully  in- 
formed concerning  the  great  issues  before  the 
country  to-day.  He  has  never  sought  ofifice  nor 
cared  to  occupy  positions  of  prominence,  though 
at  all  times  willing  to  discharge  every  duty  that 
falls  to  him  as  a  citizen,  and  interested  in  secur- 
ing the  progress  of  local  enterprises.  In  political 
views  he  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  has  allied  him- 
self with  that  party. 


HF.NRY  LEACH.  Probably  no  family  now 
residing  within  the  limits  of  this  county 
has  contributed  to  the  development  of  its 
agricultural  resources  to  a  greater  extent  than 
has  that  represented  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
who  for  many  years  has  been  identified  with  the 
farming  interests  of  South  Abington  Township. 
At  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  his  father 


came  hither,  and  here  labored,  not  alone  for  per- 
sonal success,  but  also  for  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity, and  his  services  and  those  of  his  descend- 
ants entitle  them  to  honorable  mention  among 
other  persevering  men. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  entirely  worthy  of 
the  name  he  bears.  He  has  spent  his  entire  life 
in  this  county  and  is  now  numbered  among  the 
oldest  surviving  residents  of  South  Abington 
Township,  where  he  was  born  April  12,  1815. 
His  father,  Ephraim  Leach,  was  born  in  Con- 
necticut, migrated  to  this  county  about  1800  and 
settled  on  land,  the  title  to  which  proved  to  be 
poor.  He  gave  a  man  power  of  attorney  to  sell 
the  claim  and  other  personal  property.  This  the 
man  did,  then  ran  away  with  the  proceeds.  Later 
Mr.  Leach  returned  and  worked  for  the  Slocums, 
then  bought  property  in  South  Abington  Town- 
ship, settling  here.  His  active  life  was  devoted  to 
farm  work  and  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one. 
His  parents,  Jabez  and  Sarah  (Chilson)  Leach, 
were  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  she  died  there, 
but  he  left  home  to  fight  for  our  country  during 
the  Revolution  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Monmouth,  N.  J. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth  Fellows, 
was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Turney) 
Fellows,  natives  of  England,  who  emigrated  to 
New  York,  removed  thence  to  Pennsylvania;  she 
died  in  Providence,  and  he  was  killed  in  Scott 
Township  by  a  man  named  Malone.  He  was  the 
first  justice  of  the  peace  in  Scranton,  having  been 
appointed  to  that  of^ce  by  the  governor.  Reared 
at  home  and  educated  in  the  district  schools,  our 
subject  in  early  manhood  established  a  home  of 
his  own,  being  imited  in  marriage  December  27, 
1838,  with  Miss  Anna  J.  La  Rue,  sister  of  Dan- 
iel W.  La  Rue.  This  estimable  lady,  whose  energy 
and  nobility  of  character  made  her  co-operation 
with  her  husband  of  priceless  value  to  him,  was 
born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  March  9,  1819, 
and  died  in  this  county  December  4,  1884,  after 
nearly  fifty  years  of  happy  wedded  life.  The  five 
children  born  to  bless  their  union  are  Angelett, 
Rosalia,  Asa,  Mabel  and  Viola,  all  of  whom  are 
married  and  have  families. 

Building  the  first  hotel  at  Leach  Flats,  in  1857, 
Mr.  Leach  turned  his  attention  from  that  busi- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


841 


ness  to  farming,  and  bought  the  place  on  which 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  has  carried  on 
general  mixed  farming,  but  of  late  years  the  man- 
agement of  the  place  has  been  to  a  large  extent  in 
the  hands  of  his  son,  Asa,  a  practical  farmer  and 
efficient,  honorable  man.  His  first  presidential 
ballot  was  cast  in  1836  for  General  Harrison, 
whom  he  also  supported  four  years  later,  and  he 
continued  with  the  Whig  party  until  its  disinte- 
gration. On  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  in  1856,  he  joined  its  ranks,  casting  his  bal- 
lot for  John  C.  Fremont,  and  from  that  day  he 
has  never  swerved  in  his  allegiance  to  its  princi- 
ples. His  descendants,  too,  are  of  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  Asa,  fired  with  the  patriotic  spirit  dis- 
played by  so  many  youths  during  the  Civil  War, 
endeavored  to  enlist  in  the  service,  though  only 
sixteen  years  of  age;  he  succeeded  in  getting  as 
far  as  Easton,  Pa.,  but  was  then  sent  home,  great- 
ly disappointed  that  he  was  not  permitted  to  fight 
for  the  old  flag.  He  has,  however,  proved  his 
patriotism  by  his  loyal  devotion  to  the  welfare  of 
the  country  in  times  of  peace,  by  his  thoughtful 
study  of  all  public  questions  and  by  his  stanch 
advocacy  of  all  progressive  measures  for  the  bene- 
fit of  town  and  county. 


RICHARD  T.  RENNIE,  car  accountant  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroad  Company,  has  had  an  experience 
such  as  falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  men  and  truly, 
if  a  full  record  of  his  life  were  to  be  written,  it 
would  fill  a  large  volume.  Not  only  is  this  a 
fact,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  few  books  of  travel 
and  adventure  now  before  the  reading  public 
would  surpass  in  interest  his  own  history.  The 
result  of  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
people  of  all  lands,  with  nature  in  every  possible 
phase,  with  the  discipline  such  as  can  be  found 
only  on  modern  men-of-war,  and,  in  short,  of  all 
his  obser\'ation,  is  a  broader  horizon  of  thought 
and  character  than  most  of  his  fellow  men  pos- 
sess. 

The  Rene  family  (for  in  that  way  the  name 
was  formerly  spelled)  originated  in  France,  and 
left  that  country  when  Charles,  the  Pretender, 
went  to  Scotland.    Our  subject's  paternal  grand- 


father, George  Rennie,  was  a  civil  engineer  in 
early  life,  but  later  was  appointed  governor  of 
the  Falkland  Islands  by  Queen  Victoria.  He 
married  his  cousin  Jane,  a  daughter  of  John 
Rennie,  who  built  Waterloo  bridge,  considered 
one  of  the  finest  structures  in  the  world.  It  is 
composed  of  Aberdeen  granite  and  spans  the 
River  Thames,  near  Somerset  House,  London. 
After  its  completion  he  commenced  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Plymouth  breakwater,  but  died  before 
it  was  finished,  and  the  work  was  completed  by 
his  son,  who  was  afterward  knighted  and  became 
Sir  John  Rennie.  George  and  Jane  Rennie  had 
four  sons,  namely:  George,  captain  of  the  Bom- 
bay Horse  Artillery;  Sir  William  H.,  governor 
of  St.  Vincent,  afterward  governor  of  the  Bar- 
badoes;  John  Charles,  father  of  our  subject;  and 
Sir  Richard  T.,  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  her 
Majesty's  East  Indian  possessions,  stationed  in 
Yokohama,  Japan,  and  Shanghai,  China. 

John  Rennie,  great-grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  at  Phantassie,  Scotland,  June  7,  1761, 
and  in  youth  attended  the  parish  school  of  East 
Linton,  supplementing  the  course  there  by  two 
years  at  Dunbar  and  afterward  attending  lectures 
at  Edinburgh.  In  1780  he  was  taken  into  the 
employ  of  Boulton  &  Watt,  at  Birmingham,  Eng- 
land, and  developed  great  talent  in  the  construc- 
tion of  mills.  Afterward  he  became  pre-eminent 
as  a  bridge  builder  and  constructed  many  of  the 
best  bridges  throughout  England.  His  greatest 
work  in  this  department  was  the  Waterloo  bridge 
over  the  Tliames,  said  to  be  the  noblest  structure 
of  the  kind  in  the  world,  combining  in  the  hap- 
piest proportions  the  qualities  of  grandeur  and 
simplicity.  He  also  built  the  Southwark  bridge 
and  drew  plans  for  London  bridge,  built  after  his 
death.  He  superintended  the  construction  of 
many  of  the  finest  canals  in  England,  and  Lon- 
don docks.  East  and  West  India  docks  at  Black- 
wall,  Prince's  dock,  Liverpool,  and  those  of  Dub- 
lin, Greenock  and  Leith  were  all  designed  and 
wholly  or  partially  executed  under  his  superin- 
tendence. He  also  planned  improvements  on 
harbors  and  dockyards  of  Portsmouth,  Chatham, 
and  Plymouth,  executing  here  the  most  remark- 
able of  all  his  naval  works,  the  celebrated  break- 
water.   He  died  October  16,  1821,  and  was  buried 


842 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  He  had  two  sons, 
George  and  John,  and  two  daughters,  Jane  and 
Ann.  George  and  John  were  both  eminent  en- 
gineers, walking  in  the  footsteps  of  their  cele- 
brated ancestor,  and  constructing  many  of  the 
great  naval  works  of  the  world.  They  built  ships 
of  wood  and  iron  and  drained  large  tracts  of  land 
in  the  midland  counties,  and  constructed  marine 
engines  for  the  war  ships  of  home  and  foreign 
nations.  George  was  elected  fellow  of  the  Royal 
Society  in  1822  and  subsequently  was  enrolled 
in  similar  societies  in  Dublin,  Rotterdam,  and 
other  cities.  He  was  the  author  of  "Experiments 
on  the  Strength  of  Materials,"  "The  Friction  of 
Solids,"  "The  Friction  of  Fluids,"  etc.  He  died 
March  30,  1866.  His  brother,  Sir  John,  was 
knighted  on  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  the 
new  London  bridge  in  1831,  which  he  executed 
from  his  father's  designs.     He  died  in  1874. 

John  Charles  Rennie  was  born  in  England  in 
1827  and  studied  art  in  Italy.  On  coming  to 
America  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Margaret 
Livingston  Culbert,  whom  he  married,  establish- 
ing his  home  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Westchester  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  Much  of  his  time  was  given  to  art,  to 
which  he  was  devoted.  He  died  when  only  thir- 
ty-three years  of  age  and  was  buried  in  Green- 
wood cemetery.  His  widow,  now  about  seventy 
years  of  age  and  a  faithful  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  resides  with  her  son  Richard.  Her 
brother,  John  W.,  was  born  in  New  York,  where 
his  father  had  removed  from  Belfast,  Ireland; 
he  became  an  extensive  importer  in  the  metrop- 
olis and  engaged  in  business  there  until  his  death, 
which  took  place  at  his  residence  in  Yonkers  on 
the  Hudson. 

Richard  T.  and  George  C.  Rennie,  the  latter 
a  resident  of  New  Jersey,  are  the  only  sons  of 
John  C.  Rennie.  The  birth  of  our  subject  oc- 
curred in  Brooklyn,  March  4,  1852.  At  the  age 
of  nine  years  he  was  sent  to  England  to  be  edu- 
cated in  the  naval  academy  in  Portsmouth.  Grad- 
uating from  the  required  course  in  December, 
1864,  he  entered  the  navy  as  cadet  and  served  on 
the  training  ship  "P.rittania."  After  having  suc- 
cessfully passed  his  examination  for  the  rank  of 
midshipman,  he  was  ai)pointed  to  the  "Amazon," 
which  was  wr?ck?d  in  the  English  channel  by 


a  collision  with  the  mail  steamer  "Osprey,"  when 
on  her  way  to  America,  both  ships  going 
to  the  bottom.  With  great  difficulty  the  crew 
escaped  to  the  shore.  Next,  he  was  sent  to  Hali- 
fax in  the  "Jason,"  and  there  joined  the  "Fa- 
vorite," which  was  afterward  assigned  to  guard 
duty  at  the  fisheries  off  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  River.  From  there  they  proceeded  to 
the  West  Indies,  being  stationed  mainly  at 
Havana.  The  ten  years'  war  there  was  in  progress 
and  at  one  time  the  American  and  British  con- 
suls, having  prevented  the  shooting  of  some  pris- 
oners, conveyed  them  to  the  "Favorite." 

Sailing  on  the  "Donegal,''  Mr.  Rennie  cruised 
off  the  shores  of  China,  and  was  then  transferred 
to  the  "Ocean,"  commanded  by  William  N.  W. 
Hewitt.  On  one  occasion,  while  ofif  duty,  he 
visited  his  uncle.  Sir  Richard  Rennie,  who  was 
at  that  time  judge  in  Shanghai,  China.  The  good 
ship  "Adventure"  took  him  to  the  "Rinaldo"'  for 
his  next  service,  but  in  a  short  time  he  was  as- 
signed to  the  "Zebra"  at  Shanghai  and  thence  to 
the  "Ocean"  once  more.  The  ship  returned  to 
England  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  St. 
Helena,  where  he  visited  the  tomb  of  Napoleon. 
On  this  trip  he  was  sub-lieutenant.  At  the  Ports- 
mouth Royal  Naval  College  he  passed  a  rigid  ex- 
amination in  gunnery,  navigation,  etc.,  after 
which  he  took  passage  on  the  "Argus,"  bound  for 
the  west  coast  of  Africa.  All  through  the  Ashan- 
tee  war  he  served  in  different  capacities,  being 
at  times  on  detached  duty  and  for  a  while  chief 
executive  officer  on  the  "Coquette"  and  after- 
ward lieutenant  of  the  "Argus."  At  the  close  of 
the  war  he  went  to  tlie  West  Indian  station  and 
on  his  arrival,  in  1875,  was  transferred  to  the 
".Swallow."  Soon  afterward  he  left  the  service. 
He  was  presented  by  the  British  government 
with  the  Ashantee  war  medal  for  his  services 
while  in  the  war  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. 

As  his  mother  was  in  New  York  City,  Mr. 
Rennie  went  there  and  soon  afterward  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Railroad  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  where  he  held 
various  positions.  Later  he  was  transferred  to 
llie  office  of  the  company  in  New  York.  In  1892 
he  came  to  Scranton  as  car  accountant  and  has 
since  resided  here,   giving  his  attention  to  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


843 


duties  of  tlie  position.  During  the  period  from 
1861  to  1875  he  traveled  all  over  the  world,  and 
being  of  an  observant  nature  stored  his  mind 
with  a  fund  of  information  of  a  cosmopolitan 
character.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  in  politics  a  Republican,  and  fraternally 
belongs  to  Eureka  Lodge  No.  39,  F.  &  A.  M., 
at  Newark. 


PJ.  HORAN.  The  day  of  small  undertak- 
ings seems  to  have  passed  and  the  era 
-  of  mammoth  enterprises  is  upon  us.  A 
business  which  has  the  leadership  in  any  com- 
munity must  be  extensive  and  far-reaching  in  its 
effects.  To  control  such  interests  men  of  master 
minds  are  required,  having  the  brain  to  devise 
and  plan  and  the  will  and  skill  to  execute.  Pro- 
gressive and  energetic,  Mr.  Horan  belongs  to  this 
class  of  citizens  and  in  his  business  career  has 
attained  a  high  degree  of  success,  being  now 
president  of  the  Union  Cash  Stores  Company, 
of  Dunmore. 

Mr.  Horan  was  born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  in 
1844.  The  previous  year  his  father,  Patrick  Hor- 
an, removed  to  that  city,  and  as  a  miner  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Com- 
pany. Afterward  he  was  appointed  tipstafif  under 
Judge  Handley,  and  when  his  term  of  service  ex- 
pired he  retired  to  private  life.  He  died  in  Dun- 
more  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
He  married  Catherine  Ford,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred on  the  1st  of  July,  1896.  Of  their  chil- 
dren, Anthony,  who  was  one  of  the  superintend- 
ents of  the  coal  department  of  the  Peimsylvania 
Coal  Company,  died  September  30,  1896;  P.  J. 
is  the  second  of  the  family;  Bridget  died  in  Dun- 
more;  M.  J.  is  senior  partner  of  Horan  &  Mer- 
rill, Scranton;  Catherine  is  now  Mrs.  Ferguson, 
of  Pittston;  and  Mrs.  John  F.  Duffy,  of  Dun- 
more,  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Horan,  of  this  review,  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Dunmore,  and  at  the  ■  age  of  thirteen 
years  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  a  driver 
in  tlie  coal  mines.  He  afterward  became  a  prac- 
tical miner  and  was  thus  employed  for  some 
time.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as  weighmas- 
ter,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  ten  years.    On 


the  expiration  of  that  decade  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  mercantile  pursuits  and  for  two  years 
was  with  the  firm  of  Bryden  Brothers  «&  Cooper. 
He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  Williamson 
&     Co.,    establishing    a    business    on    Chestnut 
Street,  and  conducting  a  profitable  general  mer- 
cantile establishment  for  two  years.    In  1870  the 
firm  of  Horan  &  liealey  was  formed  and  the  re- 
lation  has   since  been   maintained   with   mutual 
pleasure  and  profit.     In   1881    Mr.   Horan  pur- 
chased the  Hinsdell  clothing  house  in  Scranton, 
which   he   conducted  for  three  years,   when   he 
closed  out  and  organized  the  firm  of  T.  J.  Kelley 
&  Co.,  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness in  Scranton.     Mr.  Healey  is  now  in  charge 
of  that  business,  and  in  the  meantime  Mr.  Horan 
contiiuied  to  carry  on  a  large  general  trade  on 
Chestnut  Street,  under  the  firm  name  of  Horan 
&  Healey.   In  1896,  associated  with  Messrs.  Man- 
ley  and  Swift,  two  prominent  merchants  of  Dun- 
more, he  incorporated  the  Union  Cash  Stores  at 
Dunmore.     Utilized  in  their  business  are  twen- 
ty-one thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space  in  the 
department  stores  alone,  this  not  including  the 
three  stores  which  are  owned  by  the  individual 
members  of  the  company.    Mr.  Swift  has  charge 
of  the  grocery  department,  and  Mr.  Manley  of 
the  general  store.     The  latter  is  treasurer  of  the 
company,  the  former  secretary,  and  Mr.  Horan 
is  its  efficient  president.     Goods  are  bought  on 
an  extensive  scale,  eight  or  ten  car  loads  of  flour 
being  purcliased  at  one  time  and  other  things  in 
proportion,  so  that  they  are  enabled  to  buy  at  a 
low  figure  and  their  sale  prices  are  correspond- 
ingly low.     They  have  completely  equipped  de- 
partments, including  a  fine    meat    market    and 
grocery.    Sugar  is  also  purchased  by  the  car  load 
and  is  stowed  in  bins  that  hold  seventeen  barrels. 
In  the  cellar  is  capacity  for  three  thousand  bush- 
els of  potatoes;  large  refrigerators  enable  them  to 
keep  ah  perishable  goods  in  excellent  condition 
and  so  extensive  is  the  cellar  that    teams    can 
drive  in  and  unload.    The  entire  building  is  heat- 
ed with  steam  and  supplied  with  elevator  service. 
On  the  first  floor,  in  addition  to  the  departments 
previously  mentioned,  they  also  have  dry-goods, 
shoe  and  millinery  stores,  while  upstairs  are  the 
carpet,  cloak  and  trunk  departments.    The  hard- 


844 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ware  store,  in  charge  of  Thomas  F.  Cawley,  a 
practical  mechanic,  is  located  at  Xo.  314  Chest- 
nut Street. 

Mr.  Horan  is  a  man  of  resourceful  ability, 
whose  operations  have  been  by  no  means  con- 
fined to  one  undertaking.  In  addition  to  his  mer- 
cantile interests  previously  mentioned,  he  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Scranton  Packing  Company,  vice- 
president  of  the  Economy  Light  &  Heat  Com- 
pany, a  director  of  the  Lackawanna  Trust  &  Safe 
Deposit  Company  and  of  the  Eureka  Cash  & 
Credit  Company.  He  was  also  one  of  the  origi- 
nal incorporators  of  the  Lackawanna  Lumber 
Company,  and  is  extensively  interested  in  build- 
ing and  improving  real  estate.  He  was  one  of  the 
originators  and  is  a  director  of  the  Consumers' 
Ice  Company;  they  own  and  operate  Lake 
Ariel,  Lake  Henry,  and  Lake  Poyntelle,  at  which 
places  they  have  very  extensive  houses  built  for 
storage.  He  is  president  of  the  Duiimore  Board 
of  Trade. 

Mr.  Horan  was  married  in  Dunmore  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Garvey,  sister  of  Dr.  Garvey.  She  was 
one  of  the  organizers  and  is  secretary  of  St.  Jo- 
seph's Foundlings  Home,  and  has  been  very 
prominent  in  benevolent  and  charitable  work. 
Mr.  Horan  was  elected  a  member  of  the  bor- 
ough council  for  three  years  and  brought  to  the 
matters  under  consideration  the  practical  expe- 
rience gained  from  his  business  life.  He  was 
largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  building  of 
the  extensive  stone  sidewalks,  the  suburb  of  Dun- 
more  having  more  walks  of  this  kind  than  any 
other  town  of  its  size  in  the  state. 


Ll'XAND  B.  POTfER  was  long  numbered 
among  the  reliable  business  men  of  Scran- 
ton and  was  suddenly  summoned  from  our 
midst  by  death.  He  literally  grew  up  with  this 
city,  which  was  a  very  small  town  as  he  first  be- 
held it  in  1854.  From  that  time  forward  he  took 
great  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  our 
commercial  development  and  did  his  share  in 
promoting  the  general  welfare.  The  Potter  fam- 
ily is  of  English  descent  and  its  members  were 
early  settlers  in  Massachusetts.     Daniel,  grand- 


father of  L.  B.  Potter,  and  whose  home  was  in 
Hartwick,  N.  Y.,  served  all  through  the  long  and 
dreadful  war  of  the  Revolution  as  a  sergeant. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Alvin  and  Mary 
(Barker)  Potter,  natives  of  New  York  and 
North  Adams,  Mass.,  respectively.  The  father 
was  a  tinsmith  by  trade  and  owned  a  shop  in 
Cooperstown,  N.  Y. 

Leland  B.  Potter  was  born  in  that  village  in 
1832  and  spent  his  years  there  at  his  father's  home 
until  reaching  fourteen.  Then  going  to  Middle- 
town,  in  Orange  County,  he  learned  the  tin- 
smith's trade  and  worked  for  a  certain  man  there 
several  years.  Afterwards,  desiring  to  see  some- 
thing of  the  country  he  went  to  Virginia,  finding 
work  at  his  trade  wherever  he  sojourned.  In 
1854  he  located  permanently  in  Scranton  and 
started  in  the  hardware  business  in  partnership 
with  the  Douds,  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  G. 
Doud  &  Company.  Later  the  style  was  Doud 
&  Potter,  their  store  being  on  the  west  side.  Sell- 
ing out  his  interest  in  this  concern  in  a  few  years 
Mr.  Potter  opened  a  storehouse  on  Sixth  Street, 
dealing  exclusively  in  railroad  and  mine  supplies, 
and  made  a  success  of  the  undertaking.  The 
store  is  still  running  with  the  old  title  of  L.  B. 
Potter,  the  management  being  vested  in  Mr. 
Marsh,  a  son-in-law  of  the  former  proprietor. 

Had  he  lived  until  October  31,  1896,  Mr.  Pot- 
ter would  have  been  sixty-four  years  of  age.  His 
death  occurred  very  suddenly,  September  21,  just 
after  he  alighted  from  his  carriage.  He  was  a 
regular  attendant  at  the  Washburn  Street  Pres- 
byterian Church,  to  which  his  wife  belongs  and 
of  which  her  mother  was  a  charter  member.  So- 
cially, he  belonged  to  the  Sons  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, being  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  branch, 
and  politically  he  was  a  Republican. 

In  this  city  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  were  joined 
in  marriage  January  i,  1856.  The  lady  was  Miss 
Helen  C.  Finch,  born  in  Windham,  Greene  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  daughter  of  A.  P.  Finch,  a  native  of 
the  same  place.  His  father,  Willis,  was  a  con- 
tractor and  builder,  who  at  an  early  day  removed 
to  Greene  County  from  Connecticut.  A.  P.  Finch 
followed  his  fatlicr's  calling  for  a  few  years,  but 
subsequently  engaged  in  the  foundry  and  ma- 
chine business  and  prospered  from  the  time  of 


A.  P.  GARDNER,  M.  I). 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


847 


his  coming  to  Scranton  in  1854.  The  small  shop 
which  he  first  operated  grew  to  its  present  large 
proportions,  and  now  all  kinds  of  machinery  are 
manufactured  at  the  Finch  foundries.  The  owner 
of  these  works  died  in  1881,  aged  seventy-two 
years.  His  wife  was  Sarah,  daughter  of  Truman 
Tuttle,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  New  York 
State  and  whose  last  years  were  spent  in  New 
Haven,  Huron  County,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Finch  de- 
parted this  life  in  1876  and  of  her  ten  children  six 
yet  survive  her.  The  only  son  living  is  Irving  A. 
and  the  others  are:  Mrs.  Coleman,  of  Jefiferson 
Avenue;  Sarah,  of  this  city;  Mrs.  Morton,  of 
Chicago;  Carey,  of  Nanticoke,  and  Mrs.  Pot- 
ter. The  latter  was  reared  in  the  Catskills  and 
attended  the  public  schools  of  her  native  town. 
Then  she  came  to  Scranton  with  her  parents  and 
since  1861  has  resided  at  No.  153  Main  Street. 
Her  two  daughters  are  Hattie,  wife  of  E.  F. 
Marsh,  and  Helen,  Mrs.  Williams.  They  were 
both  well  educated  and  were  successful  school 
teachers  before  their  marriages. 


A  P.  GARDNER,  M.  D.  In  the  early 
days  when  homeopathy  was  unpopular 
•  and  misunderstood.  Dr.  Gardner  be- 
came one  of  its  pioneer  experts,  and  while  for  a 
time  he  was  obliged  to  suffer  the  consequences 
of  the  strong  prejudice  against  this  school  of 
medicine,  yet  he  stood  his  ground  manfully  and 
as  time  passed  by,  the  success  of  his  treatment 
in  acute  and  chronic  cases  v^^on  the  confidence 
of  the  people.  Homeopathy  is  now  so  popular 
that  the  present  generation  can  scarcely  under- 
stand the  difficulties  that  its  first  followers  faced 
and  the  obstacles  they  were  compelled  to  over- 
come. It  may  well  be  a  matter  of  pride  with 
Dr.  Gardner  that  his  successful  labors  contribut- 
ed, to  no  small  extent,  to  the  removal  of  the 
long-standing  prejudice.  His  part  in  its  pro- 
mulgation in  the  Lackawanna  Valley  was  in- 
valuable and  his  connection  with  the  system  will 
long  be  remembered.  Though  now  retired 
from  practice,  he  maintains  his  deep  interest  in 
professional  work  and  keeps  himself  posted  con- 
cerning all  developments  in  the  science.     In  his 


home  at  Elmhurst,  his  time  is  happily  and  quiet- 
ly passed  among  his  books  and  papers.  He  has 
retained  his  mental  faculties  and  is  still  a  strong 
writer  on  the  subjects  of  the  day.  In  years  past 
his  comnumications  to  the  papers  were  widely 
read  and  discussed. 

The  first  representatives  of  the  Gardner  fam- 
ily in  America  were  three  brothers  who  came 
from  England  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  times 
and  settled  on  Long  Island,  later  removing  to 
the  mainland  of  York  State.  One  of  them  had  a 
son,  Capt.  James,  who  may  possibly  be  associ- 
ated with  Gardner's  Island.  The  Doctor's  great 
grandfather,  Samuel,  settled  in  Orange  County, 
and  his  two  brothers,  Jesse  and  James,  went  to 
the  Wyoming  Valley  in  Pennsylvania.  The 
former  purchased  two  hundred  acres,  and  leaving 
his  son  on  that  place,  which  now  constitutes  the 
Port  Griffith  mines,  returned  to  Orange  County. 
The  latter,  James,  purchased  land  at  Kingston 
just  over  the  River  Susquehanna,  and  eventually 
went  with  his  son  James  to  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  Samuel 
Gardner,  the  Doctor's  father,  spent  his  entire  life 
in  Orange  county  and  died  at  forty-five  years;  his 
wife,  Nancy  Parcel,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  On  both  sides 
longevity  was  a  family  characteristic,  though 
both  the  father  and  mother  died  in  middle  life; 
the  latters  death  was  the  result  of  accident. 
Their  seven  children  were:  Maria,  deceased; 
Dr.  A.  P.;  .Samuel  and  Hannah,  living  in  New 
Jersey;  Mrs.  Mary  Davis  and  Mrs.  Delia  Alli- 
son, of  Orange  County;  and  Heman,  who  died 
in  Wisconsin. 

In  Orange  County,  where  he  was  born  May 
12,  1816,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
district  schools  of  his  day  and  later  he  was  a 
student  in  the  city  schools  of  New  York. 
Reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  habits  of  econ- 
omy and  industry,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
strong  constitution  and  a  successful  life.  Natur- 
ally a  student,  he  prepared  himself  for  teaching, 
which  he  began  at  twenty  years.  One  of  his 
former  teachers  advised  him  to  study  medicine, 
believing  he  saw  in  him  a  peculiar  adaptation  for 
the  profession.  While  teaching  he  read  some 
medical  works  and  conuuenced  reading  medi- 
cine regularly  with  J.  Harvey  Horton,  M.  D., 


848 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Brookfield,  Orange  County,  but  later  was  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  S.  B.  Barlow  (a  scientific  man 
and  afterward  very  eminent  in  the  profession), 
who  wished  him  to  study  homeopathy,  but  the 
young  student  laughed  at  the  proposition,  for 
he  considered  the  system  a  humbug,  believing 
that,  if  true,  like  mesmerism,  it  would  be 
impracticable  for  good.  He  graduated  from 
Crosby  Street  Medical  College  of  New  York, 
and  January  i,  1841,  commenced  to  practice 
as  a  regular  physician  in  Carbondale,  where 
he  remained  for  fourteen  years.  Mean- 
time he  became  interested  in  homeopathy, 
which,  applying  to  disease,  he  found  wonderful 
in  its  effects.  His  investigations  were  carried 
on  constantly  and  at  last,  led  by  them  to  see 
homeopathy  in  its  true  light  as  a  remarkable 
remedial  agency,  he  became  the  pioneer  homeo- 
pathist  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley.  The  success 
that  attended  his  professional  efforts  brought 
him  local  fame  and  a  large  practice;  in  fact,  so 
large  that  overwork  threatened  his  hitherto  ex- 
cellent health.  Knowing  that  a  change  would 
be  beneficial,  he  visited  South  America  and 
Europe,  in  all  traveling  eleven  thousand  miles  on 
salt  water,  and  regaining  his  strength  and  vigor. 

In  1855  Dr.  Gardner  opened  an  office  in 
Scranton,  where  he  soon  had  a  large  practice. 
December  27,  1855,  he  organized  the  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  Society,  the  first  ever  formed  in  the 
county.  Among  the  regular  physicians  he  was 
at  first  unpopular,  but  his  success  at  last  forced 
them  to  acknowledge  his  superior  skill.  In  1859 
he  came  to  what  is  now  Elmhurst  (then  Dun- 
ning) and  built  his  commodious  residence  called 
"Glenhome,"  into  wliich  he  moved  in  the  spring 
of  the  following  year.  It  is  a  very  attract- 
ive place,  and  affords  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Upon  the  homestead  are 
acres  of  fruit  trees,  in  good  bearing  condition, 
all  of  which  have  been  planted  by  the  Doctor. 
In  religious  views  he  is  a  Presbyterian. 

The  first  marriage  of  Dr.  Gardner,  in  1844, 
united  him  with  Elizabeth  Good  Gardner,  who 
died  in  1850.  She  was  a  great-granddaughter 
of  Jesse  Gardner,  who  bought  in  Wyoming- 
Valley  what  is  the  Port  Griffith  mines.  They  had 
three  children:     F.  B.,  a  hardware  merchant  of 


Moscow,  who  has  four  children,  Ruth  A.,  Daniel 
S.,  Jesse,  and  Arthur  P.;  Ann  Elizabeth,  who 
died  in  Carbondale  in  infancy;  and  L.  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Eugene  Frantz,  who  manages  the  Doc- 
tor's farm,  and  they  have  three  children,  Sarah 
A.,  Parcel  G.,  and  Elizabeth  D.  In  1855  he 
married  Mary  Augusta,  daughter  of  Judge  Jacob 
and  Susan  (Wells)  Treniper.  Her  father,  who 
was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1805,  studied  law 
and  became  a  prominent  attorney.  In  1838  he 
was  appointed  by  Gov.  W.  L.  Marcy  judge  of 
courts  of  Yates  County,  N.  Y.,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  was  re-appointed,  making  a 
most  impartial  and  able  judge.  Prior  to  the  ex- 
piration of  his  second  term,  he  resigned  on  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  his  mother  and  returned 
to  Philadelphia  to  manage  the  details  of  the 
large  estate.  He  died  in  Montgomery  County 
in  April,  1885,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years  and 
seventeen  days,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in 
May,  1883,  at  seventy-eight  years.  The  Doctor 
and  his  wife  adopted  the  oldest  daughter  of  his 
son,  F.  B.,  Mary  A.,  now  deceased. 

In  politics  Dr.  Gardner  has  always  been  a 
Democrat  of  the  old  school,  but  voted  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  at  his  second  election,  believing  it 
to  be  for  the  good  of  the  country  at  that  time. 
In  political  circles  he  has  been  prominent  and 
has  written  articles  for  publication  upon  political 
questions  and  kindred  subjects.  In  1896  he 
gave  his  support  to  William  J.  Bryan,  for  whom 
this  township  gave  a  majority  of  two.  From 
1863  to  1890  he  served  as  school  director, 
and  during  that  time  assisted  in  build- 
ing eight  schoolhouses.  At  different  times  he 
has  held  other  township  offices,  in  all  of  whicii 
he  has  rendered  able  service.  In  1857,  before 
leaving  Scranton,  he  erected  a  steam  saw  and 
grist  mill  on  the  line  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  road,  in  what  is  now  Roar- 
ing Brook  Township.  This  opened  a  market  for 
all  the  timber  on  tiie  uncleared  land  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, including  his  own  tract  of  wild  land, 
on  w'hich  the  villa  of  Glenhome  is  erected.  The 
mills  were  finally  liurned,  and  as  tliere  was  no 
insurance,  the  loss  was  heavy. 

The  home  place  has  an  artificial  fish  pond  of 
about  two  acres,  furnishing  fish,  ice  and  an  abund- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


849 


ance  of  cranberries  and  huckleberries.  One  year 
three  thousand  one  hundred  and  one  head  of 
sheep  were  washed  there  by  two  men  and  a  boy 
in  three  hours.  The  buildings  are  supplied  with 
pure  spring  water  by  hydraulic  rams  constructed 
at  a  cost  of  about  $1,600. 


LOUIS  H.  WINT  was  born  in  Allentown, 
Pa.,  in  1 841,  but  has  spent  his  life  principal- 
ly in  Providence,  Scranton,  where  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  carpentering  and  building 
business.  Reference  to  the  family  of  which  he  is  a 
member  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume, 
in  the  sketch  of  his  father.  Deacon  Jonathan  R. 
Wint.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Providence,  and  at  an  early  age 
he  began  to  assist  his  father  in  the  mill.  After- 
ward, however,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  car- 
penter's trade,  and  for  some  years  has  been  en- 
gaged therein. 

When  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  in  August, 
1862,  Mr.  Wint  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Schooley's 
battery,  later  was  transferred  to  Company  M,  One 
Hundred  and  Twelfth  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
which  was  mustered  into  service  at  Harrisburg 
and  was  incorporated  with  the  Second  Pennsyl- 
vania Artillery,  Battery  M.  Among  the  impor- 
tant engagements  in  which  he  bore  a  part  were 
the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor,  Pet- 
ersburg, Mine  Explosion,  Weklon  Railroad  and 
Chapin's  Farm.  While  in  active  battle  he  was 
shot  through  the  limb  and  severely  wounded,  be- 
ing as  a  result  laid  up  for  three  or  four  months 
at  Fortress  Monroe.  On  rejoining  his  regiment, 
he  remained  with  it  until  the  close  of  the  war,  tak- 
ing part  in  the  final  battle  at  Petersburg.  He  was 
discharged  in  July,  1865,  with  the  rank  of  orderly 
sergeant. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Wint  was  solemnized 
in  Walton,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  united 
him  with  Addie  M.  Rogers,  who  was  born  there 
and  died  in  Providence  in  April,  1881.  April  30, 
1889,  he  married  Miss  Allie  F.  Williams,  a  na- 
tive of  Gibson,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  and 
daughter  of  John  Alden  and  Frances  A.  (Lon- 
nergan)  Williams,  natives  of  the  same  place  as 
herself.     Her  paternal  grandfather,  Elisha  Wil- 


liams, removed  from  Connecticut  to  Pennsylvania 
and  became  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Susquehanna 
County.  Grandmother  Williams  was  a  member 
of  the  Dix  family,  to  which  belonged  Governor 
Dix,  of  New  York.  John  Alden  Williams  was  a 
descendant  of  that  illustrious  Puritan,  John  Al- 
den, and  several  of  his  relatives  took  part  in  the 
Revolution.  The  mother  was  a  descendant  of 
Scotch-Irish  Protestant  ancestors,  who  settled  in 
New  York,  and  removed  from  there  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr.  Williams  was  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  Gibson,  but  died  while  on  a 
business  trip  to  New  York  City.  He  was  then 
only  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  His  widow  now 
resides  in  Scranton.  Their  only  child,  Mrs.  Wint, 
was  educated  in  the  high  school  of  Scranton  and 
prior  to  her  marriage  engaged  in  teaching  in  the 
schools  here,  being  principal  of  one  of  the  depart- 
ments. She  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
and  a  lady  whose  refinement  of  character  has  won 
many  friends. 

Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Wint  has  served 
frequently  on  county  and  city  committees.  At 
the  time  of  the  presidential  election  of  1864,  he 
was  convalescing  from  a  severe  wound  received 
in  battle  and  was  in  the  hospital  at  Point  of  Rocks. 
So  anxious,  however,  was  he  to  cast  his  ballot 
that  his  friends  carried  him  to  the  polls,  where  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  voting  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 
For  three  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  common 
council  from  the  first  ward,  and  during  two 
years  of  that  time  was  president  of  the  body.  He 
is  identified  with  Lieut.  Ezra  S.'  Griffin  Post  No. 
139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  Union  Veterans  Union.  His 
residence  is  at  No.  1605  Capouse  Avenue.  He  is 
a  genial  man  of  pleasant  manners,  and  has  a  host 
of  friends  among  the  people  of  the  city. 


JOHN  W.  SCHULTZ  is  one  of  the  old  and 
honored  citizens  of  the  thriving  and  progres- 
sive city  of  Scranton.  Since  1855  he  has 
been  a  trusted  and  reliable  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  in  the  many 
years  which  have  elapsed  between  his  first  sight  of 
the  city  and  the  present  time,  he  has  been  a  wit- 
ness of  vast  improvements,  which  have  converted 
the  town  into  one  of  the  finest  in  the  state. 


8so 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


His  father,  Peter  Schultz,  was  born  in  Lautcr- 
bach,  Kur-Hessen,  Germany,  and  was  left  an 
orphan  at  an  early  age,  his  uncle  then  adopting 
him.  He  learned  the  business  of  mining  and 
masonry  work  and  was  employed  in  the  govern- 
ment mines  in  the  mountain  of  Meisner.  He 
died  in  the  prime  of  life,  when  forty-seven  years 
of  age.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Braunschweig 
before  her  marriage  and  was  a  native  of  Aptorode. 
In  1847  she  came  to  America  with  seven  chil- 
dren, one  having  preceded  her.  They  left  Bre- 
men in  the  sailing  vessel  "Globe,"  and  after  a  te- 
dious voyage  of  ten  weeks  reached  Quebec,  Can- 
ada, August  20,  1847,  thence  by  way  of  the  canal 
and  railroad  proceeded  to  Archbald,  Pa.  She 
died  when  in  her  fifty-third  year.  Only  three  of 
her  large  family  are  yet  living.  George,  a  Peters- 
burg merchant,  was  in  the  Ninth  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry  during  the  war,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Cus- 
ter, lives  in  Ransom  Township. 

J.  W.  Schultz  was  born  in  Weisenbach,  Kur- 
Hessen,  Germany,  May  18,  1833,  and  in  his  na- 
tive land  he  acquired  a  fair  education.  His  school- 
ing in  the  English  language  was  limited  to  about 
six  weeks.  For  four  years  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship to  the  printer's  trade  in  Carbondale  on 
the  Carbondale  "Democrat,"  where  he  completed 
his  education.  Going  to  New  York  City  he  tried 
to  find  employment  at  his  calling,  but  being  un- 
successful, took  up  cabinet-making  and  worked  in 
this  line  some  four  years  also.  Returning  to 
Scranton  he  entered  the  car  department  works 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  and 
in  1856  was  ofifered  the  place  of  flask-maker, 
which  he  has  held  ever  since.  The  flask  shop  was 
built  about  thirty  years  ago.  What  is  termed  a 
flask  is  the  bo.x  used  as  moulds  in  the  foundry 
and  these  are  made  in  difTcrent  sizes,  according 
to  pattern  required,  the  largest  being  fourteen  to 
eighteen  feet  square. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schultz  is  situated 
in  the  suburb  of  Petersburg.  In  1858  this  worthy 
coui)le  were  married  in  Scranton,  and  eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them:  Emma,  Mrs.  William 
Neilson,  of  Petersburg;  Josephine  and  George, 
deceased;  William  II.,  like  his  father,  a  flask- 
maker,  and  who  married  Mary  Hcblicli  and  has 
four  children;   Lizzie,  at  home;  John,  a  machin- 


ist, married  and  living  in  Petersburg;  Alvina, 
Mrs.  Hague,  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  Charles, 
who  is  married  and  resides  in  Dunmore.  The 
mother  of  this  family  was  Wilhelmina,  daughter 
of  John  Thomas  Brown,  who  sailed  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  for  years  and  died  in  New  York,  in  which 
city  Mrs.  Schultz  was  born. 

One  of  the  charter  members  of  the  German 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  on  the  corner  of 
Adams  Avenue  and  Vine  Street,  Mr.  Schultz  has 
been  very  active,  both  in  its  building  and  in  every 
department  of  its  work.  He  was  superintendent  of 
the  main  Sunday-school  for  years  and  started  the 
chapel  school  on  Taylor  Avenue,  where  he  is  su- 
perintendent and  class-leader.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  school  control  from  the  tenth 
ward  for  three  years  and  was  on  different  commit- 
tees. In  politics  he  has  always  been  on  the  side 
of  the  Republican  party.  An  Odd  Fellow,  he 
belongs  to  Residenz  Lodge  No.  513,  and  to  Ar- 
menian  Encampment. 


PETER  RICHARDS,  foreman  of  the  erect- 
ing department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western  machine  shop,  was  born  May 
13,  1868,  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  is  a  young  man  of  energy  and 
efficiency,  and  ably  fills  the  responsible  position 
to  which  he  has  been  chosen.  In  his  character 
may  be  found  combined  the  geniality  of  his  Irish 
ancestors,  the  thrift  of  French  forefathers,  and 
the  enterprise  that  is  an  American  characteristic, 
these  qualities  uniting  to  assist  him  in  the  attain- 
ment of  success. 

The  first  of  the  Richards  family  in  America 
was  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  a  native  of 
France,  who  settled  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  re- 
moved thence  to  Scranton,  where  he  died.  He 
was  one  of  five  brothers  who  came  to  America, 
all  machinists,  and  of  these  two  are  dead.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  Peter  Richards,  was  born 
in  France,  in  early  life  learned  the  machinist's 
trade,  and  for  some  time  was  employed  in  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  shops,  but 
finally  turned  his  attention  to  the  grocery  busi- 
ness, oi)cning  a  store  in  the  Scranton  flats.  He 
continued  in  business  vuitil  his  death,  which  oc- 


Portrait  and  biographical  record. 


851 


curred  March  23,  1880.  His  wife,  who  bore  tlie 
maiden  name  of  B.  E.  Finnen,  was  born  in  Ire- 
land, and  accompanied  her  mother  to  Scranton, 
where  she  still  lives. 

The  only  son  and  eldest  of  five  children,  our 
subject  was  reared  in  Scranton  and  educated  in 
the  city  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
began  to  work  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  shops,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  He  was  then  apprenticed  to  the  machin- 
ist's trade  under  David  Brown,  the  present  mas- 
ter mechanic.  Five  years  were  spent  at  that  oc- 
cupation, at  the  expiration  of  which  time,  Jan- 
uary I,  1895,  he  was  made  foreman  of  the  erect- 
ing shop.  This  position,  which  he  has  since 
filled,  places  him  in  charge  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  hands  and  is  one  of  great  responsibility. 
With  the  other  members  of  his  father's  family,  he 
resides  near  the  old  homestead  in  Second  Street. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Machine  and  Car  Shop  Mutual  Aid, 
and  fraternally  is  identified  with  the  Young  Men's 
Institute. 


FRANK  McFARLAND,  yard  foreman  of 
repairs  and  inspector  for  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  at  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
April  I,  1845,  and  is  the  descendant  of  Scotch 
ancestors.  His  father,  Daniel,  was  born  in  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  and  in  young  manhood  came  to 
America,  settling  in  Wayne  County,  where  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  for  thirty-five  years  altogether.  A 
stanch  Republican  in  politics,  during  the  war  he 
was  strongly  in  favor  of  Union  principles  and  an 
Abolitionist.  In  religion  he  was  a  Universalist. 
His  death  occurred  in  Hawley.  After  coming  to 
this  country  he  married  Catherine  Ammerman, 
who  was  born  near  Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  and  died 
in  Scranton,  aged  about  seventy-eight.  Their 
five  children  were  Mary  and  Theresa,  who  died  at 
the  ages  of  three  and  tliirty;  Maria,  of  Scranton; 
Milton,  who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume; and  Frank. 

Reared  in  Hawley  and  Honesdale,  in  1861  the 
subject  of  this  sketch   enlisted  at  the  first  call 


made  by  President  Lincoln  for  tliree  months' 
men.  In  this  act  he  received  the  consent  of  his 
father  and  mother.  As  a  member  of  the  Hones- 
dale Guards,  under  Capt.  John  L.  Wright  he 
went  to  Harrisburg  in  May,  but  the  required 
quota  had  already  been  obtained,  so  Governor 
Curtin  placed  them  in  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves. 
With  others  of  Company  C,  Sixth  Regiment,  he 
was  trained  at  Camp  Curtin,  but  after  the  Union 
defeat  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  the  governor 
responded  to  the  president's  call  to  send  down  the 
Resei'ves. 

July  27,  1861,  the  young  soldier  was  mustered 
in  at  Washington  for  three  years  and  afterwards 
participated  in  nineteen  engagements,  among 
them  those  at  Drainsville,  Manassas,  Fairfax 
Courthouse,  Fredricksburg,  South  Mountain, 
Antietam,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  Courthouse, 
Gettysburg,  North  and  South  Anna  River  and 
Bethesda  Church.  After  Gettysburg  he  was  one 
of  fifteen  men  ordered  by  the  government  to  re- 
turn and  recruit  soldiers,  and  spent  five  months 
in  Philadelphia;  during  that  time  his  regiment 
had  no  active  engagement,  and  he  returned  in 
time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness. 
At  Gettysburg  a  spent  ball  struck  him  in  the 
chest  over  the  heart,  knocking  him  down,  and  at 
Fredricksburg  his  clothes  were  riddled  with  bul- 
lets. He  was  mustered  out  in  July,  1864,  at  Har- 
risburg, and  returned  home. 

For  some  years  after  the  war  Mr.  McFarland 
was  employed  at  carpenter  work  for  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  Canal  Company  in  Hawley. 
In  1.876  he  came  to  Scranton  and  worked 
at  his  trade  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  car  shops,  after  two  years  being 
chosen  foreman  of  a  set  of  men.  April  6, 
1892,  he  was  made  yard  foreman  of  repairs  and 
inspector,  which  position  he  has  since  held, 
with  from  forty  to  fifty  men  under  him. 
Under  the  administration  of  President  Harrison 
he  was  appointed  mail  agent  on  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Railroad,  between  Scranton  and  Hones- 
dale, with  the  understanding  that  he  could  con- 
tinue if  his  health  permitted  and  resign  if  un- 
able to  endure  the  physical  strain  entailed.  With- 
in two  weeks  he  found  it  necessary  to  retire  from 
the  position,  as  it  afifected  his  health  seriously. 


8S2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1896  was  secretary  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Sound  Money  Club.  In 
religious  connections  he  is  a  member  of  the  Elm 
Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason,  past  officer  in  the  Hawley  Lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows,  member  of  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grif- 
fin Post  No.  139,  and  Colonel  Oakford  Com- 
mandery  No.  25,  U.  V.  U. 


HORACE  B.  SIMRELL  is  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  public-spirited  men  of 
South  Abington  Township,  where  for 
many  years  he  has  made  his  home  upon  a  well 
improved  farm.  Here  he  has  a  neat  residence, 
substantial  barn,  and  the  buildings  required  for 
the  successful  prosecution  of  agriculture  after 
modern  methods.  The  estate  is  also  supplied 
with  the  other  appurtenances  desired  by  all  pro- 
gressive agriculturists,  including  first-class  farm 
machinery,  live  stock,  garden  and  other  things 
which  go  to  make  up  a  rural  home. 

In  Scott  Township,  February  26,  1823,  our 
subject  was  born  to  the  union  of  Nathaniel  and 
Lydia  (Wall)  Simrell.  His  paternal  grandparents, 
William  and  Bethia  (Owens)  Simrell,  were  from 
New  York,  and  died  in  this  locality,  when  quite 
advanced  in  years;  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  he  was  employed  as  a  teamster  in  the  Amer- 
ican service.  The  maternal  grandparents  of  our 
subject  were  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Bowen)  Wall, 
of  Rhode  Island.  The  ancestors  on  both  sides 
were  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  Nathaniel  Simrell 
was,  it  is  thought,  born  in  Orange  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  About  1780  he  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  after  a  long  sojourn  in  Blake- 
ly  settled  in  Scott  Township  about  1812,  dy- 
ing there  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  His  wife, 
who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  died  at  the  age 
of  ninety-three.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  of  whom  all  but  one  attained  manhood 
or  womanhood. 

Tlie  district  schools  of  Scott  Township  afYorded 
meager  educational  facilities  when  our  subject 
was  a  boy,  but  in  them  he  acquired  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  "three  R's."  October  29,  1846,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa  Carpen- 


ter, who  was  born  March  8,  1825,  and  died  at 
the  family  residence  February  21,  1896.  She 
was  a  capable  and  intelligent  lady,  of  good  fam- 
ily, and  her  loss  was  deeply  mourned  by  all  who 
knew  her,  but  especially  by  her  family,  to  whose 
advancement  she  had  ever  sacrificed  her  own 
comforts  and  pleasures.  She  was  the  mother  of 
five  children,  but  two  died  in  infancy,  one,  Au- 
gusta, at  the  age  of  four  years,  and  Elvira  R.  at 
the  age  of  ten.  The  only  survivor  of  the  family 
is  Angeline  L.,  who  was  united  in  marriage  De- 
cember 20,  1877,  with  E.  J.  Feehley,  justice  of 
the  peace  in  Waverly.  Two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters bless  their  union,  namely:  Sarah  L.,  Emma 
A.,  Edward  E.,  and  Horace  S.  Mrs.  Simrell  was 
an  aunt  of  E.  G.  Carpenter,  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  volume. 

For  seven  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Sim- 
rell resided  in  Scott  Township,  then  spent  four 
years  in  North  Scott  and  a  similar  period  in 
North  Abington  Township.  Next  locating  in 
South  Abington  Township,  he  occupied  one 
farm  four  and  one-half  years,  and  thence  removed 
to  his  present  location  in  1866.  His  wife  was  ac- 
tive in  all  good  works  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
he  also  is  connected  with  that  denomination, 
having  formerly  served  as  Sunday-school  super- 
intendent and  in  other  ways  advanced  the  cause 
of  religion.  In  early  life  he  voted  the  Republican 
ticket,  but  as  he  acquainted  himself  with  the 
enormous  evil  wrought  by  the  liquor  traffic,  as  a 
matter  of  principles  he  allied  himself  with  the 
party  pledged  to  rid  the  country  of  this  terrible 
evil,  if  once  given  the  opportunity.  His  first  vote 
was  cast  for  that  favorite  of  American  people, 
Henry  Clay,  the  gifted  statesman  and  eloquent 
orator. 


THOMAS  P.  LETCHWORTH,  a  leading 
undertaker  of  Scranton,  is  one  of  the  rep- 
resentative and  prominent  citizens  of  that 
place.  He  has  several  times  met  with  reverses  in 
his  business  career,  but  with  characteristic  energy 
he  has  steadily  overcome  all  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties found  in  his  path  until  to-day  he  has  se- 
cured a  handsome  competence  and  is  at  the  head 
of  a  large  and  profitable  business.    In  Mt.  Holly, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGR^VPHICAL  RECORD. 


853 


N.  J.,  he  was  born  May  30,  1836,  and  is  a  grand- 
son of  William  Letchworth,  a  native  of  England, 
who  came  to  America  with  two  brothers,  one  of 
whom,  Josiaii,  settled  in  Scipio,  N.  Y.  William, 
however,  located  in  Ohio,  where  was  born  the 
father  of  onr  subject,  Thomas  Letchworth,  who 
became  a  highly  respected  merchant  of  Mt.  Holly, 
N.  J.,  and  was  known  by  all  as  Uncle  Tommy, 
while  his  estimable  wife,  a  lady  of  strong  charac- 
ter, was  called  Aunt  Mary.  Both  were  widely 
known  and  had  the  love  of  all  with  whom  they 
came  in  contact.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Shinn,  was  a  native  of  Mt.  Holly,  and  a 
daughter  of  Ziba  Shinn,  a  highly  respected  resi- 
dent of  Vincentown,  Burlington  County,  N.  J., 
who  was  personally  acquainted  with  General 
Washington.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
both  prominent  and  active  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  died  at  Mt.  Holly  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three  years. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  twelve 
children,  seven  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom 
six  are  still  living,  namely:  William  B.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Hyde  Park,  Scranton;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Branin,  of  Mt.  Holly,  N.  J.;  Thomas  P.,  of  this 
sketch;  Samuel,  of  Kentucky;  Col.  John,  of 
Chicago,  who  entered  the  Union  service  during 
the  Civil  War  as  fifer,  but  was  promoted  to  col- 
onel of  the  Fourth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  and 
participated  in  twenty-six  battles;  Mrs.  H.  How- 
land,  a  resident  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.;  and  Isaac,  of 
Dubois,  Pa. 

Mr.  Letchworth,  of  this  review,  obtained  a 
good  common  school  education  in  Mt.  Holly,  N. 
J.,  where  he  remained  until  coming  to  Scranton 
in  1 85 1,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  car  shops  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  at  Dunmore,  as 
carpenter,  but  the  following  year  he  returned  to 
Mt.  Holly,  and  in  1853  became  an  apprentice  of 
T.  F.  Keeler,  one  of  the  finest  cabinet  and  coffin 
makers  in  the  country,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  1857,  his  salary  being  $20  per  year  or 
about  eight  cents  a  day.  For  eight  months  he 
was  with  Joseph  Cole,  an  old  Quaker,  and  then 
began  business  for  himself  as  a  cabinet-maker 
and  undertaker  in  Mt.  Holly.  He  was  the  first 
man  from  that  locality  to  go  to  the  front  during 
the  Civil  War  and  bring  a  body  back  home  for 


burial.  At  White  Oak  Church,  Va.,  he  did  his 
first  embalming,  manufacturing  his  own  fluid, 
which  proved  quite  satisfactory.  He  had  a  hard 
time  in  getting  through  the  lines,  and  it  was  six- 
teen days  before  he  reached  his  destination,  but 
his  embalming  had  proved  so  successful  that  the 
body  was  still  well  preserved.  In  1864,  while  at 
Mt.  Holly,  he  made  the  first  casket  manufactured 
in  New  Jersey  and  also  the  first  three-piece  top 
coffin. 

Subsequently  Mr.  Letchworth  removed  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  where  he  held  a  position  as  pattern- 
maker for  two  years,  but  ill  health  forced  him 
to  return  east,  and  he  located  at  New  Egypt, 
Ocean  County,  N.  J.,  where  he  engaged  in  un- 
dertaking until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Dun- 
more,  and  again  entered  the  shops  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Coal  Company.  On  the  1st  of  May, 
1870,  he  started  an  undertaking  establishment  on 
Blakely  Street,  Dunmore,  but  in  1876  his  place 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  following  year,  how- 
ever, he  began  business  at  his  present  site,  No. 
120  Chestnut  Street.  He  is  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful embalmers  in  this  section  of  the  state, 
having  learned  the  art  of  Prof.  A.  Renard,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  while  his  stepson,  Frank  Blick- 
ins,  graduated  with  honors  from  Taylor's  New 
York  School  of  Embalming. 

On  the  loth  of  May,  1861,  in  Mt.  Holly,  Mr. 
Letchworth  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Annie  Branin,  a  native  of  Medford,  N.  J.,  who 
died  in  Dunmore  in  1891.  Three  children  blessed 
this  union:  Estella  P.,  wife  of  Fred  Barnard,  of 
Lee,  Pa.;  Emma  O.,  wife  of  C.  Williams,  also  of 
Lee,  Pa.;  and  Thomas  Carelton,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  Mr.  Letchworth  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mat- 
tie  Cross,  a  native  of  Sterling,  Pa.,  who  died,  leav- 
ing one  child,  Ralph.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs. 
Ella  (Rogers)  Blickins,  of  Dundaff,  Pa.,  by  whom 
he  has  one  child,  Bertrand  M. 

In  1889  Mr.  Letchworth  was  appointed  bur- 
gess of  Dunmore  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  P.  McHale,  who  died  after  having 
served  but  one  month.  On  the  Republican  tick- 
et our  subject  was  again  elected  to  that  responsi- 
ble position,  and  proved  a  most  popular  and  ef- 
ficient officer.    While  residing  in  the  west  he  be- 


8S4 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  acquainted  with  General  Logan,  and  was 
ever  afterward  a  great  friend  of  that  noted  man. 
Since  1866  Mr.  Letchworth  has  affiHated  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  joining- 
Amity  Lodge  at  Murphysboro,  111.,  where  he 
resided  for  about  eighteen  months,  and  he  now 
holds  membership  in  Dunniore  Lodge  No.  816, 
in  which  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Encampment,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  Order 
of  Red  Men  (in  which  he  is  keeper  of  wampum), 
and  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  in 
which  he  is  a  past  officer.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trade,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  a 
director;  has  been  secretary  of  the  Funeral  Di- 
rectors' Association  of  Scranton  Poor  District 
since  its  organization,  and  is  also  treasurer;  for 
ten  years  was  secretary  of  the  Tri-County  Funeral 
Directors'  Association;  is  a  member  of  the  In- 
ternational Funeral  Directors'  Association,  rep- 
resenting the  state  of  Pennsylvania  at  the  meet- 
ing in  Detroit  in  1894,  which  was  the  last  year  of 
its  existence;  and  now  belongs  to  the  National 
Funeral  Directors'  Association.  In  1881  he  helped 
to  organize  the  State  Funeral  Directors'  Associa- 
tion of  Pennsylvania,  of  which  he  has  been  presi- 
dent. He  is  a  consistent  and  active  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Dunmore,  and  is  one 
of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  place,  with  whose 
interests  he  has  long  been  prominently  identi- 
fied. 


THOMAS  DERSHIMER  has  for  almost 
half  a  century  been  connected  with  the 
history  of  Lackawanna  County,  and  few 
have  done  more  for  its  upbuilding.  He  has  been 
a  champion  of  every  movement  designed  to  pro- 
mote the  general  welfare,  a  supporter  of  every  en- 
terprise for  the  public  good,  and  has  materially 
aided  in  the  advancement  of  all  social,  industrial, 
educational  and  moral  interests.  In  1851  he  lo- 
cated in  Dunmore,  and  has  since  been  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  place. 

In  the  township  of  Chestnut  Hill,  Northamp- 
ton County,  Pa.,  Mr.  Dershimer  was  born  April 
28,  1829,  a  son  of  John  and  Christiana  (Siglin) 
Dershimer,  also  natives  of  that  county,  and  the 
former  of  German  descent.   The  father,  who  was 


a  farmer  by  occupation,  removed  to  Luzerne 
County  in  1830,  locating  five  miles  south  of 
Wilkcsbarre  in  Hanover  Township,  but  six  years 
later  he  removed  to  Exeter  Township,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm,  on  which  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven.  His  wife  also  departed  this  life 
in  that  township.  In  their  family  were  ten  chil- 
dren who  grew  to  man  and  womanhood,  of 
whom  six  are  still  living,  our  subject  being  the 
youngest.  His  brother  John  is  a  farmer  of  New- 
ton, Lackawanna  County. 

Mr.  Dershimer,  of  this  review,  was  reared  in 
Luzerne  County,  attending  its  public  schools  dur- 
ing his  boyhood,  and  completing  his  education  in 
the  Wyoming  Seminary.  In  1850  he  went  to 
Abington,  one  mile  from  Dalton,  Pa.,  where  he 
remained  one  winter,  and  in  1851  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Dunmore.  For  a  time  he  was  employed 
as  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  Thomas  Wood- 
bridge  and  Mr.  Dean  on  Chestnut  Street,  but  in 
1852  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Woodbridge 
and  engaged  in  the  butcher  business  under  the 
firm  style  of  Woodbridge  &  Dershimer,  running 
wagons  in  both  Dunmore  and  Providence.  This 
connection  continued  until  1872,  and  in  the  mean- 
time they  had  built  a  market  on  Chestnut  Street. 
After  the  partnersliip  was  dissolved  in  1872,  Mr. 
Dershimer  lived  retired  for  a  year  or  two  and 
then  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  with  Bell  & 
Francois  for  some  years,  under  the  firm  style  of 
Dershimer  &  Co.  They  owned  a  large  slaughter 
house,  and  carried  on  operations  at  Griffin's  Cor- 
ner. Subsecjuently  they  took  the  agency  for 
Swift's  Chicago  Dressed  Beef  Company,  and  still 
continue  business  under  the  name  of  Bell,  Fran- 
cois &  Co.,  having  the  finest  establishment  of  the 
kind  in  the  state,  located  on  the  corner  of  Pine 
Street  and  Wyoming  Avenue.  Besides  his  ex- 
tensive interests  in  the  cattle  and  beef  business, 
our  subject  is  also  a  director  of  the  Gouldsboro 
Ice  Company.  Through  his  own  perseverance, 
energy,  and  well  directed  efforts,  he  has  become 
one  of  the  well-to-do  and  substantial  citizens  of 
Dunmore,  and  the  success  that  he  has  achieved  is 
certainly  well  deserved. 

In  Hollistcrville,  Pa.,  Mr.  Dershimer  married 
Miss  Charlotte  Curtis,  of  South  Canaan,  Pa.,  who 
died  in  Dunmore.    To  them  were  born  two  chil- 


THOMAS  W.   KAV,    M.   I). 


I'ORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


^57 


dren,  one  still  living,  George  W.,  a  farmer  of  Lake 
Township,  Wayne  County,  Pa.  For  his  second 
wife  he  chose  Miss  Angeline  Cross,  a  native  of 
Sterling,  Wayne  County,  and  their  marriage  was 
solemnized  in  Salem,  this  state.  They  have  an 
adopted  son,  Ralph  Doran  Dershimer.  Her  fath- 
er, Robert  Cross,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  and 
was  a  son  of  Edward  Cross,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  on  coming  to  America  first  located  in  Phila- 
delphia, but  afterward  removed  to  Sterling, 
Wayne  County,  where  his  death  occurred.  The 
son  also  died  in  that  county,  where  for  many 
years  he  had  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
married  Julia  Robocker,  who  was  born  in  Eliza- 
beth, N.  J.,  and  died  in  Sterling,  Pa.  Their  only 
son,  Theodore  E.,  died  in  1865.  The  daughters 
are  Mrs.  Dershimer,  Mrs.  Squires,  of  Rochester, 
and  Mrs.  Emma  Van  Camp,  of  Dunmore.  Fra- 
ternally Mr.  Dershimer  affiliates  with  King  Solo- 
mon Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  he  is  now  serving  as  trustee, 
and  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics 
since  the  organization  of  the  party. 


THOMAS  W.  KAY,  M.  D.  To  those  who 
wish  to  make  a  success  in  professional  or 
business  life,  the  most  thorough  prepara- 
tion is  absolutely  necessary.  Especially  is  this 
true  of  the  medical  profession.  The  day  has 
gone  by  when  a  "quack"  of  great  pretensions  but 
no  learning  can  successfully  cope  with  the  grow- 
ing demands  of  the  science,  which  calls  for  the 
most  careful  training  and  study  on  the  part  of  its 
followers.  It  may  with  justice  be  said  of  Dr. 
Kay  that  he  has  prepared  himself  conscientiously 
and  earnestly  for  his  profession,  having  spared 
neither  time  nor  pains  in  the  acquirement  of 
knowledge.  He  has  had  the  advantage  of  the 
best  schools  both  of  this  country  and  abroad,  and 
in  1883,  1888  and  1894  took  post-graduate 
courses  in  Vienna,  Berlin,  Paris  and  London, 
thereby  keeping  in  touch  with  the  latest  improve- 
ments in  the  science.  For  a  time  he  was  profes- 
sor in  the  medical  college  at  Beyrout,  Syria, 
and  also  surgeon  to  St.  John's  Hospital  in  the 
same  place,  where,  in  1887,  he  performed  the  first 
36 


recorded  successful  operation  of  ovariotomy  in 
-Syria. 

Born  in  Port  Royal,  Caroline  County,  Va., 
February  19,  1858,  Dr.  Kay  is  the  son  of  Joseph 
W.  and  Julia  (Baylor)  Kay.  The  Kay  family  was 
originally  Scotch-English,  the  name  having  been 
variously  spelled  Kay,  Key,  Kaye  and  Keye. 
l~hat  these  are  all  of  the  same  original  stock  is 
certain  from  the  fact  that  their  various  coats  of 
arms  all  contained  the  head  of  a  griffin  bearing 
a  golden  key  in  the  mouth.  These  all  undoubt- 
edly originated  from  Dr.  Caius,  the  founder  of 
Caius  College,  England.  The  first  of  the  family 
to  settle  in  America  were  Tames  and  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Kay,  who  came  from  England  between  1700 
and  1720,  settling  in  Virginia.  William  was  rec- 
tor of  a  parish  in  Richmond  County  between 
1740  and  1750,  and  James  served  as  a  vestryman 
in  Strothers  Church,  King  George  County,  until 
his  death  in  1768.  His  son,  Richard,  who  was 
born  in  Essex  County  in  1752,  lived  on  a  planta- 
tion in  the  Old  Dominion  and  served  faithfully 
during  the  Revolutionary  War  as  a  member  of 
Wedan's  Brigade.  His  son,  James,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  was  born  in  Essex  County  in  1781 
and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  while  his  son, 
Joseph  W.,  also  a  farmer,  was  a  deacon  in  the 
Baptist  Church,  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and 
county  surveyor,  and  died  when  sixty-three. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
George  D.  Baylor,  was  born  in  Caroline  County, 
Va.  He  was  a  descendant  of  John  Baylor,  a  na- 
tive of  County  Devon,  England,  who  emigrated 
to  America,  establishing  his  permanent  home  in 
Virginia.  Next  in  line  of  descent  was  John,  who 
was  born  in  England  in  1650  and  died  at  Nor- 
folk, Va.,  in  1721.  His  son,  John,  who  was  born 
in  Norfolk  in  1 705  and  died  at  New  Market,  Va., 
in  1772,  had  a  son,  John  (the  fourth  of  that  name) 
who  was  born  in  1750  and  died  at  Bowling  Green, 
Va.,  in  1808.  One  of  his  brothers,  George,  was 
a  colonel  in  the  Revolution  and  received  wounds 
at  Tappan,  N.  J.,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died 
on  the  Barbadoes  Island.s,  whither  he  had  gone 
for  his  health.  Tlie  son  of  John  (4th)  was  George 
D.,  our  subject's  grandfather,  who  graduated 
from  the  medical  department  of  Jefifcrson  College 
and  practiced  his  profession  in  Caroline  County, 


8s8 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dying  at  Lockleys  in  1848.  The  original  P)aylor 
estate  was  called  Newmarket.  Our  subject's 
mother  resides  in  Virginia,  as  also  does  her  only 
daughter,  Georgia,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Watts,  of  Essex 
County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  young- 
er of  two  children,  was  educated  at  his  home  in 
Caroline  County  until  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  entered  McCabe's  University  School  at 
Petersburg,  Va.,  where  he  fitted  for  college.  In 
1877  he  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1879,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  receiving 
the  first  prize,  a  gold  medal.  During  this  time  he 
had  taken  a  special  course  in  physiology  at  the 
Johns  Hopkins  University,  under  Prof.  H.  New- 
ell Martin.  In  1879  he  took  charge  of  the  Wom- 
an's Hospital  in  Baltimore,  remaining  one  year, 
after  which  he  conducted  a  general  practice  in 
Columbia,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  for  three  years. 
Thence  he  went  to  Asia,  accepting  the  position 
of  professor  of  materia  medica  and  therapeutics 
in  the  Syrian  Protestant  College  at  Beyrout,  and 
surgeon  to  St.  John's  Hospital  in  the  same  place. 
He  remained  there  fOr  five  years  and  during  that 
time  made  a  three  months'  trip  to  America,  be- 
ing called  home  by  his  father's  death.  In  1888 
he  resigned  and  took  a  hospital  course  in  Dres- 
den and  Berlin,  also  visited  a  number  of  points 
of  interest  on  the  continent,  after  which  he  came 
back  to  America.  He  did  not  at  once  begin  prac- 
tice, but  traveled  about  six  months  and  then,  se- 
lecting Scranton  as  his  future  location,  opened 
an  office  on  North  Main  Avenue. 

In  1894  Dr.  Kay  went  to  Rome  as  a  member 
of  the  Eleventh  International  Medical  Congress, 
which  he  attended  throughout  the  entire  session. 
He  also  spent  some  time  in  hospitals  in  Paris  and 
London,  returning  to  Scranton  after  an  absence 
of  four  months.  He  has  his  office  at  No.  206 
Penn  Avenue  and  carries  on  a  general  practice, 
but  makes  a  specialty  of  gynecology.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  private  practice,  he  is  medical  exam- 
iner for  different  insurance  companies.  In  for- 
mer years  he  contributed  frccjuently  to  medical 
journals,  his  articles  receiving  merited  attention 
from  the  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lan- 
caster County  Medical  Society,  State  and  Ameri- 


can Medical  Associations,  Lackawanna  County 
Medical  Society,  the  Eleventh  International 
Medical  Congress  (before  which  he  read  a  paper 
upon  the  treatment  of  the  throat  in  diphtheria) 
and  was  a  delegate  to  the  Pan-American  Medi- 
cal Congress,  held  in  Mexico,  having  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  American  Medical  Association. 
In  politics  Dr.  Kay  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  identified  with  the  Elm 
Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  resi- 
dence at  No.  313  Madison  Avenue  is  presided 
over  by  his  wife,  whom  he  married  in  Minneapo- 
lis, and  who  was  formerly  Miss  Edna  Fuller.  She 
was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  was  educated 
there  and  in  the  Woman's  College  of  Baltimore, 
and  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement.  The  fam- 
ily of  which  she  is  a  member  originated  in  Hol- 
land, but  has  been  represented  in  America  for 
many  generations.  Her  father.  Rev.  Moses  De 
Witte  Fuller,  is  a  minister  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  and  is  now  living  in  Owego,  N.  Y. 


CHARLES  W.  HALL.  A  native  of  the 
county  in  which  he  now  resides  and  the 
son  of  a  pioneer  whose  name  was  identi- 
fied with  the  history  of  this  locality  in  early  days, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  owner  of  a  por- 
tion of  his  father's  estate,  which  he  and  his  broth- 
er, John,  are  cultivating.  The  place  is  situated  in 
the  borough  of  Waverly,  formerly  Abington 
Township,  and  contains  all  the  improvements  of 
a  first-class  farm,  including  substantial  residence 
and  several  outbuildings,  all  adapted  to  their 
varied  uses.  He  is  an  intelligent  farmer  and 
keeps  abreast  with  the  times  in  the  improvements 
and  progress  made  in  his  calling. 

Jonathan  Hall,  our  subject's  grandfather,  came 
to  Pennsylvania  from  Connecticut  about  1800,  anil 
settled  on  the  old  homestead  in  Abington  Town- 
ship, now  Glenburn  borough, where  he  died  in  June, 
1866.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Jeremiah,  was  a 
son  of  Jonathan  and  Eunice  Hall,  and  was  born 
near  Glenburn,  Lackawanna  County,  in  1810. 
Upon  attaining  manhood  he  began  the  task  of 
cultivating  and  improving  the  home  place,  which 
he  developed,  greatly  increasing  its  value  by  his 
methods  of  fertilization  and   cultivation.     Here 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


859 


the  remainder  of  his  Hfe  was  passed  and  here  lie 
died  February  13,  1895,  at  the  close  of  a  useful 
and  honorable  existence,  devoted  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  a  man  of  consistent  Christian 
character,  amiable  yet  determined  in  disposition, 
with  fixed  purposes  when  once  convinced  of  the 
right.  He  trained  his  children  in  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  usefulness,  and  prepared  them  for 
honorable  positions  in  the  world. 

With  such  an  example  before  him  of  unques- 
tioned morality  and  piety,  our  subject  grew  to 
manhood,  imbibing  the  principles  of  conduct  that 
would  guide  him  through  life.  His  boyhood 
years  were  passed  on  the  farm  near  Glenburn, 
where  he  was  born  October  2,  1840.  The  years  of 
boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  uneventfully  at 
home  and  in  school.  In  connection  with  his 
brother  he  now  owns  and  operates  the  home 
place,  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed.  At 
Cochecton,  N.  Y.,  January  10,  1871,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Augusta  Tyler,  who 
was  born  in  Damascus,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  but 
spent  her  girlhood  years  principally  in  New  York. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Wilson  T.,  who 
is  connected  with  a  general  store  in  Factoryville. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church 
and  prominent  in  social  circles  in  their  neighbor- 
hood. 


JAMES  A.  MELLON,  chief  of  the  draught- 
ing department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western  shops  and  a  young  man  of 
exceptional  ability  in  his  chosen  occupation,  was 
born  September  2,  1864,  in  the  city  of  Scranton, 
where  he  has  always  made  his  home.  His  father, 
Edward  Mellon,  who  came  here  from  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  about  1856,  was  for  many  years  a  machinist 
of  this  city,  but  is  now  living  retired.  A  man  of 
remarkable  originality  of  ideas,  he  is  an  inventor 
of  note  and  is  the  patentee  of  the  Mellon  safety 
tire,  a  driving  wheel  tire  used  throughout  this  en- 
tire country  and  in  England.  He  is  considered 
one  of  the  finest  machinists  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  A  resident  of  this  city  since  an  early  period 
in  its  settlement,  he  has  made  many  improve- 
ments in  the  part  of  the  town  where  he  resides. 
In  the   midst   of  the  versatile   duties  that   have 


crowded  into  his  life,  he  has  found  time  for  the 
cultivation  of  athletic  sports,  of  which  he  is  a 
great  admirer.  He  is  a  man  of  great  power  and 
endurance,  is  one  of  the  best  skaters  in  the  city, 
and  is  also  classed  among  the  best  checker  play- 
ers in  the  state. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  Burchell,  was 
born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  still  lives  in  Scranton, 
as  do  her  surviving  children,  four  in  number:, 
James  A.;  Martha,  wife  of  State  Senator  M.  E. 
McDonald;  Fannie;  and  Frank,  who  is  with  Jer- 
myn  &  Duffy.  Two  daughters  are  deceased, 
Mrs.  J.  O.  Conner  and  Mrs.  A.  F.  Duffy.  James 
A.,  the  oldest  of  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family,  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high 
schools  of  Scranton,  and  on  leaving  school  began 
to  learn  the  machinist's  trade  with  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company,  being  under  John  J. 
Devine  in  the  locomotive  department.  For  five 
years  he  continued  as  machinist  and  draughts- 
man, after  which,  in  1886,  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  mechanical  draughtsman  and  chief  of  this 
department  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  shops,  where  he  has  since  remained.  He 
designs  all  the  new  locomotives  that  are  built 
here  and  also  the  repairs  for  old  engines.  Several 
of  the  locomotives  he  designed  are  now  running 
on  the  road. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Mellon  at  No.  418  North 
Seventh  Street,  Scranton,  is  presided  over  by  his 
wife,  and  is  brightened  by  the  presence  of  their 
three  children,  Evelyn,  Edward  and  Martha.  Mrs. 
Mellon  was  in  maidenhood  Agatha  Brown  and 
was  born  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  from  the  schools  of 
which  city  she  is  a  graduate.  Her  father.  Judge 
Michael  Brown,  was  a  prominent  business  man 
of  Honesdale  and  at  one  time  filled  the  office  of 
judge  of  Wayne  County.  Fraternally  Mr.  Mel- 
lon is  connected  with  the  Young  Men's  Institute 
and  the  Heptasophs. 


CLORENZ,  Ph.  G.,  proprietor  of  the  drug 
store  at  No.  418  Lackawanna  Avenue, 
•  Scranton,  was  born  in  the  mountainous 
district  of  St.  Audreasburg,  Hanover,  Germany, 
October  i,  1851,  the  son  of  August  and  Augusta 
(Klingsoehr)   Lorenz,   also  natives  of  Hanover. 


86o 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


His  maternal  and  paternal  grandfathers,  F.  Lor- 
enz  and  Carl  Klingsoehr,  were  both  mine  super- 
intendents, and  the  same  occupation  was  followed 
by  his  father,  August  Lorenz,  until  his  death  at 
sixty-four  years.  In  1885  Mrs.  Lorenz  came  to 
.'\merica  and  has  since  resided  in  Scranton,  being 
now  about  sixty-six  years  of  age. 

Of  three  children  comprising  the  parental  fam- 
ily two  attained  mature  years,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  being  the  only  son.  His  childhood  years 
were  passed  in  Zellerfcld  and  Clausthal,  his  edu- 
cation being  obtained  in  the  gymnasium  of  the 
latter  place,  where  he  completed  the  course.  In 
1870  he  crossed  the  ocean  to  New  York,  and  one 
year  later  began  the  study  of  pharmacy  at  the 
corner  of  Fifty-ninth  Street  and  Third  Avenue. 
Afterward  he  entered  the  New  York  College  of 
Pharmacy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1875,  with 
the  degree  of  Ph.  G.  He  remained  in  New  York 
City,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in 
Galveston,  Te.x.,  until  1880,  when  he  returned  to 
Europe,  visiting  the  old  home  and  also  traveling 
through  Switzerland  and  France.  On  his  return 
to  New  York,  he  was  just  about  to  embark  in 
business  in  that  city  when  a  friend  wrote  him  that 
there  was  a  good  outlook  in  Scranton,  and  in- 
fluenced by  the  favorable  report  he  came  here  in 
1881.  On  the  5th  of  May  he  bought  out  Mr. 
Ludwig,  of  Ludvvig  &  Zeller,  and  the  firm  of 
Zeller  &  Lorenz  continued  the  business  for  a 
time,  after  which  a  change  was  made  and  the 
firm  became  Lorenz  &  Walther.  On  the  death 
of  the  junior  member,  Mr.  Lorenz  purchased  the 
entire  business  in  1885,  and  has  since  continued 
alone.  He  has  a  large  business  as  registered 
pharmacist  and  has  established  a  profitable  trade 
among  the  people  of  this  locality. 

In  1892  Mr.  Lorenz  organized  the  Pentecost 
Lumber  Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
president.  This  company  owns  five  thousand  and 
five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Sullivan  County, 
Pa.,  and  large  mills  at  Emmons,  where  they 
founded  a  town  and  established  a  postoffice.  They 
manufacture  large  quantities  of  luml)er  and  ship 
hemlock  bark.  As  most  of  tlie  meml^ers  of  the 
company  reside  near  Carljondale,  the  headquar- 
ters are  in  that  city.  In  addition  to  this  and  other 
enterprises,    Mr.    Lorenz    formed    a    partnership 


with  Charles  Koempel  and  under  the  title  of  Lor- 
enz &  Koempel,  engaged  as  druggists  and  phar- 
macists on  the  corner  of  Linden  Street  and 
Washington  Avenue.  He  also  started  a  store  on 
the  south  side,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Zeller 
&  Lorenz,  but  later  sold,  and  it  is  now  owned  by 
F.  L.  Terppe.  Fraternally  Mr.  Lorenz  is  a  life 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks  and  is  identified  with  the  Turn  Verein.  He 
married  IMiss  Frieda  Kracht,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  in  cliildhood  came  to  Scranton, 
with  her  father,  Otto  Kracht,  who  resides  in 
Quincy  Avenue.  Two  children  bless  the  union, 
Elsa  and  Otto. 


HON.  JOSHUA  S.  MILLER.  Since  i860 
a  resident  of  Elmhurst,  Mr.  Miller  carried 
on  a  large  business  in  lumbering  before 
the  forests  were  cut  down  and  for  years  has  been 
identified  with  the  farming  interests  of  Roaring 
Brook  Township.  Through  his  arduous  and  im- 
tiring  efforts  he  has  accumulated  a  competency, 
which  enables  him  to  enjoy  every  comfort  in  his 
advancing  years.  The  most  of  his  money  is  loaned 
on  good  real  estate  security,  the  interest  of  which 
forms  no  inconsiderable  addition  to  his  income. 
Both  here  and  in  Berks  County,  where  he  form- 
erly resided,  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local 
affairs  and  has  served  efficiently  in  township  and 
district  offices. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  John  and  Hannah 
Miller,  were  born  in  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  and 
from  there  removed  to  Berks  County,  where  they 
continued  to  reside  until  death,  the  mother  dying 
in  middle  life  and  the  father  when  about  sixty- 
eight.  They  had  six  children,  namely:  Charles, 
Hattie  and  John,  who  make  their  home  in  Berks 
County;  Jonas  and  Joseph,  deceased;  and 
Joshua  .S.,  of  this  sketch.  The  last-named  was 
born  in  Berks  County,  April  7,  1822,  and  grew 
to  manhood  upon  a  farm,  but  did  not,  at  that 
time,  enter  upon  farming  for  his  life  work.  He 
became  interested  with  a  brother  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  and  this  he  carried  on  for  twenty 
years,  being  for  the  same  period  postmaster  at 
Monterey,  which  was  made  a  postoffice  through 
his   efforts.     On   coming  to   Elmhurst  he   pur- 


AI.l'iXAN'DI'K    CON'Niaj- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


863 


chased  land,  some  of  which  he  devoted  to  general 
agricultural  purposes,  while  the  timbered  portion 
was  utilized  for  the  lumbering  business.  While 
in  Berks  County  he  served  for  some  time  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  has  filled  the  same  position 
at  Elmhurst.  In  i860  he  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent his  district  in  the  legislature  and  his  service 
in  that  responsible  position  gained  for  him  the  es- 
teem of  his  constituency.  His  support  has  always 
been  given  to  the  Democratic  party  and  he  is  an 
admirer  of  Grover  Cleveland,  who  for  two  terms 
represented  that  party  as  the  nation's  executive. 
By  his  marriage  to  Frederika  Zangley,  of  Lehigh 
County,  Mr.  Miller  has  three  children:  Frances, 
wife  of  Fred  Conn,  of  Dunmore;  Emma  and 
George  W.,  who  are  with  their  parents. 


ALEXANDER  CONNELL,  deceased,  was 
the  youngest  of  the  three  Council  broth- 
ers whose  history  is  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  that  of  Scranton  and  Lackawanna 
County,  one  having  represented  this  district  in 
congress.  The  reputation  for  strict  integrity,  cor- 
rect business  principles  and  fidelity  to  all  inter- 
ests entnisted  to  them,  he  shared  in  common 
with  the  others,  and  though  he  was  called  upon  to 
lay  down  the  cares  of  life  while  yet  in  his  prime, 
he  had  already  attained  success.  And  not  alone 
such  success  as  many  reach  in  a  financial  way, 
but  that  truer  and  greater  success — a  right  per- 
ception and  cheerful  performance  of  his  duties  to 
his  fellow  men,  himself  being  always  held  sec- 
ondary in  importance. 

A  son  of  James  and  Susan  (Melvin)  Connell, 
our  subject  was  born  in  Sidney,  Nova  Scotia, 
June  30,  1840.  His  two  brothers  were  William 
and  James,  and  with  them  he  was  taught  sturdi- 
ness  and  independence,  industry  and  persever- 
ance and  other  useful  lessons,  which  too  many 
have  to  reach  only  after  long  and  painful  expe- 
rience has  been  their  teacher.  The  honored  father 
died  at  the  home  of  Alexander  Connell  in  1884 
and  the  mother  departed  this  life  while  Mving  in 
Minooka. 

From  early  years  our  subject  was  a  resident 
of  Pennsylvania,  as  he  was  brought  hither  when 
a  mere  child  by  his  parents,  who  for  a  time  dwelt 


in  Schuylkill  County.  As  he  grew  to  manhood 
it  became  evident  that  he  possessed  unusual  busi- 
ness talent  and  his  first  venture  was  in  connec- 
tion with  his  elder  brothers  at  their  mines.  There 
he  was  employed  as  an  engineer,  but  a  better 
opportunity  presenting  itself  he  left  there  and 
devoted  his  attention  to  mercantile  pursuits.  With 
several  firms  he  was  manager  and  afterwards  he 
became  a  partner  in  the  wholesale  grocery  of 
Megargel  &  Connell,  attending  to  the  financial 
management.  Until  his  death,  which  occurred 
January  6,  1883,  he  made  his  home  in  the  neigh- 
boring town  of  Minooka,  where  he  was  a  most 
honored  citizen.  He  was  a  faithful  supporter  of 
the  tenets  of  the  Republican  party  and  was  a  thor- 
oughly patriotic  man.  Belonging  to  both  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic  societies,  he  was 
buried  with  their  rites  at  Forest  Hill.  For  years 
he  was  a  member  of  Taylorville  Lodge,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  Hyde  Park  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  ^L 

Marcli  6,  1867,  Mr.  Connell  was  married  at  the 
home  of  the  bride's  parents,  in  Minooka,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Campbell.  Her  father,  Robert,  was  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and  an  early  settler  of  Miners- 
ville  and  Minooka.  To  tlie  last-mentioned  town 
he  removed  in  1857  and  is  still  living  there.  His 
business  in  his  active  years  was  that  of  mining, 
but  he  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  as  he 
served  under  the  three  months'  call,  and  then 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Forty-eighth  Pennsylva- 
nia Infantr\-,  and  was  on  active  duty  from  then 
until  the  close  of  the  conflict,  three  years  or  more 
later.  He  rose  from  the  ranks  to  be  first  sergeant, 
and  when  serving  in  a  campaign  with  Burnside, 
received  two  wounds.  Since  the  war  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
Flis  father,  Robert  Campbell,  Sr.,  came  to  Amer- 
ica, and  died  in  Minersville,  Pa.  The  w-ife  of 
Robert  Campbell,  Jr.,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Billington,  and  was  bom  in  Newcastle, 
England.  Their  five  living  children  are  all  resi- 
dents of  the  Lackawanna  \'alley. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Connell  was  blessed 
with  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  Victo- 
ria is  the  wife  of  E.  E.  Pryor,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
and  Robert  Charles,  who  lives  at  home,  attends 
the  Lackawanna  School.    Like  her  husband,  Mrs. 


864 


PORTI^IT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Connell  is  a  incmlicr  of  the  Alcthodist  Episcopal 
denomination,  and  is  now  connected  with  the 
Elm  Park  Church.  A  lady  of  modest  and  retiring 
disposition,  her  genuine  worth  is  acknowledged 
by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  her  acquaintance. 
In  society,  church  and  home  she  exercises  an 
influence  for  good  that  is  far-reaching  and  her 
friends  may  be  numbered  b\-  the  score. 


GEORGE  C.  BROWN,  M.  D.,  of  Dun- 
more,  was  born  April  23,  1859,  in  the 
town  of  Wethersfield,  Wyoming  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  spent  his  childhood  years  in  Gaines- 
ville, that  county.  The  Browns  came  of  old 
Puritan  stock,  their  ancestors  being  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Massachusetts,  contemporaneous 
with  Miles  Standish,  and  taking  part  in  the  Indian 
wars  there.  The  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, Nathan  Brown,  was  born  in  Providence,  R. 
I.,  .September  10,  1767.  When  a  young  man  he 
emigrated  to  Tinmouth,  Rutland  County,  Vt., 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  1836  he  re- 
moved his  family  to  western  New  York,  to  Gene- 
see County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  and 
died  October  2,  185 1.  His  son,  Asa,  grandfather 
of  Dr.  Brown,  was  born  in  Tinmouth,  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  April  25,  1795.  He  removed  to 
Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  with  his  father's  family 
in  1836.  Wyoming  County  was  afterward  set 
ofif  from  Genesee  County,  and  Asa  Brown  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Wyoming 
County,  where  he  died  in  tlie  town  of  Java,  Au- 
gust 8,  i860. 

Milton  R.  Brown,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Tinmouth,  Rutland  County,  Vt.,  De- 
cember 29,  1824.  He  removed  with  his  father's 
family  to  New  York  State  in  1836,  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Wyoming  County,  that  state,  since 
the  county  was  established.  He  was  married  to 
Caroline  Harden  in  1846.  There  were  born  of 
this  marriage  eight  children:  Emma  S.,  Susan, 
Ih'k-n  M.,  Edgar,  Frank  W.,  George  C,  Lewis 
and  James,  of  whom  Emma  S.,  Edgar,  Frank  W. 
and  George  C.  survive.  Since  1870  M.  R.  Brown 
has  been  engaged  in  publishing  atlases,  publish- 
ing state  works,  besides  the  United  Slates  Atlas, 
the  National  Atlas,  and  is  now  the  publisher  of 


the  Ci.mtincntal  .Atlas,  with  headquarters  in  Phil- 
adelphia, though  he  retains  his  residence  in 
Gainesville,  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
has  a  salt  well  on  his  farm. 

Caroline  Harden,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y. ;  she  died  in 
Philadelphia  in  May,  1882.  Her  father,  John  K. 
Harden,  was  of  Irish  descent  and  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1805,  was  an  early 
captain  on  the  Erie  Canal,  and  was  for  a  time 
a  contractor  on  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal, 
and  later  settled  in  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1881. 

Dr.  George  C.  Brown  is  the  youngest  of  the 
four  living  children  in  the  parental  family.  He 
was  educated  in  public  schools,  and  at  Gaines- 
ville Academy,  a  then  noted  institution  of  learn- 
mg  of  New  York,  afterward  became  a  student  at 
Cornell  University,  but  a  year  later  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  Philadelphia,  and  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1880,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Immedi- 
ately after  leaving  the  university  he  spent  one 
year  as  resident  surgeon  at  the  Philadelphia  Dis- 
pensary in  Philadelphia,  after  which  he  took  a 
position  as  surgeon  on  the  Red  Star  Line  of  trans- 
atlantic steamers,  sailing  between  New  York, 
Philadelphia  and  Antwerp.  In  1884  he  settled  in 
Gainesville,  N.  Y.,  where  he  practiced  his  pro- 
fession. Meantime  he  was  health  officer  and  sur- 
geon to  the  Buffalo,  Rochester  and  Pittsburg 
Railroad.  In  December,  1891,  he  removed  to 
Avoca,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where  he  built  up 
a  large  practice.  While  in  Avoca  he  took  a 
special  course  in  surgery  from  Dr.  Joseph  Price 
of  Philadelphia,  the  most  skillful  abdominal  sur- 
geon in  America.  In  1894  he  located  in  Dun- 
more,  Lackawanna  County,  where  in  connection 
with  his  practice  he  has  a  private  hospital  at  the 
corner  of  Blakely  and  Green  Ridge  Streets.  He 
is  a  member  (jf  the  Lackawanna  County  Medical 
Society,  and  of  the  Lackawanna  County  Ana- 
tomical Society. 

He  was  married  to  Morence  Kowland,  of  Ruw- 
iaiids.  Pike  C'ounty,  I'a.,  in  April,  1SS4,  a  daugh- 
ter of  tlie  late  Senat(jr  (Jetirge  11.  Rowland. 
The    latter  was    born    in    Saratoga  County,   N. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


865 


Y.,  in  1827.  Her  grandfather,  Samuel  Row- 
land, came  from  an  old  eastern  family.  He  re- 
moved from  New  York  State  to  Pike  County, 
Pa.,  in  1828,  to  accept  a  contract  in  building  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal.  George  H.  Row- 
land, when  young,  engaged  as  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Pennsylvania.  When  he  ar- 
rived at  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was  married  to 
Katherine  Ammerman,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Ammerman,  of  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  a  member 
of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family,  and  Sahra  (La 
Bar)  Ammerman,  of  French  descent.  He  soon 
after  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Row- 
lands, a  place  named  in  his  honor,  where  he  be- 
came a  large  land  owner,  and  opened  extensive 
blue  and  freestone  quarries.  He  was  also  post- 
master for  many  years;  served  in  the  house  of 
representatives  at  Harrisburg  for  two  terms  and 
in  the  state  senate  for  one  term,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1885,  was  appointed  to  the  state  senate  by 
Governor  Pattison  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  Senator  Biddis.  In  politics  George 
H.  Rowland  was  a  stanch  Democrat.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rowland  were  born  the  following  chil- 
dren: George  F.,  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.;  O.  L.,  an 
attorney  of  Honesdale,  Pa.;  A.  G,  postmaster 
and  engaged  in  the  bluestone  business  at  Row- 
lands; Miles  C,  merchant  at  Rowlands;  Mrs. 
Brown;  Ada  K.,  and  Madge  E.,  of  Rowlands; 
and  Lucile,  wife  of  Dr.  A.  H.  Bernstein  of 
Scranton. 


PATRICK  MULHERIN.  Years  of  con- 
stant application,  years  in  which  there  was 
much  adversity  and  physical  suffering, 
have  brought  to  Mr.  Mulherin  financial  success 
and  prominence  among  the  Irish-American  resi- 
dents of  Scranton.  His  interests  are  extensive, 
including  real  estate  in  this  city,  Lackawanna 
and  Old  Forge  Townships,  and  valuable  timber 
land  in  North  Carolina.  In  addition  to  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  establishment  at  Taylor  with 
which  he  is  connected  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Judge  &  Co.,  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  M.  P. 
Judge,  about  1893  bought  out  W.  B.  Hull's  lum- 
ber yard  at  Nos.  1401-1441  Remington  Avenue, 
where  they  have  built  and  enlarged  workshop, 


sheds,  barns,  etc.  In  addition  to  the  sale  of  lum- 
ber, they  carry  on  a  contracting  business,  and 
built  Terrace  Hotel,  Duryea  Catholic  Church, 
Father  Matthew's  Hall  at  Minooka,  several  resi- 
dences in  Taylor  and  on  Sanderson  Hill,  Scran- 
ton. 

The  Mulherin  family  lived  for  generations  near 
Lake  Erin  in  Ireland,  and  this  fact  is  indicated  by 
their  name,  "mul"  meaning  clan.  Our  subject 
was  born  in  County  Mayo  in  February,  1851. 
His  father,  Patrick,  and  grandfather  Thaddeus, 
and  great-grandfather,  were  born  in  the  same 
house,  and  the  old  structure  is  still  standing,  now 
the  home  of  our  subject's  step-mother.  Thaddeus 
Mulherin  took  part  in  the  French  Revolution  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  To  the  same  calling 
Patrick  Mulherin  gave  his  attention,  but  made  a 
specialty  of  stockraising,  and  often  drove  or 
shipped  stock  to  England  and  Scotland;  he  died 
in  October,  1895,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 
Twice  married,  his  first  wife  was  Mary,  daughter 
of  Patrick  and  Catherine  (Madden)  Henry,  and 
granddaughter  of  Richard  Madden,  sheriff  of  that 
principality  and  a  distinguished  man  of  his  day. 
Mrs.  Mary  Mulherin  died  in  1864,  and  afterward 
our  subject's  father  was  united  with  a  Miss  Mc- 
Dowell, who  still  lives  at  the  old  homestead. 

Of  six  children  now  living,  two  in  Ireland  and 
John,  Michael,  Kate,  and  Patrick  in  Scranton,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  next  to  the  eldest,  and 
was  the  first  of  the  family  who  came  to  America. 
In  boyhood  he  traveled  with  his  father  in  Eng- 
land and  Scotland,  assisting  in  the  care  of  the 
stock,  and  afterward  was  a  clerk  in  a  brother-in- 
law's  employ.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  in  1867, 
he  left  Liverpool  on  the  steamer  "Minnesota,'' 
and  after  a  voyage  of  fourteen  days  landed  in 
New  York  City,  proceeding  thence  to  Philadel- 
phia, from  there  to  Schuylkill  County  and  later  to 
Luzerne  County.  He  found  employment  on  the 
North  Branch  Canal  along  the  Susquehanna 
River  between  Pittston  and  Towanda  and  held 
the  different  positions  up  to  that  of  captain. 
Meantime  he  learned  telegraphy.  When  the  Le- 
high Valley  Railroad  Company  was  extending 
their  line  north,  he  was  employed  as  operator, 
and  afterward  was  brakeinan  between  Pittston 
and  Waverly.    In  the  fall  of  1869  he  took  a  posi- 


866 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tion  as  brakcman  on  the  Bloomsbur<;'  division  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  but  one 
day,  after  lie  replaced  a  switch,  a  train  frotn  the 
rear  struck  him,  running  over  him  and  depriving 
him  of  both  feet.  This  severe  affliction  prevented 
him  from  working  for  four  months.  On  his  re- 
covery he  became  operator  at  Hyde  Park  for  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  after  a 
year  there  was  transferred  to  Danville,  then  to 
Pittston,  and  later  was  station  agent  at  Taylor. 
After  five  years  in  Taylor  he  entered  into  a  part- 
nership witli  Al  Woodworth  and  H.  J.  Cooper  as 
Woodworth,  Mulherin  &  Co.,  in  the  dry-goods 
and  grocery  business,  this  connection  continu- 
ing for  about  six  years. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Mulherin  formed  a  part- 
nership with  John  F.  Taylor  and  Joseph  Hannick 
in  the  lumber  and  building  business;  and,  with 
Everett  E.  Dale,  of  Daloville,  organized  the  firm 
of  Mulherin  &  Dale,  for  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber, having  a  saw  mill  in  North  Carolina  and  a 
planing  mill  in  Baltimore.  In  1892  the  Baltimore 
business  was  sold,  but  he  is  still  secretary  and 
manager  of  the  Scranton  &  North  Carolina  Land 
&  Lumber  Company,  and  its  principal  stock- 
holder. The  company  owns  about  thirty  thou- 
sand acres  on  Pamlico  Sound  and  a  mill  at 
Makclyville,  with  a  capacity  of  fourteen  million 
feet  per  year,  also  steam  and  dry  kilns,  and  steam 
tugs  and  barges  that  carry  the  lumber  to  Balti- 
more and  Philadelphia.  The  same  company  con- 
ducts a  general  mercanlile  business  at  Makcly- 
ville, has  developed  the  real  estate  business  there, 
and  brought  the  place  into  prominence  as  a 
winter  resort  for  sportsmen. 

Besides  all  these  varied  interests,  Mr.  Mulherin 
is  president  of  the  Taylor  Silk  Manufacturing 
Company  at  Taylor,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
organizers  and  which  was  the  first  luaiuifacturing 
industry  established  in  tliat  place,  lie  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Winchester  (Va.)  Luinher  &  Manu- 
facturing Company,  whicli  owns  a  large  planing 
mill  and  manufactures  sash,  doors  and  blinds. 
Through  his  efforts,  carried  on  unceasingly  for 
ten  years,  he  succeeded  in  having  the  town  of 
Taylor  incorporated  as  a  borougli  and  was  a 
member  of  the  first  council  until  the  organization 
was  effected.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Taylor,  Equi- 


table and  Schiller  lUiilding  &  Loan  Associations. 
In  politics  he  is  a  "sound  money"  Democrat  and 
has  been  chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  fifth 
legislative  district,  also  delegate  to  conventions. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic 
Church  in  Minooka.  In  the  last-named  place  he 
married  Miss  Cassie  T.  Judge,  who  was  born  in 
Minersville,  Schuylkill  County,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Ethel  Elizabeth  and  Pat- 
rick Henry.  Prior  to  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Judge  he  was  married  to  Miss  INIary  Duggan 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  Mary 
Loretta.     Mrs.  Mulherin  died  about  1875. 


JOHN  P.  COOPER,  superintendent  of  the 
Taylor  mines  owned  by  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railway  Com- 
pany, was  born  in  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1827,  and  there  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his 
life.  Two  years  were  then  spent  in  \^ienna,  N.  Y., 
after  which  he  went  to  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  and 
there  remained  until  nineteen  years  of  age.  In 
Rondout,  N.  Y.,  he  learned  the  machinist's  trade, 
which  he  followed  until  twenty-two.  He  then 
secured  employment  as  engineer  on  the  New 
York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  where  he 
remained  for  seven  years,  and  afterward  held  a 
position  as  engineer  on  a  steamboat  running 
between  Richmond  and  Norfolk. 

Coming  to  Scranton  in  1853,  Mr.  Cooper 
started  a  planing  mill  and  this  he  operated  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  In  1862  he  received 
a  commission  from  the  United  States  govern- 
ment and  became  engineer  on  the  LTnited  States 
steamship  "Water  Witch,"  which  was  captured 
by  Confederate  forces  below  Savannah,  and  our 
subject  taken  prisoner.  His  captors  took  him  to 
Savannah,  thence  to  Macon,  later  to  the  city 
prison  in  Charleston,  and  then  to  Libby  prison, 
where  he  was  exchanged  after  having  been  a 
]5risoner  for  eight  months.  As  soon  as  liberated, 
he  went  on  board  the  United  States  steamer 
"Norwicli,"  and  continued  its  engineer  until  the 
end  of  the  war.  Afterward  he  was  on  the  "Yuma'' 
until  December  26,  1867,  when  he  resigned  his 
position  and  came  to  Taylor,  taking  charge  of 
the  mines  here. 


MR.  AND  MRS.   N.VTHANIEL  HALSTEAD. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


869 


October  15,  1857,  Mr.  Cooper  married  Miss 
Ellen  Calloway,  and  they  have  two  children: 
Harry  J.,  assistant  superintendent  of  the  mines, 
and  Austin  T.,  who  resides  in  San  Francisco,  and 
is  in  the  employ  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad 
Company.  In  the  mine  of  which  Mr.  Cooper 
is  outside  superintendent  there  are  employed  five 
or  six  hundred  men  and  an  immense  amount  of 
business  is  carried  on  in  the  mining  and  sale  of 
coal.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Union 
Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Scranton,  and 
also  with  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
at  Scranton.  In  political  belief  he  is  an  advocate 
of  Republican  principles  and  invariably  gives 
his  support  to  the  nominees  of  that  partv.  The 
political  questions  of  the  age  have  received  from 
him  the  consideration  they  demand  and  he  has 
firm  convictions  upon  all  subjects  of  importance. 


NATHANIEL  HALSTEAD  is  an  honored 
old  settler  and  straightforward  business 
man  of  Scranton.  In  all  the  years  that 
he  has  been  engaged  in  building  and  contracting 
here,  his  integrity  and  high  sense  of  honor  have 
never  been  questioned.  It  is  well  known  that 
whatever  he  undertakes  to  accomplish  will  be 
carried  out  to  the  letter  and  that  full  satisfaction 
is  assured.  Flis  friends  are  numbered,  not  by 
the  score,  but  by  the  hundreds,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  a  more  popular  citizen. 

His  paternal  grandfather,  who  came  from  an 
old  family  in  this  country,  was  a  hero  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  went  from  Orange  County, 
N.  Y.,  to  Wilkesbarre,  when  this  state  was  little 
better  than  a  wilderness.  He  continued  to  live  on 
a  farm  in  Luzerne  County  many  years.  Alanson, 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead there,  and  early  became  familiar  with  pio- 
neer life.  When  he  had  arrived  at  maturity,  he 
went  to  the  vicinity  of  Clifford,  Susquehanna 
County,  and  cleared  a  tract  in  the  forest,  cutting 
down  the  first  tree  on  the  place.  With  these  logs 
he  built  a  cabin,  and  later  he  developed  a  good 
farm.  A  few  years  before  his  death  he  sold  the 
old  home,  but  still  dwelt  in  the  township  until 
his  demise  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Phoebe  Wells,  who,  like  him,  was 


a  native  of  Luzerne  County.  Her  father,  James 
Wells,  who  at  one  time  owned  a  gristmill  near 
Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  was  very  kind  to  the  poor  and 
made  it  his  business  to  see  that  the  widows  and 
orphans  in  that  locality  were  always  supplied  with 
flour.  Moving  into  Susquehanna  County  in  after 
years,  he  died  there  when  over  ninety-one  years 
old;  his  wife  lived  to  be  eighty-two  years  of  age. 

Of  the  twelve  children  born  to  Alanson  and 
Phoebe  Halstead,  all  but  one  grew  to  mature 
years.  They  were  as  follows:  D.  W.,  who  died 
in  Clifford;  Mrs.  Catherine  Coleman,  who  died 
in  Scranton ;  Mrs.  Rachel  Peck,  who  died  in  Clif- 
ford; John,  now  residing  in  Clifford  Corners; 
Nathaniel;  Mrs.  Rebecca  Arnold,  of  Clifford; 
Charles,  a  carpenter  and  contractor  of  Scranton ; 
Margaret  Doolittle,  who  died  in  Iowa ;  Mary,  who 
died  when  twenty-three;  Silas,  of  Clifford;  Sid- 
ney, who  died  at  nineteen,  and  H.  H.,  who  died 
when  two  years  old. 

Nathaniel  Halstead  was  born  in  Clifford,  De- 
cember 26,  1823,  and  at  an  early  period  began 
helping  his  father  in  the  labor  of  clearing  and  im- 
proving the  farm.  He  was  an  active,  industrious 
lad,  and  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen  worked 
right  along  with  grown  men,  doing  as  much  as 
they.  His  father  owned  a  saw  mill  and  the 
youth  was  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  was  consid- 
ered competent  to  operate  it  from  boyhood.  He 
also  learned  carpentering  and  when  he  had  ar- 
rived at  his  majority  he  concluded  to  turn  his  at- 
tention to  this  branch  of  business.  From  1844 
until  three  years  had  passed  he  worked  at  his 
trade  in  his  home  township,  but  in  the  summer  of 
1847  he  located  in  Carbondale.  In  the  years  that 
followed  he  took  contracts  and  built  many  of  the 
best  houses  in  that  place.  He  was  his  own  archi- 
tect and  among  other  structures  erected  by  him 
there  was  the  Manville  House.  It  was  in  April, 
1855,  that  he  came  to  Scranton  and  put  up  a 
house  on  the  present  site  of  Megargel  &  Con- 
nell's  store.  Here  he  lived  for  five  years  and  then 
built  his  present  home,  on  Mifflin  Avenue.  At 
that  time  Lackawanna  Avenue  and  Spruce  Street 
were  impassable  after  dark,  owing  to  their  be- 
ing unpavcd.  The  only  brick  building  on  the 
former  street  was  the  then  new  Wyoming  House 
and  the  place  now  occupied  as  a  store  by  Hunt  & 


870 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Connell.  Mr.  Halstead  has  buill  enough  houses, 
stores  and  other  structures  in  various  parts  of 
Scranton  to  make  a  good-sized  village.  On  his 
own  account  he  also  put  up  houses  from  time  to 
time  and  invested  in  real  estate  which  he  im- 
proved. 

When  the  Linden  Street  bridge,  by  one  accord 
granted  to  be  the  finest  in  this  portion  of  the 
state,  was  being  erected,  Mr.  Halstead  was  ap- 
pointed by  Mayor  Connell  (and  his  decision  con- 
firmed by  the  council)  to  serve  as  city  inspector, 
and  attend  to  the  interests  of  the  public  in  watch- 
ing out  for  the  proper  construction  of  the  bridge. 
He  was  very  vigilant,  and  as  the  superintendent 
of  the  bridge  company  was  desirous  of  doing  just 
what  was  right  in  the  matter,  the  whole  enterprise 
was  carried  out  without  a  cross  word  or  misun- 
derstanding between  them,  and  the  council  ap- 
proved and  accepted  the  bridge.  For  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Halstead  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  lime  at  Portland,  having  a  retail  place  here, 
and  was  also  interested  in  a  stone  quarry  at  the 
railroad  bridge.  Since  the  founding  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  he  has  given  his  support  to  it, 
and  has  often  served  on  committees  and  gone  to 
conventions  as  a  delegate.  For  ten  years  he  has 
been  assessor  for  the  city  and  county  in  the  six- 
teenth ward  and  represented  it  in  the  common 
council  four  years.  During  this  period  he  was 
active  on  several  committees  and  was  chairman 
of  the  board  of  revision  and  repeal. 

In  October,  1894,  the  golden  wedding  anni- 
versary of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halstead  was  happily 
celebrated  in  their  pleasant  home.  Among  the 
four  Inmdred  friends  who  were  present  on  this 
memorable  occasion,  there  were  some  who  had 
Iieen  at  the  marriage  of  the  venerable  couple  half 
a  century  before.  That  event  took  place  in  Clif- 
ford, the  bride  being  Miss  V.  A.  Thatcher,  whose 
father,  Orrin,  of  Connecticut,  was  a  pioneer  in 
Clififord  Township.  1  k-r  mother,  wlio  was  a  Sco- 
field,  had  often  lieard  her  relatives  tell  of  how, 
by  secreting  themselves,  they  were  fortunate 
enough  to  escape  the  dreadful  Wyoming  mas- 
sacre. Five  children  were  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife:  Mrs.  Phoebe  M.  Downing  of  Scran- 
ton; II.  II.,  who  died  when  but  two  years  old: 
Mrs.  Annie  Kellar,  who  died  at  thirty  in   Port- 


land ;  Frank  N.,  assistant  paymaster  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  «&  Western  Railroad,  and  for 
fifteen  years  an  employe  of  that  company  here; 
and  Mamie  E.,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Whittemore,  whose 
husband  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  L.  B.  Powell 
&  Co.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halstead  were  two  of  the  four 
charter  members  of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist 
Church,  the  former  drawing  up  the  plans  and  be- 
ginning the  actual  building.  Since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  congregation  he  has  been  a  deacon  and 
held  the  same  office  previously  in  the  Hyde  Park 
Baptist  Church.  He  also  has  been  on  the  board 
of  trustees  over  thirty  years  and  was  clerk  of  the 
church  eight  years. 


PD.  MANLEY  stands  to-day  at  the  head 
of  the  successful  business  men  of  Dun- 
•  more.  Greater  fortunes  have  been  ac- 
cumulated, but  few  lives  furnish  so  striking  an 
example  of  the  wise  application  of  sound  princi- 
ples and  safe  conservatism  as  does  his.  The  story 
of  his  success  is  short  and  simple,  containing  no 
exciting  chapters,  but  in  it  lies  one  of  the  most 
valuable  secrets  of  the  prosperity  which  it  records, 
and  his  business  and  private  life  are  full  of  inter- 
est, no  matter  how  lacking  in  dramatic  action. 
It  is  the  record  of  a  noble  life,  consistent  with 
itself  and  its  possibilities  in  every  particular. 

Mr.  Manley  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  His  father 
died  three  months  after  his  arrival  in  this  country, 
when  the  son  was  quite  small.  The  mother,  Mrs. 
Bridget  Manley,  settled  in  Wilkesbarre,  but  in  a 
short  time  catne  to  Dunmore,  where  the  children 
were  educated.  She  was  a  woman  of  great  force 
of  character  and  nuM"al  worth,  and  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church.  Her  death  occurred 
in  i8q5  when  she  was  sixty-five  years  of  age.  In 
the  family  were  the  following  children:  P.  D.,  of 
this  sketch ;  Rev.  D.  J.,  who  was  president  of 
Epiphany  College  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  as- 
sisted Rev.  J.  R.  Slattery  in  building  the  seminary 
and  college  in  that  city,  wdiere  white  men  are  ed- 
ucated for  missionaries  to  the  negroes  in  both 
America  and  Africa;  Dr.  Peter  C,  of  Jermyn, 
Pa.;  Dr.  J.  A.,  of  .Scranton;  Rev.  J.  B.,  who  is  a 
professor  in  Mt.  St.  Mary's  College,  in  Emmets- 
burg,  Md.;  Mary,  who  is  now  Sister  Marita  of 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


871 


the  Holy  Cross  Academy  in  Westchester,  N.  Y. ; 
and  Daniel,  who  was  a  Christian  Brother  and 
died  in  the  Empire  State. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Wilkes- 
barre  for  a  time,  P.  D.  Manley  entered  the  Wyom- 
ing Academy  where  he  completed  his  literary 
training.  As  a  boy  he  became  connected  with 
coal  companies  in  Wilkesbarre,  and  worked  his 
way  up  to  be  inside  foreman.  In  1869  he  em- 
barked in  merchandising  in  Dunmore,  beginning 
in  a  small  way,  but  as  his  business  steadily  in- 
creased he  enlarged  his  stock,  and  erected  his 
present  two  story  brick  block  on  Chestnut  Street, 
it  being  25x175  feet  and  well  stocked  with  gen- 
eral merchandise.  He  has  not  confined  his  at- 
tention to  one  line  of  trade,  but  is  now  interested 
in  several  different  business  enterprises.  He  or- 
ganized the  Dunmore  Lumber  Company,  which 
owns  and  operates  saw  and  planing  mills,  where 
are  manufactured  laths  and  blinds.  Through  his 
instrumentality  the  Dunmore  Electric  Light 
Company  was  established,  and  he  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Consumers'  Ice  Company.  His 
real  estate  interests  exceed  that  of  any  other  man 
in  the  town,  and  by  improving  his  property,  he 
has  not  only  advanced  his  own  welfare  but  has 
materially  aided  in  the  development  and  progress 
of  Dunmore. 

In  1873,  in  Hawley,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Manley  and  Miss  Margaret  Harrison,  a  na- 
tive of  that  place,  and  a  daughter  of  Patrick  Har- 
rison, who  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.  ]\Irs. 
Manley  departed  this  life  in  Dunmore,  in  1886. 
Four  children  were  born  of  this  union :  John  P., 
who  was  educated  at  the  Georgetown  University, 
and  has  since  assisted  his  father  in  business;  Bes- 
sie, who  was  educated  at  the  Holy  Cross  Academy 
in  Lancaster,  Pa.;  Mary,  who  was  educated  at  St. 
Cecilia's  Convent,  Scranton,  and  died  in  April, 
1894;  and  Frank,  who  is  attending  St.  Charles' 
College,  Ellicott  City,  Md. 

The  motto  "merit  always  commands  its  re- 
ward" is  well  exemplified  in  the  career  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  is  essentially  the  architect  of  his  own 
fortune.  He  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward 
from  a  humble  position  to  one  of  affluence,  be- 
coming one  of  the  millionaires  of  Lackawanna 
County.     One  of  the  most  liberal  and  enterpris- 


ing men  of  Dunmore,  he  has  cheerfully  given  his 
support  to  those  movements  that  tend  to  public 
development  and,  with  hardly  an  exception,  he 
has  been  connected  with  every  interest  that  has 
promoted  general  welfare.  For  six  years  he  ac- 
ceptably served  as  treasurer  of  the  borough,  is  also 
treasurer  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion, and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  Father  Matthew  Society  in  Dun- 
more. He  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  politi- 
cal afifairs,  and  at  national  elections  supports  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party. 


FERDINAND  BIEDLINGMAIER,  fore- 
man in  the  blacksmith  shop  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  machine 
department  and  one  of  the  native-born  citizens 
of  Scranton,  is  the  descendant  of  German  an- 
cestors, as  indicated  by  his  name.  His  father, 
Joseph,  who  was  born  near  Stuttgart,  Wurtem- 
berg,  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  his  native 
land.  After  his  marriage  he  came  alone  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  on  the  south  side, 
Scranton,  where  for  some  years  he  was  a  black- 
smith with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany. Two  years  after  his  arrival  here  he  was 
joined  by  his  wife  and  child.  During  the  days 
of  the  western  "boom,"  he  went  to  Kansas  and 
spent  a  few  years  on  a  farm  there,  but  came  back 
to  Scranton  and  resumed  work  with  his  former 
employers,  but  after  a  time  took  a  position  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company. 
In  the  latter  place  he  remained  until  his  death, 
in  1869,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Maggie  Storr,  was 
born  in  Wurtemberg,  and  died  in  Scranton  in 
1873.  Of  t^i*-''''  eight  children  all  but  two  are 
living,  Ferdinand  being  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 
Albert  is  a  machinist  in  the  employ  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  Joseph  is  a 
Catholic  priest,  now  ofiiciating  as  curate  of  St. 
Nicholas'  Church  at  Wilkesbarre. 

The  education  of  our  subject  was  obtained  in 
.St.  Mary's  parochial  school  in  .Scranton.  His 
boyhood  days  were  passed  in  the  home  on  the 
south  side,  where  he  was  born  May  7,  i860.    At 


872 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  age  of  twelve  he  began  to  work  in  the  cigar 
factory  of  Carney,  Short  &  Co.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years,  and  then  took  a  position 
with  Richard  Plunkey.  When  fifteen  he  began  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  blacksmith's  trade  under 
Henry  Bishop,  then  foreman  of  the  blacksmith 
shop  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western, 
and  has  since  continued  work  at  the  trade.  In 
1890  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  foreman 
on  the  death  of  Mr.  Bishop  and  has  since  had 
entire  supervision  of  the  blacksmith  department. 
The  residence  at  No.  521  Pittston  Avenue, 
which  Mr.  Biedlingmaier  built  for  his  home,  is 
situated  within  two  blocks  of  the  house  where 
he  was  born.  In  this  city  he  married  Miss  Katie 
Miller,  who  was  bom  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  the 
daughter  of  Peter  Miller,  who  was  with  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  on  first 
settling  in  this  city,  but  afterward  engaged  in 
the  cigar  business  with  his  sons.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Biedlingmaier  are  the  parents  of  nine  children, 
namely:  Albert,  who  is  cashboy  for  Goldsmith 
Brothers;  Charles,  Theresa,  Joseph,  Lucy,  An- 
nie, Ferdinand,  Jr.,  Pauline  and  Arthur.  The 
family  are  identified  with  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
Church  on  the  south  side.  Mr.  Biedlingmaier 
is  a  member  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Mutual  Aid,  and  of  the  Machine  and 
Car  Shop  Mutual  Aid.  The  position  which  he 
holds  is  a  responsible  one  and  the  fact  that  he 
is  filling  it  successfully  proves  that  he  is  a  man 
of  ability. 


EMANUEL  K.  CROTHAMEL,  one  of  the 
veterans  of  the  late  war  and  for  many  years 
past  a  faithful,  efficient  engineer  on  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  was 
born  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  January  6,  1840.  He 
represents  the  fourth  generation  in  line  of  de- 
scent from  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America, 
a  German,  who  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in 
Bucks  County.  There  his  descendants  were  born 
and  there  some  of  the  family  still  reside.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  James,  was  the  son  of  John, 
a  farmer  by  occupation:  in  youth  he  learned  tlie 
shoemaker's  trade,  wliicii  lie  followol  luitil  his 
death  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.    His 


wife,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county  as  he, 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Kramer  and 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Kramer,  a  successful 
farmer.  She  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years. 
Of  her  ten  children  seven  are  living,  of  whom 
Joseph,  an  engineer  on  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad,  resides  at  Clarks 
Summit,  and  Allen  is  a  teamster  in  Scranton. 

The  next  to  the  oldest  of  the  family  was  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  In  boyhood  he  attended 
the  Bucks  County  public  schools  and  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  after  which  he  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  secured  employment  as  a  team- 
ster. The  day  after  Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  upon,  he 
enlisted  in  the  L^nion  army,  determined  to  give 
his  services,  and  his  life  if  need  be,  to  protect  the 
old  flag  that  had  so  long  floated  over  a  united 
country.  He  became  a  member  of  Company  I, 
Twenty-fifth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  enlisted 
at  Doylestown  for  three  months,  the  principal 
portion  of  which  was  passed  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  On  being  discharged  he  returned  home, 
where  he  remained  for  a  year  on  account  of  his 
mother's  illness.  In  July,  1862,  he  again  enlisted, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and 
was  nnistered  in  the  same  day  as  first  sergeant, 
assigned  to  the  second  army  corps.  In  the  bat- 
tle of  Fredericksburg  he  was  wounded  by  a  bul- 
let that  passed  through  his  right  shoulder  and  an- 
other that  grazed  his  knee  to  the  bone.  On  this 
account  he  was  obliged  to  remain  in  hospital  for 
some  time  and  on  recovery,  being  pronounced 
unfit  for  active  service,  he  was  detailed  on  pro- 
vost guard  duty  in  Philadelphia  for  five  months. 
From  there  transferred  to  the  invalid  corps,  he 
was  made  first  sergeant  of  Company  F,  Twenty- 
first  Retired  Veterans'  Reserve  Corps,  and  was 
sent  to  Scranton  for  duty.  He  camped  here  and 
at  Beaver  Meadows,  then  was  ordered  back  to 
Virginia,  from  there  to  Washington,  and  finally 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  mustered  out  in 
June,    1865. 

While  upon  a  furlough  during  the  war,  Mr. 
Crothamel  was  married  in  Scranton  in  1864,  to 
Miss  Emma  Swartz,  who  was  born  in  this  county, 
daughter  of  lilias  Swartz,  a  well-known  hotel 
man   here  and   in    .Moscow   and    Pittston.       In 


JOHN  J.  SCIINKIDKR. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


87s 


March,  1866,  Mr.  Crothamel  became  a  fireman 
on  the  main  Hne  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad.  In  October,  1868,  he  was 
promoted  to  be  engineer  on  the  main  line  and 
since  1884  has  been  in  the  passenger  service. 
He  runs  engine  No.  180,  which  goes  out  only 
upon  special  occasions.  He  and  his  wife  reside 
in  the  house  he  erected  at  No.  321  Franklin  Ave- 
nue. They  have  one  child,  Charles,  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school,  and  employed  in  this  city. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Crothamel  is  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Philadel- 
phia and  was  treasurer  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers  until  the  organization 
disbanded.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  be- 
longs to  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G. 
A.  R.,  and  with  his  wife  and  son  is  connected 
with  Penn  Avenue   Baptist   Church.. 


JOHN  J.  SCHNEIDER,  of  the  firm  of 
Schneider  Brothers,  who  have  the  finest  and 
largest  plumbing  establishment  on  the 
south  side  of  Scranton,  their  location  being  Nos. 
601-603  Cedar  Avenue,  is  one  of  our  self-made 
men  and  progressive  merchants.  He  has  made 
good  use  of  his  opportunities,  has  prospered  from 
year  to  year,  conducting  all  business  matters 
carefully  and  successfully,  and  in  his  transactions 
displays  an  aptitude  for  finance  and  skillful  man- 
agement. 

Peter  Schneider,  father  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
in  Bust,  Canton  Drulling,  Alsace,  Germany,  and 
followed  agriculture  in  that  country.  While  still 
unmarried  he  came  to  America  and  made  a  good- 
ly sum  of  money  each  year  by  driving  cattle  from 
points  in  Ohio  to  the  Buffalo  markets.  Twice  he 
returned  on  visits  to  the  home  and  friends  of  his 
youth,  but  finally  settled  permanently  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. For  some  years  he  made  his  home  in 
Honesdale,  and  was  captain  of  two  boats  on  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal.  In  1855  he  gave  up 
this  employment  and  coming  to  Scranton,  bought 
the  property  on  which  his  son's  plumbing  shop  is 
now  situated.  Building  a  structure  here,  he 
started  into  the  manufacture  of  pure  cider  vine- 
gar and  received  steadily  orders  from  towns  from 


Wilkesbarre    to     Carbondale.     When    fifty-one 
years  old,  in  1866,  he  was  called  upon  to  cease 
his  earthly  labors.     The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Miss  Ennna  Grundler  before  her  marriage 
to   Peter  Schneider.     She  was  born  January  2, 
1823,   in  Schwebeshall,  Wurteniberg,  Germany, 
and  is  still  living,  her  home  being  in  Petersburg. 
Her  son,  August  F.,  is  in  business  with  John  J., 
and  the  daughters  are   Mrs.  Louisa  Claus  and 
Emma,  Mrs.  \V.  H.  Ilofifman,  both  of  Scranton. 
Born  in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1854,  John  J.  Schneider  is,  neverthe- 
less, practically  a  son  of  Scranton,  for  he  was 
only  eight  months  old  when  he  was  brought  here 
and  from  that  time  onward  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  development  of  the  city.     He  received 
his  education  at  No.  3  school  and  when  he  was 
sixteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  Connell  &  Bat- 
tin  to  learn  the  plumbing  trade  and  remained 
with  them  five  years.    At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and  became  an  em- 
ploye of  Warner  Brothers,  staying  with  that  firm 
about  five  years.    Then  after  a  short  period  spent 
in  Kansas,  he  returned  to  Scranton  and  worked 
for  his  old  employers,   Connell   &   Battin.      In 
1886  he  opened  his  present  business  at  the  old 
location  of  his  father's  factory,  this  building  hav- 
ing been  occupied  as  a  store  since  the  latter's 
death.    The  firm,  as  it  now  stands,  is  composed  of 
himself,  his  brother  August  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  Mr.  Hoffman.     They  have  fitted  the  store 
with  hardware,  general  house  furnishing  supplies, 
plumbing  outfits,  steam  and  gas  fitting  and  tin- 
ning departments.    The  warehouse  in  the  rear  of 
main  building  is  40x40  feet,  and  four  stories  high, 
and  has  a  freight  elevator.    There  is  also  a  repair 
and  tinning  shop  back  of  store,  the   four  men 
here  employed  being  able  to  attend  to  putting  in 
furnaces.     In  the  regular  plumbing  department 
there  are  always  six  or  more  men.    Many  of  our 
fine   buildings   erected   in   late  years   have  been 
fitted  with  gas  and  heating  appliances  by  this 
well  known  and  reliable  firm.     Among  these  is 
tlio  home  of  W.  F.  Borchers,  in  Madison  Avenue; 
Casmcr  Hartman's  house  in  Pittston  Avenue;  the 
new  building  of  F.  L.  Terppe,  and  Richard  Zul- 
eger's  hotel. 

The  wedding  of  Mr.  Schneider  and  Wilhel- 


876 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


mina  Borchers  took  place  in  1879.  Slie  is  a  na- 
tive of  this  city  and  by  her  marriage  has  become 
the  mother  of  six  children,  viz.:  John  F.,  Charles 
A.,  Anna,  Emma,  Peter  and  Gustav.  The  fam- 
ily attend  the  First  German  Presbyterian  Church, 
Mr.  Schneider  being  one  of  the  present  board 
of  elders.  Many  years  ago  our  subject  volun- 
teered his  services  as  a  member  of  the  old  Nep- 
tune Fire  Company,  and  rose  to  be  first  assist- 
ant foreman  of  the  same.  A  member  of  the 
Master  Plumbers'  Association,  he  is  now  its  sec- 
ond vice-president.  He  is  associated  with  the 
Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  belonging  to  Schiller 
Lodge,  No.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  to  Robert  Burns 
Lodge  No.  859,  I.  O.  O.  F.  For  two  years  he 
was  president  of  the  Scranton  Saengerbunde.  In 
political  affairs  he  travels  under  the  banner  of  the 
Republican  party. 


FRANK  P.  CONNOLLY,  a  prominent  con- 
tractor and  builder  of  Dunmore,  was 
born  in  Buckingham  Township,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  in  1851,  a  son  of  Andrew  Connolly, 
who  was  reared  in  the  same  county,  and  his 
grandfather,  William,  was  engaged  in  farming 
there.  Andrew  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  mer- 
cantile business  in  Buckingham  Township,  later 
carried  on  a  mercantile  business  at  Honesdale. 
About  1894  he  came  to  Dunmore,  where  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  days  and  was  called 
from  this  earth  when  about  seventy-six  years  of 
age.  He  married  Ella,  a  daughter  of  John  Kerr. 
She  was  reared  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  and  her 
death  occurred  in  Wayne  County,  Pa.  Of  their 
eleven  children  eight  are  still  living,  and  of  these 
our  suljject  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

Frank  P.  Connolly  obtained  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  Buckingham  public  schools  and  when 
but  fifteen  years  of  age  began  to  learn  the  car- 
penter's trade  under  John  P.  Reiley  of  Preston. 
He  spent  three  years  in  his  ap])renticoship  there, 
when  he  immediately  began  to  work  at  the  trade 
and  has  followed  it  ever  since.  He  afterwards 
bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  in  Buckingham 
Township  and  sold  the  lumber  and  bark,  clear- 
ing up  ninety  of  his  one  hundred  and  six  acres, 
and  erecting  his    own    buildings.       When     he 


came  to  Dunmore  in  1888  he  sold  out  there  and 
located  here  permanently.  He  bought  a  lot  and 
built  a  residence  on  Electric  Avenue,  where  he 
has  since  resided  and  for  four  years  he  found 
work  at  his  trade.  In  1892  he  began  contract- 
ing and  building  on  his  own  account  and  for 
the  time  he  has  been  in  business  has  done  more 
building  than  any  one  else  here.  Among  the 
principal  buildings  which  he  has  erected  are 
the  following:  The  residence  of  Martin  Quinn 
on  Monroe  Avenue,  John  Edwards  also  on  Mon- 
roe Avenue,  John  Dempsey  on  Ouincy  Avenue, 
Mrs.  Hawley  on  Dudley  Street,  David  Miller, 
and  William  Powell  on  Riggs  Street,  Peter  Reilly 
and  John  Powell  on  Throop  Street,  and  the  hotel 
and  store  of  M.  J.  O'Boyle.  He  gives  employ- 
ment to  eight  men  during  the  entire  winter  sea- 
son and  when  busy  employs  ten  or  twelve  men. 
Mr.  Connolly  married  Miss  Sarah  McGivern 
in  Pleasant  Mount,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  May 
II,  1873.  She  was  born  in  New  York  City,  a 
daughter  of  Marcus  McGivern,  who  was  engaged 
in  farming  in  Wayne  County.  They  have  six 
children  as  follows:  IMarcus  F.,  chief  of  the 
blacksmith  and  woodworking  department  of  the 
Murray  Coal  Company;  William  A.,  a  carpen- 
ter, working  with  his  father;  and  four  at  home, 
John  P.,  Fnancis  J.,  Ellen  and  Mary.  While  liv- 
ing in  Wayne  County,  Mr.  Connolly  served  as 
overseer  of  the  poor  in  Buckingham  Township 
for  three  years.  In  political  matters  he  does  not 
feel  himself  bound  to  adhere  strictly  to  party 
lines,  but  uses  his  judgment  in  voting  for  the 
man  best  fitted  for  the  position.  He  is  a  member 
of  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  Church,  and  socially 
is  a  member  of  Dunmore  Conclave  No.  1235, 
Improved  Order  of  Heptasophs. 


ISAAC  B.  FELTS.  The  agriculturists  of 
Lackawanna  County  as  a  rule  possess  gen- 
eral intelligence,  thorough  understanding  of 
their  calling  and  great  energy,  and  they  there- 
fore rank  well  among  the  farmers  of  the  state. 
.A.mong  those  who  for  years  have  engaged  in 
farming  may  be  mentioned  Mr.  Felts,  the  owner 
of  a  well  improved  place  in  Lackawanna  Town- 
ship.   The  interest  he  has  shown  in  the  advance- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


877 


ment  of  measures  for  tlie  good  of  the  township 
where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  and  the  zeal 
he  has  displayed  in  all  projects  worthy  of  sup- 
port, caused  him  long  since  to  be  classed  as  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  this  part  of  the  county. 

Upon  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  our  subject 
was  born  August  21,  1820,  the  son  of  Albert  and 
Mindwell  (Schultz)  Felts.  His  father  was  born 
in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1817,  settling  upon  this  place,  the 
clearing  of  which  he  immediately  commenced. 
The  following  year  his  family  joined  him  here. 
As  the  years  went  by  he  brought  the  land  under 
cultivation  and  upon  it  his  remaining  years  were 
passed.  His  family  consisted  of  twelve  children, 
namely:  Margaret,  Christine,  Aaron,  Rebecca 
and  Christopher  (twins),  Charlotte,  Irene,  El- 
mira,  Mary,  Isaac  B.,  Albert  and  Diana. 

The  boyhood  years  of  our  subject  were  passed 
upon  the  home  farm  and  his  education  was  ob- 
tained in  neighboring  schools.  In  1844  he  com- 
menced to  cultivate  a  portion  of  the  old  home- 
stead and  here  he  has  since  resided,  devoting  his 
life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  upon  which  lie  the 
Holden  mines,  and  is  also  interested  in  the  Cres- 
cent Coal  Company's  mine  in  Jenkins  Township, 
near  Yatesville,  and  owns  an  interest  in  the  Had- 
ley  mines  in  Luzerne  County,  being  president  of 
the  company  that  operates  them.  Tliough  not 
identified  with  any  church  or  fraternity,  he  is  not 
reserved  and  selfish,  but  broud-souled  and  gen- 
erous, willing  to  aid  in  any  measures  for  the 
benefit  of  others. 


HORATIO  N.  PATRICK,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  real  estate  business  men  of 
Scranton,  has  been  very  much  interested 
in  the  development  of  the  city  and  neighboring 
suburbs  and  has  been  a  recognized  factor  in  our 
commercial  prosperity.  He  comes  of  a  family 
long  identified  with  the  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  state  and  from  both 
lines  of  his  ancestors  inherits  the  sound  business 
judgment,  tact  and  great  ability  which  have  won 
them  fame  and  fortune.  His  father,  Hon.  David 
L.  Patrick,  was  born  near  White  Plains,  N.  Y., 


from  whence  his  father,  Caleb,  removed  to  .\b- 
ington,  Lackawanna  County,  about  1830,  and 
improved  a  farm  in  the  wilderness.  It  was  in  1632 
that  two  Patrick  brothers,  captains  in  the  British 
army,  came  to  America  with  Governor  Winthrop. 
They  were  of  the  old  Scotch-Irish  Puritan  stock 
and  from  them  have  descended  the  Patricks  in  this 
country.  Hon.  D.  L.  Patrick  was  pre-eminently 
a  self-made  man,  for  in  boyhood  he  chopped 
wood  in  winter  that  he  might  go  to  school  and 
acquire  an  education,  and  through  his  own  efforts 
and  study  he  was  finally  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Wilkesbarre  when  twenty-six  years  of  age.  P'rom 
that  time  until  just  before  his  death,  April  16, 
1895,  he  practiced  in  his  chosen  profession,  ris- 
ing to  an  enviable  place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low-barristers, and  being  honored  time  and  again 
with  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility.  For 
two  terms  he  was  burgess  and  later  was  mayor  of 
Wilkesbarre,  served  as  clerk  of  the  courts  of 
Luzerne  County  and  was  elected  prothonotary, 
when  he  was  the  only  Democrat  elected  on  the 
ticket,  and  that  by  a  m.ajority  of  six  hundred 
votes.  He  responded  to  the  emergency  call  for 
troops  in  1863,  serving  for  three  months. 

The  mother  of  H.  N.  Patrick  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Polly  A.  Grif^n.  Her  parents  were  Elias 
and  Esther  (Clark)  Grififin,  who  died  at  the  ages 
of  eighty  and  seventy-eight  years  respectively. 
The  former's  father,  James  Griffin,  was  a  man  of 
gigantic  stature  and  was  a  Quaker.  He  went  to 
Providence  from  Connecticut  in  1805  and  lived 
where  the  Winton  home  now  stands,  being  the 
owner  thereof  as  well  as  of  several  hundred  acres 
in  that  vicinity.  William  Clark,  great-great- 
grandfather of  our  subject,  settled  in  1803  in  Ab- 
ington  at  what  is  now  Clarks  Green,  and  built  a 
log  cabin.  His  son  William,  next  in  line,  was  a 
farmer  and  merchant  and  the  old  home  erected 
by  him  at  Clarks  Green,  is  still  well  preserved. 
The  senior  William  Clark  owned  about  three 
thousand  acres  where  Highland  and  Lorraine 
Parks  are  now  located,  and  was  the  first  merchant 
in  this  section.  Hon.  D.  L.  Patrick  and  wife, 
Polly,  had  eight  children,  one  of  whom,  Henry 
R.,  has  been  in  the  United  States  weather-bureau 
service  for  about  thirteen  years  and  is  now  at 
Marquette,  Mich. 


878 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Horatio  N.  Patrick  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre, 
September  26,  1853,  and  spent  his  entire  youth  in 
that  place,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  between 
1863  and  1867  when  he  hved  at  Clarks  Green, 
lie  was  a  student  at  the  high  school  at  Wilkes- 
barre and  later  continued  his  studies  by  himself, 
as  he  was  not  in  rolnist  health.  Determining  to 
follow  his  fatlKT  in  the  legal  profession,  he  took 
up  tlie  study  of  law  with  him  and  afterward  with 
lion.  E.  P.  Kisner,  of  Wilkesbarre,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  September,  1878.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1878,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna County  bar  and  at  once  began  practicing 
here.  His  success  as  an  attorney  was  marked 
and  he  was  rapidly  nearing  the  high  position  held 
by  his  honored  father,  but  he  became  much  in- 
terested in  some  of  his  real  estate  transactions, 
and  seeing  that  he  could  not  do  both  callings  jus- 
tice reluctantly  dropped  the  law.  His  first  venture 
in  the  new  field  was  to  develop  the  Patrick  & 
Powell  plat  at  Clarks  Summit,  this  having  pre- 
viously been  started  by  his  father.  It  comprised 
a  tract  of  fifty-four  acres  on  the  western  side  of 
Clarks  Summit  and  now  many  desirable  resi- 
dences and  business  blocks  have  been  erected. 
Next,  in  company  with  C.  du  Pont  Breck,  E.  C. 
Dinmiick  and  C.  P.  Jadwin,  he  bought  sixty-six 
acres  lying  between  Clarks  Green  and  Clarks 
Summit.  Individually  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  seventy-three  acres,  calling  it  Woodlawn 
Park  and  another  portion  of  land,  Lackawanna 
Park,  opposite  the  Driving  Park  and  situated  be- 
tween Deacon  Street  and  the  river,  thirty-two 
lots  in  all,  and  only  a  block  from  the  street  car 
line.  Each  year  he  has  built  from  twelve  to  twen- 
ty houses  on  his  varitjus  tracts,  thus  giving  to 
people  of  small  means  a  chance  to  become  the 
owners  of  their  little  homes.  Associated  with 
Edward  and  George  Carpenter  and  J.  W.  Miller 
he  has  improved  Fairfield  Park  in  Green  Ridge. 
This  pretty  suburb,  in  the  extreme  northern  part 
of  the  city,  has  built  up  faster  than  any  other  sec- 
tion in  that  vicinity.  Organizing  a  company  he 
purchased  the  Gravel  Pond  property,  some  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  including  the  original 
ninety-five  acres  which  belonged  to  the  old 
Patrick  farm.  His  business  office  is  at  No.  331 
Washington  Street. 


December  29,  1885,  Mr.  Patrick  was  married  in 
Tioga  County,  this  state,  to  Miss  Ella  Lathrop,  a 
native  of  Lawrcnceville,  that  county.  She  is  a 
sister  of  Gen.  Austin  Lathrop,  of  Corning,  N. 
Y.  Three  children  bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Patrick:  Grace  K.,  Austin  and  David  L. 
In  1893  the  family  removed  to  their  pleasant 
home  at  Clarks  Summit. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Patrick  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees,  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at 
Clarks  Green  and  the  Order  of  Heptasophs.  In 
politics,  he  espouses  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Formerly  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Wilkesbarre  Presbyterian  Church. 


WILLIAM  DICK.  One  of  the  recent 
developments,  especially  suited  to 
modern  times  and  customs,  is  the  co- 
operative store,  with  its  possibilities  and  oppor- 
tunities. Tlie  one  established  by  Mr.  Dick  at 
Moosic  was  started  at  his  suggestion  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  ideas,  and  he  has  since  been  its 
manager.  That  it  has  proved  a  success  may  be 
inferred  from  the  statement  that  the  original  capi- 
tal of  $1,300  has  been  invested  so  judiciously  that 
the  actual  value  of  the  stock  is  now  $8,731.36, 
and  besides  this  the  seventy-five  members  have 
received  thousands  of  dollars  in  profits.  The 
store  is  controlled  by  an  executive  board  of  di- 
rectors, who  meet  every  two  weeks  and  also  hold 
a  general  meeting  every  three  months. 

Mr.  Dick  is  one  of  the  many  good  citizens 
whom  Scotland  has  given  to  the  United  States. 
He  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  December  17,  1843,  '''"^ 
son  of  James  and  Margaret  (Heron)  Dick,  also 
natives  of  that  shire.  His  father,  who  was  a 
miner,  died  there  at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  and 
afterward  his  widow  came  to  the  United  States 
with  a  son  and  died  in  this  county,  aged  seventy- 
three.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  children,  and 
four  of  these  still  survive,  one  being  still  in  Scot- 
land. When  nine  years  of  age  our  subject  began 
to  work  in  a  mine  and,  as  might  be  supposed,  his 
educational  advantages  were  exceedingly  limited. 
September  5,  1869,  he  took  passage  at  Glasgow 
for  New  York,  and  arriving  in  this  country  he, 
and  a  brother-in-law  who  accompanied  him,  came 


DAVIU   B.    HANl;,   M.    IJ. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  Moosic,  where  he  worked  in  a  mine  for  some 
years.  May  15,  1887,  he  opened  the  co-operative 
store,  of  which  he  has  since  been  tlie  manager. 
The  first  vote  of  Mr.  Dick  was  cast  for  R.  B. 
Hayes  and  afterward  he  adhered  to  RepubHcan 
principles  for  some  time,  but  the  enormity  of  the 
Hquor  evil  finally  led  him  to  ally  himself  with 
the  Prohibitionists.  In  the  Presbyterian  Church 
he  has  officiated  as  elder  and  is  also  interested  in 
Sunday-school  work.  June  29,  1877,  he  married 
Mrs.  Jane  (Caldwell)  White,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Jennie,  who  graduated 
from  Stroudsburg  Normal  and  is  a  successful 
teacher  in  the  public  schools;  and  David,  who 
is  a  student  in  the  home  schools. 


DAVID  B.  HAND,  M.  D.  Of  the  several 
phases  Dr.  D.  B.  Hand  presents  to  pub- 
lic view,  that  of  the  physician,  prompt, 
with  quick  perception,  capable,  tender  and  sym- 
pathetic, whose  visits  to  the  sickroom  are  like 
rays  of  sunshine,  is  the  one  in  which  he  is  most 
widely  known,  and  in  which  he  stands  out  most 
prominently  in  the  confidence  and  grateful  es- 
teem of  the  patients  in  his    extensive    practice. 

Though  always  pleasant  and  courteous,  Dr. 
Hand,  in  the  multitude  of  his  business  interests, 
is  keen,  thorough,  conservative,  and  independent, 
and  his  high  sense  of  honor  will  brook  no  sug- 
gestion of  sharp  practice;  so  that  the  competency 
he  now  enjoys  has  been  fairly  won  in  honorable 
competition  in  his  chosen  profession  and  those 
departments  of  the  business  world  into  which  he 
has  from  time  to  time  ventured.  Steadfast  in 
purpose,  he  has  frittered  away  no  time;  persistent 
by  nature,  he  never  became  discouraged;  patient 
and  deliberate,  he  made  no  rash  moves.  Ever 
ready  to  answer  the  call  of  duty,  it  seemed  impos- 
sible to  tire  him  with  work;  economical  and 
thrifty,  he  never  squandered  his  substance,  and 
the  palm  of  success  the  world  awards  him  today 
he  can  therefore  exhibit  with  pardonable  pride. 

To  the  limited  number  of  friends  he  has  fa- 
vored with  admission  to  the  inner  precincts  of 
his  friendship,  he  stands  revealed  in  the  full  meas- 
ure of  his  manly  character,  true  as  steel,  ever 

37 


ready  to  aid  with  counsel  and  means,  and  alert  in 
his  devotion  to  their  best  interests.  Singularly 
unostentatious,  his  private  munificence  would  be 
quite  a  surprise  to  those  outside  the  charmed 
circle  of  his  intimates. 

As  a  physician  he  takes  front  rank  in  his  pro- 
fession. His  lifelong  study  of  the  science  of 
materia  medica  (for  he  has  always  been  a  stu- 
dent), his  extensive  practice  that  has  brought  him 
into  contact  with  all  forms  of  disease,  and  his 
acknowledged  skill  in  the  treatment  of  intricate 
cases,  place  him  in  the  front  rank  of  professional 
men.  Nor  is  his  reputation  limited  to  Scranton; 
for  through  the  wide  sale  of  his  proprietary  med- 
icines, remedies  for  children,  his  name  has  be- 
came well  known  all  over  the  United  States. 

Of  his  ancestors,  his  maternal  great-grand- 
father was  the  largest  landowner  and  wealthiest 
man  of  Valley  Forge,  where  he  had  come  from 
England  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  where  he 
spent  almost  his  entire  fortune  furnishing  food 
and  clothing  for  the  suffering  soldiers  in  that 
historic  encampment.  In  later  years,  when  in- 
dependence had  been  secured,  and  the  new  gov- 
ernment ofifered  him  remuneration  for  his  ser- 
vices, he  proudly  exclaimed,  "My  country's  free- 
dom is  my  all-sufficient  reward."  He  married  a 
daughter  of  that  Stephen  Roy  who  fled  from 
Scotland  in  a  time  of  great  persecution  and  set- 
tled in  America.  Their  son,  Nathan  Coble,  was 
born  in  Sussex  County,  and  was  there  engaged 
as  a  farmer  and  drover.  Susan,  daughter  of 
Nathan,  and  mother  of  Dr.  Hand,  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  Francis  Price,  who  for  thirty-two 
years  was  judge  of  Sussex  County,  and  a  niece 
of  the  illustrious  Governor  Price  of  New  Jersey. 
The  records  show  that  all  of  her  male  relatives 
who  were  old  enough  to  carry  a  gun  fought  in 
defense  of  the  colonies  during  the  Revolution; 
four  of  her  great-uncles  bearing  the  family  name 
of  Dunn,  were  killed  in  the  Wyoming  massacre; 
two  of  her  sons  and  two  sons-in-law  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army  during  the  Rebellion,  and  one  of 
each  sacrificed  his  life  for  his  country;  at  least 
thirteen  of  Dr.  Hand's  cousins  also  served  in 
the  Union  army.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that 
patriotism  is  one  of  the  principal  characteristics 
of  the  family,  and  their  love  of  country  has  led 


882 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


them  to  give  their  services  and  hfe  itself,  if  need 
be,  to  preserve  the  Union. 

Robert  Hand,  the  Doctor's  father,  was  born  in 
Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  whence  he  removed  to 
Hawley,  Pa.,  where  as  a  pioneer  of  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, he  found  the  hills  covered  with  valuable  tim- 
ber; and  as  the  Lackawaxcn  and  Delaware  rivers 
afforded  an  easy  highway  to  the  large  cities  and 
the  seaboard,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  and 
turned  his  attention  at  once  to  the  lumbering 
business,  in  which  he  continued  until  his  death 
in  1854,  the  result  of  a  fever  contracted  during 
a  freshet,  when  he  was  away  from  home.  He  left, 
besides  his  widow,  seven  small  children,  namely: 
Nathan,  who  was  killed  in  the  Union  service  dur- 
ing the  war;  Charles  F.,  who  died  in  Hawley 
when  about  thirty-three  years  of  age;  Elizabeth 
L.,  wife  of  Dr.  H.  B.  Stephens,  of  Hawley,  a  well 
known  evangelist  and  Christian  worker;  Mrs. 
Alelissa  A.  Smith,  who  lives  in  the  western  part 
of  the  state;  William  J-,  who  endured  all  the 
horrors  of  Libby  prison,  and  who  now  resides 
at  Dunmore,  where  he  has  been  employed  under 
the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  for  about  thir- 
ty-five years,  latterly  as  their  land  and  lumber 
agent;  David  B.  (Dr.  Hand);  and  Sarah  A.  (Mrs. 
J.  Brown),  of  Wayne  County. 

Whatever  success  the  sons  and  daughters  have 
achieved  in  life,  they  attribute  largely  to  the  love 
and  training  of  their  mother,  who  by  the  death 
of  her  husband  was  left  with  seven  children  de- 
pendent upon  her  and  with  only  slender  means. 
Courageously  adapting  herself  to  their  changed 
conditions,  she  inspired  her  children  with  her  own 
fortitude  and  invincible  determination,  secured 
educational  advantages  for  them,  and,  sacrificing 
her  own  comfort  and  pleasure,  she  labored  for 
them  and  with  them,  and  happily  lived  to  see  the 
result  of  her  labors;  for  her  last  days  were  bright- 
ened by  her  children's  prominence  and  success 
and  the  knowledge  of  their  unfailing  devotion  to 
her.  She  passed  away  September  17,  1892,  at  the 
age  of  eight)'-two  years. 

Dr.  Hand  was  born  March  31,  1848,  in  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  and  early  in  life  began  the  study  of 
medicine  under  Dr.  G.  B.  Curtis,  of  Hawley. 
In  1868  he  graduated  from  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  New  York  City,  and 


for  three  years  afterward  he  had  an  ofifice  in 
Canaan,  Wayne  County,  then  practiced  in  Car- 
bondale  for  nine  years,  when,  his  health  failing, 
he  visited  CaHfomia,  and  traveled  extensively  in 
the  far  west.  On  his  return  to  Pennsylvania,  he 
spent  a  short  time  at  Columbia,  and  in  1880  came 
to  Scranton,  where  he  purchased  the  property 
and  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  Dr.  Horace 
Ladd.  In  1870  he  married  Miss  Sarah  T.,  daugh- 
ter of  James  Cromwell,  of  Hawley,  and  grand- 
child of  Oliver  Cromwell,  an  early  settler  in  Can- 
terbury, just  north  of  Newburgh  on  the  Hudson 
river.  Four  children  have  blessed  their  union: 
Mary,  who  died  in  Columbia,  at  the  age  of  six 
years;  Frederick,  Elizabeth  L.,  and  Howard  D., 
wlio,  even  at  this  early  period,  have  given  abund- 
ant promise  of  repaying  the  tender  solicitude  with 
which  they  have  been  nurtured  by  a  wise,  judi- 
cious, and  indulgent  father,  and  a  cultured,  af- 
fectionate. Christian  mother. 

Thus,  it  will  be  seen,  that  Dr.  Hand  is  an  emi- 
nent physician,  a  substantial  and  successful  busi- 
ness man,  moved  by  those  impulses  which  guide 
men  along  the  higher  lines  of  life,  the  head  of  a 
happy  family,  a  valuable  friend,  and  a  citizen  of 
whom  any  city  in  the  land  might  well  be  proud; 
while,  for  himself,  he  has  the  proud  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  he  has  won  his  way  in  the  battle 
of  life  where  thousands  of  others  would  have 
failed  under  similar  circumstances. 


JAMES  F.  GREEN  is  a  member  of  an  old 
Moravian  family  that  originated  in  Bo- 
hemia, Austria,  and  emigrated  thence  to 
America,  founding  the  first  Moravian  settlement 
in  this  country.  His  great-grandfather,  Samuel 
Green,  was  one  of  several  brothers,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  respectively  in 
Rhode  Island,  and  Hunterdon  and  Mercer  coun- 
ties, N.  J.  Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene,  whose  name  is 
illustrious  in  Revolutionary  annals,  was  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  branch.  Samuel  Green  spent 
the  most  of  his  life  in  Hope  Township,  (then  Sus- 
sex), (now)  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  a  few  miles 
from  Bclvidcre,  and  there  engaged  in  farming. 
In  1728  he  founded  the  Moravian  town  of  Hope, 
the  oldest  settlement  of  the  kind  in  the  country. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


883 


The  visitor  to  that  place  may  still  see  the  old 
stone  buildings,  built  by  the  Moravians,  with  a 
view  to  protection  from  the  Indians,  who  still 
lingered  in  that  locality  and  were  a  treacherous 
foe,  but  very  friendly  to  this  colony.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  Thomas  Green,  was  born 
in  Hope  Township,  and  in  youth  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship to  a  nailmaker  in  Bethlehem.  On 
his  return  to  Hope  he  followed  his  trade,  and 
also  engaged  in  farming,  having  purchased  six- 
teen hundred  acres  of  government  land  at  twelve 
and  one-half  cents  per  acre.  A  portion  of  his 
property  was  given  to  each  child  for  a  start  in 
life,  and  he  also  gave  the  land  upon  which  was 
erected  in  181 1  the  church  known  as  Green's 
Chapel,  now  Mt.  Herman. 

George  Green,  our  subject's  father,  was  born 
in  Hope  Township  and  cultivated  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1849,  ^t  the  age  of  fifty-seven.  At  different  times 
he  was  chosen  to  fill  local  offices.  Though  of 
^Moravian  belief,  he  identified  himself  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  remained  one 
of  its  most  faithful  members.  His  wife,  Ann 
Ozaire,  was  born  at  Delaware  Water  Gap,  Pa., 
the  daughter  of  George  Ozaire,  who  was  a 
French-Huguenot  and  accompanied  his  father 
from  France  to  this  country.  The  Ozaire  family 
is  related  by  marriage  to  the  La  Barre  family  of 
Wilkesbarre  and  Delaware  Water  Gap,  and  all 
are  descendants  of  the  French-Huguenots.  As 
is  generally  known,  the  city  of  Wilkesbarre  was 
named  from  the  two  families,  Wilkes  and  La 
Barre. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  in  the  family,  was  born  in  Hope 
Township,  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  February  i, 
1828,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm.  It  was 
his  privilege  to  attend,  in  Hope  Township,  the 
first  free  school  established  in  the  United  States, 
it  having  been  made  possible  by  the  will  of  a  citi- 
zen. In  1847  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  harness- 
maker's  trade  at  Williamsburg,  now  Mt.  Bethel, 
Pa.,  and  remained  there  until  1849,  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  place  to  carry  on  the  busi- 
ness. In  January,  1865,  he  came  to  Scranton, 
and  for  six  months  was  employed  at  the  Diamond 
mines.    September  18  of  the  same  year,  he  was 


given  the  position  of  outside  foreman  of  the  Con- 
tinental mines,  and  has  since  been  employed  in 
that  capacity,  for  a  time  also  being  foreman  of 
the  Hampton  mine. 

In  New  Jersey  Mr.  Green  married  Miss  Caro- 
line R.  Van  Kirk,  who  was  born  of  Holland- 
Dutch  descent  in  Columbia,  Warren  County,  that 
state,  the  daughter  of  John  J.  Van  Kirk,  a  hotel 
man.  They  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  two 
living:  B.  C,  superintendent  of  the  Bellevue 
mine;  and  Mary,  Mrs.  E.  G.  Smith,  of  this  city. 
In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Green  assisted  in  r'aising 
Company  G,  Thirty-first  New  Jersey  Infantry, 
and  was  mustered  into  service  as  second  lieuten- 
ant, for  nine  months.  The  regiment  was  chiefly 
engaged  in  police  duty  and  was  present  at  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Chancellorsville.  He  was  taken 
ill  and  owing  to  physical  disability  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  February,  1863.  Politically 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  fraternally  belongs  to 
Hyde  Park  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Masonic  Veteran 
Association  and  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post,  No. 
139,  G.  A.  R. 


WILLIAM  C.  CON  WELL  is  a  fine  ma- 
chinist, understanding  thoroughly 
every  detail  pertaining  to  his  calling 
and  is  a  most  efficient  foreman,  having  under  his 
supervision  the  turning  department  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  shops  at 
Scranton.  This  position  he  has  held  since  1858, 
nearly  forty  years,  and  in  all  this  time  he  has  al- 
ways been  punctually  at  his  post,  and  has  ever 
faithfully  performed  every  duty  devolving  upon 
him. 

A  native  of  Moneymore,  County  Londonderry, 
Ireland,  born  June  17,  1836,  our  subject  is  a  son 
of  Anthony  and  Elizabeth  (Aiken)  Conwell,  both 
of  the  same  county.  The  father  was  a  highly 
educated  man,  and  at  one  time  was  a  druggist, 
but  was  principally  a  linen  manufacturer.  Soon 
after  his  marriage  he  brought  his  wife  to  Ameri- 
ca, taking  up  his  abode  in  New  York  City.  Sub- 
sequently he  went  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  there 
engaged  in  his  fonner  pursuit  of  manufacturing 
linen.  He  returned  to  the  Emerald  Isle  in  1837 
and  stayed  there  until  about  1846,  when  he  set- 


884 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORt). 


tied  down  in  Paterson,  and  died  there  when  he 
was  nearly  sixty  years  old.  Mrs.  Conwell  died 
in  Scranton  after  passing  her  four-score  birth- 
day anniversary,  and  was  placed  to  rest  in  Forest 
Hill  Cemetery.  An  uncle  of  Anthony  Conwell, 
Rev.  Henry  Conwell,  %vas  the  second  bishop  of 
the  Philadelphia  (Pa.)  diocese. 

William  C.  Conwell  is  the  youngest  of  five 
children.  His  sister  Louisa  married  Captain 
Wood,  of  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  of  native 
infantry  and  now  resides  in  London,  England. 
Eliza, '.vho  died  in  the  F^st  Indies,  also  married  a 
military  officer.  Captain  Grubb,  of  Her  Majesty's 
service.  Rosanna  died  when  only  six  years  old 
in  New  York.  John  Constantinc,  for  many  years 
a  resident  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  died  in  1888.  With 
the  exception  of  our  subject  they  were  all  born  in 
Ameiica.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age 
William  C.  Conwell  was  apprenticed  for  five  years 
in  Paterson  to  Evans,  Thompson  &  Co.,  in  the 
Union  works,  builders  of  all  kinds  of  machinery. 
Then  he  continued  as  a  journeyman  with  the 
same  firm  until  their  works  were  closed,  when 
he  went  into  the  employ  of  the  New  Jersey  Loco- 
motive Company,  in  Paterson,  and  was  with  them  ^ 
al;out  a  year.  In  1855  he  came  to  Scranton  anA 
at  once  was  given  a  position  in  the  shops  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  on  Wash- 
ington Avenue.  Two  years  later  he  was  pro- 
moted to  his  present  place,  foreman  of  the  turn- 
ing department.  In  1866  the  shops  were  built 
on  a  line  with  Penn  Avenue  and  he  superintended 
putting  in  the  shafting,  afterward  fitting  in  place 
all  the  machinery. 

In  1854  Mr.  Conwell  and  Miss  Rachel  Agnew 
were  married  in  <he  Si-xteenth  Street  Catholic 
Church,  New  York.  She  was  born  in  Ire- 
land, and  was  reared  in  the  metropolis  of  the 
western  continent.  Her  death  occurred  in  July, 
1889,  in  Scranton.  Of  the  four  living  children, 
Mary,  Fannie  and  Annie  are  at  home,  and  Wil- 
liam is  a  machinist.  Charles  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty  years,  in  1890.  He  was  a  druggist  and  had 
one  of  the  finest  locations  for  a  drug-store  in  the 
city,  as  it  was  near  the  opera  house,  on  Wyoming 
Avenue.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Mutual  Aid  So- 
ciety, Mr.  Conwell  has  been  the  treasurer.     He 


is  president  of  the  Home  Building  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation, also  president  of  the  new  Equitable 
Building  &  Loan  Association.  In  political  afifairs 
he  is  independent  of  party  lines,  choosing  to  cast 
his  ballot  for  the  nominees  whom  he  considers 
best  calculated  to  carry  out  the  desires  of  the 
people. 


CHARLES  S.  FOWLER,  Jr.,  chairman 
of  the  board  of  city  assessors  of  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  Espy,  Columbia  County, 
and  is  a  member  of  a  family  resident  in  that  lo- 
cality from  Revolutionary  times.  He  is  of  the 
fourth  generation  in  line  of  descent  from  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America,  an  English- 
man, who  took  a  brave  part  in  defense  of  the 
colonies  during  the  war  for  independence  and 
established  his  home  at  Fowlersville,  a  place 
named  in  his  honor.  He  married  a  Miss  Fowler, 
whose  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  British  army 
in  New  York  City. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  C.  S.,  grandfather, 
Gilbert,  and  great-grandfather,  James,  were  born 
j,ri  Fowlersville,  all  in  the  same  house.  The  last- 
named  was  a  farmer.  Gilbert,  in  addition  to  be- 
ing a  farmer,  was  a  merchant  on  the  turnpike  at 
Fowlersville,  was  also  postmaster  and  the  princi- 
pal man  of  his  locality;  he  died  while  on  a  trip 
to  the  south  for  his  health.  C.  S.  Fowler,  Sr., 
early  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  mer- 
cantile business  and  for  a  time  was  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Fowler  &  Creveling,  of  Espy,  but 
later  continued  alone.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  embarked  in  the  general  commis- 
sion business  in  Lackawanna  Avenue,  later  was 
superintendent  of  the  Hillside  Home  for  two 
years  and  tlien  removed  to  a  farm  in  Tioga 
County,  where  he  now  resides.  At  the  first  call 
for  volunteers  in  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  for 
three  months  and  was  commissioned  captain  of 
a  company  by  Governor  Curtin.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  He  married  El- 
mira  Edgar,  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ilies in  Columbia  County;  she  was  born  in  Espy 
and  died  in  Scranton.  Their  family  consists  of 
ten  children,  five  sons  here  and  one  in  California, 
and  four  daughters  in  Tioga  County. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


887 


Since  1872  Mr.  Fowler  has  been  a  resident  of 
Scranton  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this 
city.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  clerk  in  a 
dry-goods  house,  but  in  1885  took  a  position  with 
the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  under  J.  J. 
Albright,  and  has  since  been  under  Mr.  Torry, 
general  sales  agent.  In  this  city  he  married  the 
daughter  of  Ira  H.  Burns,  a  prominent  attorney. 
In  1890  he  was  appointed  assistant  assessor  of 
the  thirteenth  ward  and  was  reappointed  every 
year  for  six  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
time,  in  1896,  he  was  elected  city  assessor.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  board  he  was  made  chair- 
man and  has  since  filled  this  position.  He  is  a 
stanch  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  county  committee.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  the  Heptasophs  and  in  religion 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


HENRY  W.  NORTHUP.  The  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century  witnessed  the 
migration  to  Pennsylvania  of  many  resi- 
dents of  the  older  sections  of  the  country,  who 
were  attracted  hither  by  the  advantages  offered 
to  men  of  enterprise.  Among  the  number  who 
came  to  this  county  and  established  homes  here 
was  the  Northup  family,  of  Rhode  Island.  In  1818 
Emanuel,  our  subject's  father,  and  Jeremiah  G. 
Northup,  his  grandfather,  made  what  was  then 
considered  a  long  journey  from  one  state  to  the 
other,  Emanuel  driving  two  yoke  of  oxen  the  en- 
tire distanced  On  arriving  here,  they  bought  a 
tract  of  wild  land  from  squatters  and  at  once 
began  the  difficult  task  of  improvement  and  cul- 
tivation. As  the  years  passed  the  energy  of  Jere- 
miah G.  Northup  brought  its  fruit  in  the  accumu- 
lation of  valuable  property,  which  he  acquired  by 
purchase  or  trade.  Buildings  were  erected,  or- 
chards were  planted,  substantial  fences  were 
built  and  other  improvements  introduced,  all  as 
the  result  of  his  industry,  seconded  by  the  ef- 
forts of  his  wife  and  family.  At  or  near  Narra- 
gansett  Bay,  Rhode  Island,  near  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  he  had  married  Deborah  Ar- 
nold, and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  sons 
and  four  daughters,  all  born  in  Rhode  Island. 
John,  the  eldest,  was  married  in  Rhode  Island  to 
Patience  Clark,  and  they  had  four  sons  and  two 


daughters,  all  born  in  Pennsylvania,  one  of  their 
sons  afterward  becoming  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1885.  Mary,  who  married  Thomas 
Smith,  had  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Job 
A.  married  Delilah  Parker,  and  they  had  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Emanuel  was  next  in 
order  of  birth.  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  Philip 
Stone,  and  they  had  one  son  and  one  daughter. 
Phoebe,  wife  of  Cyrus  Colvin,  had  four  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Almira  married  Levi  Lillibridge, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Jeremiah  G.  Northup,  when  a  resident 
of  Rhode  Island,  filled  the  ofifice  of  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  also  served  one  term  as  repre- 
sentative in  the  legislature  of  that  state.  He 
died  in  August,  1842,  aged  seventy-one,  and  his 
wife  died  about  five  years  later,  aged  eighty-one 
years. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Emanuel  Northup, 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  day 
and  assisted  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven,  January  31,  1829,  he  married  Sophia  Mil- 
ler, the  daughter  of  Rev.  John  and  Mary  (Hall) 
Miller,  natives  of  Connecticut,  who  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  about  1802.  Five  years  later  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Miller  rode  on  horseback  from  Pittston 
to  Abington  Township,  Lackawanna  County, 
where  he  became  the  first  Baptist  minister  in 
the  community.  The  ministry  was  his  profes- 
sion and  in  it  he  continued  actively  until  his 
death  when  eighty-two.  His  family  consisted  of 
five  sons  and  two  daughters.  Our  subject's 
mother  was  born  in  Abington  Township,  Lack- 
awanna (then  Luzerne)  County,  June  5,  181 1, 
and  died  here  in  1843,  aged  thirty-two  years.  She 
was  the  mother  of  one  son  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  our  subject  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  A.  W. 
Atherton,  of  Scranton,  alone  survive.  Another 
sister,  Mary  E.,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  married 
David  E.  Snyder,  by  whom  she  had  two  daugh- 
ters and  one  son,  the  latter  dying  in  infancy;  the 
girls  are  Emily,  wife  of  Edwin  Callender,  of  Ne- 
braska, and  Ida,  a  teacher  in  Scranton.  In  June, 
1845,  Emaiuiel  Northup  married  Emily  Hall,  who 
died  here  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  Her  parents, 
Jonathan  and  Eunice  (Capwell)  Hall,  came  from 
Rhode  Island  to  this  county  about  1800,  and 
(lied  here,  both  when  about  eighty.     Emanuel 


888 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Northup  died  in  April,  1869,  at  the  age  of  almost 
sixty-six  years,  and  at  his  death  left  a  valualile 
estate.  By  his  second  marriag-c  he  had  five  sons: 
John  C,  George  E.,  Charles  W.,  Edgar  J.,  who 
reside  in  this  county;  and  Frank  C,  who  died 
young. 

Upon  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  Henry  W. 
Northup  was  born  September  25,  1838,  and  here 
he  grew  to  manhood,  well  fitted,  mentally  and 
physically,  for  the  active  responsibilities  of  life. 
In  February,  1868,  he  married  Sarah  B.  Miller, 
and  three  children  blessed  their  union,  but  the 
only  daughter  died  at  five  years.  The  sons  are 
Arthur  M.,  a  student  in  Kingston  Seminary,  and 
Homer  J.,  at  home.  Mrs.  Northup  is  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Fannie  (Dershimer)  Miller,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Warren  County,  N. 
J.,  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1835,  and  died  in 
W3-oming  County  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  The 
paternal  grandparents,  Burnett  and  Mary  (De- 
witt)  ]\Iiller,  died  in  Luzerne  County  at  the  re- 
spective ages  of  seventy-seven  and  seventy-eight. 
The  maternal  grandparents,  John  and  Christina 
Dershimer,  were  Pennsylvanians  by  birth  and 
died  in  Ransom,  he  when  seventy-seven  and  she 
at  sixty-seven  and  one-half  years.  Their  family 
comprised  twelve  children. 

The  home  place  in  North  Abington  Township 
(now  Glenburn  borough)  is  devoted  by  Mr. 
Northup  principally  to  the  dairy  business  and 
truck  gardening.  One  of  its  most  important 
improvements  is  an  artesian  well,  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  deep,  from  which  a  constant 
flow  of  water  has  been  secured.  The  estate  is 
also  supplied  with  all  appurtenances  required  by 
the  progressive  agriculturist,  first-class  farm  ma- 
chinery, excellent  grades  of  live  stock  and  the 
improvements  that  add  to  the  comfort  and  enjoy- 
ment of  a  rural  home.  In  religious  belief  the 
family  are  connected  with  the  Baptist  Church. 


JAMES  L.  CONNELL.  In  the  great  com- 
])etitive  struggle  of  life,  when  each  nuist 
enter  the  field  and  fight  his  way  to  the  front, 
or  else  be  overtaken  by  disaster  of  circumstance 
or  place,  there  is  particular  interest  attaching  to 
the  life  of  on^   who  has  turned  tlic  tide  of  suc- 


cess, has  surmounted  the  obstacles,  and  has 
show  n  his  ability  to  cope  with  others  in  their  rush 
for  the  coveted  goal.  Such  an  example  we  find 
in  the  well  known  citizen  of  Scranton  whose 
name  heads  this  review. 

A  son  of  Hon.  William  Connell,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work,  our  subject  was 
born  at  Crystal  Ridge,  near  Hazleton,  Pa., 
April  17,  1856,  but  was  only  an  infant  when 
he  was  brought  to  this  city.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  our  pidjlic  schools  and  in 
Wyoming  Seminary.  When  he  was  about  seven- 
teen he  took  a  position  as  bookkeeper  for  A.  G. 
Gilmore  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  three 
vears.  He  then  embarked  in  the  retail  grocery 
business  in  company  with  F.  P.  Price,  at  the 
corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Wyoming  Avenues, 
the  firm  being  Price  &  Connell.  The  next  year, 
however,  he  went  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  there 
conducted  a  coffee,  tea  and  spice  house  with  I. 
F.  Megargel  for  about  a  year.  Returning  to 
Scranton,  the  partnership  continued,  and  they 
took  in  his  uncle,  Alexander  Connell,  and  estab- 
lished a  wholesale  grocery  house.  In  January, 
1882,  Alexander  Connell  died,  and  since  then 
the  other  two  partners  have  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness. In  December,  1881,  they  built  a  substantial 
store  at  Nos.  115-117  Franklin  Avenue,  and  are 
now  called  the  pioneers  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
trade.  Among  the  various  other  enterprises  in 
which  Mr.  Connell  is  interested  may  be  named 
the  following:  Scranton  Packing  Company,  of 
which  he  is  secretary  and  treasurer;  Lackawanna 
Lumber  Com])any,  where  he  holds  a  similar  posi- 
tion; Melville  Coal  Company,  operating  at  Lee, 
and  of  which  he  is  secretary;  the  Cross  Fork 
Water  Company,  in  which  he  is  secretary  and 
treasurer;  the  Clark  &  Snover  Tobacco  Com- 
pany; the  axle  works,  and  the  Consumers'  Ice 
Company.  Besides  these,  he  is  a  director  in  the 
Connell  Coal  Company,  now  operating  two 
mines,  the  \\' illiam  A.  and  the  Lawrence  at  Dur- 
yea. 

Mr.  Connell  has  been  fortunate  in  traveling 
through  much  of  his  own  and  foreign  countries. 
In  1882  he  visited  Germany,  Italy  and  other 
countries  on  the  continent,  in  addition  to  which 
it  was  his  jirivilege  to  meander  along  less  fre- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


889 


quented  paths  in  Egypt  and  the  Orient.  Four 
years  later  he  made  a  tour  of  England,  Scotland 
and  Ireland,  and  in  1895  he  went  through  the 
various  cities  and  points  of  interest  in  France. 
In  a  social  way,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  belonging  to  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No. 
325,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  past  master.  He 
is  also  identified  with  Scranton  Club  and  with 
the  Country  Club.  Politically,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  does  whatever  he  can  to  promote  the 
best  interests  of  that  organization.  Alive  to  the 
duties  which  devolve  upon  every  true  and  faith- 
ful son  of  this  great  republic,  he  never  shrinks 
from  doing  whatever  he  believes  will  advance 
the  welfare  of  his  fellows  and  is  an  earnest  advo- 
cate of  right  and  justice  to  all. 

The  hospitable  and  happy  home  of  Mr.  Cou- 
ncil is  situated  at  No.  11 15  Vine  Street  and  is 
presided  over  by  his  charming  wife,  who  was 
Miss  Leonora  Pratt  before  her  marriage.  Her 
birth  occurred  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  and  she 
had  attained  maturity  when,  with  her  parents, 
she  removed  to  Scranton.  Three  children  have 
come  to  bless  the  home,  viz.:  Lawrence  M., 
Carleton  A.,  and  Mary  Lucile.  Himself  and  wife 
are  meiubers  of  the  Elm  Park  ^Methodist  Church, 
in  which  at  present  he  is  officiating  as  a  steward. 


JOHN  B.  GILLESPIE,  manager  of  Gilles- 
pie's general  store  at  No.  117  West  Market 
Street,  Scranton,  and  one  of  the  well  known 
and  long  established  business  men  of  Provi- 
dence, was  born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  in  1844,  of 
worthy  Scotch  progenitors.  His  father,  Joseph, 
and  grandfather,  John  Gillespie,  were  born  in 
Dumfries-shire,  Scotland,  where  the  latter  was 
engaged  in  farm  pursuits  until  his  emigration  to 
America.  After  coming  to  this  country  he  lived 
retired  and  passed  from  earth  at  Great  Bend,  Pa. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  born  in 
181 1,  came  to  the  United  States  and  joined  his 
oldest  brother,  Thomas,  who  had  previously  set- 
tled in  Carbondale.  It  was  about  1835  when  he 
established  his  home  in  that  city,  and  soon  after- 
ward he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business 
with  George  R.  Love,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Gillespie  &  Love.     In  i860  he  removed  to  Provi- 


dence, Scranton,  and  the  following  year  formed 
a  partnership  with  the  late  Col.  William  N. 
Monies,  the  firm  title  being  Gillespie  &  Monies. 
They  carried  on  a  milling  business  at  the  old 
mill  (still  standing)  that  was  built  by  Andrew 
Jeiifreys  and  was  known  as  the  Providence 
borough  mill.  In  1866  the  partnership  was  dis- 
solved and  from  that  time  Mr.  Gillespie  lived  re- 
tired until  his  death  in   1873. 

The  marriage  of  Joseph  Gillespie  united  him 
with  Margaret  Johnstone,  who  was  born  in  Fred- 
ericksburg, Va.,  and  now  resides  in  Scranton. 
Her  father,  Benjamin  Johnstone,  was  born  in 
Paisley,  Scotland,  and  removed  to  Fredericks- 
burg, Va.,  shortly  before  the  birth  of  his  daughter, 
Margaret.  There  he  represented  an  Edinburgh 
house  as  its  agent  for  the  purchase  of  tobacco  and 
cattle.  He  died  in  1823  and  shortly  afterward  his 
family  came  to  Pennsylvania,  settling  in  Dundaff, 
Susquehanna  County.  Joseph  and  Margaret  Gil- 
lespie were  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  named  as 
follows:  John  B.;  James  W.,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.; 
Thomas,  who  resides  in  Vermont;  Nellie  P., 
widow  of  M.  D.  Osterhout  and  owner  of  a  gen- 
eral store  in  West  Market  Street,  Scranton;  Mrs. 
Thomas  Shotton,  of  this  city ;  and  C.  Joe,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business  here. 

The  eldest  of  the  family,  John  B.  Gillespie  was 
reared  in  Carbondale  and  received  his  education 
principally  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city. 
Afterward  he  took  a  coiumercial  course  in  East- 
man's Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie.  In 
i860  he  came  to  Scranton  and  remained  here 
continuously  until  1883,  when  he  went  to  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  having  received  the  appointment, 
through  the  influence  of  Don  Cameron  in  Presi- 
dent Arthur's  administration,  of  second  clerk  in 
the  United  States  treasury  department.  Six 
years  were  spent  in  this  place,  when  changes  in 
the  administration  and  heads  of  the  departments 
caused  his  resignation,  and  he  then  returned  to 
Providence.  In  partnership  with  his  brother,  he 
carried  on  a  general  mercantile  business  in  the 
square,  building  up  a  large  trade  and  a  high  place 
in  the  confidence  of  the  people.  Dissolving  the 
partnership  in  1894,  he  opened  the  business 
which  he  has  since  carried  on.  He  carries  a 
general  line  of  stock   including  everything  but 


890 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dry  goods,  and  keeps  in  constant  use  two  de- 
livery wagons  for  the  convenience  of  his  cus- 
tomers. 

As  a  Republican,  Mr.  Gillespie  has  been  active 
in  county  and  city  work,  and  is  well  known  in 
political  circles.  He  held  the  position  of  mem- 
ber of  the  common  council  for  one  term,  has 
also  been  assessor,  and  for  twelve  years  was  a 
member  of  the  Scranton  poor  board.  Frater- 
nally he  is  connected  with  Hiram  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  in  which  he  is  past  ofificer;  and  is  also 
identified  with  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M., 
and  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T. 
In  1 871  he  married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Col. 
William  N.  Monies.  She  died  in  1879.  They 
had  two  children,  now  living,  Anna  R.,  and  Nel' 
son  W.  In  1896  he  married  Mrs.  AT.  P.  Thomas, 
of  Scranton. 


HARVEY  R.  LONG  is  the  popular  and 
genial  young  manager  of  the  Academy  of 
Music  in  Scranton.  This  well  known  re- 
sort for  amusement  seekers  is  the  oldest  theater 
in  the  city  and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  furnish- 
ing the  best  productions  to  be  seen  on  the  stages 
of  the  locality.  Since  becoming  its  manager  Mr. 
Long  has  neglected  no  means  of  affording  the 
public  the  finest  attractions  to  be  obtained. 

Born  in  Scranton  in  1867,  Mr.  Long  was  from 
his  earliest  recollection  interested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  this  city.  He  grew  up  here,  at- 
tended our  e.xcellent  public  schools,  and  laid  the 
foundations  of  his  future  success  in  business  by 
thorough  atlention  to  his  studies  and  by  the  cul- 
tivation of  manly  traits  of  character.  When  he 
had  finished  his  general  schooling,  he  entered 
Gardner's  Business  College,  and  there  received 
commercial  training.  Upon  leaving  that  insti- 
tution, he  engaged  as  a  clerk  for  a  short  time, 
and  in  1889  became  advertising  agent  of  the 
Academy  of  Music,  then  the  only  theater  here. 
In  this  capacity  he  continued  until  1892,  when 
he  formed  the  Scranton  Bill  Posting  Company, 
which  he  managed  two  years  or  more.  His  firm 
was  consolidated  with  that  of  Mr.  Reese,  under 
the  style  of  Reese  &  Long,  in  March,  1894,  and 
has  done  a  good  business  with  that  concern,  of 


which  he  is  still  the  junior  partner.  In  the  spring 
of  1896  he  became  the  manager  of  the  Academy, 
assuming  full  charge.  The  house  has  the  largest 
seating  capacity  of  any  theater  in  Scranton,  and 
is  well  arranged  for  the  comfort  of  its  patrons. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Long  is  a  member  of  Ezra 
Grififin  Camp  No.  8,  Sons  of  Veterans,  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  Union 
Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  1884  he  joined 
Crystal  Hose  Company,  and  was  foreman  seven 
years  until  he  resigned  in  1897;  is  now  vice-pres- 
ident of  the  same,  and  connected  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Firemen's  Association.  He  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Theatrical  Mechanics'  Association. 
In  political  matters  he  is  a  loyal  Republican. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  J.  F.  and  Cath- 
erine Elizabeth  (Hauser)  Long,  natives  of  Schuyl- 
kill and  Monroe  Counties,  Pa.,  respectively.  The 
father  was  of  German  descent  and  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  occupation.  During  the  war  he  en- 
listed in  the  Twenty-second  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, from  Pittston,  Luzerne  County,  and  went 
to  the  front  under  Captain  Schooley.  After 
serving  his  term  of  three  years  he  veteranized, 
and  was  in  the  service  until  the  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities. Then  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  re- 
sumed his  former  calling  of  manufacturing  fur- 
niture. Later  he  moved  to  Linden  Street,  cor- 
ner of  Oakwood,  and  was  similarly  employed  at 
the  time  of  his  demise.  His  wife  had  died  many 
years  before,  when  only  a  young  woman,  leaving 
five  children. 


FRANK  E.  EVERETT,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  in  Scranton,  was  born 
in  New  Milford,  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  in  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Lemuel  S.  and  Helen 
(Willniarth)  Everett,  natives  respectively  of  New- 
burgh,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  Harford 
Township,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  Gabriel  Everett,  a  native  of 
Orange  County,  and  a  member  of  an  old  family 
of  that  locality,  resided  for  some  years  on  the 
Newlnirgh  turnpike,  where  he  engaged  in  dairy 
farming,  hi  early  days,  prior  to  the  advent  of 
the  railroad,  it  was  his  custom  to  cart  his  cheese 
and  butter  to  the  Newburgh  market.     When  his 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


893 


son,  L.  S.,  was  five  years  old,  he  moved  to  Sus- 
quehanna County,  Pa.,  and  settled  in  Harford 
Township,  where  he  died  at  eighty-four  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  Sus- 
quehanna County  and  on  reaching  manhood 
engaged  in  farming  in  New  Milford  Township, 
making  a  specialty  of  the  dairy  business,  in  which 
he  was  successful.  During  the  Civil  War  he 
took  part  as  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment, and  is  now  actively  connected  with  the 
Grand  Army.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
in  religion  is  of  the  Universalist  faith.  His  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Willmarth,  who  added 
the  cooper's  trade  to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm 
in  Harford  Township. 

Of  the  family  of  four  children,  F.  E.  Everett  is 
next  to  the  eldest  and  is  the  only  one  residing 
in  Lackawanna  County.  He  passed  his  child- 
hood years  on  the  home  farm  and  attended  the 
common  schools  of  the  district.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  started  out  for  himself,  and  for 
five  years  was  engaged  in  the  carting  and  transfer 
business  at  New  Milford,  after  which  he  gave  his 
attention  to  a  livery  business  he  had  previously 
started  in  partnership  with  A.  C.  Moxley,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Moxley  &  Everett.  While  thus 
engaged  he  became  interested  in  the  stone  busi- 
ness, and  after  selling  the  livery  at  the  expiration 
of  five  years,  he  began  as  a  dealer  in  free  and  blue 
stone,  still  retaining  his  headquarters  at  New 
Milford  and  opening  three  quarries  near  "that 
place.  The  business  increased  and  in  addition  to 
the  retail  trade,  he  shipped  to  Newark,  Long 
Branch  and  Ocean  Grove,  supplying  the  whole- 
sale market.  In  1895  he  sold  out  and  in  the  fall 
of  that  year  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  bought 
the  livery  business  of  C.  A.  Summers,  in  Dix 
Court,  ofif  Washington  Avenue.  Here  he  has 
three  floors  in  all,  with  about  fifty  stalls.  Besides 
renting  vehicles  of  every  description,  he  has  a 
boarding  stable,  where  he  accommodates  horses 
for  private  parties. 

In  New  Milford  Mr.  Everett  married  Miss 
Nellie  G.  Moxley,  who  was  born  there,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Helen.  While,  the  close  atten- 
tion that  he  gives  to  his  business  prevents  him 
from  taking  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  he 
nevertheless  keeps  well  posted  concerning  cur- 


rent events,  and  in  national  issues  favors  the  Re- 
publican platform.  During  the  period  of  his  resi- 
dence in  New  Milford,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
fire  company  there.  While  he  has  not  resided 
in  Scranton  long,  he  has  already  gained  a  wide 
acquaintance  and  is  known  as  an  honest  and 
progressive  business  man. 


HENRY  W.  MONTGOMERY.  The  nine- 
teenth century  is  remarkable,  among 
other  things,  for  the  wonderful  develop- 
ment in  the  insurance  business.  Its  rapid  growth 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  it  meets  a  long-felt  want. 
By  it  the  widow  and  orphan  are  spared  the  pangs 
of  poverty  and  financial  distress,  and  the  last 
days  of  the  husband  and  father  are  not  harassed 
by  the  thought  that  he  will  leave  his  family  pen- 
niless. The  progress  of  the  business  and  the 
large  number  of  people  who  have  become  finan- 
cially interested  therein  have  caused  the  organi- 
zation of  many  companies  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
surance, and  among  these  none  is  better  known 
in  the  east  than  the  New  York  Life  Insurance 
Company,  of  which  Mr.  Montgomery  is  district 
manager  for  the  Scranton  district. 

Mr.  Montgomery  is  a  young  man,  his  birth 
having  occurred  March  18,  1871.  He  was  bom 
and  reared  in  Bristol,  Pa.,  and  in  boyhood  attend- 
ed the  public  schools  of  that  place,  afterward  be- 
coming a  student  in  the  Model  State  School  at 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  remaining  there  until  his 
graduation.  On  the  conclusion  of  his  education 
he  at  once  began  for  himself.  His  first  position, 
which  he  held  about  five  years,  was  that  of  book- 
keeper in  the  home  of^ce  of  the  American  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  of  Philadelphia,  and  while 
there  he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  in- 
surance business  in  all  its  details.  In  1895  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  for  a  short  time  solicited 
for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New 
York,  but  was  soon  given  the  city  agency  for  the 
Mutual  Benefit  Life,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  re- 
mained in  that  capacity  until  he  accepted  his 
present  position  of  district  manager  for  the  New 
York  Life.  This  is  a  responsible  position,  as  he 
is  now  manager  for  the  city  of  Scranton  and  six 
counties,  with  several  local  ofifices  under  his 
charge. 


894 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


By  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  Enna  McCand- 
less,  of  Philadelpliia,  Mr.  Montgomery  had  one 
son,  Henry  W.,  Jr.  Keen  and  energetic,  his  time 
and  attention  are  closely  given  to  his  business 
matters,  and  he  has  not  identified  himself  actively 
with  local  affairs,  though  well  informed  regard- 
ing current  events  and  interested  in  such  enter- 
prises as  will  advance  the  prosperity  of  the  city. 


CHARLES  GR.'^HAM,  for  years  master 
mechanic  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western,  in  Scranton,  was  always  con- 
sidered  one  of  their  most  tnisty,  honorable  and 
thorough-going  workmen.  He  held  his  su- 
periors' interests  ever  paramount  to  his  own  per- 
sonal  advancement,  and  in  such  a  measure  had 
they  come  to  depend  upon  him,  that  they  have 
felt  it  a  great  loss  since  he  has  been  unable  to 
occupy  his  old  post,  on  account  of  an  accident 
that  he  was  unfortunate  enough  to  receive,  ren- 
dering him  physically  unfit  to  grapple  with  the 
difficulties  which  he  formerly  met  with  in  his 
cvery-day  employment. 

Though  born  in  Scotland,  ]\Ir.  Graham  has 
lived  in  America  until  he  is  a  strong  patriot  and 
adherent  of  his  adopted  countrj'.  His  birth  oc- 
curred January  15,  1834,  in  Dunfermline,  Fife- 
shire,  and  when  he  was  of  a  suitable  age,  he  en- 
tered the  public  and  pay  schools  of  his  native 
village,  receiving  a  fair  education.  The  Gra- 
hams are  from  a  very  old  and  respected  family 
in  Scotland,  and  can  trace  their  line  back  to  1493 
with  certainty.  Grandfather  Nicol  Graham  was 
a  forester  in  Fife  and  his  son  Charles,  our  sub- 
ject's father,  followed  the  same  vocation  in  the 
.highlands  of  that  shire.  On  one  occasion  he 
visited  America,  staying  here  about  two  years, 
but  becoming  homesick  for  his  native  heaths, 
he  returned  home  and  there  died  when  nearly 
si.xty-five  years  old.  Margaret,  his  wife,  was 
born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  being  a  dauglitcr 
of  Andrew  Douglass,  a  business  man  of  that  city. 
She  died  in  1849,  ^^'^  rests  by  the  side  of  her 
husband,  in  the  same  cemetery  where  Robert 
Bruce  lies  buried.  Their  children  were  seven  in 
number,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Nicol 
was  with  the  Rodgers  locomotive  works  many 


years  ago,  but  is  now  retired,  and  a  resident  of 
Paterson,  N.  J.  Douglass  is  also  living  in  that 
city.     One  sister  is  now  in  Hannibal,  Mo. 

When  he  was  about  fifteen  Charles  Graham  be- 
gan learning  the  machinist's  trade  in  his  home 
village,  and  stuck  to  his  task  manfully  until  he 
had  mastered  the  business.  In  1853  he  deter- 
mined to  come  to  America,  and  accordingly  left 
Glasgow  in  the  sailer  "Cuthbert,"  which  took 
seven  weeks  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  Going  at 
once  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  he  entered  the  Rodgers 
locomotive  works,  thence  went  to  the  Erie  Rail- 
way shops  at  Piermont,  and  then  by  way  of 
the  Susquehanna  River  came  to  Scranton.  The 
date  of  his  arrival  here  is  January  3,  1855,  and  the 
very  next  day  he  went  into  the  machine  shops  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western.  At  the 
expiration  of  a  year  he  was  made  foreman  and  in- 
side of  two  years  was  promoted  to  be  general 
foreman.  He  had  to  run  special  trains  to  do 
the  wrecking  necessary  on  the  road.  In  1864, 
when  the  Bloomsburg  division  changed  into  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  control,  and 
James  Archbald  was  made  president  of  the 
whole,  our  subject  was  made  master  mechanic 
and  sent  to  Kingston,  where  he  superintended  the 
building  of  the  new  locomotive  shops,  saw  the 
machinery  all  placed  and  then  attended  to  the 
manufacture  of  the  new  engines  built  for  the 
road.  When  the  extension  of  the  road  was  made 
from  Binghamton  to  Buffalo,  he  was  put  in 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  shops.  In  1886 
he  was  the  master  mechanic  at  Scranton,  while 
at  the  same  time  his  son,  Charles,  Jr.,  was  mas- 
ter mechanic  at  Kingston.  ]\Iuch  to  his  regret, 
he  was  forced  to  give  up  his  position  in  1890,  as 
previously  stated,  on  account  of  physical  dis- 
ability. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Graham  and  Jane  Bryden 
took  place  in  Carbondale,  February  13,  1857.  She 
was  born  in  Dumfries,  Scotland,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  William  Bryden,  a  business  man  of 
the  village  of  Dumfries.  His  wife,  Janet  Craik 
Bryden,  died  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  but  he  lived  and 
died  in  his  native  land.  The  three  children  of 
our  subject  are:  Charles,  Jr.,  master  mechanic 
at  Kingston,  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western;    George,  with  the  same  company,  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


895 


Robena,  who  is  at  home.     Mrs.  Graham  is  con- 
nected with  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  1859  Mr.  Graham  joined  Union  Lodge,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  of  Scranton,  and  when  Kingston  Lodge 
Xo.  395  was  organized,  August  8,  1867,  he  was  a 
charter  member  and  the  first  \V.  M.,  and  was 
once  its  representative  to  the  grand  lodge.  He 
is  an  honorary  member  of  the  Raihvay  Master 
Mechanics'  Association  of  the  United  States.  He 
is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  organization, 
as  he  entered  its  ranks  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  at  the 
second  meeting,  which  took  place  in  1869.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Caledonian  Club.  In  ])o- 
litical  matters,  he  is  an  ardent  Republican.  Per- 
sonally, he  is  popular.  His  home  is  a  very  sub- 
stantial and  tastefully  furnished  residence  at  No. 
401  Madison  Avenue. 


HERSHEL  H.  HOLLISTER,  of  Scranton, 
is  a  member  of  the  Connecticut  family 
of  Hollisters  represented  in  Pennsylvania 
since  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  state,  though 
his  parents  themselves  were  later  emigrants  from 
the  Nutmeg  State.  The  founder  of  the  family  in 
America  was  John  Hollister,  who  emigrated  to 
Wethersfield,  Conn.,  about  1642.  Seventh  in 
line  of  descent  from  him  was  Alanson  Hollister, 
a  native  of  Warsaw,  Conn.,  whence  he  came  to 
Wayne  County,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of  about  twenty. 
His  father,  Amasa,  settled  in  that  county  in  1799 
and  in  the  same  year  built  a  log  house,  but  this 
was  replaced  the  following  year  by  a  frame  house 
which  still  stands,  in  excellent  condition.  The 
latter's  health  being  poor,  the  son  took  charge  of 
the  property,  brought  the  land  under  cultivation, 
erected  necessary  buildings,  and  in  Salem  Town- 
ship put  up  a  saw,  carding  and  grist  mill,  the  last- 
named  still  standing  and  in  good  condition.  In 
order  to  earn  money  with  which  to  make  pay- 
ments on  the  land,  he  secured  work  in  Provi- 
dence at  twenty-five  cents  per  day.  He  was  the 
founder  of  Hollisterville,  in  Salem  Township, 
which  was  named  in  his  honor.  Possessing  an 
iron  constitution,  on  which  the  hardships  of  his 
life  apparently  made  few  inroads,  he  attained  the 
age  of  seventy-eight  and  was  then  accidentally 
killed  by  falling  from  the  loft  of  his  barn.  He 
died  twenty-two  days  after  the  accident  occurred. 


The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born,  Sally 
Goodrich,  in  Connecticut,  three  miles  east  of 
Portland,  and  thence  accompanied  her  father, 
Seth  Goodrich,  to  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  in  1803. 
She  continued  to  reside  in  .Salem  Township  until 
her  death,  which  occurred  in  Hollisterville.  She 
was  one  of  eight  children,  of  whom  one  son, 
Phineas  Grow  Goodrich,  was  a  historian  and 
writer,  and  wrote  a  very  interesting  and  valuable 
history  of  Wayne  County.  Her  father,  who  was 
born  in  South  Glastonbury,  Conn.,  September 
24,  1799,  settled  upon  a  place  in  Wayne  County, 
the  first  owner  of  which  was  a  Mr.  Stanton, 
known  in  history  as  the  only  white  man  who 
escaped  in  the  Indian  massacre  at  Little  Mea- 
dows. A  few  months  afterward  he  returned  to 
the  place  and  gathered  up  the  bones  of  the  mas- 
sacred settlers,  burying  them  in  the  same  grave, 
that  is  now  marked  by  a  mound. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  eight 
children,  namely :  Harriet  G.,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Watres, 
"  Stella  of  Lackawanna";  Horace,  M.  D. ;  Sarah 
Ann,  Mrs.  Stevens,  who  died  in  Dunmore;  Eras- 
tus  B.,  at  Hollisterville;  Hershel  H.;  Mrs. 
Arian  Hall,  of  Rochelle,  III;  Mrs.  Angeline 
Whitney,  also  of  Rochelle;  and  Mrs.  Emeline 
Hamlin,  of  Philadelphia.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Hollisterville,  Wayne  County,  July  10,  1830, 
■and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  assisting  his 
father  in  the  lumber  business  and  in  the  building 
of  the  mills.  After  the  death  of  his  father  he 
built  a  third  sawmill,  on  the  same  stream  with 
the  others,  where  he  had  fine  water  power.  In 
1882  he  sold  his  property  in  Wayne  County  and 
came  to  Scranton,  wliere  he  bought  out  John 
L.  Hall,  whose  slating  and  roofing  business  he 
continued.  Politically  a  Republican,  Mr.  Hol- 
lister held  township  offices  while  in  Wayne 
County.  In  1863  he  volunteered  in  the  Union 
service  and  was  assigned  to  provost  duty,  taking 
troops  to  the  front,  with  his  headquarters  in  New- 
York  City.  He  continued  iii  the  discharge  of 
official  duties  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  in  June,  1865.  On  the 
second  day  of  his  connection  with  the  army, 
while  on  fatigue  duty  at  Hart's  Island  in  New 
York,  he  was  injurcil  in  the  pupil  of  the  right  eye 
by  a  stick,  that  permanently  destroyed  the  sight. 


896 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Hollister,  in  Clinton, 
Wayne  County,  united  him  with  Miss  Maria 
Norton,  who  was  bom  there,  daughter  of  Alva 
Norton,  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  a  farmer  of 
Wayne  County.  She  died  at  Salem  in  i860.  He 
was  afterward  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Susan  Avers,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  the 
daughter  of  Mark  Ayers,  a  farmer  of  Salem, 
Wayne  County.  They  are  the  parents  of  one 
daughter,  Florence  H.,  Mrs.  T.  H.  Hull,  of  Scran- 
ton.  Mr.  Hollister  is  a  man  of  inventive  genius, 
and  among  other  things  has  invented  a  new  pat- 
ent iron  harrow,  called  "The  Winner,"  which 
farmers  of  long  experience  say  has  many  ad- 
vantages over  all  other  iron  harrows.  The  frame 
is  made  of  tubular  iron,  thus  making  it  strong 
and  light.  The  teeth  are  firmly  held  in  position 
by  a  steel  rod,  thus  preventing  lateral  motion. 
It  can  be  changed  at  pleasure  from  high  frame  to 
low,  and  from  two-horse  harrow  to  one.  Ob- 
jectionable points  noticeable  in  other  harrows  are 
remedied  in  this,  and  the  results  are  correspond- 
ingly satisfactory. 


HUGH  M.  HANNAH.  The  gentleman 
whose  life  is  briefly  sketched  herein  is  one 
of  the  successful  attorneys  of  Scranton, 
and  has  proved  the  possession  on  his  part  of  a 
broad  knowledge  of  legal  lore,  as  well  as  the  un- 
derlying principles  of  justice  and  equity.  His 
skill  in  the  management  of  cases  submitted  to 
him  has  won  for  him  an  enviable  reputation, 
which  is  not  limited  to  this  city,  nor  indeed  to 
the  county.  One  of  his  most  prominent  char- 
acteristics is  great  accuracy;  every  detail  is  care- 
fully investigated,  and  he  thoroughly  informs 
himself  regarding  his  case  in  all  its  bearings,  by 
which  means  he  is  able  to  handle  it  in  a  success- 
ful manner.  He  has  his  ofifice  at  No.  117  Penn 
Avenue. 

Born  in  Harford,  Sus(|uehanna  County,  this 
state,  September  13,  1842,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ])areiUage.  His  grand- 
father, Walter  Hannah,  was  born  in  Scotland,  but 
removed  from  there  to  Ireland  and  settled  ujion 
a  farm  in  County  Antrim,  near  Uallymoncy.  1  le 
had  a  brother,  Daniel,  who  served  in  the  English 


army  and  was  for  many  years  stationed  at  Gibral- 
tar. Archibald  Hannah,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  County  Antrim  and  grew  to  man- 
hood upon  the  home  farm  there.  In  1836  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  after  a  short  sojourn  in 
Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  the  same  year  removed  to  Har- 
ford, Susquehanna  County,  where  he  bought  a 
tract  of  land.  For  a  number  of  years  afterward 
he  gave  his  attention  to  improving  and  cultivat- 
ing a  farm.  In  1849  he  removed  to  a  farm  at 
New  Milford,  and  there  continued  to  reside  until 
his  death  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Leslie,  and  was  born  near  Cole- 
rain,  County  Antrim,  where  her  father,  John  Les- 
lie, was  a  farmer.  Her  grandfather,  Malcolm 
Leslie,  was  a  Highlander  of  Scotland.  She  died 
in  1877  ^t  the  age  of  seventy-six.  Of  her  ten 
children  we  note  the  following:  William  J.,  died 
at  Plymouth  in  1872;  Margaret,  Mrs.  William 
Ross,  died  at  Newburgh;  Alexander  is  a  farmer 
at  New  Milford;  Daniel,  a  retired  attorney  liv- 
ing in  New  Milford,  was  engaged  in  practice  in 
Scranton  from  1867  to  1884;  Leslie  died  in  1863; 
Hugh  M.  is  next  in  order  of  birth;  Fannie,  Mary 
A.  and  James  died  at  the  respective  ages  of 
eighteen,  fourteen  and  fifteen  years;  and  Eliza- 
beth, Mrs.  David  McConnell,  resides  in  New  Mil- 
ford. 

After  coiupleting  the  studies  of  the  common 
school,  our  subject,  in  1863,  entered  the  Millers- 
ville  State  Normal  School,  where  he  was  a  stu- 
dent a  portion  of  each  of  the  three  ensuing  years. 
Meantime  he  taught  in  New  ?ililford  and  Leba- 
non, Pa.,  and  afterward  was  principal  of  the 
school  at  Schuylkill  Haven  for  five  years.  It 
being  his  desire  to  study  law,  in  1869  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  entered  the  office  of  Loomis  & 
Hannah,  the  latter  being  his  brother.  In  1870 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Wilkesbarre  and  at 
once  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother  as  D. 
&  H.  M.  Hannah,  with  office  at  No.  222  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue.  They  practiced  together  until 
his  brother  retired  in  1884,  since  which  time  he 
has  continued  alone.  One  of  his  important  pub- 
lic enti-rpriscs  was  to  assist  in  promoting  the  lay- 
ing out  of  twenty  acres  in  Washingtt)n  Avenue, 
to  be  devoted  tn  jiark  and  residence  purposes, 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


897 


and  known  as  Richmond  Park.  For  three  years 
he  was  city  attorney  of  Scranton.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  Lackawanna  County  Law  and 
Library  Association,  in  politics  is  a  Democrat, 
and  in  religious  connections  belongs  to  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee 
for  some  years.  In  Philadelphia,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Hindman,  who  was  born  near 
Oxford,  Chester  County;  her  father,  David 
Hindman,  a  farmer,  was  a  member  of  an  old 
Quaker  family  of  English  and  Scotch  descent. 
Two  children  bless  the  union:  Fannie,  a  student 
in  Wilson  College  at  Chambersburg;  and  Fred, 
a  pupil  in  the  Scranton  public  schools. 


JAMES  HUGHES,  who  for  forty  years  has 
been  a  faithful,  industrious  and  thoroughly 
reliable  employe  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad,  is  a  man  of  great 
natural  genius  as  a  mechanic,  and  has  from  time 
to  time  patented  inventions  of  more  than  ordin- 
ary merit.  In  September,  1856,  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  company's  boiler  shops,  and 
never  since,  with  the  exception  of  two  weeks,  has 
he  been  absent  from  his  post  of  duty,  a  very  re- 
markable record,  which  has  been  rarely  eclipsed. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Hugh  and  Hester 
(Wilson)  Hughes,  were  natives  of  Liverpool, 
England,  the  former  being  of  Welsh  descent. 
He  was  a  boiler  maker  by  trade,  and  rose  to  be  a 
foreman  in  the  boiler  works  of  a  great  ship  yard 
there.  He  died  while  yet  in  the  prime  of  life  and 
activity,  being  forty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife 
also  departed  this  life,  when  a  young  woman,  in 
England.  Of  their  four  children,  only  one  sur- 
vives. David  was  for  some  time  in  the  vicinity 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

James  Hughes  was  born  in  Liverpool  in  1829, 
and  went  to  school  until  he  was  twelve  years  old, 
when,  his  father  having  died,  he  was  obliged  to 
begin  making  his  own  living.  He  took  a  place 
as  errand  boy  in  a  store,  and  a  little  later  he  com- 
menced to  follow  in  his  father's  footsteps,  by 
learning  the  boiler  maker's  trade  in  his  native 
city.  After  he  had  worked  at  this  calling  four 
and  a  half  years,  he  went  into  the  blacksmith's 
department  and  was  there  for  two  years.     In 


1 85 1  he  left  the  home  of  his  boyhood  and  sailed 
for  America  in  the  "Tileman,"  which  arrived  in 
New  York  City  at  the  expiration  of  twenty-five 
days.  The  cause  of  his  coming  at  this  time  was 
on  account  of  a  very  peculiar  combination  of  cir- 
cumstances. He  had  been  making  some  needed 
repairs  in  his  line  on  the  aforesaid  ship,  to  which 
he  and  a  fellow-workman  were  conveyed  by  a 
tug  each  day.  One  day  they  came  on  deck, 
after  finishing  their  work,  and  found  that  the  tug 
had  returned  to  land  without  them,  and  the  ship 
was  well  under  way.  The  captain  had  forgotten 
all  about  them,  and  as  a  favorable  wind  had 
risen,  he  had  been  anxious  to  avail  himself  of  it, 
and  now,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  waste  eight  or  ten 
hours  of  this  invaluable  wind  by  hailing  and 
transferring  the  unwilling  passengers  to  a  ship 
returning  to  London,  he  took  them  to  New  York. 

As  the  ship  was  not  returning  direct  to  Eng- 
land, but  was  to  cruise  along  the  coast  of  the 
United  States,  Mr.  Hughes  decided  to  remain 
until  spring.  By  the  time  he  had  spent  several 
months  in  this  country,  he  liked  the  States  so 
well  that  he  concluded  to  make  his  permanent 
home  here.  Acting  on  Captain  Snow's  advice, 
he  left  the  crowded  city  and  went  to  Schenec- 
tady, N.  Y.,  where  he  readily  found  employment 
in  the  locomotive  works,  and  remained  a  year. 
In  1852  he  went  to  Susquehanna,  Pa.,  as  a  boiler 
maker  for  the  Erie  Railroad,  and  in  June,  1855, 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  was  employed  in  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  boiler  shops 
for  a  few  months.  Then,  after  a  short  time  at 
his  old  place  in  Susquehanna,  he  went  to  Keo- 
kuk, Iowa,  but  in  June,  1856,  settled  in  this  city, 
resuming  his  former  place,  and  in  the  next  Sep- 
tember he  was  promoted  to  the  foremanship  of 
the  boiler  department,  where  he  is  to  be  found 
to-day,  after  over  two  score  years  of  close  appli- 
cation. 

Over  thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Hughes  bought  a 
comfortable  home  at  No.  319  Franklin  Avenue, 
and  has  resided  here  ever  since.  His  wife,  who 
was  Rebecca  Anderson,  was  born  in  Coopers- 
town,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  George  Anderson,  of 
England.  He  located  in  New  York  State  many 
years  ago,  but  passed  his  last  days  in  Scranton. 
Three  children  were  born  to  the  union  of  Mr. 


^8 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  Mrs.  Hughes:  Walter,  a  machinist  at  the 
Cliff  works;  Emma,  deceased;  and  Clara,  who 
has  kept  house  for  her  father  since  her  mother's 
death  in  1892. 

In  1861  Mr.  Hughes  patented  a  spring  bal- 
ance for  safety  valves  on  locomotives,  and  these 
useful  articles  were  manufactured  many  years. 
In  1873  he  patented  a  spark-arrester,  which  is 
still  in  use,  and  in  1857  he  invented  the  system 
of  bracing  the  crown-sheet  in  boilers  which  pre- 
vents frequent  explosions,  and  this  is  in  common 
use  all  over  the  world.  In  1895  he  patented  an 
improvement  on  locomotive  boilers,  and  to-day 
this  invention  is  used  on  all  the  engines  of  the 
local  railroad.  Politically  he  is  a  true  blue  Re- 
publican, and  fraternally  belongs  to  Union  Lodge 
No.  391,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  religious  matters  he 
prefers  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination. 


M 


OREL  BROTHERS.  The  firm  doing 
business  under  this  name  in  Scranton  is 
composed  of  two  brothers,  Louis  and 
Peter  J.  Morel,  who  were  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  that  portion  of  the  city  comprised 
within  Green  Ridge.  They  are  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  florist's  business,  having  a  green- 
house that  extends  from  East  Market  to  Breaker 
Street,  with  twenty  thousand  feet  of  glass  sur- 
face. While  the  building  is  large,  it  is  inadequate 
to  the  demands  of  the  increasing  trade  and  will 
undoubtedly  soon  be  enlarged.  All  kinds  of 
plants  are  raised  and  a  large  business  is  done  in 
the  wholesale  and  retail  trade  in  cut  flowers. 

The  father  of  our  subjects  was  born  in  the  de- 
partment of  Vosges,  Lorraine,  France,  and  bore 
the  name  of  John  Morel.  On  coming  to  Ameri- 
ca he  was  employed  for  a  time  as  captain  on  the 
canal  at  Honesdalc,  then  removed  to  Wyoming, 
where  he  lived  for  five  months,  and  from  there 
came  to  Green  Ridge,  Scranton,  wlicre  he  culti- 
vated a  farm  belonging  to  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company.  He  departed  this  life  in  Scranton  in 
1894.  His  wife,  who  still  resides  in  this  city, 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Marie  T.  Valance,  and 
was  brought  from  France  to  America  by  her 
father,  a  musician,  who  was  employed  in  the 
glass  works  of  Honesdale  until  his  death. 


The  family  of  John  Morel  consisted  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  six  are  living,  namely:  Louis, 
who  was  born  in  Shickshinny,  Luzerne  County, 
December  6,  1854;  Sophie,  who  is  with  her 
mother;  Peter  J.,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Green 
Ridge;  Mary,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  Scran- 
ton; Clara,  wife  of  Emmett  Hoyt,  and  a  resident 
of  Dorranceton ;  and  Anna,  at  home.  ,  Louis 
was  three  years  of  age  when  the  family  came  to 
Scranton,  and  in  boyhood  he  attended  the  Provi- 
dence and  Scranton  schools.  In  1872  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  brickmason's  trade  under  John 
Davis,  completing  his  apprenticeship  with  Con 
Schroeder.  After  three  months  of  work  as  a 
journeyman  he  abandoned  the  trade  and  began 
gardening  in  Green  Ridge,  gradually  drifting 
into  the  florist's  business. 

Morel  Brothers  own  a  garden  of  over  ten  acres 
in  the  city,  and  at  one  time  operated  thirty  acres, 
employing  twenty-five  hands  and  using  two  huck- 
ster's wagons  for  the  retail  trade.  They  own 
eight  houses,  and  are  recognized  as  prosperous 
and  successful  business  men.  In  addition  to  this 
business,  they  are  interested  in  the  Paragon  Plas- 
ter Company.  Fraternally  they  are  identified 
with  Celestial  Lodge  No.  833,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in 
Providence,  and  in  political  views  are  stanch 
Republicans.  While  they  are  not  identified  with 
any  denomination,  they  incline  toward  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  contribute  to 
its  enterprises. 


LEANDER  L  GRIFFIN,  of  Scranton, 
comes  of  an  old  and  respected  family  of 
the  Lackawanna  Valley,  who  were  origi- 
nally of  the  Society  of  Friends.  His  career  has 
had  much  of  struggle  with  adverse  circumstance, 
much  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  life,  but  being  of 
a  disposition  which  does  not  know  the  meaning 
of  the  word  "failure,"  he  would  not  allow  himself 
to  be  overcome  and  energetically  pressed  forward 
to  the  goal  of  success.  He  has  been  a  witness 
of  vast  changes  in  this  vicinity  and  lias  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  every  locality  in 
which  he  has  resided  for  any  length  of  time. 

The   Griffins  were   early  inhabitants   of  Con- 
necticut and  from  that  state  removed  to  Dutchess 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


899 


County.  N.  Y.,  where  the  birth  of  our  subject's 
grandfather,  Stephen  Griffin,  occurred.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  drover  by  occupation  and  about 
1810  he  settled  in  what  is  now  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty. Subsequently  his  brothers,  Joseph,  Thomas 
and  James,  and  a  sister,  ]\Irs.  Mead,  also  came 
here,  and  their  descendants  still  remain  in  this 
valley.  Stephen  married  Mary  Place,  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  daughter  of  a  pioneer  of  this 
county,  and  of  their  union  two  sons  were  born, 
Jackson  and  Egbert.  The  latter  went  to  the  west 
and  there  his  family  are  still  living.  Stephen 
Griffin  bought  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five acres,  situated  where  the  main  part  of 
Green  Ridge  now  lies  and  upon  this  property  he 
built  a  sawmill.  Some  years  later  he  erected  a 
sawmill  at  Bellevue.  In  order  to  raft  logs  down 
the  Lackawanna  to  the  Susquehanna  River  he 
was  obliged  to  have  some  blasting  of  rocks  done 
near  the  town  of  Babylon,  and  this  place  was 
named  therefore  "Quaker  Falls,"  in  reference  to 
his  creed.  He  always  wore  the  sombre  garb  and 
the  characteristic  wide-brimmed  hat  affected  by 
those  of  the  sect.  About  1835  he  went  further 
west,  and  died  soon  afterward  near  Evansville, 
Ind.,  being  then  forty-five  years  of  age.  He  had 
two  sons  and  eight  daughters,  all  of  whom  mar- 
ried and  reared  families. 

Jackson,  father  of  L.  L.  Griffin,  was  born  in 
Northeast,  N.  Y.,  and  was  a  mere  lad  when  he 
came  to  this  county.  On  arriving  at  man's  es- 
tate he  married  Charlotte  Prince,  who  was  born 
in  Connecticut.  Her  paternal  grandfather  was 
an  old  settler  in  that  state  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  War  of  1812.  For  six  years  or  so  Mr. 
Griffin  traveled  around  the  country,  selling  mer- 
chandise, having  his  home  in  Shrewsbury,  N.  J., 
and  then  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  here  became 
a  schoolteacher.  In  1835  he  moved  to  Plymouth, 
Luzerne  County,  and  it  was  while  there,  en- 
gaged as  a  teacher,  that  he  died,  in  1837.  His 
devoted  wife  died  in  1848  and  of  her  five  chil- 
dren only  two  survive. 

L.  L.  Griffin  was  born  in  Shrewsbury,  N.  J., 
September  i,  1830,  and  first  beheld  Scranton 
when  he  was  only  three  years  old.  His  schooling 
was  obtained  in  Plymouth  and  when  he  was 
about   sixteen   he  began   learning  the   carriage- 


maker's  trade  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  with  Isaac 
T.  Puterbaugh,  whom  he  served  faithfully  some 
three  years  and  a  half.  When  he  left  him  March 
22,  1849,  li^  li^ci  but  $3.75  in  the  world  and  was 
compelled  to  start  out  on  foot  and  walked  to  the 
New  York  state  line.  Then  for  two  years  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman,  going  from  place  to 
place  to  find  employment.  In  the  course  of  his 
traveling  he  landed  at  a  certain  cross-roads  south 
of  Scranton,  and  perceived  that  it  would  be  a 
good  point  at  which  to  open  a  store.  Going  to 
Philadelphia,  he  purchased  goods  at  No.  99  Mar- 
ket Street  and  when  the  merchant  inquired  about 
the  address  to  which  he  was  to  direct  the  freight, 
the  answer  was  that  there  was  no  name  yet  given 
to  the  aforesaid  cross-roads.  "Well,  call  the  place 
something,  if  only  after  Moscow,  where  the  great 
bell  is,"  and  Mr.  Griffin  replied,  "Moscow  it  is 
then,"  and  thus  the  future  town  was  named,  the 
postoffice  being  later  granted  under  the  same 
cognomen.  The  merchandise  had  to  be  drawn 
by  teams  from  Easton  north  to  the  destination 
and  when  it  safely  arrived  the  first  store  in  Mos- 
cow was  opened.  The  date  of  this  event  was  in 
1852  and  for  five  years  our  subject  conducted 
it  successfully.  When  the  railroad  went  through 
the  town  he  bought  the  site  and  laid  it  out  as  a 
village  and  after  obtaining  the  postoffice,  was 
made  its  first  postmaster,  and  so  acted  several 
years. 

In  1857  Mr.  Griffin  located  in  Scranton  and 
worked  at  his  trade,  having  a  shop  in  Hyde  Park, 
on  West  Lackawanna  Avenue,  for  over  eighteen 
years.  Being  then  a  little  tired  of  city  life  he 
went  upon  a  farm  near  Salem,  Wayne  County, 
and  spent  the  next  three  years  there,  after  which 
he  operated  another  farm  near  Hollister\'ille,  in 
the  same  county,  seven  years.  Upon  his  return  to 
this  city  he  built  a  good  residence  at  No.  223 
Madison  Avenue,  the  first  in  the  locality,  and 
afterward  put  up  the  adjoining  house  also.  For 
five  years  he  carried  on  a  shop  in  Green  Ridge, 
then  sold  out,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  picture  frames,  his 
shop  being  well  equipped.  Socially,  he  belongs 
to  Salem  Lodge  No.  330,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Salem, 
and  in  politics  he  is  a  loyal  Republican. 

In  1854,  in  Moscow,  Mr.  Griffin  married  Erne- 


900 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


line  Swartz,  a  native  of  Green  Ridge,  born  in 
1836.  Her  parents  were  George  and  Catherine 
(Biesecker)  Swartz,  both  born  in  Northampton 
County,  Pa.  Tlie  father  was  an  early  settler  in 
Green  Ridge  and  owned  a  farm  north  of  Market 
Street.  He  afterward  moved  to  Moscow,  where 
he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  Plve 
daughters  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffin, 
viz:  Ella,  Mrs.  Smith,  of  Scranton;  Carrie,  Mrs. 
West,  who  lives  on  a  farm  near  Hollisterville; 
Kate,  who  died  when  twenty-two;  Mrs.  Nettie 
Moore,  whose  husband  is  a  carpenter  at  Hollis- 
ter\'ille,  and  Hattie,  at  home.  Mr.  Griffin  is  a 
member  of  the  Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  is  a  class  leader,  and  has  been  connected 
with  this  denomination  for  upwards  of  forty 
years. 


GEORGE  MITCHELL,  president  of  the 
Pittston  stove  works  and  of  the  Scran- 
ton board  of  school  control,  was  born  in 
the  old  Knickerbocker  ward  of  New  York  city. 
May  3,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Janet 
(Ritchie)  Mitchell.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Capt.  George  Mitchell,  was  for  many  years  a 
sea  captain  in  the  African  trade,  and  while  thus 
engaged  his  ship,  with  all  on  board,  was  lost  off 
the  Island  of  Madagascar. 

A  native  of  Morayshire,  Scotland,  our  subject's 
father  came  to  America  a  young,  unmarried  man 
and  soon  became  interested  in  oil  refining  with 
his  uncle,  Robert  Hogg,  and  James  Donald, 
starting  a  plant  on  Newton  Creek,  Long  Island, 
and  building  up  the  works  under  the  firm  name 
of  James  Donald  &  Co.  The  business  was  finally 
sold  to  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  and  in  1873 
he  retired  from  active  labors,  though  continuing 
his  interest  in  public  affairs  and  his  connection 
with  official  life.  For  about  twelve  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  held  the  appointment  of  chief  in- 
spector of  oils  for  New  York  City,  where  he  was 
a  man  of  considerable  prominence  and  influence. 
Frequently  he  went  abroad,  each  time  spending 
several  months  in  England  and  on  the  continent, 
but  his  love  for  the  United  States  and  his  anxiety 
for  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  country  never 
waned.    Repeated  visits  to  the  old  world  seemed 


but  to  foster  his  love  for  the  new.  Like  many 
Scotchmen,  he  squared  his  life  by  the  doctrines 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  an  earnest 
member  of  that  denomination.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  New  York  City  in  1886  when  he  was 
about  sixty  years  of  age.  In  1875  occurred  the 
death  of  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  Linlithgow- 
shire, Scotland. 

The  family  of  George  and  Janet  Mitchell  con- 
sisted of  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  living, 
our  subject  being  the  oldest  of  the  number  and 
the  only  son.  He  was  educated  in  grammar 
schools  N0S.7  and  16, New  York  City, graduating 
from  the  latter.  In  1871  he  entered  the  College 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  but  after  conducting  his 
studies  there  for  some  months  left  in  order  to 
accompany  his  father  to  Europe  in  1872.  It  was 
the  intention  of  his  parents  to  have  him  take  up 
the  study  of  medicine  in  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh, and  with  this  purpose  in  view,  he  took  a 
preparatory  course  in  a  school  in  Dumfries-shire, 
where  he  remained  eighteen  months.  His  moth- 
er's ill  health,  however,  caused  an  entire  change 
in  his  plans  and  induced  him  to  return  to  Amer- 
ica, where  she  soon  afterward  died. 

The  first  business  enterprise  in  which  Mr. 
Mitchell  engaged  was  in  connection  with  a  large 
FVench  insurance  corporation,  which  established 
a  resident  office  in  New  York  and  tendered  him 
the  position  of  private  secretary.  Coming  to 
Scranton  in  1881,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
cracker  factory  of  Monies  &  Pughe,  situated  on 
Lackawanna  and  Washington  Avenues,  and  here 
he  carried  on  a  very  extensive  business  until  1891, 
when  he  sold  out.  He  manufactured  crackers 
upon  a  large  scale,  and  his  bakery  was  the  largest 
in  the  state  outside  of  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburg. 
In  1884  he  became  a  director  in  the  Pittston  Stove 
Company,  to  the  presidency  of  which  he  succeed- 
ed in  1891,  upon  retiring  from  the  cracker  busi- 
ness. The  headquarters  of  the  company  are  at 
Pittston,  to  which  city  he  goes  daily.  The  plant 
was  establishe  '  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  and 
is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  substantial  in  that 
section  of  the  state.  The  work  is  done  within 
one  building,  a  brick  structure,  300x50  feet  in 
dimensions,  where  are  manufactured  stoves  and 
ranges,  a  specialty  being  made   of  the   "Happy 


0 1^ 

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i 

DANIEL  LANGSTAFF. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


903 


Thought."    In  busy  seasons  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  hands  are  employed. 

In  Scranton,  in  1881,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Mitchell  to  Miss  Martha,  daughter  of  Col. 
William  Monies,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the 
sketch  of  A.  C.  Monies.  Mrs.  Mitchell  was  born 
in  Carbondale  and  is  the  mother  of  three  children, 
Janet,  William  and  Mildred.  In  1887  our  subject 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  school  con- 
trol, but  on  the  re-enactment  of  the  former  law 
regarding  such  offices  his  predecessor  took  his 
place.  On  his  death  Mr.  Mitchell  was  appointed 
to  fill  the  vacancy,  later  was  elected,  and  then  re- 
elected in  1890  and  1894,  receiving  his  largest  ma- 
jority the  last  named  year.  In  1892  and  again 
in  1896  he  was  made  president  of  the  board,  and 
for  two  years  held  the  chairmanship  of  the  high 
school  committee,  and  at  other  times  served  on 
different  committees.  Politically  he  has  always 
advocated  the  principles  for  which  the  Republic- 
an party  stands.  He  was  secretary  of  the  poor 
board  for  one  term  and  its  treasurer  two  terms. 
In  the  county  committee  of  his  party  he  has  done 
active  work.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  in  religious  connections  is  a  member  of  Green 
Ridge  Presbyterian  Church. 


DANIEL  LANGSTAFF.  Through  the 
course  of  his  long  and  honorable  life, 
which  has  covered  the  greater  part  of  the 
century  now  drawing  to  a  close,  Mr.  Langstafi: 
has  proved  himself  to  be  a  pubHc-spirited  and  up- 
right man — one  who,  knowing  his  duty  to  his 
fellownien,  has  striven  to  discharge  every  duty 
that,  as  a  citizen,  rested  upon  him  in  his  inter- 
course with  others.  In  1849  he  first  came  to  the 
valley  and  two  years  later  he  settled  permanently 
in  Scranton,  where  for  many  years  he  was  inter- 
ested in  mines  and  mining.  Since  retiring  from 
business  he  has  devoted  his  time  to  the  super- 
vision of  his  private  financial  interests  and  to  trav- 
el, for  his  ample  means  permit  the  gratification  of 
his  desire  to  visit  points  of  interest  and  to  seek 
physical  invigoration  in  congenial  climates. 

The  Langstaff  family  originated  in  England, 
where  they  v/ere  people  of  wealth  and  influence. 
John,  father  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  that  country, 
38 


and  on  completing  his  education  traveled  in 
South  America,  then  came  to  New  York,  where 
he  became  an  instructor  in  music.  In  that  city 
and  Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  he  spent  sixteen  years  in 
professional  work,  after  which  he  retired.  In 
1837  he  established  his  home  in  South  Montrose, 
Susquehanna  County,  where  he  died  three  years 
later.  Flis  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Rachael  Bush,  was  born  in  Stroudsburg,  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family  that  originated 
in  Germany.  She  was  a  lady  of  consistent  Chris- 
tian character,  a  Methodist  in  religious  belief, 
and  in  that  faith  passed  from  earth  in  1853,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years.  She  was  the  mother  of 
four  sons  and  two  daughters  who  attained  years 
of  maturity:  John,  who  was  a  captain  during  the 
Civil  War  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Washington, 
N.  J.;  Daniel;  Levi,  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
Union  army  and  now  lives  in  Dubuque,  Iowa; 
Thomas,  who  died  in  Rockford,  111.;  Mrs.  Sarah 
Culver,  of  Mineral  Point;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Ster- 
ling, of  Oneonta,  N.  Y. 

During  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  Strouds- 
burg Daniel  Langstaff  was  born  April  6,  1828. 
On  completing  a  public-school  education,  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  was 
employed  from  the  time  he  was  fifteen.  In  1849 
he  came  to  Providence,  now  a  part  of  Scranton, 
and  worked  at  his  trade,  but  the  following  year 
went  to  Hawley,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  build- 
ing cars  for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company. 
Returning  to  Scranton  in  1851,  he  secured  em- 
ployment with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  and  assisted  in  finishing  their 
shop  and  turntable,  and  helped  to  build  their  first 
car.  In  1861  he  was  given  the  position  of  outside 
foreman  at  the  Hyde  Park  shaft  and  remained 
there  for  two  years,  with  the  exception  of  the 
time  spent  in  the  army. 

During  the  progress  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr. 
Langstaff  responded  to  an  emergency  call  for  ad- 
ditional troops,  and  in  1862  enlisted  with  the 
Keystone  Guard,  of  which  his  brother,  John  P., 
was  captain.  He  was  stationed  at  Hackettstown 
and  Newcastle  for  ninety  days,  holding  the  rank 
of  second  lieutenant  under  commission  by  Gov- 
ernor Curtin.  When  the  company  was  mustered 
out,  he  returned  to  his  home.  In  1864  he  was 
made  superintendent  of  the  Diamond  mines  of 


904 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  with  two 
large  breakers  in  his  charge,  and  cointinued  con- 
stantly in  this  position  for  twenty-four  years, 
when  he  resigned,  being  succeeded  by  his  son, 
W.  S.  Mctintime,  during  the  years  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Diamond  mines,  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  firm  of  Tripp  &  Co.,  engaged  in  the 
retail  coal  business  in  Providence  road.  On  re- 
tiring from  the  mines,  he  turned  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  the  superintending  of  the  retail  business 
and  of  the  old  Tripp  mine,  remaining  in  that  posi- 
tion until  August,  1895. 

The  property  interests  of  Mr.  Langstaff  are  val- 
uable, comprising  his  residence  at  No.  loi  Mul- 
berry Street,  Scranton;  other  property  in  this 
city;  and  a  summer  residence  adjoining  the  Key- 
stone Academy,  in  Factoryville,  on  the  county 
line  of  Wyoming  and  Lackawanna.  He  is  fond 
of  fine  horses  and  owns  "Russell,"  a  Kentucky 
standard-bred  horse,  with  a  record  of  2:24,  said  to 
be  the  finest,  fastest  and  prettiest  horse  in  Wyom- 
ing County.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  pro- 
nounced Republican,  never  veering  from  party 
principles,  but  at  all  times  an  active  worker  in  its 
interests.  For  a  term  of  four  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  school  control,  during  which 
time  he  assisted  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the 
public  schools.  For  eighteen  years  he  has  been 
a  trustee  of  the  Penn  Avenue  Baptist  Church, 
with  which  his  wife  is  also  identified. 

At  Montrose,  Pa.,  in  June,  185 1,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  LangstafT  and  Miss  S.  E.  Ship- 
man,  who  was  born  in  that  place.  They  are  the 
parents  of  three  children.  William  S.,  the  eldest, 
is  superintendent  of  the  Diamond  mines  and 
member  of  the  board  of  school  control  of  Scran- 
ton.. Edward,  who  was  engaged  as  an  engineer 
in  South  America  for  two  years,  is  at  present  em- 
ployed in  that  capacity  with  the  Kings  County 
Elevated  Road.  Cornelia,  the  only  daughter,  was 
given  the  best  educational  advantages  the  schools 
of  this  district  afiforded,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Keystone  Academy  and  Bloomsburg  Normal; 
she  is  now  the  wife  of  O.  B.  Schreifer,  president 
of  the  board  of  school  control  and  superintendent 
of  the  coal  way-bill  office  of  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Company  at  Scranton. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Langstaff,  William  Shipman, 


was  born  in  Chester,  Conn.,  and  was  a  carpenter 
and  builder  by  trade.  In  youth  he  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  company  with  other  members  of  the 
family,  making  the  journey  by  wagon  and  team 
and  making  their  way  along  the  trackless  country 
and  through  valleys,  guided  only  by  the  blazed 
trees  at  infrequent  intervals.  Reaching  Susque- 
hanna County,  they  settled  there  and  established 
their  home  in  a  log  house.  William  Shipman  con- 
tinued to  reside  there  until  his  death  at  eighty-two 
years  of  age.  His  wife,  Sarah  Vaughn,  was  born 
in  Rhode  Island  and  died  in  Susquehanna  County 
at  seventy-five  years.  She  was  a  descendant  of 
Revolutionary  patriots  and  a  daughter  of  Jona- 
than Vaughn,  a  farmer  and  pioneer  of  Susque- 
hanna County;  her  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Capt.  Henry  W.  Congdon,  an  old  sailor. 


BENJAMIN  J.  CANNON,  proprietor  of  the 
only  drug  store  in  the  village  of  Moscow, 
was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
23,  1839,  the  son  of  Wait  and  Sarah  (Janes)  Can- 
non. His  father,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Delaware  County,  engaged  in  the  mercantile  and 
lumber  business  in  Masonville  until  1842,  when 
he  came  to  Blakely,  Pa.,  and  embarked  in  the 
hotel  business.  Later  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming.  Politically  he  was  a  firm  defender 
of  Jeffersonian  principles  and  always  voted  the 
Democratic  ticket.  While  residing  in  Masonville 
he  held  the  positions  of  postmaster  and  town- 
ship clerk  and  after  coming  to  this  county  served 
as  school  director.  In  early  years  he  did  con- 
siderable work  as  a  surveyor.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Moscow  in  1868,  when  he  was  seventy- 
one  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in 
Northfield,  Mass.,  died  in  Blakely  Township  in 
1880,  aged  seventy-six.  Both  were  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

When  three  years  of  age  our  subject  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Blakely,  Pa.,  and  later 
accompanied  them  to  Providence,  growing  to 
manhood  on  a  farm  and  obtaining  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  Wyoming  Seminary  at 
Kingston.  In  1866,  forming  a  partnership  with 
his  brother,  he  opened  a  drug  store  in  Hyde  Park 
and  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year  purchased 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


905 


his  brother's  interest,  carrying  on  the  store  alone 
about  two  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  came  to 
Moscow,  where  he  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising for  a  year,  then  going  to  Deckertown,  N.J., 
carried  on  a  drug  business  there  for  three  years 
with  his  brother,  F.  M.  Cannon,  M.  D.  Later  he 
spent  seven  years  in  Drinker,  Pa.  In  1885  he 
again  came  to  Moscow  and  opened  a  drug  store, 
which  he  has  since  conducted. 

December  9,  1868,  Mr.  Cannon  married  Miss 
Mary  Elizabeth  Hines,  who  was  born  July  7, 
1 85 1,  and  died  April  16,  1895,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren: Mary  E.,  wife  of  John  Scott,  of  this  place; 
Sarah  Janes  and  Florence  E.,  who  remain  with 
their  father;  and  Charles  A.,  who  graduated  from 
Brooklyn  (N.  Y.)  College  of  Pharmacy  and  is 
now  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Long  Island 
City.  Active  in  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Can- 
non was  postmaster  at  Drinker  for  five  years,  re- 
signing upon  his  removal  from  that  place.  He 
has  also  been  township  clerk  and  has  represented 
his  party  as  delegate  to  various  conventions.  In 
religious  belief  he  holds  connection  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of 
America,  Camp  No.  248.  When  the  war  opened 
he  was  teaching  school  in  this  county,  but  in  1864 
he  went  south  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the 
service.  Instead,  however,  he  took  a  clerkship 
in  the  quartermaster's  department  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  and  the  following  year  was  transferred 
to  a  commissary  store  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  where  he 
remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  During 
the  summer  of  1865  he  clerked  in  the  Monu- 
mental Hotel  at  Richmond,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  the  north.  He  has  been  a  hard-work- 
ing man,  anxious  to  build  up  a  good  business  and 
accumulate  a  competency,  and  is  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  efficient  and  enterprising  business 
men  of  the  village. 


M' 


ICHAEL  F.  WYMBS.  Success  in  busi- 
ness can  be  secured  by  tireless  energy 
and  unwearied  industry,  and  it  is  to  these 
qualities  that  Mr.  Wymbs  owes  the  large  measure 
of  prosperity  which  has  come  to  him.  In  1897  he 
located    his    present  undertaking   and  livery  es- 


tablishment at  No.  1 1 12  Jackson  Street,  Scran- 
ton,  where  he  has  three  stories  and  basement,  25X 
150  feet  in  dimensions,  and  a  barn  55x85  feet, 
both  of  brick.  In  1894  he  located  a  branch  of  his 
undertaking  establishment  at  No.  226  Wyoming 
Avenue,  Scranton,  where  he  has  three  stories  and 
basement,  50x49  feet  in  dimensions,  and  a  barn 
erected  by  himself  in  the  rear.  His  show  and 
stock  room  is  among  the  best  equipped  in  the 
city,  and  he  carries  on  the  largest  business  of  its 
kind  in  the  city.  In  everything  pertaining  to  his 
business  he  maintains  a  warm  interest.  He  took 
a  course  in  Professor  Renard's  school  at  Phila- 
delphia, from  which  he  graduated.  He  is  well 
fitted  by  study  and  experience  for  his  chosen  oc- 
cupation, and  his  strict  attention  to  business  has 
brought  him  a  good  share  of  worldly  prosperity. 


STEPHEN  E.  AKERLEY,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  deservedly  successful  business 
men  of  Scranton.  He  was  born  in  Justus, 
Scott  Township,  this  county,  June  28,  1864,  and 
was  a  son  of  Levi  and  Sarah  (Slocum)  Akerley, 
natives  of  the  same  township  as  himself.  His 
maternal  grandfather,  Ebenezer  Slocum,  was 
born  in  the  old  village  of  Slocum's  Hollow,  and 
was  a  great-nephew  of  a  lady  who  was  captured 
by  the  Indians  during  the  wars  with  the  savages 
in  the  early  history  of  Pennsylvania.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Justus  Akerley,  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  settled  in  the  Lackawanna  Valley 
when  all  around  there  was  but  a  bare  wilderness. 
There  he  built  a  log  house  and  reared  a  large 
family.  In  his  honor  the  postoffice  established 
there  was  named  Justus,  and  one  of  his  sons, 
Loran,  acted  as  the  first  postmaster.  On  arriv- 
ing at  manhood,  Levi  Akerley  bought  a  farm 
near  the  old  homestead,  but  afterward  removed 
to  Wallsville,  this  county,  where  he  spent  three 
years.  His  next  home  was  in  South  Abington 
Township,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  resided 
for  thirteen  years.  Later  he  settled  near  Clarks 
Green.  In  March,  1882,  at  the  age  of  forty-four, 
he  died  from  the  effects  of  a  stroke  of  paralysis. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  responded  to  the  emer- 
gency call  and  served  in  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment.   His  widow  is  now  living  in  Oregon. 


go6 


PORTR.\IT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  next  to  the 
eldest  of  four  children.  In  boyhood  he  attended 
the  district  schools  and  Keystone  Academy.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  came  to  Providence  and 
was  employed  by  William  Pearce  at  the  old 
Pearce  market.  In  1882  he  started  in  the  meat 
business  for  himself,  hauling  the  meat  by  wagon 
from  South  Abington  Township.  The  following 
year  he  moved  to  Scott  Township  and  drove  a 
wagon  from  there  to  Scranton.  In  1883  he  bought 
a  forty-acre  farm  in  Justus,  which  is  the  best  in 
the  locality.  In  1890  he  established  a  market 
in  Olyphant,  in  July  of  the  following  year  opened 
a  market  in  Scranton,  and  these  he  afterward  con- 
ducted, besides  having  a  slaughter  house  in  Oly- 
phant. He  carried  on  a  large  wholesale  business, 
and  cattle  were  shipped  here  direct  from  the  west. 

While  Mr.  Akerley  met  with  much  success,  he 
had  some  reverses,  the  principal  one  being  by 
fire.  January  3,  1895,  a  cold,  blustery  night,  when 
the  ground  was  covered  with  snow,  a  fire  broke 
out  about  3  a.  m.  The  family  were  then  living 
above  the  store,  and  awakened  in  time  to  escape 
with  their  lives,  but  without  clothing  or  any  of 
the  household  belongings.  Some  money  was 
lost  in  the  fire,  but  $93  in  silver  was  saved.  The 
family  ran,  barefooted,  to  the  nearest  shelter  and 
were  made  as  comfortable  as  possible.  In  the 
morning  Mr.  Akerley  looked  up  another  place 
of  business,  bought  a  right  of  lease,  issued  circu- 
lars stating  his  new  location,  and  at  9:30  the  next 
morning  w'as  at  the  new  stand  selling  meat.  On 
the  1st  of  April  he  began  to  build  at  the  old  place 
and  moved  to  the  market  on  its  completion.  He 
was  always  a  hard-working  man,  and  during  his 
first  years  in  business  never  put  in  less  than  eigh- 
teen hours  of  work  per  day.  During  his  lifetime 
the  business  was  put  upon  a  sound  financial 
basis  so  that,  in  his  latter  years,  it  was  no  longer 
necessary  for  him  to  over-exert  himself  in  its  be- 
half. 

In  Scott  Township  Mr.  Akerley  married  Au- 
gusta C,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Brit- 
ton)  Fike,  who  lived  upon  a  farm  there 
for  many  years.  In  the  Fike  family  there 
were  three  daughters,  Augusta  C,  Efifie  (de- 
ceased), and  Elizabeth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ak- 
erley   were     the      parents     of    three     children. 


Mabel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years;  Lena 
and  Pearl.  In  the  Primitive  Baptist  Church  Mr. 
Akerley  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees. 
Politically  he  favored  protection  of  home  inter- 
ests and  sound  money,  and  therefore  gave  his  al- 
legiance to  the  Republican  party.  He  died  Janu- 
ary 5,  1897.  In  his  death  the  city  lost  one  of  her 
best  citizens,  and  the  family  a  devoted  husband 
and  loving  father.  His  widow  now  resides  in 
Olyphant. 


RENSSELAER  H.  PAGE  has  for  some 
time  held  the  responsible  position  of  fore- 
man of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  foundry  at  Scranton,  and  is  one  of  the 
trusted  employes  of  the  great  corporation.  A 
business  man  of  this  city  since  1866,  he  has 
gained  a  large  acquaintance  among  the  people 
here  and  is  known  as  a  reliable  workman,  good 
neighbor,  public-spirited  citizen  and  accommo- 
dating friend.  He  is  a  brother  of  Enoch  Page, 
the  contractor,  to  whose  sketch  upon  another 
page  the  reader  is  referred  for  particulars  re- 
garding the  family  history. 

The  youngest  child  of  his  parents,  the  subject 
of  this  article  was  born  in  Chatham,  Columbia 
County,  N.  Y.,  July  7,  1842,  and  in  that  place  the 
first  eight  years  of  his  life  were  passed.  The 
family  removing  to  Albany,  he  was  placed  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city,  where  he  was  a  pupil 
for  some  years.  Later  he  attended  Chatham 
Seminary.  In  boyhood,  under  the  supervision  of 
his  father,  he  learned  the  moulder's  trade,  of 
which  he  early  gained  a  thorough  knowledge 
that  made  him  an  excellent  v\'orkman.  In  1866 
he  came  to  Scranton,  where  his  brother,  Enoch, 
had  settled  about  six  months  previous  to  his  ar- 
rival. For  about  twenty-four  years  he  worked 
industriously  at  his  trade,  meantime  accumulat- 
ing a  competency  through  the  judicious  invest- 
ment of  his  earnings.  Since  1892  he  has  been 
foreman  of  the  foundry  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company.  Some  years  ago 
lie  built  a  residence  at  Clarks  Summit,  and  there 
he  has  since  made  his  home,  though  always  en- 
gaging in  business  in  Scranton. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Page  was  solemnized  in 


CHARLRS  W.  RORSLRR. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


909 


Hoboken,  N.  J.,  and  united  him  with  Lizzie  Nor- 
ton, who  was  born  in  Scranton,  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  Norton,  a  blacksmith  here  in  former 
years.  While  the  demands  of  his  position  leave 
him  little  time  for  outside  matters,  yet  Mr.  Page 
keeps  well  posted  concerning  current  events  and 
is  an  advocate  of  the  Republican  party,  while  in 
his  fraternal  relations  he  is  connected  with  the 
Heptasophs.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any  de- 
nomination, but  contributes  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  is  an  attendant  at  its  ser- 
vices. 


CHARLES  W.  ROESLER.  In  order  to 
better  preserve  the  history  of  one  who 
bore  a  very  important  part  in  laying  the 
solid  foundation  of  Scranton's  prosperity,  a  rec- 
ord of  the  life  of  C.  W.  Roesler  is  placed  upon 
the  pages  of  this  volume.  One  of  the  early  resi- 
dents of  the  city,  for  many  years  he  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  its  growth,  and  by 
his  efforts  to  advance  its  commercial,  educational 
and  civic  interests,  he  has  done  much  to  bring  it 
to  its  present  standing  as  one  of  the  foremost 
cities  of  the  state.  To  him  belongs  the  credit  of 
having  originated  the  fire  department  and  ren- 
dered the  police  service  more  effective.  His 
character  may  be  viewed  from  two  aspects,  one 
presenting  him  as  an  aggressive,  enterprising 
man,  carefully  weighing  grave  commercial  prob- 
lems, the  other  showing  him  as  a  lover  of  birds 
and  plants  and  bright  blooming  flowers,  lavish- 
ing upon  them  the  greatest  care  and  giving  them 
sunny  quarters  in  his  home  in  Franklin  Avenue. 
In  Dertingen  oberaut  Maulbronn,  Wurtem- 
berg,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  April 
9,  1822,  to  Charles  W.  and  Katherine  (Heimber- 
ger)  Roesler.  natives  of  Dertingen  and  Poffen- 
hofen,  Wurtemberg.  His  father,  who  was  a  clas- 
sical scholar  and  theologian,  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  chief  forester  to  the  king  and  was 
very  successful  in  his  official  capacity.  Upon  his 
death  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven,  a  son-in-law, 
Frederick  Heisler,  succeeded  to  the  place.  The 
paternal  grandfather.  Rev.  Gottlieb  Roesler,  was 
a  minister  in  the  Lutheran  Church  and  was  pas- 


tor at  Brockenheim  until  he  was  retired  as  a 
pensioner  in  old  age.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
Jacob  Heimberger,  was  a  justice  and  notary  at 
Dertingen  until  his  death  at  eighty  years. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  five  children, 
namely:  Mrs.  Caroline  Heimberger;  Charles 
W. ;  August,  who  joined  the  Mexican  army  from 
New  York,  but  never  returned  home;  Adolph, 
who  is  living  retired  in  Athens,  Ala.;  and  Paul- 
ina, Mrs.  Heisler.  Our  subject  was  reared  in 
his  father's  home  and  received  his  education  in 
a  Latin  school,  after  which  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  a  general  store  for  two  years.  In  1838 
he  came  to  America  on  the  sailer  "Constitution," 
which  made  the  voyage  from  Bremenhaven  to 
New  York  in  fifty  days.  In  vain  endeavoring  to 
secure  work,  he  was  finally  advised  to  learn  the 
barber's  trade,  and  as  there  seemed  no  other  open- 
ing, he  apprenticed  himself  for  four  years  to  Mr. 
Harrison,  a  barber  in  Pearl  Street.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service,  he  opened  a  shop 
in  Christopher  Street,  which  he  carried  on  for 
two  years.  In  1846  he  went  to  Carbondale,  Pa., 
where  he  opened  a  barber  shop,  and  in  1852  re- 
moved from  there  to  Scranton,  opening  a  shop 
in  the  Wyoming  House,  and  building  a  house  on 
the  present  site  of  Elk's  Hotel.  He  was  the  first 
white" barber  in  this  city,  and  was  successful  from 
the  first,  having  all  the  business  he  could  attend 
to. 

In  1856  Mr.  Roesler  was  elected  high  constable 
for  the  borough  of  Scranton  and  held  that  posi- 
tion until  the  city  was  incorporated,  being  espe- 
cially busy  during  the  period  of  the  Rebellion. 
He  was  the  first  chief  of  police  here,  and  held 
the  position  until  the  incorporation  of  the  city. 
A  few  years  later  he  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Hartranft  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Mr. 
Loomis,  after  which  he  continued  to  serve  for 
three  terms  by  re-election,  holding  the  office  un- 
til 1890.  Meantime  he  also  served  for  four  years 
as  chief  of  the  fire  department,  which  he  origin- 
ated. He  organized  the  first  company,  Neptune 
Flook  &  Ladder  No.  i,  of  which  he  was  fore- 
man during  and  after  the  war,  and  with  which  he 
is  still  connected.  The  citizens  of  Scranton  elect- 
ed him  city  marshal  and  he  filled  the  office  for 


QIO 


PORTRAIT   AND    mOnRAPTITfAT.    RECORD. 


two  years.  At  one  time  he  was  chosen  to  serve 
as  a  member  of  tlie  city  council,  but  resigned 
to  accept  the  appointment  of  chief  of  poHcc. 
Since  i8go  he  has  been  a  notary  public  and  con- 
veyancer. 

In  New  York  City  Mr.  Roesler  married  Miss 
Mary  J.  Bell,  who  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  accompanied  her 
father,  John  Bell,  to  America,  the  latter  becom- 
ing a  jeweler  in  New  York  City;  her  mother  was 
a  Miss  Fulton,  a  relative  of  Robert  Fulton.  Mrs. 
Roesler  passed  away  in  1887,  having  become  the 
mother  of  five  children:  Washington  W.,  a  ma- 
chinist, died  in  Scranton,  leaving  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  Lillie  J.  Frankland,  of  Seattle,  Wash.;  Jef- 
ferson L.,  a  constable,  died  in  this  city  in  1895, 
leaving  two  children,  Charles  W.,  who  died  in 
June,  1896,  and  ]Mary  J.,  who  resides  with  our 
subject;  Caroline,  Mrs.  Stebler,  died  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ;  Robert  J.  J.,  who  was  a  machinist, 
died  here,  as  did  also  Charles  William,  Jr. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Roesler  is  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  Alliance  Lodge  No.  540,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  is  very  prominent  in  Masonry,  being  con- 
nected with  P.  M.  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  in  w^hich  he  is  treasurer  and  next  to  the 
oldest  member;  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185, 
H.  R.  A.  M.;  Coeur  de  Lion  Commandery  No. 
17,  K.  T. ;  Keystone  Consistory,  Thirty-second 
Degree,  Northern  Masonic  Jurisdiction,  in  which 
he  is  illustrious  treasurer;  and  Lu-Lu  Temple, 
A.  A.  O.  N.  of  M.  S.  of  Philadelphia.  While  not 
a  mem.ber  of  any  denomination,  his  inclinations 
are  in  the  direction  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in 
wdiich  faith  he  was  reared.  Politically  a  Repub- 
lican, he  has  served  on  county  and  city  commit- 
tees, and  upon  that  ticket  has  been  elected  to  the 
various  local  offices  which  at  different  times  he 
has  held. 


^  T  7  ILLIAM  HENRY  DECKER,  a  life- 
\/\/  long  resident  of  Lackawanna  County. 
'  '  with  residence  and  place  of  business  at 
No.  311  North  Tlydc  Park  Avenue,  Scranton,  was 
born  in  what  is  now  Priceburg,  in  tlie  borough  of 
Dickson  City,  Pa.,  January  14,  1836.  He  is  of 
direct  Holland-Dutch  descent,   his  great-grand- 


father, Nicholas  Decker,  having  inmiigrated  to 
this  country  from  Amsterdam  and  settled  at  Co- 
pake,  N.  v.,  shortly  afterward  w'ith  three  of  his 
sons  participating  in  the  War  of  1812.  One  of 
these  sons,  Gideon,  was  killed  in  the  gunpowder 
])lot;  another,  George,  was  a  commissioned  offi- 
cer and  was  always  called  "colonel;"  and  the 
third,  Abraham,  was  our  subject's  grandfather. 
The  last-named  married  the  daughter  of  William 
Moore,  of  German  descent,  and  in  1821  settled  in 
Pittston  Township,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  purchased  and  improved  a  farm.  In  advanced 
years  he  came  to  Hyde  Park  and  here  died. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George,  was  born 
near  Hillsdale,  on  the  Hudson  River,  in  New 
York,  May  25,  1814,  and  in  1821  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Pennsylvania.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  was  apprenticed  to  D.  Brown,  of  Priceburg, 
with  whom  he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
For  a  time  he  had  a  shop  there,  then  removed  to 
what  is  now  Jermyn  and  engaged  in  business 
there  for  four  years.  April  i,  1839,  he  settled  in 
Hyde  Park  before  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company's  furnace  v\'as  started.  His  first  shop 
was  in  wdiat  is  now  North  Main  Avenue,  but 
later  he  was  on  South  Main  Avenue  for  a  year, 
returning  thence  to  his  former  place.  In  1849  lis 
built  in  Main  Avenue  and  in  1856  put  up  a  shop 
in  Lafayette  Street,  where  he  continued  in  busi- 
ness until  he  retired.  At  difTerent  times  he  was 
school  and  poor  director  in  Hyde  Park  and  was 
also  a  member  of  the  old  borough  council.  In 
June,  1857,  he  joined  Capouse  Lodge,  I.  O.  O. 
1".,  and  later  became  identified  with  the  encamp- 
ment. Politically  he  has  always  been  a  Demo- 
crat. Notwithstanding  his  advanced  age,  he  is 
quite  strong,  retaining  to  a  large  degree  the  pos- 
session of  his  physical  and  mental  activities. 

Catherine  Snyder,  mother  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died  in 
July,  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  She  was  of 
German  descent  and  a  daughter  of  John  I.  Sny- 
der, who  served  in  the  War  of  181 2,  came  to 
Pennsylvania  about  1831  and  settled  at  Blakely, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death  at 
eighty-one  years.  Eleven  children  were  born  to 
(ieorge  and  Catherine  Decker,  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing attained  mature  years:    William  Henry; 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


911 


Catherine,  Mrs.  Evan  S.  Jones,  of  Scranton ;  Mar- 
tin M.,  a  blacksmith  in  this  city;  Harriet,  Mrs. 
A.  P.  Vining,  of  Broome  County,  N.  Y.;  Mary, 
Mrs.  Henry  Earley,  who  died  in  Scranton;  Mrs. 
Eliza  Goble,  who  died  in  this  city;  George  W., 
an  engineer  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road;  and  Ella,  widow  of  Thomas 
Tague,  of  Scranton. 

When  our  subject  was  a  boy  there  were  only 
a  few  houses  in  Hyde  Park  and  very  little  busi- 
ness was  done.  Teaming  was  extensive,  as  every- 
thing was  hauled  by  wagon  from  Kingston  to 
Carbondale.  For  a  time  he  attended  school  in  a 
building  occupying  the  present  site  of  the  Simp- 
son Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  this  build- 
ing still  stands,  having  been  removed  to  another 
place  and  remodeled  for  a  residence.  From  boy- 
hood he  was  accustomed  to  assist  his  father  in  the 
Jjlacksmith  shop  and  early  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  business.  He  still  has,  as  a 
prized  possession,  the  first  anvil  his  father  used 
on  going  into  business  for  himself.  In  July,  185 1, 
he  became  connected  with  the  business  and  five 
years  later  was  made  his  father's  partner,  contin- 
uing in  that  connection  until  1868,  when  he  gave 
his  interest  to  a  brother.  For  two  years  he  was 
connected  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road.  In  January,  1886,  he  built  his 
present  place  at  No.  311  North  Hyde  Park  Ave- 
nue and  is  the  principal  horse-shoer  in  this  local- 
ity. He  assisted  in  starting  the  first  building  and 
loan  association  in  Hyde  Park  and  in  other  ways 
has  promoted  local  enterprises. 

In  Brewerton,  N.  Y.,  February  16,  1856,  Mr. 
Decker  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fan- 
nie Shafer,  who  was  born  in  Rome,  that  state. 
Her  father,  David  Shafer,  M.  D.,  was  born  in 
Dutchess  County,  and  engaged  in  practice  in 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  but  finally  retired  from  the  pro- 
fession and  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  died. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Decker  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren: Frank  L.,  who  is  with  the  New  Jersey 
Central  Railroad;  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-eight;  Addie,  Mrs.  B.  E.  Clark,  of  this 
city;  and  W.  H.,  Jr.,  who  assists  his  father  in  the 
shop.  In  March,  1866,  Mr.  Decker  was  made  a 
member  of  the  council  of  Hyde  Park  borough. 
In  June  of  the  same  year  Scranton  was  incor- 


porated as  a  city,  but  by  act  of  legislature  the 
borough  was  continued.  In  1872  he  was  made 
secretary  of  the  council,  and  continued  to  serve 
in  that  capacity  until  December,  1896,  when  it 
ceased  to  exist.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
Hiram  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  a  member  of 
Capouse  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  until  1880,  when  it 
surrendered  its  charter.  This  lodge  he  represent- 
ed in  the  grand  lodge  in  1864-65,  and  he  was  also 
a  member  of  the  encampment.  Reared  in  the 
Democratic  faith,  he  voted  that  ticket  many  years, 
but  for  some  time  has  been  independent  in  poli- 
tics; at  recent  presidential  elections,  instead  of 
supporting  Grover  Cleveland,  he  voted  the  Pro- 
hibition ticket.  He  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Franklin  Hose  Company.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  characteristics  of  Mr.  Decker  is  his 
memory,  which  is  extraordinary,  enabling  him  to 
recall  events  long  past  with  an  accuracy  and  min- 
uteness of  detail  seldom  found.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  he  has  lived  in  this  locality  for  so  many 
years,  this  trait  makes  him  an  especially  interest- 
ing companion  for  one  who  is  desirous  of  learn- 
ing the  early  history  of  the  city. 


JOHN  NELSON.  Of  the  public  positions 
connected  with  the  management  of  munic- 
ipal afifairs  there  are  few  more  responsible 
than  that  of  building  inspector,  for  to  this  official 
must  be  submitted  for  approval  all  plans  and 
specifications  for  buildings,  both  public  and  pri- 
vate. During  the  period  in  which  he  has  served 
in  this  capacity,  Mr.  Nelson  has  granted  three 
thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty  permits  for  the 
erection  of  buildings  in  Scranton  and  has  per- 
sonally investigated  all  work  of  this  kind  done 
in  the  city.  The  result  is  that  the  buildings  are 
substantial  in  character  and  constructed  of  excel- 
lent material. 

The  Nelson  (or  Neilson,  as  the  name  was  orig- 
inally spelled)  family  originated  in  the  north  of 
Scotland,  though  the  last  few  generations  have 
resided  in  southern  shires.  Thomas,  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  at  Leadhills,  Lanarkshire, 
and  was  the  son  of  Richard,  a  native  of  the  same 
place  and  for  many  years  connected  with  the  lead 
mining  interests  there.     He  also  became  inter- 


912 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ested  in  mining  and  settled  in  the  shire  of  Dum- 
fries, where  he  married  Margaret  Morton,  daugh- 
ter of  WilHam  Morton,  a  merchant.  About  1853 
he  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Canada,  landing 
in  Quebec  after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  from 
Glasgow  in  a  sailing  vessel.  On  reaching  his 
destination,  he  secured  work  in  the  Bruce  cop- 
per mines,  and  there  remained  until  his  death  a 
year  later.  His  widow  then  returned  with  her 
children  to  the  old  home  in  Scotland,  where  she 
has  since  resided,  respected  by  all  who  know  her, 
and  a  faithful  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  She  was  born  in  1826  and  is  still  in  full 
possession  of  all  her  faculties,  in  spite  of  her  ad- 
vanced age.  Of  her  four  children,  all  sons,  three 
are  living,  John  being  the  eldest  of  the  family  and 
the  only  one  in  America. 

Bom  in  Moniaive,  a  little  village  situated  in 
the  mountainous  shire  of  Dumfries,  May  4,  1846, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
local  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  began  a 
five  years'  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's  trade. 
On  the  conclusion  of  that  time,  he  was  engaged 
in  journeyman  work  in  his  native  shire,  but  be- 
lieving he  would  be  better  able  to  succeed  in 
America,  early  in  the  spring  of  1870  he  took 
passage  on  a  steamer  bound  for  New  York  City. 
Arriving  there,  he  spent  eighteen  days  in  the 
city  and  then  came  to  Scranton,  beginning  work 
at  his  trade.  Soon  he  commenced  as  a  contrac- 
tor and  builder,  having  his  shop  and  office  in 
Hyde  Park  until  he  was  appointed  to  the  position 
of  building  inspector.  Among  the  buildings  for 
which  he  had  the  contract  were  the  Hyde  Park 
Catholic  Church,  a  church  in  Plymouth,  and  the 
residences  of  Richard  O'Brien,  J.  Wilson  Peck, 
John  Simpson  and  ex-Mayor  Connell. 

May  10,  1889,  Mr.  Nelson  was  appointed  by 
Mayor  Col.  Ezra  H.  Ripple  to  the  position  of 
building  inspector,  having  passed  the  required 
examination  for  the  ofnce,  which  had  just  been 
created.  After  two  years  he  was  again  appoint- 
ed by  Mayor  Fellows,  and  two  years  later  again 
succeeded  himself,  under  appointment  of  Mayor 
Connell  early  in  that  gentleman's  term.  He 
passed  another  examination  creditably  to  him- 
self, and  was  afterward  reappointed  by  Mayor 
Connell.     In  addition  to  his  work  for  others,  he 


built  the  residence  which  he  occupies  at  No.  627 
Clay  Avenue. 

In  New  York  City  Mr.  Nelson  married  Miss 
Ellen  Carlyle  Grierson,  daughter  of  James  Grier- 
son,  a  farmer  of  Dumfries-shire,  where  she  was 
born.  Her  mother,  a  native  of  the  same  place, 
was  in  maidenhood  Janet  Carlyle,  and  is  an  own 
cousin  of  the  famous  Scotchman,  Thomas  Car- 
lyle. Three  children  complete  the  family  circle: 
John  A.,  now  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.;  Margaret, 
a  member  of  the  class  of  1899,  Scranton  high 
school;  and  Fred  A.  Fraternally  Mr.  Nelson  is 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  Hep- 
tasophs;  politically  adheres  to  Republican  princi- 
ples, and  in  religious  connections  is  a  member  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 


WH.  OLMSTEAD,  M.  D.,  of  Taylor, 
was  born  in  Dundaff,  Susquehanna 
•  County,  Pa.,  August  22,  1862,  the 
son  of  Dr.  Johnson  C.  and  Dency  (Woodworth) 
Olmstead.  In  the  village  where  he  was  born  the 
rudiments  of  his  education  were  obtained,  and 
upon  completing  his  primary  schooling  he  en- 
tered Keystone  Academy  at  Factoryville,  where 
his  knowledge  was  broadened.  Later  he  was  a 
student  in  Sprague's  Business  College  in  King- 
ston, where  he  finished  his  literary  education  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Shortly  afterward  he 
began  to  read  medicine,  but  his  plans  for  obtain- 
ing a  medical  education  were  frustrated  tempor- 
arily, and  in  1883  he  returned  to  the  home  farm, 
where  the  four  succeeding  years  were  passed, 
mainly  in  agricultural  labor.  However,  his  aspi- 
rations for  ]3rofessional  knowledge  were  only 
slumbering,  not  by  any  means  dead.  As  soon  as 
the  way  opened,  he  carried  out  his  cherished  ob- 
ject, and  in  1887-88  was  a  student  in  a  medical 
college  in  New  York.  Next  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Long  Island  Medical  College  and 
finally  entered  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Phil- 
adelphia, where  he  took  a  course  of  lectures.  In 
1800  he  graduated  from  the  Columbus  Medical 
College,  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 

At  once  upon  the  completion  of  his  medical 
studies,  Dr.  Olmstead  opened  an  office  in  Dal- 
ton,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  two  years,  building 
up  a  good  practice.     The  place,  however,  was 


WALTKR  DAWSON. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


915 


not  entirely  satisfactory,  and  with  a  view  to  im- 
proving his  prospects  he  removed  to  Fleetville, 
where  he  remained  four  years.  In  March,  1896, 
he  came  to  Taylor  and  at  once  began  professional 
practice.  During  the  short  period  that  has  since 
elapsed  he  has  become  known  as  a  reliable,  effi- 
cient physician,  whose  diagnosis  of  disease  and 
accuracy  of  treatment  place  him  among  the  best 
physicians  of  this  locality. 

In  1883  Dr.  Olmstead  married  Miss  Sallie 
Brownell,  an  estimable  lady,  who  is  well  liked  by 
all  who  know  her  and  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church.  They  are  the  parents  of  three 
children,  Kate,  Nina  and  Hawley.  Fraternally 
the  Doctor  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  order 
and  Royal  Arcanum.  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  in  youth  he  had  few  advantages,  but  was 
hindered  by  adverse  circumstances,  he  has 
achieved  success,  and  will  undoubtedly  soon  es- 
tablish a  practice  not  limited  to  Taylor,  but  that 
will  extend  throughout  all  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. 


WALTER  DAWSON  came  to  Scranton 
in  September,  1867,  and  held  the  posi- 
tion of  general  master  mechanic  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  un- 
til June,  1886,  when  ill  health  caused  him  to  re- 
sign and  go  abroad.  In  visiting  different  parts  of 
England  and  in  travel  on  the  continent  some 
years  were  passed,  and  in  July,  1893,  he  returned 
to  Scranton,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is, 
perhaps,  best  known  through  his  valuable  inven- 
tions. His  safety  attachment  for  mine  cages,  now 
in  general  use,  doubtless  has  been  instrumental 
in  saving  the  lives  of  thousands  of  people.  He 
also  invented  a  boiler  for  burning  buckwheat  coal, 
now  generally  used  in  the  valley,  and  a  fan  for 
ventilating  mines,  which  was  different  from  those 
previously  devised  in  that  they  were  inclosed, 
while  it  was  open,  and  all  fans  have  since  been 
built  on  this  plan.  While,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  he  did  not  patent  his  inventions,  he  did  not 
derive  any  pecuniary  benefit  from  them,  yet  he 
has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  they  have  been 
the  means  of  saving  human  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  Dawson,  was 


born  in  London,  the  son  of  a  contractor  and 
builder,  and  became  superintendent  of  one  of  the 
large  docks  in  London.  He  married  Amelia  Fei- 
bouz,  who  was  born  near  Winchester  Cathedral 
in  the  city  of  that  name.  Both  died  in  England 
and  their  bodies  lie  in  the  Bunhillfield  burying 
ground,  where  the  famous  John  Bunyan  was  laid 
to  rest.  Of  their  six  children,  four  are  living;  one 
of  the  sons,  Sidney,  became  a  sea  captain  at  the 
age  of  twenty-three,  and  traveled  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  world,  dying  in  England  in  1871. 

In  the  city  of  London  Walter  Dawson  was 
born  in  January,  1823.  Upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  which  occurred  in  July  of  1834,  he  began 
to  work  as  junior  clerk  in  the  London  docks  at 
the  age  of  eleven  and  one-half  years.  His  desire 
for  a  seafaring  life  was  so  keen  that  as  soon  as 
possible  he  entered  the  merchant  marine  service 
as  sailor  boy,  and  made  three  trips,  the  first  to 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  then  to  the  Azores  Is- 
lands and  afterward  to  Cuba.  After  his  return 
to  England,  in  1839,  he  worked  in  a  machine 
shop  at  the  terminus  of  the  London  &  Croydon 
Railroad,  one  of  the  first  roads  out  of  London. 
In  May,  1840,  he  went  into  the  employ  of  the 
Eastern  Counties  Railroad  Company  (now  the . 
Great  Eastern  Railroad).  In  1845  '^^  commenced 
running  a  locomotive,  and  for  a  time  was  in 
charge  of  a  locomotive  station.  Meanwhile  his 
brother,  Sidney,  had  become  a  seafaring  captain, 
and  was  constantly  urging  Walter  to  take  a  trip 
abroad  with  him.  However,  he  first  went  to 
France  on  a  visit  to  a  sister  and  remained  there 
for  five  months.  At  Glasgow  he  went  on  board 
his  brother's  ship,  "Charlotte,"  and  sailed  to  Hali- 
fax in  May,  1851.  His  brother,  who  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  United  States,  advised  Walter 
to  run  down  to  Boston,  at  which  port  he  would 
communicate  with  him  later,  so  that  he  could  re- 
turn to  England  if  he  desired.  He  was  so  pleased 
with  the  appearance  of  the  country  that  he  ac- 
cepted the  suggestion  made  by  the  master  me- 
chanic of  the  Boston  road  to  apply  for  work  in 
the  machine  shops  at  Taunton.  He  was  success- 
ful in  his  application,  and  Jime  2,  185 1,  he  com- 
menced work  as  a  machinist  in  the  Taunton  loco- 
motive works. 

In  December,  185 1,  the  Hudson  River  road, 


9i6 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  which  Mr.  Dawson  had  built  some  engines, 
sent  to  the  Taunton  locomotive  works  request- 
ing them  to  send  a  man  who  could  run  locomo- 
tives and  do  repair  work.  Air.  Dawson  was  se- 
lected, but  the  inclemency  of  the  season  caused 
him  to  hesitate,  and  his  first  thought  was  to  de- 
cline. On  subsequent  consideration,  however, 
and  acting  on  the  advice  of  friends,  he  de- 
cided to  accept  the  position.  Going  to  New  York 
city,  he  began  in  the  shop  and  then  ran  a  loco- 
motive between  New  York  and  Albany.  As  yet 
soft  coal  had  never  been  used  successfully  on  en- 
gines running  out  of  New  York  City,  but  he  was 
determined  to  accomplish  this  feat,  and  did  so, 
after  making  alterations  in  the  engine.  Many  of 
the  locomotives  now  running  on  the  lines  in 
Pennsylvania  are  burning  anthracite  small  coal, 
and  the  majority  of  the  boilers  now  in  use  for 
that  purpose  were  designed  by  Mr.  Dawson.  At 
that  time  Samuel  Sloan  was  president  of  the  road. 
The  officials  of  the  road  complimented  Mr.  Daw- 
son upon  his  work  and  gave  him  a  substantial 
increase  in  salary.  Afterward  for  five  years  he 
was  master  mechanic  in  charge  of  the  machine 
shops  at  Poughkeepsie. 

A  gentleman  in  New  York  urged  Mr.  Dawson 
to  go  to  Schuylkill  County  to  take  charge  of  ma- 
chinery in  a  coal  mine,  and  while  he  was  reluc- 
tant to  leave  the  position  he  then  had,  yet  the 
offer  was  a  flattering  one,  and  he  accordingly  ac- 
cepted. Going  to  Woodside  he  was  master  me- 
chanic in  charge  of  machinery  of  five  large  col- 
lieries, where  he  designed  the  fans  now  in  com- 
mon use  and  the  safety  attachment  for  cages. 
Through  Samuel  Sloan  he  was  tendered  the  posi- 
tion of  master  mechanic  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western,  whkh  he  held  from  1867  to 
1886.  At  the  time  he  came  to  Scranton  the  only 
trains  run  were  from  Hampton  Junction,  N.  J., 
to  Great  Bend,  Pa.,  but  before  he  resigned  his 
position  they  ran  from  New  York  to  Bufifalo, 
with  many  branches,  and  the  capacity  of  the 
shops  had  greatly  increased.  The  road  was 
also  changed  from  a  six-foot  gauge  to  the 
standard  gauge  of  the  country,  four  feet 
eight  and  ctnc-half  inches.  Mr.  Dawson  re- 
signed liis  p(jsition  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna  &   Western    May   31,    1886,  and  shortly 


afterward,  June  15,  proceeded  with  his  wife  to 
England,  making  a  protracted  visit  there.  During 
that  time,  November  12,  1891,  he  was  bereaved 
by  the  death  of  his  wife,  Hannah  (Ransom)  Daw- 
son, who  was  born  in  England,  married  in  New 
York,  and  died  in  London.  While  in  New  York 
he  became  a  Mason,  but  is  not  active  in  the  fra- 
ternity. In  religious  views  he  is  an  Episcopalian, 
and  in  politics  a  pronounced  Republican. 


HENRY  M.  EDWARDS,  additional  law 
judge  of  Lackawanna  County,  was  born 
in  Monmouthshire,  England,  February 
12,  1844.  He  was  educated  at  Swansea,  South 
Wales,  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  B.  at  the 
London  University.  He  came  with  his  parents, 
John  and  Margaret  Edwards,  to  America  in  1864, 
locating  in  Hyde  Park,  now  in  the  city  of  Scran- 
ton. For  a  few  years  he  devoted  his  time  to  jour- 
nalism and  other  literary  work.  In  1870  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Jennie  Richards,  a  native  of  Carbon- 
dale,  Pa.,  and  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Richards,  now  of  Scranton.  After  his  marriage, 
having  for  some  years  studied  law  at  odd  mo- 
ments and  in  a  desultory  way,  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  Hon.  Fred  W.  Gunster,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Oc- 
tober 18,  1871.  In  1885  he  was  elected  district 
attorney  of  Lackawanna  County  for  a  term  of 
three  years  and  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office 
in  1888.  In  1893  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
additional  law-  judge,  which  he  ncnv  holds. 


BYRON  M.  WINTON.  This  gentleman  is 
entitled  to  distinction  as  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  enterprising  men  of  Lack- 
awanna County,  and  has  for  many  years  been 
identified  with  the  interests  of  Scranton.  Upon 
the  commercial  activity  of  a  community  depends 
its  prosperity,  and  the  men  who  are  now  recog- 
nized as  leading  citizens  are  those  who  are  at  the 
head  of  extensive  business  enterprises.  He  is  a 
man  of  broad  capabilities,  who  carries  forward  to 
successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 

His  father,  W.  W.  Winton,  was  a  native  of 
Butternuts,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  181 5, 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


917 


and  was  liberally  educated.  In  1833  he  accom- 
panied his  father  on  his  removal  to  Providence, 
Lackawanna  County,  where  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing for  a  time,  and  later  turned  his  attention  to 
the  lumber  business,  his  field  of  operations  being 
on  the  parsonage  lot,  near  where  the  blast  fur- 
nace now  stands.  Subsequently  he  again  taught 
for  a  time,  having  charge  of  the  Bell  school,  and 
he  afterward  went  to  Danville,  where  he  read 
law.  In  1842  he  opened  a  store  in  Wallsville  with 
Hon.  A.  B.  Dunning  as  clerk,  but  afterward  both 
returned  to  Providence,  where  they  conducted  a 
mercantile  business  under  the  style  of  Winton  & 
Dunning.  Mr.  Winton  commenced  the  banking 
business  next  door  to  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  es- 
tablishing the  First  National  Bank  of  Providence, 
which  was  subsequently  merged  into  the  Second 
National  Bank  of  Scranton.  and  he  also  made  a 
number  of  additions  to  the  various  portions  of 
the  city  and  to  Winton  and  Peckville.  He  was 
the  founder  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Provi- 
dence, and  gave  the  lots  on  which  the  building 
stands.  Enterprising,  public-spirited  and  cour- 
ageous as  well  as  kind-hearted,  he  aided  all 
worthy  objects  for  the  good  of  the  community. 
He  married  Catharine,  daughter  of  Henry  Heer- 
mans,  and  died  on  the  30th  of  December,  1894, 
leaving  a  widow  and  five  children  to  mourn  his 
loss,  but  Mrs.  Winton  has  since  passed  awav,  dy- 
ing in  June,  1895. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  occurred  June  23, 
1847,  in  Providence,  where  he  was  reared  and  ob- 
tained his  early  education.  He  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  the  Williston  Seminary  of  East  Hamp- 
ton, Mass.,  but  did  not  enter  upon  a  collegiate 
course.  After  assisting  his  father  in  business  for 
a  time,  in  1868  he  embarked  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  trade  at  No.  107  Franklin  Avenue,  where 
he  carried  on  business  for  fourteen  years,  and  on 
disposing  of  his  stock  organized  the  Winton  Coal 
Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been  treasurer 
and  general  manager.  He  is  also  treasurer  of  the 
Mt.  Vernon  Coal  Company,  executor  of  the  Cath- 
arine Winton  estate  and  director  of  the  Winton 
Water  Company,  which  has  large  reservoirs  that 
supply  water  to  the  towns  of  Winton,  Olyphant 
and  Dickson  City.  He  is  one  of  the  most  energetic 
and  wide-awake  business  men  of  Scranton,  and 


his  upright,  honorable  course  commends  him  to 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all.  His  office  is 
located  in  the  Mears  Building,  while  his  residence 
is  in  North  Main  Avenue. 

In  Scranton,  Mr.  Winton  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Frances  E.  Silkman,  a  native  of 
Providence  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Silkman. 
Two  children  grace  this  union,  Frances  A.  and 
Helen  M.  Fraternally  Mr.  Winton  is  an  honored 
member  of  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Lackawanna  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Coeur  de 
Lion  Commandery,  K.  T.,  while  religiously  he  is 
a  leading  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Providence,  and  politically  a  stalwart  supporter 
of  Republican  principles. 


JAMES  S.  PORTEUS,  M.  D.  One  of  the 
well  known  citizens  of  Taylor,  a  man  who 
has  contributed  to  the  welfare  of  the  people 
not  alone  by  his  skillfid  work  as  a  physician,  but 
who  has  also  promoted  many  plans  for  the  de- 
velopment of  the  material  resources  of  the  place, 
is  Dr.  Porteus,  whose  name  is  a  familiar  one  to 
the  people  of  this  part  of  the  county.  From  an 
early  age  he  was  interested  in  the  science  of  medi- 
cine and  determined  to  make  it  his  life  occupa- 
tion. With  this  object  in  view  he  began  to  study 
under  the  oversight  of  Dr.  B.  A.  Bouton,  of 
Scranton,  Pa.,  and  later  studied  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  LTniversity  of  Pennsylvania, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1873. 

Possessing  a  thorough  theoretical  knowledge 
of  the  profession.  Dr.  Porteus  opened  an  office 
in  Scranton  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine. 
About  eighteen  months  later,  however,  he  moved 
to  Taylor,  and  here  he  soon  made  many  friends. 
On  the  death  of  Dr.  Bouton,  his  former  preceptor, 
he  returned  to  Scranton  and  took  charge  of  his 
practice  at  No.  205  Penn  Avenue,  remaining 
there  for  a  year.  He  then  went  to  Avoca  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  charge  of  the  practice  of  Dr. 
G.  B.  Seamans,  during  the  latter's  term  of  ser- 
vice as  state  senator.  Two  years  were  spent  there, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Taylor  and  has  since 
engaged  in  practice  in  this  place. 

A  Republican  in  political  belief.  Dr.  Porteus 
was  j\ppointed  postmaster  under  the  administra- 


9i8 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tion  of  President  Harrison  and  held  the  office  for 
five  years.  He  was  chosen  physician  for  the 
Pittston  poor  district  and  the  poor  house  of  the 
district  at  Ransom,  Pa.,  over  eleven  years  ago, 
and  still  retains  the  appointment.  He  served  as 
school  director  for  a  term  of  three  years,  the  only 
time  he  ever  aspired  to  public  office,  but  has 
always  aided  in  advancing  local  educational  in- 
terests. Fraternally  a  Mason,  he  is  past  master 
of  Acacia  Lodge  at  Taylor,  member  of  Lacka- 
wanna Chapter  and  an  officer  in  Melita  Comman- 
dery  of  Scranton.  He  holds  the  position  of  medi- 
cal examiner  for  the  German  Society,  New  York 
Life  Insurance  Company  and  the  Prudential  of 
New  Jersey.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always  been 
progressive  and  liberal-spirited,  anxious  to  pro- 
mote all  plans  for  the  welfare  of  the  people  and 
contributing  of  his  time  and  means  to  local  en- 
terprises. 


WD.  OSTERHOUT,  whose  untimely 
end  was  made  all  the  more  sad  in 
•  that  it  was  caused  by  the  carelessness 
of  another,  was  during  his  life  the  leading  con- 
tractor and  builder  of  Dunmore.  He  was  born 
February  3,  1831,  in  Nicholson,  Wyoming  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  where  his  father  was  engaged  in  farming. 
A  sketch  of  Webster  Osterhout,  who  came  to 
Wyoming  County  from  New  York  State,  will  be 
found  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  the  late 
Milo  D.  Osterhout,  of  Providence.  Of  William 
D.  it  may  truly  be  said  that  he  was  a  self-made 
man,  not  only  in  his  business  career,  but  in  his 
education  as  well.  He  gave  his  entire  time  to 
work  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  nearly 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Nichol- 
son to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  spent  four 
years  in  mastering  this  in  all  its  details.  At  the 
end  of  tliat  time  he  returned  to  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  started  a  sawinill  and  operated  it  very 
successfully  for  four  years.  In  i860  he  sold  the 
mill  and  located  in  Nicholson,  where  he  followed 
his  trade  for  about  five  years.  His  success  in  his 
chosen  line  dated  from  the  first,  and  by  his  in- 
dustry and  close  application  to  business  he  soon 
reached  a  place  among  the  leading  contractors. 
In  1 87 1  he  removed  to  Dunmore  and  started  in 


the  lumber  business  on  Third  Street  near  the 
Erie  &  Western  depot,  where  he  was  very  suc- 
cessful, and  erected  a  large  shop  and  was  very 
extensively  engaged  in  contracting. 

During  Mr.  Osterhout's  business  career  and 
residence  in  Dunmore  he  won  the  esteem  of  the 
entire  community  and  became  one  of  the  bor- 
ough's most  representative  citizens.  In  1885  he 
took  his  son,  K  W.,  into  business  as  a  partner, 
and  they  were  the  leading  contractors  and  build- 
ers of  Dunmore.  The  training  the  son  had  while 
in  business  with  his  father  stood  him  in  good 
stead,  and  he  is  now  carrying  on  the  same  busi- 
ness, but  located  on  Grove  Street.  Mr.  Oster- 
hout's death  was  a  peculiarly  sad  one,  as  it  was 
caused  while  trying  to  save  his  son.  He  had 
gone  to  a  butcher  shop,  and  while  his  son  was 
sitting  in  the  buggy  outside  waiting  for  him  an 
Italian  grocer  drove  along  carelessly  and  struck 
the  wheel  of  the  buggy,  overturning  it  and  throw- 
ing the  son  out.  The  father  seeing  his  son's 
danger  attempted  to  stop  the  horse,  but  the  ani- 
mal dragged  him  about  sixty  feet,  causing  fatal 
internal  injuries.  He  was  able  at  the  moment  to 
walk  back  to  the  shop,  but  in  a  few  minutes  after 
asking  for  a  drink  of  water  he  fainted  and  never 
regained  consciousness,  and  died  within  about 
forty-five  minutes  from  the  time  he  received  his 
injuries.    His  death  occurred  June  25,  1895. 

In  1861  Mr.  Osterhout  married  Eliza  A., 
daughter  of  Lucius  Utley,  of  Lenox,  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pa.  Mr.  Utley  was  bom  in  Wind- 
ham County,  Conn.,  but  came  to  Pennsylvania 
when  only  nineteen  years  of  age  and  settled  in 
Lenox,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  mar- 
ried Catherine  Kennedy,  of  Wilkesbarre  Town- 
ship, Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where  her  father, 
James,  engaged  in  farming.  The  latter  was  a 
great  uncle  of  W.  D.  Kennedy,  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work.  Her  grand- 
father, Amos  Utley,  who  was  of  English  descent, 
engaged  in  farming  in  Windham  County,  Conn. 
To  Lucius  and  Catherine  (Kennedy)  Utley  there 
were  born  the  following  children:  Sarah,  Mrs. 
P)Ur(lick,  residing  in  Susquehanna  County; 
James  K.,  a  fanner  in  Susquehanna  County; 
Jared  F.,  a  farmer  in  Clifford  Township,  Susque- 
hanna County;    Catherine,  Mrs.  Hallstead,  de- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


919 


Ceased;  Mrs.  Osterhout;  Stephen  L.,  farming 
in  Nicholson  Township,  Wyoming  County; 
Lydia  A.,  who  married  Mr.  Finn,  a  merchant  at 
Dalton;  Charles,  a  farmer  residing  at  Lenox, 
Susquehanna  County;  Mary,  Mrs.  Hallstead,  re- 
siding in  South  Dakota;  John  L.,  a  farmer  at 
Clififord,  Susquehanna  County;  Celinda,  who 
married  Mr.  Gardner,  a  stone  dealer  at  Clififord 
Corners,  and  Delia,  Mrs.  Wedeman,  of  White- 
wood,  S.  Dak. 


JOSEPH  REESE,  inside  foreman  of  the  Ca- 
pouse  mine  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company  and  a  resident  of  Scranton 
from  infancy,  was  born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  April 
9,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Margaret  (Har- 
ris) Reese,  natives  of  South  Wales.  His  father, 
who  emigated  to  this  country  about  1851,  settled 
in  Carbondale,  but  soon  moved  to  Pittston,  then 
returned  to  the  place  of  his  first  settlement,  and 
in  1856  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  first  em- 
ployed by  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Company  as  driver  boss  in  Hyde  Park.  Later 
he  assisted  in  sinking  the  Oxford  shaft.  During 
the  progress  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the 
Union  service  in  1863  and  served  for  nine 
months,  returning  home  at  the  expiration  of  his 
period  of  service.  He  died  in  this  city,  aged  forty- 
four;  his  wife  also  died  here.  Of  their  four  chil- 
dren, three  are  living:  John,  who  is  employed 
as  driver  boss  in  Storr's  shaft;  Joseph;  and  Mrs. 
Edward  Conklin,  of  this  city. 

The  educational  advantages  of  our  subject  were 
very  limited,  for,  when  only  eight  years  of  age, 
he  began  to  work  as  slate  picker  in  the  Oxford 
breaker  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Company.  Later  he  was  employed  as  door- 
boy  and  helper  in  the  same  mine,  and  in  the  Dia- 
mond mine.  He  then  secured  a  position  as  driver 
in  the  Briggs  shaft  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company,  and  through  steady  work  and 
industry  became  a  practical  miner.  He  still  re- 
mains with  the  company  in  the  same  shaft, 
though  the  name  has  since  been  changed  to  Ca- 
pouse  mine.  In  1888  he  was  made  assistant  in- 
side foreman,  in  the  spring  of  1893  was  promoted 
to  be  inside  foreman  of  the  mines,  and  has  con- 


tinued in  that  capacity  to  the  present,  having 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty  men  under  his  super- 
vision. The  work  is  of  a  very  responsible  nature, 
and  his  efficient  discharge  of  every  duty  proves 
his  ability. 

In  Hyde  Park  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Reese  to  Miss  Jennie  Richards,  whose  father, 
Isaac  Richards,  is  a  retired  farmer  of  this  place. 
They  make  their  home  at  No.  332  North  Lincoln 
Avenue,  in  a  residence  built  by  Mr.  Reese,  and 
with  them  are  their  three  children,  George,  Ar- 
thur and  Chester.  While  the  duties  connected 
with  his  business  have  been  of  so  engrossing  a 
nature  as  to  preclude  Mr.  Reese  from  personal 
identification  with  public  affairs,  he  keeps  himself 
intelligently  posted  concerning  the  issues  of  the 
age,  and  gives  his  influence  to  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party,  which  he  has  served  as 
member  of  city  and  county  committees  and  dele- 
gate to  county  and  congressional  conventions. 
He  attends  Plymouth  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  contributes  to  its  maintenance.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  Silurian  Lodge  No. 
763,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


EDWARD  H.  LYNDE,  who  comes  of  a 
long  line  of  worthy,  patriotic  ancestors, 
is  one  of  the  honored  citizens  of  Scranton, 
and  for  over  two  decades  has  been  connected 
with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company 
and  the  firm  that  preceded  the  present  one.  The 
responsible  position  that  he  fills  with  credit  is 
that  of  superintendent  of  the  south  works.  The 
first  of  the  Lyndes  to  settle  in  America  was  one 
Joseph  Lynde,  who  came  from  England  to  Bos- 
ton in  1712.  His  son,  Jonathan,  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  hardware  merchant 
in  Putney,  Vt.,  later  lived  in  Worcester,  Mass., 
and  still  later  in  Whitestown,  Oneida  County,  N. 
Y.  His  wife  was  Miss  Rhoda  Mclntyre.  Their 
son,  John  Warner  Lynde,  our  subject's  grand- 
father, was  born  December  19,  1788,  at  Putney, 
and  died  in  Danville,  Pa.,  in  1875.  In  Utica,  N. 
Y.,  he  learned  the  jeweler's  trade  and  carried  on 
business  in  Rome,  N.  Y.,  until  1814,  when  he 
removed  to  Oswego,  where  he  remained  some 
years.  In  1830  he  and  an  apprentice  floated 
down  the  Susquehanna  River  in  an  open  boat, 


920 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


taking  two  days  to  reach  Wilkesbarre.  There 
he  opened  a  jewelry  store,  and  after  he  had  be- 
come fairly  started  on  the  road  to  success  he  re- 
turned to  the  Empire  State  to  get  married.  The 
journey  was  made  both  ways  with  a  horse  and 
wagon.  He  lived  to  the  good  old  age  of  eighty- 
seven  years. 

The  paternal  grandmother  of  our  subject  was 
Mary  Ann  Jerusha  Alice  Cleveland,  the  direct 
descendant  of  Moses  Cleveland,  of  England,  who 
settled  in  Alassachusetts  and  founded  the  family 
of  his  name  in  this  country.  He  had  a  son,  Jo- 
siah,  whose  son  and  grandson  bore  the  same 
Christian  name,  Josiah;  then  followed  Captain 
Josiah,  then  Dyer,  born  in  Canterbury,  Ct.,  the 
latter  the  father  of  the  Mary  Ann  above  men- 
tioned. Dyer  Cleveland,  a  saddler  by  trade,  set- 
tled in  Wilkesbarre.  His  wife,  Mary  Austin, 
was  a  native  of  Sheffield,  Mass.  Capt.  Josiah 
Cleveland,  before  referred  to,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  taking  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Bunker  Hill,  White  Plains,  Trenton,  Har- 
laam  Heights,  Princeton,  Monmouth  and  York- 
town.  His  earnest  desire  to  witness  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  Bunker  Hill  monument  was  fulfilled 
before  death  claimed  him  at  the  close  of  his  noble 
life. 

The  father  of  our  subject  bore  the  name  of  Ed- 
ward Cleveland  Lynde.  His  birth  occurred  July 
22,  1 83 1,  in  Wilkesbarre,  and  when  he  had  ar- 
rived at  a  suitable  age  he  entered  the  academy  of 
that  place,  it  having  stood  where  the  present  Lu- 
zerne County  courthouse  is.  In  1847  ^^  went  to 
New  York  City,  where  he  found  employment  with 
a  wholesale  dry-goods  house.  Five  years  later 
he  returned  to  Wilkesbarre  and  entered  the  office 
of  the  Baltimore  Coal  Company,  keeping  their 
accounts  two  years.  Next  he  transferred  the  ac- 
counts of  Scranton  &  Piatt  to  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Coal  Company,  which  was  organized  in 
1853,  and  succeeded  the  other  firm.  He  rose 
rapidly,  and  from  assistant  general  accountant 
was  promoted  to  the  whole  charge  of  the  books, 
and  in  1859  was  elected  secretary.  He  held  the 
same  position  until  the  main  office  was  removed 
to  New  York,  when  he  became  assistant  secre- 
tary, and  as  such  he  acted  until  his  death,  De- 
cember 30,  1893.     Prominent  in  the  fraternities, 


he  was  lor  twenty-seven  successive  years  treas- 
urer of  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  was  master  of  the  same  three  times. 
He  was  also  past  high  priest  of  Lackawanna 
Chapter  and  past  prelate  of  Coeur  de  Lion  Com- 
mandery,  K.  T.  At  various  periods  he  acted  on 
the  Scranton  poor  board  and  on  the  board  of 
school  control.  Up  to  the  day  before  his  death 
he  was  his  usual  busy,  active  self,  even  though 
he  was  then  suffering  from  a  protracted  cold, 
which  rapidly  developed  into  pleurisy  and  stilled 
his  great  and  noble  heart  ere  his  many  friends 
could  believe  it  possible.  Death  found  him 
ready,  as  long  years  before  he  had  become  a 
faithful  worker  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  and 
identified  himself  with  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church. 

September  25,  1855,  Edward  C.  Lynde  married 
Gertrude  W.  Murray,  who  was  born  in  Monti- 
cello,  N.  Y.  Her  father,  Hebardon  Murray,  also 
a  native  of  Monticello,  was  a  merchant  tailor,  and 
located  in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  about  1836.  Later  he 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  and  continued 
thus  employed  until  his  death.  His  brother. 
Commodore  Chauncey  ^Murray,  was  the  proprie- 
tor of  a  hotel  at  Narragansett,  and  also  ran  a 
stage  to  Wilkesbarre  in  the  early  days.  The  wife 
of  Hebardon  ]\Iurray  was  Sarah,  daughter  of 
William  Sackett,  a  merchant  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y., 
and  previous  to  that  a  pioneer  of  Sullivan  County. 
Subsecjuent  to  her  husband's  death  she  removed 
to  Scranton  (about  1843),  then  a  village  of  only 
a  few  houses  and  stores,  and  here  she  reared  her 
five  children.  She  was  born  in  1805,  and  was 
seventy-two  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 
Her  children  were  Mrs.  Susan  Hunter,  Mrs.  Cor- 
nelia Bryant,  William  Sackett,  Gertrude  and  Fan- 
nie H.  Mrs.  Hunter  was  a  distinguished  scholar 
and  writer,  and  translated  many  books  from  the 
German.  The  family  of  Edward  C.  Lynde  com- 
prised the  following:  Jennie  C,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Edward  Hunter,  of  this  sketch;  Jessie, 
Mrs.  John  J.  Ryman,  of  Dallas,  Pa. ;  and  Joseph 
H.  S.,  assistant  foreman  of  the  Dickson  Manu- 
facturing Company. 

Edward  Hunter  Lynde  was  born  in  Scranton, 
June  26,  1857,  and  in  his  boyhood  was  given  the 
advantages  of  a  good  education.  From  his  father 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


921 


he  inherited  characteristics  which  have  made  him 
successful  in  all  his  undertakings.  First,  as  an 
employe  of  the  old  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company,  and  later  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company  he  has  passed  most  of  the  time 
since  1874,  giving  the  corporation  full  satisfac- 
tion in  the  daily  discharge  of  his  duties.  He  is 
senior  warden  of  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No. 
323,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  belongs  to  Lackawanna 
Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Coeur  de  Lion 
Commandery  No.  17,  K.  T.  He  also  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  An  original  member  of  the  Scranton 
Guards,  he  assisted  in  putting  down  the  riots  of 
1877,  and  then  became  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  serving  as  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer.     Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 

In  Wilkesbarre  Mr.  Lynde  and  Janet  Hamill 
Harkness,  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  Thomas  C. 
Harkness,  were  married  December  31,  1895. 
The  latter  was  a  native  of  Paisley,  Scotland,  and 
won  his  title  in  the  Civil  War,  when  he  was  with 
the  Eighty-first  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  As  a 
business  man  he  was  prospered,  and  for  years 
was  a  mine  operator  in  the  vicinity  of  Wilkes- 
barre. 


PJ.  CASEY,  secretary  of  the  Casey  &  Kel- 
ly Brewing  Company,  and  member  of  the 
•  wholesale  liquor  firm  of  Casey  Brothers, 
of  Scranton,  was  born  in  County  Sligo,  Ireland, 
March  11,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of  James  and 
Catherine  (Giblin)  Casey.  His  father,  a  son  of 
Timothy  Casey,  has  spent  his  entire  life  engaged 
in  farm  pursuits  in  County  Sligo  and  frequently 
crosses  the  ocean  to  visit  his  sons  in  Scranton. 
He  is  now  seventy-seven  and  his  wife  seventy-six 
years  of  age.  Of  their  eleven  children  all  but  two 
attained  mature  years  and  five  came  to  America, 
namely:  Timothy,  the  originator  of  the  business 
in  Scranton,  where  he  remained  from  1872  until 
his  death  in  December,  1888;  Lawrence,  also  con- 
nected with  this  business  until  his  death  in  De- 
cember, 1884;  Andrew  J.,  treasurer  of  the  Casey 
&  Kelly  Brewing  Company,  member  of  the  firm 
of  Casey  Brothers,  member  of  the  board  of  trade 
and  a  director  in  the  Merchants  and  Mechanics 


Bank;  James  J.,  traveling  salesman  for  Casey 
Brothers,  and  P.  J.,  who  came  to  Scranton  May 
30,  1882,  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Casey 
Brothers  in  1888  and  is  now  the  managing  part- 
ner. 

Casey  Brothers  own  a  substantial  building  50X 
100,  at  No.  216  Lackawanna  Avenue,  the  first 
floor  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  sales  and  ac- 
countant department;  the  second  floor,  case 
goods;  third,  bottling  goods;  fourth,  storage  for 
jugs,  and  the  two  cellars,  storage  for  wines  and 
liquors.  The  building  is  equipped  with  elevator 
and  other  modern  equipments.  Mr.  Casey  is  also 
secretary  of  the  Casey  &  Kelly  Brewing  Com- 
pany, an  incorporated  organization,  of  which  the 
other  officers  are  president,  William  Kelly,  and 
treasurer,  A.  J.  Casey.  In  1891  these  gentlemen 
bought  the  old  Meadow  Brook  building,  which 
was  remodeled  for  the  manufacture  of  ale  and 
porter,  with  a  capacity  of  fifty  thousand  barrels 
per  annum.  The  firm  in  1895  erected  a  large  beer 
brewery,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand barrels  per  year,  and  with  ice  machine,  boiler 
and  engine  room,  and  this  plant  was  put  into 
operation  in  the  spring  of  1896. 

In  addition  to  the  two  firms  with  which  Mr. 
Casey  is  actively  connected,  he  is  interested  in 
the  Scranton  Traction  Company,  Consumers'  Ice 
Company  and  Scranton  Illuminating,  Heat  and 
Power  Company,  and  is  a  large  stockholder  in  the 
Merchants  and  Mechanics  Bank.  He  and  his 
brother  own  60x100  feet  on  the  corner  of  Wyom- 
ing and  Lackawanna  Avenues,  the  most  valuable 
location  in  the  city,  where  it  is  their  intention  to 
erect  a  magnificent  office  building  as  soon  as  the 
present  lease  expires.  In  addition  they  own  resi- 
dence property  on  Jefferson  Avenue  and  other 
valuable  real  estate  on  Lackawanna  Avenue.  In 
1891  Mr.  Casey  visited  his  old  home  in  Ireland 
and  spent  three  months  abroad.  Again,  in  1895, 
he  made  a  trip  to  Europe  with  his  family,  and 
spent  six  months  in  visiting  his  old  home  and 
different  points  in  England,  Ireland,  Scotland  and 
on  the  continent.  He  has  also  made  two  trips 
south  to  Florida  and  the  Gulf.  Politically  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  marriage, 
which  took  place  in  Scranton,  united  him  with 


922 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Miss  Angela  O'Malley,  who  was  born  here,  her 
father,  the  late  Daniel  Owen  O'Malley,  having 
for  years  been  a  foreman  for  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Company  in  their  stone  de- 
partment. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casey  are  the  parents 
of  one  child  now  living,  Joseph. 


WILLIAM  H.  FREEMAN  is  one  of  the 
most  highly  respected  residents  of 
Scranton,  where  he  has  held  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  land  agent  for  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  for  the  past 
twenty-eight  years.  In  many  of  our  leading  en- 
terprises he  has  borne  his  part  and  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  place  he  takes 
great  interest.  A  man  of  the  most  upright  busi- 
ness principles,  his  word  has  never  been  ques- 
tioned and  is  worth  as  much  as  his  note  to  all 
who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  excellent  and 
honorable  lineage.  The  founder  of  the  Freeman 
family  in  the  United  States  was  Edmond  Freeman 
of  England,  who  with  ten  other  emigrants,  was 
admitted  to  general  court  at  Plymouth,  Mass., 
on  the  2d  day  of  January,  1637,  and  leave  was 
granted  them,  on  certain  conditions,  to  choose  a 
place  for  permanent  homes  for  themselves  and 
their  families.  They  selected  and  settled  the  town 
of  Sandwich.  A  deed  was  executed  by  Governor 
Bradford  to  Edmond  Freeman  for  the  same  in 
1651.  The  grantee  of  the  deed  was  assistant  to 
Governor  Bradford  for  six  years,  and  died  in 
1682,  leaving  a  daughter  Alice  and  two  sons, 
John  and  Edmond,  both  of  whom  married 
daughters  of  William  Prince,  who  was  governor 
of  Massachusetts  at  that  time.  Edmond  had  a 
son  Edmond,  born  in  1655,  and  who  died  in  1720, 
leaving  a  family  of  nine  children.  The  eldest, 
Edmond  the  fourth,  removed  to  Mansfield, 
Conn.,  where  he  died  in  1766.  He  left  a  son, 
Edmond  the  fifth,  who  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1733,  and  died  in  Mansfield,  Febru- 
ary 15,  1800,  leaving  seven  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, some  of  the  sons  becoming  distinguished 
in  public  life.  One  of  these  sons,  Stephen  Free- 
man, was  our  subject's  grandfather.  He  was  a  pio- 
neer in  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  and  a  leading 


man  of  his  day.  For  some  years  he  ran  his  farm, 
which  was  two  miles  from  Lisle.  In  after  years 
he  removed  to  that  town,  where  he  engaged  in 
merchandising,  from   181 1   until  death. 

Hon.  A.  D.  Freeman,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  1809  and  was  but  twenty-two  years  old 
when  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  a  posi- 
tion he  faithfully  filled  for  over  fprty  years,  until 
his  demise.  He  ranked  high  in  the  legal  profes- 
sion, was  an  eloquent  advocate,  convincing  in 
argument  and  a  great  thinker  and  student.  In 
1850  he  was  made  associate  judge  of  Broome 
County  and  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all.  At  one  time  he  was  sent 
by  the  government  to  negotiate  with  the  Oneida 
Indians  at  their  reservation,  being  one  of  the 
two  commissioners  brought  forward  to  accom- 
plish the  business.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  fraternally  was  an  Odd 
Fellow.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  si.xty- 
five  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Sarah  A.  Brockway,  is  still  living  and  in  the  en- 
joyment of  good  health,  though  over  eighty-five 
years  old.  She  was  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  being 
a  daughter  of  Captain  Brockway,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut and  sheriff  in  Albany  for  years.  Buying 
a  large  farm  on  which  was  afterward  the  town  of 
Lisle,  he  held  local  offices  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  there  as  long  as  he  lived.  Mrs. 
Sarah  Freeman  has  been  a  lifelong  member  of 
the   Methodist  Church. 

William  H.  Freeman  was  born  in  Lisle,  N.  Y., 
in  1836  and  is  one  of  seven  children.  A  brother, 
Stephen,  went  to  the  California  gold  fields  when 
but  nineteen  and  spent  his  entire  hfe  there.  Henry 
enlisted  during  the  war,  was  assigned  to  Scott's 
cavalry  and  contracted  a  disease  that  proved  fa- 
tal. He  was  a  well-known  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  R.  B.  is  an  enterprising  manufac- 
turer of  Binghamton  and  owns  the  plant  of  the 
Freeman  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Scranton. 
F.  H.  is  also  engaged  in  manufacturing  in  this 
city.  William  H.  Freeman  was  reared  in  his 
native  county  and  attended  Homer  Acad- 
emy. It  was  in  1856  that  he  came  to 
Scranton  to  fill  a  place  as  clerk  in  a  mer- 
chandising business.  By  his  good  manage- 
ment he  soon  established  a  store  of  his  own, 


i^L 


'Til 


DANIEL  B.   REPIXK;LR. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


92s 


having  as  a  partner  a  Mr.  Washburn.  They  ran 
the  business  near  the  Hyde  Park  mines  for  a  few 
years,  when  Mr.  Freeman  withdrawing,  formed 
a  partnership  with  Maj.  M.  L.  Blair,  who  later 
enlisted  in  the  Union  service,  and  his  partner 
conducted  the  business  alone  for  two  years  in 
South  Main  Street.  In  1869  Mr.  Freeman  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  real  estate  agent  for 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad 
Company,  as  before  mentioned,  and  has  done  the 
company  most  creditable  service. 

The  comfortable  and  pretty  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Freeman  is  on  South  Main  Avenue  and 
Washburn  Street.  The  wife,  who  was  in  her  girl- 
hood Miss  R.  J.  Landis,  was  bom  in  New  Jersey, 
being  a  child  of  John  Landis,  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Com- 
pany for  several  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman 
have  two  children:  Jean,  a  graduate  of  Mount 
Holyoke  College  and  wife  of  Frank  von 
Schrader,  president  of  the  Ottumwa  Bank  of  Ot- 
tumwa,  Iowa;  and  William  Storrs,  who  is  at 
home.  Mr.  Freeman  owns  an  interest  in  many 
local  institutions  and  helped  to  organize  the  West 
Side  Hospital  Association,  of  which  he  is  vice- 
president.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  Hydfe  Park 
Lodge  No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.  In  his  political  pro- 
clivities he  follows  his  father's  example  and  votes 
for  the  nominees  of  the  Republican  party.  Since 
coming  here  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Wash- 
burn Street  Presbyterian  Church  and  was  assist- 
ant superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  and 
chorister  for  a  number  of  years. 


DANIEL  B.  REPLOGLE.  The  record  of 
the  life  of  this  gentleman  will  be  read 
with  interest,  not  only  from  the  fact  that 
he  occupies  a  position  of  prominence  among  the 
citizens  of  Scranton,  but  also  on  account  of  the 
fact  that  it  illustrates  the  power  of  self-reliance 
and  untiring  perserverance.  Early  obliged  to  be- 
come self-supporting,  contact  with  the  world  de- 
veloped in  him  the  traits  of  energy,  industry  and 
determination,  that  are  among  his  prominent 
characteristics.  For  some  years  a  successful 
teacher,  he  is  now  an  attorney-at-law  and  has 
39 


the  largest  practice  before  the  Interior  Depart- 
ment of  anyone  here.  For  a  time  he  had  his 
ofifice  at  No.  408  Spruce  Street,  but  since  the 
completion  of  the  Mears  Building  he  has  occu- 
pied an  ofifice  on  the  second  floor. 

The  Replogle  family  came  from  Belgium,  then 
a  part  of  the  German  States,  and  settled  in  the 
vicinity  of  Philadelphia  in  1720.  They  were 
Dunkers,  followers  of  Alexander  Mack,  and  suf- 
fered persecution  on  account  of  their  religion. 
Our  subject's  great-grandfather,  Rhinehart 
Replogle,  was  bom  in  Germantown,  Pa.,  and  be- 
came a  pioneer  of  Bedford  County,  where  he 
took  up  nine  hundred  acres  of  land  during  Rev- 
olutionary times,  about  1780.  Being  a  Dunker 
and  opposed  to  bloodshed,  he  was  a  non-com- 
batant during  the  war  with  England,  though  he 
took  a  part  in  a  number  of  combats  with  In- 
dians. 

Daniel  B.  Replogle,  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Bedford  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death.  He  was  the 
father  of  fourteen  children  by  his  marriage  with 
a  lady  whose  paternal  ancestors,  the  Brum- 
baughs,  as  well  as  her  maternal  forefathers,  the 
Metzgers,  were  from  Holland,  lineally  descended 
from  the  royal  family.  Samuel,  our  subject's 
father,  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  and  for  a 
time  followed  farming.  When  seventeen  he 
learned  the  tanner's  trade,  but  this  he  did  not 
follow.  Becoming  interested  in  bee  culture,  he 
invented  a  bee-hive,  the  "Excelsior,"'  which  was 
sold  throughout  the  entire  country,  and  he  also 
introduced  the  system  of  having  bees  swarm 
artificially.  He  now  resides  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  Maryland,  where  he  owns  a  grist  mill,  store, 
fruit  farm  and  apiary.  Our  subject's  mother,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Hanawalt, 
was  born  in  Mifflin  County',  Pa.,  her  father  be- 
ing Bishop  Joseph  Hanawalt,  who  was  con- 
verted to  the  Dunker's  faith  and  for  thirty  years 
served  as  a  bishop  in  that  church.  His  father, 
George,  was  a  farmer  in  Mifflin  County,  to  which 
place  his  grandfather,  Henry  Hanawalt,  had 
come  from  Bavaria,  Germany,  prior  to  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  settling  among  the  Indians 
there. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  six  children, 


926 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  whom  five  are  living,  all  sons,  Daniel  Benson 
being  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  The  eldest, 
Joseph,  is  a  photographer  in  Patterson,  Pa. 
]Mark  A.,  who  lives  in  Akron,  Ohio,  is  a  man  of 
great  inventive  genius  and  is  known  as  the  in- 
ventor of  the  Replogle  series  of  Water  Wheel 
Governors.  He  was  one  of  the  engineers  at 
Niagara  Falls  and  installed  the  water  wheel  plant 
there.  Dr.  George,  a  graduate  of  the  medical 
department  of  the  Michigan  State  University  at 
Ann  Arbor,  resides  in  Cape  Town,  South  Africa, 
where  he  established  the  first  bath  house  and 
sanitarium  of  the  place.  Frank,  at  this  writing, 
is  attending  the  Williamson  manual  training 
school  at  West  Chester,  Pa. 

At  Martinsburg,  Blair  County,  Pa.,  our  sub- 
ject was  born  January  21,  1863.  He  was  reared 
there  and  in  Bedford  and  Mifflin  Counties,  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  began  to  teach  school, 
though  for  two  years  prior  to  that  he  had  been 
supporting  himself.  In  1885  he  graduated  from 
the  Huntingdon  Normal  College,  now  the  Juniata 
College,  and  the  same  year  he  became  principal  of 
Madison  Academy  near  Waverly,  and  married 
while  there.  Later  he  was  principal  of  the  New 
IVIilford  public  school  for  two  years,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1889  accepted  the  principalship  of  Mt. 
Pleasant  public  school  in  Westmoreland  County, 
where  he  spent  eighteen  months,  resigning  there 
to  accept  the  position  of  principal  of  school  No. 
32,  Scranton.  In  this  capacity  he  remained  until 
1891,  when  he  retired  from  the  profession. 

Meantime  Mr.  Replogle  had  employed  his 
leisure  hours  in  soliciting  life  insurance  and  in 
the  study  of  law  under  D.  W.  Brown  and  oth- 
ers, and  in  1891  he  entered  the  Dickinson 
law  school  at  Carlisle,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1893  with  the  degree  of  LL.B.  Since 
that  time  he  has  engaged  in  practice  in  Scran- 
ton, giving  especial  attention  to  the  patent  solicit- 
ing business,  in  which  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. He  has  practiced  before  the  depart- 
ment of  the  interior  since  1891  and  has  secured 
more  patents  than  anyone  else  here.  In  addi- 
tion to  other  interests,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trade  and  is  interested  in  real  estate 
transactions.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat,  favors 
the  free  coinage  of  silver  and  supported  Bryan 


and  Sewall  in  the  campaign  of  1896.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Second  Presbj-terian  Church, 
and  fraternally  belongs  to  the  Patriotic  Order 
Sons  of  America,  also  is  a  prominent  member  of 
Globe  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  connected  with 
Scrantonia  Encampment  No.  81. 

The  elegant  residence  occupied  by  Mr.  Rep- 
logle and  his  family  was  remodeled  under  his 
supervision  and  stands  in  Sunset  Avenue.  In 
Waverly  he  married  Miss  Ida  E.  Silvius  in  1887, 
who  was  born  in  Lackawanna  County,  gradu- 
ated from  Bloomsburg  State  Normal  and  died  in 
Scranton  in  1891,  leaving  two  children,  Carl  and 
Grace.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Lieut.  Henry  E. 
Silvius,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fifth 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  who  died  in  Maryland 
while  in  active  service.  The  second  marriage  of 
Mr.  Replogle  took  place  in  New  Milford,  Pa., 
in  December,  1894,  his  wife  being  Miss  Belle 
Trumbull,  who  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  at 
Bloomsburg  in  the  class  of  1891.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  Trumbull,  a  member  of  an  old 
Connecticut  family  and  a  large  real  estate  owner 
in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.  One  child  blesses 
this  union,  a  daughter,  Mildred. 


JAMES  S.  KENNEDY  was  the  grandson  of 
John  Kennedy,  who  came  to  this  country 
from  Bangor,  Ireland,  in  1763,  and  settled 
at  Kingston,  N.  Y.  He  visited  Wyoming,  Pa., 
in  1778,  just  after  the  massacre,  and  finding  things 
in  a  very  unsettled  condition  he  went  back  to 
Kingston,  but  returned  to  Wyoming  in  1780  to 
reside  permanently.  His  son,  Thomas,  married 
Elizabeth  Schofield,  a  descendant  of  the  Pinck- 
neys,  of  South  Carolina,  and  in  many  ways  a  re- 
markable woman.  She  died  at  the  home  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  April  12,  1880,  aged  ninety- 
six  years.  James  S.  Kennedy  was  born  in  Wilkes- 
barre,  January  28,  1808.  He  married  Pauline 
Jayne,  September  26,  1833.  She  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  Elizabeth  De  Witt. 

James  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  but  later 
learned  ihe  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


927 


till  about  1S47.  He  built  houses,  principally  in 
Tunkhannock,  Nicholson  and  vicinity,  employ- 
ing a  number  of  men.  He  purchased  a  farm  in 
Lackawanna  Township  (now  Taylor),  and  was 
justice  of  the  peace  from  1843  to  1845.  From 
about  1845  to  1850,  in  connection  with  his  farm, 
he  bought  grain  and  had  it  ground  into  flour  for 
sale.  In  those  days,  before  railroads  were  built, 
his  grain  came  to  the  head  of  slack  water  naviga- 
tion by  means  of  the  canal  at  Pittston.  The  mer- 
chants of  the  valley  bought  most  of  their  goods 
in  New  York,  and  these  came  to  Kingston,  N.  Y., 
on  the  Hudson  by  boat,  thence  to  Honesdale  by 
canal  and  to  Carbondale  by  gravity  railroad.  So 
Mr.  Kennedy  had  his  grain  ground  at  the  mill  at 
Slocum  Hollow  or  the  one  in  Providence,  prin- 
cipally the  latter,  it  being  considerably  larger. 
The  flour  he  sold  at  wholesale  all  along  the  valley 
from  Carbondale  to  Pittston,  then  if  there  was  any 
freight  at  Carbondale  his  teams  would  bring  it 
down  to  the  merchants  along  the  valley.  He  sold 
his  farm  in  Taylor  just  before  coal  was  found  and 
moved  to  Hyde  Park,  still  continuing  in  the  flour 
business.  In  connection  with  his  brother  John, 
he  bought  out  and  operated  a  four-horse  stage 
route  from  Carbondale  to  Wilkesbarre. 

In  1850  Mr.  Kennedy  moved  to  Providence, 
and  opened  a  store  in  the  old  "Arcade"  Building, 
on  North  Main  Avenue,  where  the  office  of  the 
Providence  Gas  and  Water  Company  now  stands. 
Later  he  carried  on  business  on  Providence 
Square,  being  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Kennedy 
&  Osterhout.  While  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad  was  being  built,  from  1854 
to  1856,  he  had  a  contract  to  build  a  section  of  the 
road.  He  was  an  active  man  in  public  affairs, 
serving  on  the  borough  council  and  also  on  the 
school  board.  In  1865  he  sold  out  his  interest  in 
his  store  to  his  son,  William  De  Witt  Kennedy, 
and  retired  from  active  business.  He  died  March 
7,  1885.  His  widow  still  survives  him.  He  had 
thirteen  children,  eight  girls  and  five  boys. 
Among  these  are  Catherine  H.,  married  to  Rev. 
Dr.  L.  C.  Floyd ;  Julia  A.,  married  to  Rev.  George 
Forsyth,  and  William  De  Witt.  He  was  born  in 
what  is  now  the  borough  of  Taylor,  September 
24,  1842.  After  leaving  school  he  took  a  course 
in  Eastman's  Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie, 


N.  Y.,  in  1860-61.  He  entered  his  father's  store 
on  his  return  from  Poughkeepsie.  He  served  in 
the  army  during  a  part  of  the  war,  in  the  Thir- 
teenth Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  In 
1865  he  purchased  the  interest  of  his  father,  and 
went  into  business  for  himself.  February  11, 
1868,  he  married  Amelia  M.  Carter,  daughter  of 
Pulaski  Carter,  of  the  Capouse  works.  In  1869 
he  entered  the  business  of  Mr.  Carter  at  Capouse, 
in  which  he  is  now  engaged  as  one  of  the  firm. 
He  has  always  been  an  active  business  man.  He 
was  one  of  the  assignees  of  the  Providence  Bank. 
He  is  a  director  in  the  Scranton  Savings  Bank, 
and  a  director  in  the  Lackawanna  Institute  of 
History  and  Science.  For  some  years  he  was  a 
trustee  in  the  Providence  Presbyterian  Church. 
Fie  resides  in  a  handsome  house  he  has  lately 
erected  on  North  Washington  Avenue.  He  has 
four  children:  William  Pulaski,  clerk  in  the 
Third  National  Bank,  married  and  residing  near 
home;  Lucius  Carter,  who  is  studying  medicine 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania;  Harold  Sher- 
man, and  Kathrine  M.,  still  at  home  with  their 
parents. 


DAVID  J.  S.  BROWN,  master  mechanic 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern locomotive  shops  at  Scranton,  was 
born  May  17,  1838,  on  board  a  British  man-of- 
war  ofif  the  coast  of  Newfoundland.  His  father, 
Alexander  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  served  for  twenty-one  years  in  the 
British  army,  and  during  a  part  of  this  time  was 
sergeant-major.  Later  he  was  stationed  as  bcir- 
rack  master  at  Newport,  Monmouthshire,  Eng- 
land, where  he  remained  until  his  death  at  the  age 
of  about  fifty-five  years.  He  was  a  son  of  David 
Brown,  a  Scotchman  of  Ayrshire,  who  died  at 
eighty-five  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Flarriet  Beale,  was 
born  in  Corfu,  one  of  the  Ionian  Islands  of 
Greece,  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  died  in 
London,  England.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Beale,  who  was  employed  under  the  English 
government  in  Corfu,  and  died  there.  The  child- 
hood years  of  our  subject  were  spent  in  Newport, 
England,  where   he  attended  a  military  school. 


t)28 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  took  a  position  as  mes- 
senger boy  in  the  office  of  the  Monmouthshire 
Railway  &  Canal  Company,  and  later  was  pro- 
moted to  be  timekeeper,  then  machinist,  after- 
ward engineer  on  the  road  and  finally  general 
foreman  of  the  shops,  remaining  with  the  com- 
pany seventeen  years  altogether.  In  1868  he 
went  to  sea  as  marine  engineer  with  the  Liver- 
pool Steam  Navigation  Company  and  made  sev- 
eral voyages  to  the  Mediterranean.  On  return- 
ing to  England  he  was  employed  in  Isca  foun- 
dry at  Newport  as  general  foreman  for  eighteen 
months. 

In  1870  Mr.  Brown  came  to  America  and  after 
a  short  sojourn  in  Wilkesbarre  came  to  Scran- 
ton  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  taking  a  position 
as  machinist  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  shops.  In  1872  he  was  made  gang 
boss;  1874,  sent  to  Hampton  Junction  to  take 
charge  of  shops;  1876,  returned  to  Scranton, 
the  shops  being  abandoned;  1877,  was  made 
gang  boss;  1878,  promoted  to  be  foreman  of 
the  shop;  1887,  was  made  general  foreman;  1890, 
became  assistant  master  mechanic;  and  January 
I,  1891,  took  his  present  position  of  master  me- 
chanic. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Brown,  in  Liverpool, 
united  him  with  Miss  Catherine  Reese,  who  was 
bom  in  Monmouthshire.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  but  only  four  are  living: 
Alexander  B.,  who  is  employed  in  the  air-brake 
department  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western;  Hattie,  Joseph  S.  and  Laura,  who  are 
at  home.  The  family  attend  St.  Luke's  Episco- 
pal Church,  in  Scranton.  Fraternally  Mr.  Brown 
has  his  membership  in  Otsemingo  Lodge  No. 
435,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Binghamton,  and  Bingham- 
ton  Chapter  No.  139,  R.  A.  M.  He  is  a  charter 
member  and  captain  of  the  Uniformed  Rank  of 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  a  past  officer  in  Roar- 
ing Brook  Lodge  No.  401.  In  the  work  of  the 
American  Railway  Master  Mechanics'  Associa- 
tion, to  which  he  belongs,  he  takes  a  hearty  in- 
terest. Liberal-minded  and  public-spirited,  he 
lends  his  influence  to  the  advancement  of  local 
enterprises,  and  in  politics  gives  his  vote  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party.  For  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  he  has  lived  in  this  community,  indeed 


the  community  has  grown  up  around  him.  Com- 
ing here  with  but  little  means,  by  careful  manage- 
ment and  industry  he  has  become  well-to-do.  His 
diligence  and  prosperity  are  but  the  natural  and 
rightful  reward  that  should  follow  the  continued 
efforts  of  an  honest  and  earnest  man. 


EDWARD  W.  OSTERHOUT  is  well 
known  in  Dunmore  as  a  successful  con- 
tractor and  builder.  .The  business  of 
which  he  is  now  the  head  was  founded  by  his 
father,  William  D.  Osterhout,  and  the  two  were 
partners,  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  D.  Oster- 
hout &  Son,  until  the  death  of  the  senior  mem- 
ber. Many  of  the  substantial  residences  in  the 
valley  have  been  erected  j^inder  the  supervision  of 
the  firm,  who  have  had  charge  of  a  wide  range  of 
business  in  this  section. 

The  first  home  of  the  Osterhout  family  in  this 
country  w-as  in  Connecticut,  and  from  there  some 
of  the  members  moved  to  New  York.     Our  sub- 
ject's grandfather,  Webster  Osterhout,  was  born 
in  York  State,  and  in  early  life  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, settling  in  Nicholson,  Wyoming  County, 
where  he  improved  and  cultivated  a  farm.     His 
four  sons  were  named  as  follows:  Silas,  who  died 
in  Providence;    William  D.;    Milo  D.,  formerly 
of  Providence,  who  died  in  Florida;   and  James 
W.,    who    resides    in    Punxsutawney,    Jefferson 
County,  Pa.    William  D.  Osterhout  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  youth,  and  this  occupation  he 
followed  in  his  native  county,  Wyoming,  until 
1871,  when  he  removed  to  Lackawanna  County 
and  settled  in  Dunmore.     At  once  he  began  in 
the  lumber    business    in    Third    Street.      About 
1881  he  added  contracting  and  building  to  his 
other  enterprise,  and  some  years  later  took  into 
partnership  his  son,  Edward  W.     As  a  business 
man  he  was  industrious,  persevering  and  honora- 
ble in  every  transaction.     Politically  a  Democrat, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  borough  council  for  one 
term  of  three  years.     His  death  occurred  in  Dun- 
more, June  25,  1895. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Eliza  A.  Utley,  and  was  born  in  Lenox, 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  to  which  place  her 
father,  Lucas  Utley,  had  removed  from  Connecti- 


AH  IX 


WILLIAM   VON   STORCH. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


931 


cut.  She  had  two  children,  Edward  W.  and  Eva. 
The  former  was  born  in  Nicholson,  Pa.,  June  9, 
1864,  and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
Dunmore  and  Scranton,  and  in  Eastman's  Busi- 
ness College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  He  became 
the  partner  of  his  father,  whom  he  succeed- 
ed in  business  at  the  death  of  the  latter.  In 
1896  he  disposed  of  the  old  yards  and  located  on 
Grove  Street  and  Prescott  Avenue,  where  he 
owns  the  entire  block.  Here  stand  his  resi- 
dence and  shop,  as  well  as  the  lumber  yard. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  King  Solomon's 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Dunmore  Lodge  No.  167, 
K.  of  P.,  in  which  he  is  past  chancellor.  In  Dun- 
more he  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Herold,  who  was 
born  in  York  State  and  accompanied  her  father, 
Charles  Herold,  to  Hyde  Park,  Scranton.  They 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  William  Jay, 
Ralph  E.,  Ruth  and  Beth  (twins),  and  Helen. 


WILLIAM  VON  STORCH.  Born  near 
his  present  place  of  residence  in  Scran- 
ton, and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years,  a  continuous  resident  of  this  city,  Mr.  von 
Storch  has  witnessed  the  steady  growfth  of  the 
commercial,  mining  and  manufacturing  interests 
of  the  community.  In  his  early  boyhood,  Scran- 
ton was  passing  through  its  first  stages  of  settle- 
ment, and  was  waiting  for  just  such  strong  hearts 
and  industrious  hands  as  his.  He  was  reared  to 
habits  of  economy,  and  the  hardships  that  he  met 
and  the  obstacles  that  stared  him  in  the  face  did 
not  in  the  least  dismay  or  discourage  him.  Put- 
ting his  shoulders  to  the  wheel,  year  after  year  he 
pushed  ahead  steadily,  and  now  can  review  his 
labors  with  a  just  feeling  of  pride  and  satisfac- 
tion. 

Within  sixty  rods  of  his  present  home,  William 
von  Storch  was  born,  February  9,  1819.  On 
another  page  will  be  found  a  sketch  of  his  father, 
Henry  Ludvig  Christopher  von  Storch,  and  of 
the  ancestral  history.  As  schools  were  conducted 
only  on  the  subscription  plan  in  his  boyhood,  he 
attended  these,  when  possible  to  be  in  school  at 
all.  The  surrounding  country  was  so  sparsely 
settled  that  he  was  acquainted  with  everyone  liv- 
ing between  Carbondale  and  Wilkesbarre.    April 


15,  1834,  in  company  with  his  brother  Godfrey, 
he  started  on  foot  for  Mauch  Chunk,  the  two  hav- 
ing only  thirty-one  cents  in  their  possession.  His 
first  employment  was  as  tow-boy  on  the  Lehigh 
Canal,  after  which  he  was  bovvsman,  remaining 
in  that  position  until  he  went  to  New  York  City 
in  1835.  In  the  following  year  he  went  to  White- 
haven, where  he  was  employed  on  the  work  of 
canal  construction.  He  returned  home  in  1837 
and  a  few  years  later,  in  1841,  began  the  mining 
of  coal,  some  of  which  was  shipped  by  wagon 
as  far  north  as  Syracuse,  and  exchanged  there  for 
salt. 

In  1848  in  connection  with  his  brother  God- 
frey, our  subject  started  a  sash  and  blind  factory, 
but  after  three  years  sold  out.  Later,  with  his 
brother,  he  built  a  saw-mill  on  Leggett's  Creek, 
and  for  almost  fifteen  years  carried  this  on,  man- 
ufacturing oak,  hemlock  and  pine  lumber.  The 
property,  which  included  five  acres,  was  sold  all 
together,  and  proved  a  remunerative  venture. 
For  some  years,  beginning  in  1853,  he  conducted 
a  drug  store,  which  he  had  been  obliged  to  take, 
finally  selling  out  to  Dr.  Bouton. 

In  1856  Mr.  von  Storch  purchased  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  acres,  for  which  he  paid  $300  an 
acre,  a  large  price,  as  the  following  year  he  could 
have  bought  for  $150.  Laying  out  the  property, 
he  first  sold  lots,  but  later  disposed  of  the  entire 
surface,  retaining  the  coal  on  lease.  Since  then 
the  land  has  been  built  up,  and  is  now  almost  en- 
tirely occupied,  within  its  limits  being  included 
the  finest  part  of  Greenridge,  toward  Dunmore 
borough. 

In  Wavcrly  borough,  Abington  Township,  Mr. 
von  Storch  married  Miss  Catherine  T.  LaBar, 
who  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  and  died  in 
Scranton,  January  5,  1889.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  William  LaBar,  who  was  numbered  among 
the  old  settlers  of  Luzerne.  In  the  borough  of 
Providence  Mr.  von  Storch  has  held  a  number  of 
local  offices,  his  most  efficient  service  being  done 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  school  directors. 
During  the  war  he  served  as  assistant  revenue 
assessor  for  the  seventh  division  of  this  district. 
When  younger  and  more  active,  he  identified 
himself  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masons,  but 
with  advancing  years  he  has  relinquished  work 


932 


rORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  these  fraternities.  His  religious  belief  brings 
him  into  association  with  the  Methodists,  and  he 
takes  an  interest  in  the  work  of  that  denomina- 
tion. With  two  other  gentlemen,  he  secured  a 
charter  for  the  first  water  company  in  Providence, 
but  after  a  time  the  concern  sold  out  to  the  pres- 
ent water  company.  His  first  vote  was  cast  for 
Harrison  in  1840,  and  he  supported  the  Whig 
principles  until  that  party  was  merged  into  the 
Republicans,  when  he  became  an  advocate  of  the 
new  organization,  and  its  platform  he  has  since 
continued  fto  uphold. 


NICHOLAS  G.  REED,  a  resident  of  Mil- 
waukee and  for  some  years  postmaster  of 
the  village,  was  born  in  old  Abington 
Township,  December  15,  1827.  Of  his  parentage 
and  ancestry  mention  will  be  found  in  the  sketch 
of  Eugene  Reed,  presented  upon  another  page. 
His  education  was  begun  in  district  schools,  but 
was  carried  on  afterward  less  from  text  books 
than  from  observation  and  experience  in  the 
great  school  of  life^  His  first  venture  was  the 
opening  of  a  general  store,  and  after  renting  for 
a  time  he  purchased  the  building  in  which  he  had 
his  stock  of  goods. 

In  1858  Mr.  Reed  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Pet- 
ty, who  was  born  in  Pittston  Township,  Luzerne 
County.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
four  children,  but  one  died  at  the  age  of  two  and 
one-half  years.  Those  living  are  B.  Frank,  a 
farmer,  who  is  married  and  has  five  daughters; 
Willis  L.,  also  an  agriculturist,  and  by  his  mar- 
riage the  father  of  one  daughter;  and  Mary  E., 
wife  of  George  Hopkins.  The  children  were  given 
excellent  advantages  in  good  schools,  and  are 
intelligent,  respected  and  well  known. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Reed  were  Peter  and  Sarah 
.(Naglej  Petty,  natives  respectively  of  Monroe  and 
Luzerne  Counties,  the  former  of  whom  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-eight  and  the  latter  when  seventy- 
seven.  Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  five  are  living.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents of  Mrs.  Reed  were  William  and  Lydia 
(Stroh)  Petty,  natives  of  Monroe  County ;  he  died 
at  Wilkesbarre  when  seventy-two,  and  she  in 
Berwick,  aged  eighty-six.    Mrs.  Reed's  maternal 


grandparents,  Christian  and  Sarah  (Stoekel) 
\agle,  were  born  in  Northampton  County,  and 
died  at  the  respective  ages  of  seventy-two  and 
seventy-six,  he  in  Hanover  and  she  in  Columbia 
County.  The  great-grandfather  Stoekel  was  of 
German  birth  and  a  member  of  a  very  wealthy 
family  that  was  represented  among  the  pioneers 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Continuing  the  management  of  his  store  in 
Milwaukee,  J*Ir.  Reed  was  meantime  appointed 
the  first  postmaster  of  the  village  by  President 
Buchanan  and  held  the  office  for  twelve  years. 
About  1870  he  closed  out  his  store  and  has  since 
given  his  attention  to  the  management  of  his 
property  and  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as 
justice  of  the  peace.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
present  term  in  this  capacity,  he  will  have  held 
the  office  for  forty  years.  A  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, he  cast  his  first  ballot  for  James  K.  Polk,  and 
has  been  one  of  the  local  leaders  of  his  party. 
When  he  came  here  there  was  no  church  of  his 
denomination — ^Methodist  Episcopal — and  it 
was  largely  due  to  his  efiforts  that  an  organiza- 
tion was  efifected.  In  those  early  days  there  were 
few  workers,  and  he  was  accustomed  to  build  the 
fires,  sweep  the  church,  lead  the  singing,  serve  as 
class  leader,  and,  in  fact,  aid  in  every  department 
of  the  work.  He  has  officiated  almost  continu- 
ously as  Sunday-school  superintendent  and  his 
wife  is  one  of  the  oldest  Sunday-school  teachers 
here.  Both  are  highly  respected  for  their  many 
worthy  qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 


DAVID  W.  POWELL.  As  a  member  of 
the  Republican  party.  Jtlr.  Powell  wields 
an  important  influence  in  the  public  af- 
fairs of  Scrantnn.  lli)wcver,  he  owes  his  success 
in  life  not  to  his  capacity  as  a  politician,  but  to 
the  confidence  re])Osed  in  him  personally  by  the 
people  anil  their  knowledge  of  his  thorough  effi- 
ciency, which  has  been  proved  in  every  position 
he  has  held.  Formerly  treasurer  of  Lackawanna 
County,  he  is  now  collector  of  statistics  for  the 
Industrial  Bureau  at  Harrisburg,  with  headquar- 
ters in  the  latter  city.  He  was  interested  in  the 
organization  of  the  Scranton  &  Pottsville  Coal 
Land  CDnipany,  in  which  he  is  treasurer  and  a  di- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


933 


rector;  in  the  Ronaldson  Coal  Land  Company, 
in  which  he  serves  as  director;  is  also  interested 
in  tlie  Scranton  Traction  Company  and  the  Na- 
tional Boring  &  Drilling  Company,  and  at  one 
time  was  connected  with  the  Economy  Light, 
Heat  &  Power  Company. 

Born  in  St.  Clair,  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  Au- 
gust 18,  1845,  the  subject  of  this  article  is  of 
Welsh  descent,  his  paternal  grandfather,  an  en- 
gineer, having  brought  his  wife  here,  but  later  re- 
turned to  Wales,  where  he  died.  Our  subject's 
father,  Watkin  Powell,  was  born  in  Glamorgan- 
shire, South  Wales,  and  in  early  manhood  went  to 
Halifax  on  the  sailer  "Martin  Van  Buren,"  spend- 
ing three  months  on  his  voyage.  Thence  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Pottsville,  Pa.,  and  engaged  in  mining 
coal  with  Adams,  Powell  &  Company,  of  St.  Clair. 
In  1858  he  came  to  Scranton,  settling  on  the 
west  side,  and  working  for  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  Company.  Later  he 
was  in  Bellevue,  Wilkesbarre  and  Danville,  and 
for  two  years  carried  on  a  mercantile  business 
in  Hyde  Park,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in 
mining  in  Plymouth.  On  the  evening  of  October 
12,  1882,  he  returned  home  from  his  daily  pur- 
suits, having  decided  to  retire  from  active  work. 
The  next  morning  he  was  found  dead  beside  his 
bed.    He  was  then  sixty-five  years  of  age. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth  (Evans) 
Powell,  was  born  in  Wales  and  was  an  aunt  of 
Silas  Evans,  the  famous  singer.  She  died  and 
was  buried  at  St.  Clair  when  David  W.  was  only 
two  years  of  age.  Her  family  consisted  of  three 
sons  and  one  daughter,  the  latter  of  wliom  died 
in  childhood.  William  E.,  now  proprietor  of 
a  fruit  farm  at  Santa  Clara,  Cal.,  was  a  member 
of  the  Second  Pennsylvania  Heavy  Artillery, 
Battery  M,  until  sickness  obliged  him  to  resign 
from  the  army.  Watkin  W.,  the  other  brother, 
who  was  formerly  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  Company,  died  at 
Kingston,  in  May,  1895;  he,  too,  was  a  soldier, 
having  seen  three  months'  service  in  Company  A, 
Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  afterward 
served  in  the  same  regiment  with  his  brother  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war. 

Until  thirteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Powell  lived  in 
St.  Clair,  after  which  he  was  in  different  places 


with  his  father.  When  fourteen  he  was  employed 
at  Bellevue  by  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad  Company,  being  then  the 
youngest  weighmaster  in  their  employ.  He  con- 
tinued with  them  for  three  years  and  then  went 
to  Wilkesbarre,  later  to  Danville,  where  he  was 
employed  as  clerk.  In  1865  he  came  to  Hyde 
Park,  where  he  first  clerked,  then  bought  out  his 
former  employers  and  carried  on  the  business  for 
two  years.  His  next  position  was  that  of  clerk 
for  H.  A.  Allen  &  Co.,  at  the  Hyde  Park  shaft, 
after  which  he  clerked  for  J.  A.  Ladd«in  the  gro- 
cery business  on  Penn  Avenue,  and  then  eleven 
years  in  the  freight  office  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  Company.  Under 
Hon.  D.  M.  Jones  he  was  deputy  city  treasurer 
for  two  years,  and  for  ten  years  served  as  chief 
clerk  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  dur- 
ing which  time  the  new  court  house  and  county 
jail  were  erected. 

In  June,  1891,  Mr.  Powell  became  a  candidate 
for  the  Republican  nomination  for  county  treas- 
urer, and,  though  there  were  three  other  candi- 
dates at  the  outstart,  he  had  no  opposition  in  the 
convention,  but  was  nominated  unanimously,  and 
was  elected,  at  the  head  of  the  Republican  ticket, 
by  a  majority  of  nearly  one  thousand,  though  his 
opponent,  George  Kinback,  had  six  years  before 
been  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  with  a  ma- 
jority of  fourteen  hundred.  In  1892  he  took  the 
oath  of  office  for  three  years  and  served  accept- 
ably during  the  term,  when  he  retired.  Politically 
he  has  always  adhered  to  Republican  principles. 
For  a  time  he  was  secretary  of  the  city  commit- 
tee and  was  chosen  its  chairman,  but  refused  to 
accept,  consenting,  however,  to  take  the  vice- 
chairmanship.  In  1893  he  was  finally  induced  to 
take  the  chairmanship,  having  been  chosen  and 
urged  by  each  of  the  candidates  to  lead  the  cam- 
paign. After  a  close  contest,  they  succeeded  in 
electing  every  Republican  candidate.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1895,  he  retired  from  the  treasurer's  office, 
and  on  the  1st  of  March  following  was  appointed 
by  the  secretary  of  internal  afifairs  at  Harrisburg 
as  collector  of  statistics  of  the  Industrial  Bureau 
at  Harrisburg.  In  1894  he  built  the  residence 
which  he  has  since  occupied,  at  No.  1034  Linden 
Street. 


934 


PORTR.\IT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  Susquehanna  County  Mr.  Powell  married 
Martha  J.  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Rome,  N.  Y., 
and  accompanied  her  father,  Richard  Davis,  to 
Susquehanna  County,  settling  on  a  farm  there. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Bertha, 
who  was  educated  in  the  Moravian  Female  Semi- 
nary at  Bethlehem ;  William  E.,  a  student  in  Wy- 
oming Seminary,  and  Helen,  who  is  attending  the 
home  schools.  Fraternally  Mr.  Powell  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Hyde  Park  Lodge  of  Masonry. 


HON.  FREDERICK  W.  GUNSTER.  The 
career  which  we  now  consider  may  be 
viewed  from  three  distinct  points  of  ob- 
servation— as  a  man,  as  an  attorney  and  as  a 
citizen — for  we  find  these  three  sides  to  the  char- 
acter of  Judge  Gunster.  While  it  is  true  that  the 
professional  man  must  ever  be  loyal  to  his  call- 
ing, yet  the  public  interests  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lives  and  of  which  he  is  an  integral 
part  cannot  be  ignored.  There  are  men  who 
possess  a  versatility  of  mental  constitution  that 
enables  them  to  take  part  in  diverse  lines  of 
thought  and  activity,  with  equal  success  in  each. 

Such  a  man  is  the  subject  of  this  article,  who 
is  associate  judge  of  the  courts  of  Lackawanna 
County.  In  addition  to  this  he  has  made  an  ex- 
cellent record  as  an  attorney  and  has  also  ren- 
dered efficient  service  as  a  citizen.  Though  his 
life  has  been  passed  principally  in  Scranton,  he 
is  of  foreign  birth,  born  in  Lochweiler,  Prussia, 
September  15,  1845,  «i"d  the  son  of  Peter  Gun- 
ster, also  a  Prussian  by  birth.  In  1853  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Scranton,  where  he  attend- 
ed the  public  school  and  also  the  private  school 
of  George  B.  Chase,  in  the  old  Odd  Fellows' 
Building.  Afterward  he  completed  the  high 
school  course,  and  then  taught  one  year  in  the 
public  school.  His  education  was  completed  in 
Williams  College  at  Williamston,  Mass.,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1867  with  the  degree  of 
A.  B.  Two  years  later  the  degree  of  A.  M.  was 
conferred  upon  him. 

On  completing  his  literary  studies,  our  subject 
entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  W.  G.  Ward, 
where  he  remained  after  his  admission  to  the  bar 
in  October  of  1868  until  Judge  Ward  was  elected 
recorder  of  the  Mayor's  Court  of  Scranton.     In 


1872  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  H. 
Wells,  and  continued  in  that  connection  until 
he  was  elected  to  the  bench  in  1888.  He  was  at- 
torney for  the  old  fourth  school  district  until  1877, 
and  upon  its  consolidation  and  change  of  limits 
he  was  chosen  as  attorney  again,  continuing  for 
eleven  years,  until  he  became  judge.  At  one  time 
he  served  as  city  attorney  of  Scranton.  In  1888 
he  was  nominated  on  the  Democratic  ticket  for 
judge,  the  Republicans  making  no  nomination, 
while  Judge  Chase  ran  on  the  independent  ticket. 
The  Democratic  nominee  was  successful  by  a 
large  majority.  After  his  election  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Beaver  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  Judge  Alfred  Hand,  who  had  been  ap- 
l)ointed  to  the  Supreme  Court.  He  took  his  seat 
the  first  Monday  of  Januan,',  1889,  to  serve  for 
a  term  of  ten  years. 

Assisting  in  the  organization  of  the  Third  Na- 
tional Bank,  Judge  Gunster  served  as  one  of  its 
directors  until  he  was  elected  judge,  when  he  re- 
signed. He  is  a  life  member  and  has  been  secre- 
tary of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Lackawanna  Hos- 
pital. Since  the  organization  of  the  oral  school, 
in  which  he  took  an  active  part,  he  has  served 
as  director  and  has  also  been  trustee  of  the  Al- 
bright Library  since  its  foundation.  At  one  time 
he  filled  the  position  of  city  clerk.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Cath- 
olic, attending  services  at  St.  Peter's  Cathedral. 
In  addition  to  his  residence  at  No.  809  Jefiferson 
Avenue,  he  owns  a  summer  home  at  Lake  Ariel. 
In  Wilkesbarre,  in  1873,  he  married  Miss  Maggie 
Brehl,  daughter  of  Christ  Brehl,  a  merchant  of 
that  city.  They  are  the  parents  of  six  living  chil- 
dren: John,  who  is  attending  college  in  Buffalo; 
Louise  and  Marguerite,  students  in  St.  Cecelia's 
Academy;  Lillie,  Marie  and  Joseph. 

In  the  Democratic  party  Judge  Gunster  has 
been  active  on  different  committees,  city  and 
county.  In  the  fall  of  1874,  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  he  was  elected  to  the  Pennsylvania  Assem- 
bly, and  served  in  1875-76.  He  was  active  in  se- 
curing the  passage  of  the  new  county  bill,  separ- 
ating Lackawanna  from  Luzerne,  which  twice 
passed  the  house,  but  both  times  was  defeated  in 
ihe  senate.      After  retiring  from   the  assembly, 


"^^it  ntw  yop' 


ASr 


JOSIU'II  CTRTIS   ri.ATT. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


937 


he  returned  the  following  year  and  organized  a 
new  movement  as  a  lobbyist,  by  which  means  he 
was  successful  in  getting  the  bill  through  the 
legislature.  When  the  new  county  was  organized 
he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Hartranft  the  first 
district  attorney  of  the  county  and  served  one 
year  and  three  months.  His  influence  as  a  citi- 
zen has  been  felt  in  all  measures  having  for  their 
object  the  welfare  of  the  people  and  the  promo- 
tion of  the  interests  of  the  community,  and  his 
fidelity  to  duty,  both  as  private  citizen  and  offi- 
cial, entitles  him  to  the  commendation  of  all  citi- 
zens. 


JOSEPH  CURTIS  PLATT.  The  city  of 
Scranton  owes  its  present  proud  position 
among  its  sister  cities  of  the  Keystone  State 
to  the  indomitable  will,  perseverance,  energy,  far- 
sightedness and  public  spirit  of  its  founders. 
There  are  evidences  enough  that  they  meant  to 
make  it  a  great  city,  and  if  in  the  following  sketch 
much  of  the  history  of  Scranton  should  appear  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  subject  of  it  could 
truly  have  said,  "All  of  which  I  saw  and  part  of 
which  I  was,"  for,  standing  on  the  roof  of  one  of 
our  modern  sky  scrapers  and  viewing  the  fair 
city  lying  at  his  feet,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
the  wild  mountains  of  the  Moosic  and  Lacka- 
wanna ranges,  one  familiar  with  its  growth  recog- 
nizes the  fact  that  it  owes  much  of  its  present 
beauty  and  plan  to  the  keen  foresight  and  faith 
of  the  man  whose  life  sketch  it  is  the  purpose  of 
these  pages  to  record. 

Joseph  Curtis  Piatt  was  born  in  Saybrook, 
Conn.,  September  17,  1816,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain.  His  an- 
cestors were  New  England  people,  full  of  the 
traditional  aims  and  impulses  that  have  made 
their  descendants  the  active  leaven  that  has  per- 
meated the  whole  commercial,  political  and  re- 
ligious life  of  this  coimtry.  His  grandfather  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  colonies  in  the  struggle 
with  England  and  took  part  in  the  war  for  in- 
dependence. His  father  followed  the  more  peace- 
ful pursuit  of  the  law,  but  died  in  1826,  when 
Curtis  was  ten  years  of  age.  With  the  self-re- 
liance and   intentncss   of  purpose   characteristic 


of  New  England's  sons,  the  boy,  young  as  he 
was,  determined  to  be  self-supporting  and  ac- 
cordingly, in  1827,  when  eleven  years  of  age,  he 
became  clerk  in  a  general  country  store.  Evi- 
dently he  was  not  given  to  either  idleness  or  care- 
lessness; on  the  contrary,  he  must  have  shown 
those  qualities  tliat  won  for  him  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He 
must  also  thus  early  in  life  have  contracted  hab- 
its of  prudence  and  economy  and  studied  his 
business  carefully,  for  in  1836,  when  but  twenty 
years  of  age,  he  went  into  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, opening  a  general  country  store  in  Fair 
Haven  (now  New  Haven),  Conn.  He  carried 
on  this  store  for  about  eight  years  as  an  unmar- 
ried man,  but  the  women  of  New  England  have 
ever  been  worthy  mates  for  her  sons  and  there 
were  frequent  visits  to  Madison,  Conn.,  in  those 
days.  In  1844,  "before  he  was  twenty-eight  years 
old,  he  married  Catherine  S.  Scranton,  of  Madi- 
son. The  courtship  thus  commenced  continued 
without  break  or  interruption  until  Mrs.  Piatt's 
death  in  1887  broke  the  tie  that  had  united  them 
for  so  many  years. 

Meantime  events  were  occurring  among  the 
mountains  of  Pennsylvania  that  were  destined  to 
have  an  important  bearing  on  his  life.  Some  gen- 
tlemen became  interested  in  coal  and  iron  lands 
in  the  Lackawanna  Valley.  They  had  started 
works  there  and  a  store,  and  had  secured  the  co- 
operation of  the  Scrantons.  More  money,  great- 
er activity  was  to  be  put  into  the  new  concern. 
The  interest  of  one  of  the  partners,  Mr.  Grant, 
had  been  purchased,  but  with  the  promise  that 
he  should  continue  his  services  in  the  store  until 
April  I,  1846.  This  made  a  successor  necessary, 
and  on  one  of  his  trips  east,  Joseph  H.  Scranton 
persuaded  his  brother-in-law  to  visit  Lackawanna 
in  November,  1845.  This  visit  is  thus  described 
by  Rev.  N.  G.  Parke  in  his  "Personal  Reminis- 
cences of  Scranton  as  it  was  in  1844:"  "J.  Curtis 
Piatt,  a  merchant  from  Fair  Haven,  Conn.,  visit- 
ed Scranton  and  spent  some  time  in  looking 
around  and,  in  Yankee  style,  asking  some  ques- 
tions. What  he  saw  here  at  that  time  that  was 
especially  encouraging  to  a  young  man  with  a 
family  we  do  not  know,  but  the  result  of  his  visit 
was  the  dawn  of  a  new  day  on  Scranton.     He 


938 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


knew  the  men  in  cliarge  of  the  enterprise  were 
true  men.  He  had  some  money  and  he  had  friends 
who  had  more  than  he  had.  They  were  wilHng 
to  risk  their  money  in  Slocum  Hollow."  This 
was  high  praise  for  a  young  man  not  yet  thirty 
years  of  age.  He  decided  to  come  to  Scranton 
and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  new  enterprise.  His 
own  account  of  the  trip  is  an  interesting  one  and 
is  worth  quoting:  "In  order  to  show  the  saving 
in  time  and  travel  during  the  last  forty  years,  I 
propose  to  give  an  account  of  our  trip  in  March, 
1846,  when  I  brought  my  small  family  here  to 
reside.  There  being  no  railroad  we  came  by  the 
night  steamer  from  New  Haven,  and  arriving 
in  New  York  the  next  morning  found  the  streets 
so  full  of  snow  that  our  carriage  could  hardly 
get  to  the  Franklin  House,  on  Broadway,  corner 
of  Dey  Street.  After  breakfast  it  was  found  im- 
possible to  get  a  carriage  to  take  us  to  the  ferry, 
at  the  foot  of  Cortlandt  Street,  on  account  of  the 
depth  of  the  snow,  consequently  we  had  to  walk, 
and  a  hand  cart  took  our  baggage.  At  that  time 
the  Morris  &  Essex  Railroad  only  ran  between 
Newark  and  Morristown.  Our  car  was  hauled 
by  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Company  over  its 
road  to  Newark,  where  it  was  disconnected  and 
drawn  by  four  horses  up  the  same  heavy  grade 
that  is  now  operated  by  steam.  From  this  point 
we  were  taken  by  a  locomotive  with  one  pair  of 
driving  wheels  to  Morristown.  At  Summit  .Sta- 
tion we  found  a  novel  plan  for  supplying  the  en- 
gine with  water.  A  pair  of  wheels  on  a  line  of 
shafting  were  placed  beneath  the  track,  the  upper 
side  of  them  being  in  line  and  level  with  its  top. 
The  locomotive  was  chained  with  its  drivers  rest- 
ing on  the  wheels  beneath  the  track,  when  the  en- 
gineer put  on  steam  and  pumped  what  water  he 
needed.  At  Morristown  we  took  a  stage  and 
arrived  at  Oxford  about  dark.  There  we  spent 
about  a  week,  owing  partly  to  a  heavy  rain  which 
had  so  raised  the  Delaware  River  that  we  had  to 
cross  it  by  the  bridge  at  Belvidere,  and  struck 
the  river  again  at  what  is  now  Portland.  We  were 
delayed  in  the  Water  Gap  by  ice  and  logs  in  the 
road.  After  covering  small  bridges  with  slabs  of 
wood  hauled  out  of  the  river,  we  finally  reached 
Tannersville  and  spent  the  niglit.  The  next  morn- 
ing, finding  good  sleighing  at  Forks,  we  changed 


our  vehicle  to  runners  and  again  for  wheels  at 
Greenville  (now  Nay-Aug),  and  arrived  at  Sel- 
den  T.  Scranton's  house  about  dark,  March  17, 
1846,  the  traveling  time  being  one  day  from  New 
York  to  Oxford  and  two  more  to  reach  here. 
At  present  the  trip  is  made  over  substantially  the 
same  route  in  four  and  one-half  hours,  and  from 
New  Haven  in  eight  hours.  This  route  gener- 
ally took  two  and  one-half  days  to  or  from  New 
York  and  was  the  usual  one  followed.  The  only 
way  to  shorten  the  time  was  to  take  the  stage  at 
Hyde  Park  at  noon  and  riding  through  the  night 
reach  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  in  the  afternoon,  then 
taking  the  Erie  Railroad  to  Piermont  and  steam- 
er down  the  Hudson,  arriving  in  New  York 
about  6  p.  m.  the  next  day  after  leaving  home." 

April  I,  1846,  Sandford  Grant  retired  from  the 
firm  and  Mr.  Piatt  assumed  charge  of  the  gen- 
eral store  kept  for  the  accommodation  of  the  rap- 
idly increasing  business  of  the  concern.  In  No- 
vember of  the  same  year  the  firm  was  reorganized 
and  became  known  as  Scrantons  &  Piatt.  The 
capital  was  then  $250,000.  Mr.  Piatt's  first  home 
stood  where  the  blast  furnace  and  engine  now 
stand;  in  front  of  it  was  a  handsome  grove  of 
trees  and  east  of  it  stood  the  hotel  known  as 
Kressler's.  The  contract  with  the  Erie  Railroad 
Company  to  supply  it  with  rails  demanded  more 
improvements  and  Mr.  Piatt  moved  into  the 
house  which  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  in  front 
of  his  recent  residence  on  Ridge  Row.  In  1846 
Mr.  Piatt  and  Joseph  H.  Scranton  purchased  tlie 
interest  of  E.  C.  Scranton. 

The  young  settlement  was  expanding  rapidly, 
but  the  old  New  England  training  showed 
through  it  all.  Religious  privileges  were  needed 
and  in  the  summer  of  1848  a  movement  was  start- 
ed that  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  of  this  first  meeting 
Mr.  Piatt  was  secretary.  When  the  church  was 
built  the  total  cost  was  $15,000,  of  which  amount 
he  and  the  Scrantons,  in  the  way  of  general  and 
special  contributions,  personally,  from  non-resi- 
dent friends  and  as  a  firm,  contributed  over 
$8,000.  In  November,  1848,  the  firm  was  reor- 
ganized. As  Mr.  Piatt  said:  "It  appears  to  be 
inherent  to  all  manufacturing  business  in  this 
coimtrv  that  cvcrv  concern  nnist  be  constantly 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


939 


making  improvements  to  reduce  the  cost  and  im- 
prove the  article  manufactured,  in  order  to  meet 
competition,  or  lose  its  business.  Such  was  the 
case  with  the  Lackawanna  iron  works,  and  con- 
sequently more  capital  was  needed,  as  before. 
This  time  the  capital  was  increased  to  $400,000." 
It  was  not  only  in  the  matter  of  churches  that  he 
was  interested.  His  sympathies  took  an  even 
wider  turn  and  in  [March,  1848,  he  became  a  char- 
ter member  of  Lackawanna  Lodge  No.  291,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  The  same  year  the  new  furnaces  were  put 
into  operation  and  the  store  building  over  which 
he  presided  was  doubled  in  size.  It  had  been 
built  in  1844-45.  These  things  show  how  the 
infant  settlement  was  growing  and  expanding. 
March  16,  1849,  he  became  a  charter  member  of 
Scranton  Encampment  No.  81. 

But  the  new  settlement  wanted  an  outlet.  It 
wanted  communication  with  the  outer  world. 
New  York  was  having  railroads,  why  should  not 
Scranton.  Meetings  were  held,  and  at  a  meeting 
for  the  organization  of  the  Liggett's  Gap  Rail- 
road, in  January,  1850,  Mr.  Piatt  was  elected  a 
director  in  the  new  enterprise.  At  a  meeting  held 
in  December,  1850,  he  was  elected  a  director  in 
the  Cobb's  Gap  &  Delaware  Railroad.  These 
two  movements  were  to  connect  Scranton  on  the 
one  hand  with  Binghamton  on  the  west,  on  the 
other  with  New  York.  And  now  comes  the  proof 
of  the  far-sightedness  of  the  man  and  his  faith  in 
the  ultimate  success  of  the  city  he  and  his  asso- 
ciates were  building  on  the  banks  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna, among  the  mountains  of  northeastern 
Pennsylvania.  In  1841  William  Henry  had  made 
a  plot  for  a  village  site,  but  the  arrangement  was 
not  satisfactory  and  the  map  was  never  used  to 
any  extent.  By  this  time  the  young  storekeeper 
had  his  business  well  systematized,  and  could  sell 
land  as  well  as  groceries.  Their  employes  wanted 
to  build  homes  of  their  own  and  were  anxious  to 
purchase  lots.  As  Mr.  Piatt  modestly  puts  it: 
"In  1850,  when  the  first  steps  were  taken  to  lay 
out  the  village  plot,  I  felt  it  a  matter  of  import- 
ance to  start  aright,  and  held  many  consultations 
with  Joel  Amsden,  the  engineer.  Mr.  Amsdcn, 
appreciating  the  interest  evinced,  probably  con- 
sulted me  more  than  the  other  members  of  the 
firm;   consequently  being  better  informed  in  the 


details,  the  lot  business  naturally  devolved  upon 
me  and  I  had  charge  of  it  for  Scranton  &  Piatt 
until  the  dissolution  of  the  firm.  To  Mr.  Amsden 
is  due  the  credit  of  the  plan  of  door  yards  which 
is  so  universally  popular  and  which  a  number  are 
disposed  to  abuse  by  putting  small  shops  there- 
on, which  they  have  no  right  to  do.  Mr.  Ams- 
den made  three  sketches  for  selection  and  was 
instructed  to  adopt  the  one  best  suited  to  ex- 
tend the  plot  up  and  down  the  valley,  regardless 
of  the  side  lines  of  the  tracts  belonging  to  the 
firm."  This  shows  conclusively  the  views  he  then 
held  as  to  the  future  growth  of  the  city,  and  to  his 
large  and  sound  ideas  on  the  subject  we  are  in- 
debted to-day  for  the  wide  straight  streets  and 
regular  plots.  One  does  not  have  to  go  far  from 
the  central  city  to  realize  how  different  this  might 
all  have  been  had  there  not  been  sound  judg- 
ment and  broad  views  at  the  head  of  the  real  es- 
tate department.  His  partners  found  he  was  in- 
deed posted  in  the  details  and  he  retained  charge 
of  the  company's  real  estate  interests  until  the 
day  of  his  death. 

In  1851  the  first  postoffice  was  opened  in 
Scranton  proper,  and  Mr.  Piatt  received  the  first 
letter  and  the  first  newspaper  handed  out  by 
"Uncle  Sam,"  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  in 
Scranton,  as  the  new  settlement  had  come  at  last 
to  be  called.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  first  sale 
of  lots  is  recorded  to  Grant,  Champion  &  Chase, 
being  for  two  lots  on  the  north  corner  of  Lack- 
awanna and  Wyoming  Avenues  for  $2,000.  The 
affairs  of  the  new  company  continued  to  grow  in 
size  and  importance  under  the  vigorous  adminis- 
tration of  the  men  who  had  now  assumed  con- 
trol. It  was  growing  too  large  to  be  any  longer 
a  small  country  concern  and  in  1853  a  charter  for 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  was  ob- 
tained, and  in  March  of  that  year  a  reorganiza- 
tion was  again  effected.  Mr.  Piatt  was  an  origi- 
nal and  influential  stockholder  in  the  new  com- 
pany and  June  10  became  the  official  real  estate 
agent  and  storekeeper  of  it,  as  he  had  been  of  the 
old  firm.  This  was  a  responsible  position  for  a 
young  man  of  thirty-seven,  but  he  had  shown  his 
ability  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  two  offices, 
and  the  control  of  them  came  to  him  because  he 
was  the  man  best  fitted  to  assume  it.     With  the 


940 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


growth  of  the  company  the  village  had  kept  pace. 
It  too  had  outgrown  its  first  estate.  A  more  sta- 
ble form  of  government  was  required  and  in  1856 
Scranton  was  incorporated  as  a  borough.  Others 
besides  his  partners  had  come  to  see  the  true 
worth  of  Mr.  Piatt  and  in  March,  when  the  bor- 
ough council  was  organized,  he  was  chosen  as 
one  of  its  first  members. 

The  year  1857  was  signalized  by  Mr.  Piatt's 
removal  to  what  a  short  time  ago  we  termed  the 
Piatt  homestead.  It  was  then  the  best  house  in 
Scranton  and  always  retained  an  air  of  individual- 
ity and  refinement,  even  when  the  growth  and 
roar  of  a  great  city  crept  closer  and  closer  to  it 
and  finally  engulfed  it  to  make  way  for  the  long 
viaduct  to  the  south  side.  Here  he  could  watch 
the  expansion  of  the  settlement  into  the  city 
wliose  coming  his  keen  vision  foresaw.  The 
spiritual  needs  of  the  new  community  grew  also. 
Young  men  were  flocking  thither,  attracted  by 
the  prospect  of  work  and  that  nameless  fascina- 
tion a  large  city  has  for  our  American  youth.  A 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  needed 
and  into  the  good  movement  R-Tr.  Piatt  threw 
himself  with  his  enthusiasm  and  judgment.  The 
first  one  was  organized  August  27,  1858,  with  J. 
C.  Piatt  as  one  of  the  managers.  The  growth  of 
the  great  coal  industries  of  the  valley  called  for 
constant  repairs  to  machinery  and  the  constant 
supply  of  new  engines,  locomotives,  etc.,  for  the 
plants,  collieries,  railroads,  etc.,  springing  up 
everywhere,  and  accordingly  there  must  be  a 
great  machine  shop  built  here.  It  cost  too  much 
to  have  all  this  heavy  frciglit  brought  from  a  dis- 
tance; accordingly,  March  20,  1862,  a  number 
of  gentlemen  met  to  organize  the  Dickson  Manu- 
facturing Company,  and  Mr.  Plait  was  chosen 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  new  concern  at  that 
meeting,  a  position  he  held  until  his  death.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  also  held  the  office  of  trea.s- 
urer.  Indeed  it  was  characteristic  of  him  that 
once  having  become  interested  in  a  business  or 
other  venture,  he  ideiUified  himself  fully  with  it, 
aided  in  its  growth  and  developmeiU  and  con- 
tinued with  it  until  death  severed  the  connection, 
and  we  shall  soon  see  with  how  many  of  the  new 
enterprises  of  the  growing  conuuunity  he  became 
closely  identified. 


With  other  industries  came  the  necessity  for 
banking  privileges,  and  in  1863  the  First  National 
Bank  was  organized,  with  Mr.  Piatt  as  director. 
In  1864  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  C.  T. 
Weston  &  Co.,  in  the  grain  and  meal  business. 
In  1865  he  was  made  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  He 
had  always  been  a  steady  and  stanch  supporter  of 
the  church,  but  now  he  became  still  more  closely 
allied  with  it,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  how  the 
school  and  church  must  have  been  benefited  by 
the  matured  experience  and  sound  judgment  he 
had  gained  in  his  fifty  years  of  life  and  forty  years 
of  business  cares  and  responsibilities.  As  the 
mining  industries  of  the  valley  needed  a  large  ma- 
chine shop,  so  they  also  needed  a  large  powder 
company,  for  a  great  amount  of  powder  is  con- 
sumed here  every  year,  more  than  many  people 
would  imagine  possible.  In  April,  1865,  the 
Moosic  Powder  Company  was  formed  and  Mr. 
Piatt  became  a  director  here  also  and  so  contin- 
ued until  his  death.  He  was  also  for  a  time  treas- 
urer of  the  new  company,  for  all  his  associates 
had  come  to  repose  peculiar  confidence  in  him. 
In  1867-68  the  present  large  stone  building  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  was  built, 
for  the  store  had  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  the 
other  industries.  In  1871  he  became  a  director 
in  the  People's  Street  Railway,  for  the  people  of 
the  neighboring  settlements  wanted  to  come  to 
Scranton  and  street  railroads  were  a  necessity. 
In  August,  1872,  he  was  elected  vice-president  of 
the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company,  thus  re- 
ceiving a  deserved  promotion  from  his  business 
associates,  with  whom  he  had  been  connected  for 
over  a  cjuarter  of  a  century.  The  same  year  he 
was  elected  vice-president  of  the  First  National 
Bank,  a  position  to  which  he  was  annually  re- 
elected until  his  death.  In  1874  the  firm  of  C.  T. 
Weston  &  Co.  changed  to  the  Weston  Mill  Com- 
pany and  he  became  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
new  concern.  In  1874  ho  became  a  director  of  the 
Lackawanna  Hospital  at  the  time  of  its  reorgani- 
zation. 

But  his  business  cares  and  other  responsibili- 
ties were  growing  upon  him.  Life  had  reached  its 
noon  and  he  felt  that  during  the  afternoon  he  was 
entitled  to  some  degree  of  rest.     Since  the  time 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


941 


over  fifty  years  before  when  as  a  boy  of  eleven 
he  took  up  the  serious  burden  of  Hfe,  his  had  been 
a  busy,  a  useful  and  an  energetic  one.  So  in  1874 
he  resigned  his  position  as  vice-president  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company,  but  he  could 
not  be  idle  if  he  tried.  In  1876  he  became  a  di- 
rector in  the  Riverton  Mills  Company  of  Virginia, 
an  oflfshoot  of  the  Weston  Mill  Company.  In 
1877  he  resigned  his  position  as  superintendent 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Sunday-school,  after 
having  held  it  for  twelve  years.  In  1879  h^  was 
elected  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  People's 
Street  Railway  Company  and  the  same  year  was 
made  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  health  of  the 
city  of  Scranton.  In  1880  he  was  made  a  director 
in  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company,  and 
two  years  later  accepted  a  directorship  in  the  new 
Moses  Taylor  Hospital,  erected  under  the  mu- 
nificent provisions  of  the  will  of  the  late  Moses 
Taylor  and  the  generous  gifts  of  the  Pynes  and 
others. 

In  1883  a  movement  was  started  in  Scranton  to 
bring  to  the  children  of  silence  the  gift  of  speech, 
and  Mr.  Piatt  became  a  director  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Oral  School  for  the  Deaf,  an  institution 
whose  growth  and  prosperity  has  been  truly  char- 
acteristic of  Scranton's  enterprises.  In  1886  he 
became  one  of  the  directors  of  the  newly  formed 
Lackawanna  Institute  of  History  and  Science.  It 
will  be  noted  how,  as  he  had  leisure,  he  was  be- 
coming more  and  more  interested  in  plans  for 
the  good  of  his  fellowman.  In  1887  he  resigned 
his  position  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Street  Railway  Company,  but  the  same  year 
became  a  director  in  the  Scranton  Forging  Com- 
pany, a  new  concern  transplanted  from  the  state 
of  Connecticut  to  flourish  amid  the  Pennsyl- 
vanian  hills. 

And  now  a  great  grief  came  into  the  life  of  Mr. 
Piatt.  In  July,  1887,  his  wife  died.  They  had 
walked  hand  in  hand  together  for  forty-three 
years  and  her  loss  was  one  he  did  not  himself 
long  survive.  He  was  in  the  full  possession  of 
all  his  mental  and  physical  faculties  when,  in  Oc- 
tober of  the  same  year,  he  was  stricken  with  par- 
alysis, that  dread  visitor  which  has  carried  ofif  so 
many  of  America's  highest  and  ablest  men.  He 
lingered   for   about    four   weeks,   provided    with 


every  comfort  possible,  and  then  quietly  departed 
to  rejoin  his  life's  companion  in  another  world. 
He  died  November  15,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-one years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a 
director  in  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany, a  director  and  vice-president  of  the  First 
National  Bank,  vice-president  and  a  director  of 
the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company,  a  director 
in  the  Moosic  Powder  Company,  the  Weston 
Mill  Company,  the  Riverton  Mills  Company,  the 
Scranton  Forging  Company  and  the  People's 
Street  Railway  Company.  He  was  a  director  in 
the  Lackawanna  Hospital,  a  trustee  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  director  in  the  Lack- 
awanna Institute  of  History  and  Science,  direc- 
tor in  the  Pennsylvania  Oral  School  for  the  Deaf, 
and  a  director  in  the  Moses  Taylor  Hospital.  He 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  events  going  on  around 
him  and  found  time  even  in  his  busy  life  to  pre- 
serve and  digest  a  mass  of  historical  data,  so  that 
in  1886  he  was  able  to  contribute  a  very  valuable 
historical  paper  to  the  archives  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Institute,  which  has  since  been  published 
in  pamphlet  form. 

The  enumeration  of  the  foregoing  facts  shows 
that  Mr.  Piatt  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability  and  sound  judgment.  He  had  well  learned 
Dr.  Van  Dyke's  rule: 

"Four  things  a  man  must  learn  to  do 
If  he  would  make  his  record  true: 
To  think  without  confusion  clearly; 
To  love  his  fellowmen  sincerely; 
To  act  from  honest  motives  purely. 
And  trust  in  God  and  heaven  securely." 

As  was  naturally  to  be  expected,  his  associates 
mourned  the  loss  of  such  a  man  and  resolutions 
expressive  of  their  regret  were  passed  by  the 
directors  of  the  various  organizations  with  which 
he  was  connected.  He  was  buried  in  Dunmore 
cemetery.  He  left  three  children  surviving  him: 
Joseph  C.  Piatt,  Jr.,  a  successful  manufacturer  of 
Waterford,  N.  Y.,  a  graduate  of  the  Rensselaer 
Polytechnic  Institute;  Miss  Ella  J.,  now  residing 
in  Scranton;  and  Frank  E.,  also  a  graduate  of 
the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  of  Troy,  N. 
Y.  Frank  E.  Piatt,  after  his  graduation,  engaged 
in  the  iron  business,  paying  particular  attention  to 
the  management  of  blast  furnaces,  in  which  he 


942 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  very  successful,  but  after  six  years  of  ex- 
perience he  was  called  to  Scranton  by  the  ill- 
ness and  death  of  his  father,  and  the  duties  con- 
nected with  the  settlement  of  his  estate.  He  has 
since  made  this  city  his  residence  and  has  suc- 
ceeded to  some  of  the  offices  held  by  his  father, 
being  a  director  in  the  iMoosic  Powder  Company, 
Weston  Mill  Company,  Riverton  Mills  Company, 
Suburban  Electric  Light  Company  and  the  Scran- 
ton Electric  Construction  Company,  and  he  was 
also  president  of  the  Lackawanna  Institute  of 
History  and  Science  for  two  years.  That  he  has 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  associates,  as 
his  father  had  before  him,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  he  now  occupies  the  position  of  treasurer  of 
the  following  successful  companies:  New  York 
&  Scranton  Coal  Company;  Suburban  Electric 
Light  Company;  Scranton  Electric  Construction 
Company  and  Peckville  Store  Company,  Lim- 
ited. 


WILLIAM  A.  CONNELL,  an  active 
young  business  man  of  Scranton,  holds 
a  very  responsible  position  as  general 
superintendent  of  the  coal  mines  of  Council  &  Co. 
He  is  interested  in  several  fraternal  organizations, 
among  these  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  When 
the  William  A.  Council  division  of  the  first-named 
society  was  founded  at  Taylor,  he  became  a  char- 
ter member,  and  is  still  associated  with  it,  having 
served  as  an  officer.  He  is  an  active  Republican, 
and  at  one  time  was  a  member  of  the  county 
committee. 

A  son  of  Hon.  William  Connell,  our  subject 
was  born  in  Minooka,  Pa.,  September  8,  i860. 
His  boyhood  days  were  passed  there  until  No- 
vember, 1872,  when  the  family  removed  to  Scran- 
ton. Entering  the  School  of  the  Lackawanna,  he 
completed  the  course,  and  then  attended  the 
Military  Academy  of  North  Granville.  In  1881 
he  entered  Yale  College  and  graduated  from  the 
classical  course  four  years  later.  Upon  his  in- 
troduction into  the  world  of  trade,  he  was  given 
a  place  as  foreman  in  the  business  of  which  his 
father  was  the  head,  and  in  a  short  time  was  pro- 
moted to  be  general  superintendent  of  the  com- 


pany's mines.  In  1890  he  assisted  in  the  cere- 
monies attending  the  opening  of  the  William  A. 
and  the  Lawrence  mines,  situated  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Lackawanna  River  at  Duryea.  The  Law- 
rence mine  was  named  in  honor  of  his  mother,  at 
the  suggestion  of  William  Musie,  civil  engineer 
for  the  company.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the 
river  is  the  town  of  Lawrence,  named  in  honor 
of  the  same  lady,  and  laid  out  by  William  Con- 
nell, Sr.  The  William  A.  colliery  has  a  capacity 
of  fifteen  hundred  tons  per  day,  and  the  Lawrence 
can  turn  out  about  twelve  hundred  tons  a  day. 

Mr.  Connell  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Tillie  Keer,  a  cultured  lady,  who  was  born  and 
grew  to  womanhood  in  Scranton,  receiving  good 
educational  advantages.  Her  parents,  Edwin  and 
Elizabeth  Keer,  were  natives  of  England,  and  her 
father  settled  in  Pottsville  a  number  of  years  ago, 
where  he  engaged  in  coal  operations  for  some 
time,  subsequently  locating  in  this  city,  as  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western. 
His  death  occurred  here,  and  he  is  survived  by 
his  widow,  whose  home  is  in  Scranton.  Our 
subject  and  wife  have  one  child,  William.  The 
family  reside  in  a  very  pretty  and  tasteful  home, 
which  was  built  by  Mr.  Connell  at  No.  1 1  Eigh- 
teenth Street. 


HON.  ELI  E.  HENDRICK,  of  Carbondale, 
was  born  in  Plymouth,  Wayne  County, 
Mich.,  in  1832.  Of  the  remote  ancestry 
little  is  known,  further  than  the  fact  that  they 
originated  in  Holland  and  were  represented 
among  the  early  residents  of  Berks  or  Bucks 
County,  Pa.  His  father,  Peter  Hendrick,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1802  and  in  childhood 
accompanied  his  parents  to  the  then  far  west, 
Ohio,  the  trip  over  the  mountains  being  made 
on  horseback.  The  family  settled  in  the  "West- 
ern Reserve,-'  where  he  spent  his  early  life  in 
helping  to  run  the  grist  and  saw  mill  of  his  father. 
While  yet  a  boy  the  hard  work  of  carrying  heavy 
sacks  of  grain  on  his  shoulder  caused  him  to  be- 
come stoop-shouldered  and  he  continued  so  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life. 

When   about  twenty-one  years  of  age   Peter 
Hendrick   left  home    to  make    his    way  in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


943 


world.  He  joined  a  drover  going  to  Philadelphia 
with  stock  and  then  went  through  the  State  of 
New  York  and  made  his  way  to  Michigan,  where 
he  secured  a  tract  of  land  in  the  then  wilderness 
of  Wayne  County  near  Plymouth.  From  the 
woods  he  hewed  out  a  farm,  and  this  he  cultivated 
for  many  years,  never,  however,  becoming  well- 
to-do.  He  finally  removed  to  a  little  truck  farm 
in  Ypsilanti,  Mich.,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  dying  there  in  1890.  His  first  wife 
died  in  1833.     He  married  again  in  1835. 

The  only  brother  of  our  subject,  Edmund, 
who  was  a  natural  mechanic,  learned  the  wood 
turning  trade  and  later  the  carpenter's  trade. 
Afterward  he  purchased  timber  land  in  Muske- 
gon County,  Mich.,  which  he  converted  into  a 
farm,  and  some  years  later,  on  the  death  of  their 
step-mother,  he  was  induced  by  our  subject  to 
take  charge  of  the  little  farm  near  Ypsilanti  and 
look  after  his  father,  our  subject  promising  him 
the  deed  to  the  place  on  the  death  of  their  father, 
and  also  putting  him  on  his  pay  roll  at  $50  per 
month.  Tlie  deed  was  afterward  given  to  him  and 
he  now  makes  his  home  there.  Our  subject's 
sister  married  Hugh  Strickland,  a  farmer  first 
in  Michigan  and  later  in  Illinois,  and  who  was 
one  of  the  first  to  go  to  Pike's  Peak  in  i860. 
Three  years  afterward  he  came  to  Carbondale 
and  took  a  position  in  his  brother-in-law's  em- 
ploy, remaining  with  him  until  death.  The  sis- 
ter still  lives  in  Carbondale. 

With  little  fondness  for  school,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  avoided  the  school  house  whenever 
it  was  possible.  At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he 
hired  out  to  a  farmer  who  had  contracts  to  carry 
the  mail  on  horseback.  He  was  to  carry  the 
mail  each  alternate  half  day  and  go  to  school 
the  other  half  days,  for  $3  per  month,  but  boy- 
like, he  preferred  working  on  the  farm  the  odd 
half  days  to  going  to  school  and  the  old  farmer 
being  willing  he  was  thus  occupied  for  three 
years,  rain  or  shine,  snow  or  hail. 

On  his  first  trip  he  was  told  by  his  employer 
not  to  ride  too  fast,  and  carrying  out  this  in- 
struction to  the  letter,  he  did  not  reach  Ann 
Arbor  until  seven  o'clock,  although  due  two 
hours  before.  The  postmaster  was  angry  and 
said  he  was  too  young  to  carry  mail,  that   he 


would  report  him,  etc.,  but  on  receiving  a  prom- 
ise that  the  messenger  would  never  be  late  again, 
he  agreed  to  keep  still.  After  that  the  boy  was 
always  on  time.  He  soon  became  a  favorite  with 
people  along  the  route,  who  found  him  obliging 
and  trusty,  and  willing  to  do  errands  for  them 
without  charge.  Many  a  shilling  came  to  him 
from  them,  and  other  boys  receiving  the  same 
wages  wondered  why  he  always  had  more  money 
than  they.  The  reason  lay  in  the  fact  that  they 
charged  for  errands,  which  made  the  farmers 
indignant,  while  he  was  willing  to  do  little  favors 
for  nothing,  and  in  the  end  received  more  than 
the  boys  who  charged. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  Mr.  Hendrick  secured 
a  clerkship  in  a  store  in  Plymouth.  When  not 
otherwise  employed,  he  would  take  the  bills  of 
goods  purchased  by  the  merchant  in  New  York 
and  would  copy  the  fine  and  accurate  hand- 
writing. In  this  way  he  became  an  expert  pen- 
man. About  this  time  he  was  seized  with  a  de- 
sire for  learning  and  attended  a  district  school 
one  winter  and  the  seminary  another  winter. 
Chemistry,  philosophy,  higher  arithmetic  and 
algebra  had  a  fascination  for  him  and  he  de- 
voured every  book  he  could  get.  After  having 
spent  a  year  or  more  there,  he  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  a  merchant  in  Upper  Plymouth  vil- 
lage, who  offered  him  the  position  of  clerk  in 
place  of  our  subject's  former  school  teacher.  He 
accepted  this  place  with  a  salary  of  $10  per 
month.  His  employer,  Mr.  May,  was  interested 
in  Sunday-school  work  and  liking  the  young 
clerk  secured  his  election  as  secretary  of  the  Sun- 
day-school. This  was  done  without  the  boy's 
knowledge  or  consent.  When  informed  of  what 
had  been  done,  he  said  he  could  not  accept  the 
position,  as  he  had  no  shoes  and  no  clothes  suit- 
able to  wear  to  Sunday-school.  The  merchant 
said  in  reply  that,  while  in  most  instances  it  was 
wrong  to  buy  clothes  until  you  have  earned  them, 
in  this  case  he  intended  to  advance  him  a  suit 
of  clothes,  in  order  that  he  might  accept  the  po- 
sition. So  it  happened  that  the  ne.xt  Sunday  he 
donned  a  new  tailor-made  suit  and  went  to  the 
Sunday-school.  When  Mrs.  May,  the  mer- 
chant's wife,  saw  him  in  the  new  suit,  she  said, 
"EH,  you  will  always  scratch  a  poor  man's  head," 


944 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  boy  inquired  what  made  her  think  so  and 
she  replied,  "Because  you  are  too  liberal  to  your- 
self. You  have  not  paid  for  the  clothes  you 
have  on." 

When  seventeen  years  of  age,  having  a  great 
taste  for  mechanical  work,  Mr.  Hendrick  en- 
tered his  brother's  shop  to  learn  the  turner's 
trade.  Later  the  two  started  a  shop  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  wooden  hay  rakes  and  other  farm- 
ing implements.  The  shop  was  burned  down  in 
1853,  but  they  rebuih  it  and  employed  a  large 
force  of  men  for  some  time.  The  panic  of  1857 
destroyed  tlie  business  and  it  was  sold  to  his 
former  employer,  May.  Soon  afterward  he  went 
to  Davenport,  Iowa,  to  take  charge  of  a  barrel 
factory,  but  the  farther  west  he  went,  the  harder 
he  found  the  times  to  be.  Deciding  that  the 
place  to  do  business  was  where  the  money  was 
most  plentiful,  he  returned  east,  having  pro- 
cured the  agency  for  the  sale  of  a  new  invention, 
a  governor  for  steam  engines.  He  succeeded  in 
that  very  well. 

While  engaged  in  this  business  Mr.  Hendrick 
met  a  man  who  had  originated  a  new  kind  of  oil, 
manufactured  out  of  one-half  water  and  the  other 
half  oil.  Being  assured  of  its  merit,  be  bought 
the  receipt  for  $10,  and  spent  the  winter  of  1860- 
61  in  Michigan,  experimenting  on  oil.  He  dis- 
covered the  receipt  was  practically  useless,  but 
finding  a  formula  that  seemed  to  have  merit,  he 
went  to  Toronto,  Canada,  and  experimented 
with  it  on  the  machinery  of  a  large  rolling  mill. 
It  worked  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owners  of 
the  mill,  who  paid  him  $50  for  the  receipt  and 
the  right  to  make  it.  On  his  return  to  Scranton 
he  introduced  it  in  this  locality.  Going  to  John 
B.  Smith,  superintendent  of  tlie  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company's  Gravity  road,  he  secured  permission 
to  give  it  a  test  on  the  cars  of  that  road,  assur- 
ing him  that  it  would  lessen  his  oil  bills  by  half. 
After  a  thorough  test  extending  over  several 
months,  they  made  an  arrangement  with  him  for 
the  use  of  it  on  the  road  and  paid  him  on  the 
start  $500. 

Mr.  Hendrick  was  led  to  m.ake  further  experi- 
ments in  the  oil  business  and  they  proved  very 
satisfactory.  Through  his  efforts  with  others, 
the  Great  Northern  Oil  Company  was  organized. 


he  getting  $33,000  in  cash  and  $200,000  of  tlie 
stock  of  the  company,  and  he  went  into  the 
Venango  fields  to  manufacture  the  oil.  It  was 
agreed  by  the  stockholders  that  none  of  the  pri- 
vate stock  should  be  put  on  the  market  until  the 
$200,000  capital  stock  for  the  running  of  the 
works  was  sold.  A  bull  pool  was  formed  in  New 
York  in  1864  and  the  stock  was  the  sensation  of 
the  hour.  He  was  offered  $120,000  for  his 
stock,  but  refused  to  sell  it,  as  the  agreement 
was  that  it  should  not  be  sold  until  the  capital 
stock  was  all  disposed  of.  By  this  time  he  had 
used  $20,000  of  his  own  money  in  the  company's 
business,  and  he  called  for  that  sum,  but  found 
there  was  no  money  in  the  treasury.  Satisfied 
that  there  was  something  wrong,  he  went  to  New 
York  and  found  that  while  the  stock  was  boom- 
ing, none  of  the  capital  stock  had  been  sold,  but 
that  the  promoters  had  broken  faith  and  had 
been  selling  their  private  stock.  When  he  found 
this  was  being  done  he  was  enraged  and  threw 
his  stock  on  the  market,  causing  a  collapse  of 
the  boom. 

Returning  to  Carbondale,  Mr.  Hendrick 
traded  $100,000  of  the  stock  to  C.  P.  Wurts  for 
his  private  residence.  For  this  same  stock  he 
had  refused  $60,000  in  cash  a  short  time  before. 
He  soon  originated  another  patent  which  he 
named  Galena  oil  and  sold  the  patent  and  factory 
to  Venango  County  parties.  In  1876  he  origi- 
nated still  another  improved  oil  and  went  to 
Franklin  and  erected  a  factory  for  its  manufac- 
ture. A  few  years  later  he  sold  that  out  to  the 
Standard  Oil  Company.  Returning  to  Carbon- 
dale  he  erected  an  oil  refinery  of  eight  hundred 
barrels  crude  per  day.  In  1879  he  again  sold  out 
to  the  Standard  Oil  Company  for  about  $100,000, 
and  $10,000  per  year  for  ten  years.  They  made 
an  additional  contract  with  him  whereby  they 
paid  him  $5,000  per  year  to  go  to  New  York  and 
superintend  the  erection  of  oil  refineries  in  that 
city.  For  several  years  he  continued  in  that  ca- 
pacity. In  1879  he  started  a  small  machine  shop 
in  Carbondale,  and  from  this  nucleus  has  sprung 
the  Hendrick  Manufacturing  Company. 

In  the  rear  of  his  residence  Mr.  Hendrick  has 
a  small  shop,  v;here  he  has  done  all  of  his  experi- 
menting and  worked  out  all  of  his  valuable  pa- 


PHILIP  SCHNELIv. 


Portrait  and  ibiographical  record. 


947 


tents,  spending  years  to  secure  the  proper  work- 
ing of  a  machine  and  never  abandoning  his  ef- 
forts until  he  has  perfected  a  plan.  The  build- 
ing up  of  the  Hendrick  Manufacturing  Company 
has  been,  outside  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
road  and  the  coal  business,  the  principal  factor 
in  making  Carbondale  the  beautiful  and  thriving 
city  it  now  is.  Aside  from  his  own  works,  he 
is  interested  in  nearly  all  of  the  enterprises  in 
the  city,  as  well  as  many  out  of  it.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  Sperl  Heater  Company  and  the 
Pendleton  Manufacturing  Company;  was  the 
promoter  and  principal  stockholder  in  the  An- 
thracite Hotel,  one  of  the  finest  in  any  town  of 
this  size  in  the  State;  assisted  in  organizing  the 
Miners  &  Mechanics  Bank,  of  which  he  has 
been  vice-president  since  its  establishment;  aided 
in  the  promotion  of  the  Ice  &  Cold  Storage 
Company  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  in  which  $200,000 
is  invested;  holds  the  position  of  president  of 
the  Consolidated  Carbondale  &  Forest  City 
Traction  Company,  and  owns  an  interest  in  the 
Crystal  Lake  Water  Companv  and  the  Klots  silk 
mill. 

\\  ithout  solicitation  on  his  part,  in  fact  against 
his  wishes,  for  he  has  not  the  slightest  ambition 
for  political  honors,  Mr.  Hendrick  was  elected 
mayor  of  Carbondale  in  1893.  During  his  term 
of  office  many  improvements  were  made;  streets 
were  paved  and  several  fine  bridges  built.  He 
has  been  lavish  in  the  expenditure  of  his  pri- 
vate means  to  benefit  the  city.  It  is  very  rare  to 
find  a  man  starting  in  life,  without  means  or  in- 
fluence, who  achieves  the  remarkable  success  he 
has  won.  The  results  speak  volumes  for  his 
ability  and  business  judgment.  He  occupies  a 
stately  house  located  in  the  heart  of  the  city  and 
surrounded  by  ten  acres  of  grounds,  comprising 
what  is  known  as  Hendrick's  Park. 

At  Plymouth,  Mich.,  in  1853,  Mr.  Hendrick 
married  Miss  Caroline  P.  Hackett,  a  sister  of  the 
wife  of  Rev.  W.  B.  Grow,  a  Baptist  minister. 
She  died  in  1894,  leaving  two  daughters.  Mary, 
the  elder,  who  received  her  early  education  un- 
der Professor  Colville,  a  private  tutor,  and  after- 
ward was  a  student  in  Vassar  College.  She  is 
now  the  wife  of  A.  P.  Trautwin,  the  superintend- 
ent of  the  Hendrick  Manufacturing  Company. 
40 


Lillian,  the  younger  daughter,  received  her  early 
education  under  the  same  tutor  and  completed  it 
at  the  Packer  Institute  of  Brooklyn.  She  is  the 
wife  of  Prof.  William  T.  Colville,  who  is  treas- 
urer of  the  Hendrick  Manufacturing  Company 
and  the  confidential  assistant  of  his  father-in- 
law. 


PHILIP  SCHNELL,  proprietor  of  the  Key- 
stone Hotel  at  No.  626  West  Lackawanna 
Avenue,  Scranton,  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  March  13,  1833,  and  was 
one  of  the  si.x  children  of  Gustav  and  Elizabeth 
(Leonard)  Schnell,  who  lived  upon  a  farm  at 
Groelsheim  by  Bingen.  His  father  died  in  1846 
and  his  mother,  in  Scranton,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight.  Of  the  children,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Schappe 
died  in  Germany  and  Mrs.  Barbara  Scheik  in 
Iowa;  Henry  is  a  carpenter  with  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  in  Scranton;  and  Sus- 
anna is  married  and  resides  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

Reared  upon  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  Groel- 
sheim schools,  Philip  Schnell  left  home  October 
12,  1853,  to  come  to  America,  being  the  first 
of  the  family  to  cross  the  ocean.  He  first  went 
to  Liverpool,  where  he  took  a  sailing  vessel, 
which  after  a  voyage  upon  the  ocean  of  ninety 
days  landed  in  New  York  January  19,  1854,  one 
hundred  days  after  he  had  left  home.  He  went 
at  once  to  Callicoon,  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y., where 
he  was  employed  on  the  Erie  road  for  three 
months,  and  in  May,  1854,  came  to  Scranton, 
securing  work  at  the  Diamond  drift  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western.  Later  he  was 
employed  at  the  Pine  Brook  mine  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company.  His  next  posi- 
tion was  in  the  opening  of  the  tunnel  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  at  Nay-Aug,  after 
which  he  was  in  the  rolling  mill  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron,  .Steel  &  Coal  Company.  Learning 
the  carpenter's  trade  he  followed  it  for  twelve 
years,  being  in  St.  Louis  for  eighteen  months  of 
that  time,  in  New  Orleans  six  months,  and  in  the 
passenger  car  shop  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawan- 
na &  Western  for  six  years.  In  1866  he  built  a 
hotel  on  the  corner  of  West  Lackawanna  Avenue 
and  Seventh  Street,  and  June  28,  1868,  opened 


948 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  Keystone  Hotel,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
proprietor.  In  addition  to  tliis  building,  he  owns 
considerable  valuable  property  in  the  city. 

By  his  marriage  to  Catherine  Schaeffer,  a  na- 
tive of  Saxony,  Germany,  Mr.  Schnell  has  two 
children  living,  Katie,  wife  of  J.  W.  Warnke,  and 
Lovina.  Three  arc  dead,  Susanna,  Philip  and 
Lizzie.  In  1884  he  took  his  family  to  his  old 
home  in  Germany  and  also  visited  Switzerland. 
Again  in  1891  they  spent  three  months  in  the  old 
country.  They  arc  members  of  Zion  Lutheran 
Church,  which  Mr.  Schnell  assisted  in  organizing. 
Politically  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  an  honorary 
member  and  at  one  time  was  trustee  of  the  Scran- 
ton  Hook  &  Ladder  Company.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  Schiller  Lodge,  F.  «&;  A.  M., 
German  Beneficial  Society,  Hora  Gora,  Lieder- 
kran/  and  Turn  A'erein,  of  which  he  is  trustee. 


STEPHEN  P.  FENNER,  member  of  the 
firm  of  Fenner  &  Chappell,  is  an  influen- 
tial and  progressive  business  man  of  Scran- 
ton.  He  possesses  good  judgment  and  executive 
ability  and  has  succeeded  in  nearly  every  one  of 
his  financial  undertakings,  varied  though  these 
have  been. 

The  grandfather  of  the  above,  Joseph  Fenner, 
of  the  old  English  Puritan  stock,  at  an  early  day 
went  from  Massachusetts  to  Rochester,  becoming 
one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  that  vicinity.  Wil- 
liam, father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Roches- 
ter, and  in  addition  to  managing  his  farm  en- 
gaged extensively  in  real  estate.  He  is  still  ac- 
tive and  hearty,  though  in  his  seventy-eighth 
year.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah 
Remington,  was  the  daughter  of  Alva  Reming- 
ton, also  a  pioneer  of  Rochester,  whither  he  re- 
moved from  Massachusetts.  He  bought  and  sold 
several  farms  and  became  well-to-do.  Death 
claimed  him  at  the  close  of  a  long  and  useful  life, 
he  being  then  ninety-six  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Sarah 
Fenner,  now  in  her  seventy-fifth  year,  was  the 
mother  of  four  sons:  r'airchild,  who  resides  on 
the  old  homestead ;  Alva,  deceased,  and  at  one 
time  a  partner  of  his  brother  Stephen;  Ganson, 
who  is  operating  a  part  of  the  old  farm,  and  Ste- 
phrn   P. 


Like  his  father  before  him,  Stephen  Fenner 
was  bom  in  Rochester,  the  year  of  his  birth  be- 
ing 1859.  Attending  the  public  schools  and  the 
normal  at  Brockport  until  he  was  fifteen  years 
old,  he  received  very  good  advantages  for  that 
day.  In  1878  he  entered  the  grocery  depart- 
ment of  Jones  &  Fenner's  general  store  at  Wilkes- 
barre,  and  thus  learned  the  rudiments  of  busi- 
ness by  practical  experience.  It  was  in  1880  that 
he  came  to  Scranton,  being  offered  a  place  in 
the  general  store  of  John  Jermyn  on  Penn  Ave- 
nue, and  taking  charge  of  the  grocery  depart- 
ment. In  1883  he  took  a  similar  position  with 
the  same  firm  in  their  store  at  Priceburg,  which 
they  had  established  previously.  In  1885  he  re- 
signed, and  after  a  few  months  of  investigation 
decided  to  open  a  store  on  his  own  account.  This 
he  accordingly  did  May  I,  1886,  in  Providence 
Square,  Scranton,  the  firm  being  Fenner  &  Chap- 
pell. His  brother,  Alva,  was  the  silent  partner 
in  the  new  concern,  until  his  death  in  the  follow- 
ing year.  By  degrees  the  business  increased,  and 
it  became  necessary  to  move  into  larger  quar- 
ters. Soon  their  double  store  proved  insufficient 
and  another  one  was  added.  This  great  estab- 
lishment was  the  pioneer  in  strictly  cash  stores  in 
this  valley,  and  its  proprietors  have  demonstrated 
that  their  plan  is  the  best  to  be  found.  A  full 
line  of  general  merchandise,  groceries,  etc.,  is 
carried,  and  these  goods  are  sold  in  both  whole- 
sale and  retail  quantities.  Mr.  I'enner  attends  to 
all  the  buN'ing  in  the  grocery  department  and  ex- 
ercises a  watchful  care  over  the  whole  business. 

When  the  Traders  and  Bankers  Mutual  Life 
Association  was  incorporated  Mr.  Fenner  was 
elected  its  president,  and  still  holds  that  post. 
He  is  greatly  interested  in  the  development  of 
the  mineral  wealth  of  this  section,  and  has  money 
invested  in  coal  land.  With  four  others  he  leased 
several  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Wayne  County, 
where  there  appears  to  be  gold,  silver  and  cop- 
per in  paying  quantities.  He  was  one  of  the  foun- 
ders of  the  Elect  City  Land  Improvement  Com- 
pan\-.  and  is  still  a  director  in  the  concern.  His 
line  residence  at  No.  606  Clay  Avenue  was 
Iniilt  under  his  own  supervision.  With  all  these 
varying  fields  of  activity,  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  he  finds  nnicli  time  for  politics,  but,  never- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


949 


theless,  he  is  a  loyal  Republican  and  always  dis- 
charges his  duties  as  a  voter  and  citizen. 

While  living  in  Rochester  Mr.  Fenner  married 
Miss  Cora  Search  in  1885.  She  was  born  in  that 
city  and  was  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Search,  a  re- 
tired farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fenner  have  two  chil- 
dren, I'ertram  and  Jennie. 


ALFRED  HARVEY,  proprietor  of  the  Plar- 
vey  silk  mill  and  the  originator  of  the  silk 
industry  in  Scranton,  was  born  in  Ash- 
ford,  Windham  County,  Conn.,  October  20,  1848. 
The  family  of  wliich  he  is  a  member  came  from 
England  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  where  his 
grandfather  was  a  Congregational  minister  until 
death.  His  father,  Alfred  Harvey,  was  born  in 
Hadden,  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  and  for  years 
was  a  successful  tanner  in  Ashford,  where  he  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-seven. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Dolly  Kneeland, 
was  born  in  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  where  her 
father,  Joseph,  engaged  in  farm  pursuits.  She 
was  a  descendant  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  Since 
1873  h'?''  liome  has  been  in  Scranton,  where  her 
three  sons  also  reside:  Joseph  K.,  a  retired  busi- 
ness man;  Alfred,  and  Albert,  superintendent  of 
the  silk  mill.  These  are  the  only  survivors  of 
the  family  that  originally  comprised  four  sons 
and  two  daughters.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
attended  the  high  school  in  Ashford,  but  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  left  school  and  began  to  learn 
the  machinist's  trade  with  a  brother-in-law  in  the 
Atwood  Machine  Company's  works  at  Williman- 
tic.  Conn.  There  he  became  familiar  with  the 
construction  of  silk  machines.  Later  he  was  em- 
ployed in  New  London,  Conn.,  one  year. 

The  first  mill  operated  by  Mr.  Harvey  was  es- 
tablished in  Central  Village,  Conn.,  in  1871,  and 
of  this  he  acted  as  superintendent.  In  1872  he 
came  to  Scranton  as  superintendent  of  the  Scran- 
ton Silk  Company  and  built  a  mill  in  the  summer 
of  that  year,  opening  and  starting  what  is  now 
the  Sauquoit  mill.  This  was  the  first  mill  built 
in  eastern  Pennsylvania  outside  of  Philadelphia. 
After  six  years  the  company  went  into  liquida- 
tion and  an  assignee  was  appointed,  the  property 
being  sold  to  the  present  company.     Mr.  Har- 


vey then  started  a  mill  in  Hyde  Park,  and  after- 
ward moved  to  South  Washington  Avenue, 
where  he  built  his  present  mill,  140x40  feet,  three 
stories  high,  with  engine  and  boiler  of  one  hun- 
dred horse  power.  The  capacity  of  the  plant  is 
three  thousand  pounds  per  week,  and  employ- 
ment is  furnished  about  two  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-five hands.  A  great  many  useful  devices  have 
been  originated  by  Mr.  Harvey  and  utilized  in 
the  operation  of  the  plant. 

In  addition  to  the  silk  mill,  our  subject  has 
other  interests.  He  is  a  director  in  the  West 
Ridge  Coal  Company,  the  Hawley  Coal  Com- 
pany and  the  Scranton  Vitrified  Brick  and  Tile 
Manufacturing  Company,  and  assisted  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  East  Ridge  Coal  Company,  of 
which  he  is  president.  Outside  of  his  business 
interests  he  has  taken  genuine  pleasure  in  driving 
fast  and  standard-bred  horses,  of  which  he  owns 
a  number.  In  his  stables  were  raised  the  two 
horses.  Medium  Boy,  by  Sharnion's  Medium, 
2:24  1-2,  and  Prince  AI.,  by  William  M.,  2:29, 
and  at  one  time  he  owned  the  pacing  mare,  Nada, 
by  King  Medium,  that  made  a  record  of  2:25  at 
three  years.  For  some  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Driving  Park  Association.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  Republican. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hars'ey,  in  Willimantic, 
Conn.,  September  18,  1873,  imited  him  with  Miss 
Marietta  Babcock,  who  was  born  in  Columbia, 
Tolland  County,  Conn.,  the  daughter  of  Hon. 
Jaynes  M.  and  Lovisa  (Hovey)  Babcock,  natives 
respectively  of  Columbia  and  Willimantic,  Conn. 
Her  grandfather,  Stanford  Babcock,  a  farmer  of 
Columbia,  married  a  Miss  Robinson,  and  died 
when  his  son,  J.  M.,  was  young.  Tlie  great-grand- 
father, Simon  Babcock,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  The  family  originated  in  Eng- 
land, whence  Henry  Babcock  came  to  America 
in  the  "Mayflower"  and  settled  in  Massachusetts. 

A  successful  farmer  and  the  owner  of  consider- 
able property  in  Connecticut,  Hon.  J.  M.  Bab- 
cock represented  his  district  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture for  two  terms  and  served  as  county  commis- 
sioner for  two  terms.  Pie  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent members  of  the  Republican  party  in  his  lo- 
cality. During  the  Civil  War  he  offered  his  ser- 
vices, but  was  rejected  by  the  medical  examiners. 


950 


PORTRAIT   AND   rilOGRAPIIICAL   RECORD. 


For  some  time  he  was  a  captain  in  the  Connecti- 
cut miHtia.  P'or  a  number  of  years  he  made  his 
home  in  CaHfornia,  hut  late  in  hfe  returned  to 
Connecticut,  where  he  died  in  April,  1895,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five,  lie  married  Lovisa  Hovey, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Orra  Ilovey,  a  business  man 
of  \\'i!liniantic.  Conn.,  and  a  captain  in  the  state 
militia.  Captain  Hovey's  wife,  Aura  Dorchester, 
was  a  member  of  an  old  Connecticut  family  of 
English  descent.  By  the  first  marriage  of  J.  M. 
Babcock  he  had  three  children,  but  only  two  are 
living,  Airs.  Harvey  and  Gilbert  P.  Babcock,  a 
business  man  of  Tolland,  Conn.  The  only  child 
of  his  second  marriage  died  in  California.  ~Slrs. 
Harvey  was  reared  in  Tolland  and  received  an 
excellent  education  in  W'illimantic  Institute,  after 
which  she  taught  several  terms  of  school.  She  is 
a  refined  and  cultured  lady,  and  her  taste  for  the 
beautiful  is  evinced  in  the  artistic  arrangement 
of  the  furnishings  of  her  home.  Two  children 
bless  the  marriage,  Dolly  Myrtle  and  Lura  Xor- 
laine. 


CHARLES  F.  WAGNER  came  to  Scran- 
ton  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  and  has 
since  been  an  influential  resident  of  this 
city,  bearing  a  worthy  part  in  life  as  a  private 
citizen  and  serving  with  ability  in  positions  of 
trust.  He  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  various 
ofifices,  and  in  every  duty  has  proved  capable, 
faithful  and  eminently  trustworthy. 

The  Wagner  family  is  of  German  extraction. 
Frederick,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Tubingen,  Wurtemberg,  and  about 
1848  took  pas.sage  in  a  sailing  vessel  at  Havre, 
landing  in  New  York  City  after  a  voyage  of  twen- 
ty-eight days,  and  from  there  joining  a  brother 
in  Philadelphia.  He  possessed  a  talent  for  music, 
and  through  study  became  a  skilled  musician. 
For  some  time  he  was  engaged  as  a  music  teach- 
er in  Philadelphia,  but  left  there  to  accept  the 
appointment  of  musician  in  the  Marine  Band  at 
Annapolis.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  re- 
turned to  Philadelphia,  but  after  a  few  years  lo- 
cated in  Wilkesbarre,  where  he  became  the  leader 
of  bands  in  that  place  and  surrounding  towns. 
During  the  war  I'rofessor  Wagner's  band  en- 


listed with  the  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  In- 
fantry, and  as  its  leader  he  was  given  the  rank 
of  lieutenant.  He  was  present  in  the  various  bat- 
tles of  the  Peninsular  campaign,  but  after  a  year 
was  honorably  discharged,  when  the  war  depart- 
ment issued  the  general  order  to  muster  out  all 
regimental  bands.  Meantime,  his  son,  C.  F.,  hav- 
ing obtained  a  position  in  Scranton,  he  also  set- 
tled in  this  city,  where  he  followed  his  pro- 
fession until  advancing  years  rendered  advis- 
able his  retirement  from  active  labors.  He 
continues  to  make  his  home  in  Scranton,  where 
he  is  identified  with  the  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Grififin 
Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.  His  wife,  Wilhelmina 
Strahle,  was  born  in  the  suburbs  of  Ludwigsburg, 
on  the  River  Neckar,  and  died  at  Scranton  in 
February,  1890.  Both  were  connected  with  the 
Lutheran  Church,  in  which  they  were  confirmed 
before  leaving  their  native  land. 

The  earliest  recollections  of  Charles  F.  Wag- 
ner are  of  the  village  of  Ludwigsburg,  his  native 
place,  and  the  Neckar  River  that  flowed  near  by. 
He  was  born  October  16,  1843,  ^"d  was  less  than 
nine  years  of  age  when  his  parents  brought  him  to 
America.  In  the  public  and  private  schools  of 
Annapolis  he  gained  a  good  education.  About 
1859  he  secured  a  position  in  the  office  of  the 
Baltmiore  Coal  Company  at  Wilkesbarre,  and 
remained  for  a  time  with  that  firm  as  bookkeeper. 
In  1862  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  was  book- 
keeper m  the  store  department  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company,  and  later  held  a 
position  in  the  provost-marshal's  oflice  under 
Lieut.-Col.  D.  C.  Poole,  until  the  abolishment  of 
the  office.  He  next  ventured  in  business  for  him- 
self, establishing  a  retail  coal  trade,  in  which  he 
met  with  fair  success.  At  that  time  paving  was 
being  introduced  here,  and  for  several  years  he 
operated  a  quarry  near  Nay-Aug.  On  retiring 
from  that  business,  he  entered  the  office  of  Filer, 
Marsh  &  Reiley,  coal  operators,  with  whom  and 
their  successors  he  remained  nearly  ten  years. 

After  the  election  of  George  F"arber  as  the  first 
register  of  deeds  for  Lackawanna  County,  that 
gentleman  appointed  Mr.  Wagner  as  his  deputy, 
which  position  he  filled  during  the  term.  In 
1884  he  was  made  an  employe  in  the  commis- 
sioner's office,  later  became  assistant  clerk,  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


951 


January  I,  1892,  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners,  whicli  position  he  has 
since  held.  He  served  as  a  director  in  the  old 
fourth  school  district,  until  the  act  of  1874  con- 
solidated the  school  districts,  after  which  he  was 
for  ten  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  school 
control.  At  this  writing  he  is  a  member  of  the 
select  council,  having  been  elected  from  the  tenth 
ward  on  the  Republican  ticket.  Besides  being 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  pavements,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  police  committee  and  others. 
Active  in  the  Republican  party,  he  has  served  on 
both  the  city  and  county  committees. 

In  religious  belief  Mr.  Wagner  is  identified 
with  the  Lutheran  Church.  Fraternally  he  is 
past  chancellor  of  Fairview  Lodge,  K.  P.,  and 
past  comrnander  of  Petersburg  Lodge,  Knights 
of  the  Mystic  Chain.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Relief  Engine  Company,  in  which  he  has 
been  president  and  secretary.  In  Scranton  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Amelia,  daughter  of  the  late  Charles 
Engel,  of  this  place.  Mrs.  Wagner  was  born 
here  and  died  at  the  family  residence.  No.  igoo 
Gibson  Street,  in  October,  1895,  leaving  eight 
children,  Minnie,  Katie,  Emma,  Charles,  Clar- 
ence, Louisa,  Oscar  and  Gertrude.  In  whatever 
position  Mr.  Wagner  has  been  placed,  what- 
ever duty  he  has  been  called  upon  to  perform,  in 
all  his  official  and  social  connections,  his  course 
has  been  one  of  integrity,  and  he  is  known  as  one 
of  the  honorable  business  men  of  Scranton. 


EDWARD  W.  WESTON.  In  the  death  of 
Mr.  Weston  Scranton  lost  a  typical  citi- 
zen. Starting  in  life  with  nothing  but  his 
own  talents  and  upright  character  with  which  to 
make  his  way,  he  achieved  remarkable  success 
in  estate,  in  reputation  and  in  that  which  he  val- 
ued above  all  else — in  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  fellow-citizens.  Lfncompromising  where 
principle  was  concerned,  energetic  in  action,  firm 
of  will,  his  death  deprived  the  community  of  a 
valuable  promoter  of  its  prosperity. 

Mr.  Weston  was  born  in  Salem,  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  December  5,  1823.  His  father.  Elijah, 
was  an  early  resident  of  that  vicinity,  and  his 
mother  was   a  daughter  of  Jason  Torrey,   con- 


spicuously connected  with  early  enterprises  of 
Wayne  County.  I'ntil  1844  he  remained  in 
Salem,  availing  himself  as  far  as  he  could  of  the 
advantages  of  the  country  schools,  and  devoting 
the  remainder  of  his  time  to  work  on  the  farm, 
land  surveying  and  teaching.  Next  he  entered 
the  office  of  his  uncle,  the  late  John  Torrey  of 
Honesdale,  to  assist  in  engineering  and  survey- 
ing, and  remained  there  until  1859,  when  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  lands  and  surveys  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  and  was 
stationed  at  Carbondale.  In  i860  he  removed  to 
Scranton  and  assumed  control  of  the  opening 
of  mines  and  construction  of  breakers  for  the 
company. 

In  1864,  upon  the  appointment  of  Thomas 
Dickson  to  the  general  superintendency  of  the 
company,  Mr.  Weston  was  made  superintendent 
of  the  coal  department  and  given  entire  charge 
of  the  company's  mining  operations.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  large  increase  in  the  business 
of  the  concern,  owing  to  the  expansion  of  the 
coal  trade  and  acquisition  of  extensive  railroad 
properties,  it  became  necessary  to  separate  real 
estate  and  mining  departments,  and  in  April, 
1874,  he  was  appointed  general  agent  of  the 
former,  assuming  entire  charge  of  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  real  estate  and  property  of  the 
corporation.  This  position  he  retained  until  Feb- 
ruary I,  1889,  when  failing  health  compelled  him 
to  withdraw  from  active  management  of  the  de- 
partment, although  still  retained  by  the  com- 
pany as  counselor  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  many  of  the  most  important  enterprises  of 
Scranton  Mr.  Weston  was  a  factor.  He  was 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank,  rated  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  financial  institutions  in 
the  country;  president  of  the  Northern  Coal  & 
Iron  Company  and  the  Weston  Mill  Company; 
president  of  the  Hudson  River  Ore  &  Iron  Co. ; 
vice-president  and  a  director  of  the  Dickson  Man- 
ufacturing Company;  director  of  the  Moosic  Pow- 
der Company  and  Providence  Gas  &  Water 
Company;  and  was  closely  identified  with  many 
other  manufacturing  and  mining  companies,  both 
in  and  out  of  Scranton.  His  death  occurred  Oc- 
tober 28,  1891,  after  a  protracted  illness.  Since 
he  died  his  widow  has  resided  with  her  daugh- 


952 


rOR'PRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


fcr.  Mrs.  1'".  .M.  llird,  of  Canton,  Alls.';.  He  was 
a  man  of  excellent  pnhlie  spirit  and  maintained  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  felkjw-citizens 
and  the  progress  of  the  city,  well  illustratiiit,^  the 
ciuality  in  men  that  delights  in  the  U|)huilding  of 
communities  rather  than  in  jjiihlic  honors.  A 
man  of  g-reat  force  of  character,  he  amassed  a  for- 
tune by  dilijjence  and  faithfulness  in  business  and 
at  his  death  left  a  valuable  estate. 


C11.\RLES  S.  WESTON,  only  son  of  Ed- 
ward W.  and  Susan  (Moore)  Weston,  was 
born  in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  August  25,  i860. 
Since  1 861  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Scranton, 
where  the  rudiments  of  his  education  were  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen he  became  a  student  in  Granville  (N.  Y.) 
Military  Academy  and  remained  there  until  his 
graduation  two  years  later,  being  captain  of  Com- 
pany D.  In  1878  he  entered  the  Rensselaer  Poly- 
technic Institute  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he 
graduated  four  vears  later,  with  the  degree  of 
C.  E. 

Fortified  with  a  thorough  theoretical  knowl- 
edge of  his  profession,  Mr.  Weston  accepted  a 
position  as  civil  engineer  with  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  Company,  in  which  capacity  he 
remained  for  several  years.  In  October,  1885,  he 
was  appointed  assistant  general  agent  of  the  real 
estate  department,  under  his  father,  and  his  serv- 
ice in  this  position  was  so  satisfactory  that,  when 
failing  health  forced  his  father  to  resign,  he  was 
promoted  to  be  general  agent,  February  i,  1889. 
To  his  supervision  was  given  the  company's  real 
estate  over  the  whole  line,  including  mining  prop- 
erties and  canals,  and  the  fact  that  he  filled  the 
])osition  efiflcicntlv  is  shown  by  his  continuous 
retention  therein. 

As  successor  to  his  father,  Mr.  Weston  became 
president  of  the  Northern  Coal  &  Iron  Com])any, 
owners  of  all  tlie  coal  mines  and  breakers  oper- 
ated by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany south  of  Scranton,  and  owners  of  the  rail- 
road from  Scranton  to  Wilkesbarre.  His  con- 
nection with  other  enter])rises  inchnle  the  fol- 
lowing: vice-president  and  director  of  the  Dick- 
son Manufacturing  Company:  vice-president  and 


a  director  in  the  Weston  .Mill  Company:  direc- 
tor in  the  Moosic  Powder  Company:  director  in 
the  Hudson  River  Ore  &  Iron  Co.,  The  Stowers 
Pork  Packing  &  Provision  Company,  Providence 
Gas  &  Water  Comjjany,  Wilson  Lumber  &  Mill- 
ing Company  and  Scranton  Lace  Curtain  Manu- 
facturing Company:  president  of  the  Riverton 
Mills  Company,  at  Riverton,  Va.;  vice-president 
of  the  Em])ire  Grain  &  Elevator  Company:  and 
treasurer  of  the  Fall  Brook  &  Newton  Water 
Company. 

In  political  views  Mr.  Weston  is  a  Republican. 
For  four  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Guard 
and  served  as  second  lieutenant  of  Company  H, 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  until  he  resigned. 
His  home,  in  Wyoming  Avenue,  is  presided  over 
by  his  wife,  formerly  Grace  Storrs,  daughter  of 
W.  R.  Storrs,  general  coal  agent  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad.  She 
was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  Wells  College,  Aurora,  N.  Y.,  from 
which  she  g-raduated. 


M 


ARTIN  C.  JUDGE  is  one  of  the  active 
business  men  of  the  village  of  Taylor, 
where  the  principal  part  of  his  life  has 
been  ])assed,  and  where,  as  boy  and  man,  he  has 
gained  a  reputation  for  honesty,  industry  and  en- 
ergy. The  general  store  of  M.  C.  Judge  &  Co. 
is  stocked  with  a  line  of  goods  suited  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  people  and  at  prices  so  reasonable 
as  to  encourage  general  patronage.  Through 
several  years  of  clerkship,  the  proprietor  gained 
a  thorough  insight  into  the  business,  and  is,  there- 
fore, able  to  carry  it  forward  with  efficiency. 

The  first  five  years  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Judge 
were  spent  in  Minersville,  Pa.,  where  he  was 
born  October  21,  1861.  From  there  he  accom- 
panied the  family  to  Centralia.  Columbia  Coun- 
ty, two  years  later  went  to  Scranton,  and  at  the 
age  of  nine  was  brought  to  Taylor,  his  jircsent 
jilace  of  residence.  His  education  has  been  ac- 
(|uired  by  experience  rather  than  from  text  books, 
as  his  attendance  at  school  was  limited.  When 
eleven  years  of  age  he  began  to  work  in  the 
mines,  where  he  continued  for  ten  years.  The 
work  iiot  being  entirely  congenial,  he  abandoned 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


953 


it  and  secured  employment  as  a  clerk  with  Thom- 
as E.  Jones,  of  Taylor.  Four  years  later  when 
that  gentleman  sold  out,  he  took  a  position  with 
Woodworth,  Mulherin  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  five  years  as  a  clerk.  On  the  with- 
drawal of  Mr.  Woodworth,  the  firm  became  Mul- 
herin &  Co.,  and  continued  as  such  for  three 
years,  when  Messrs.  Mulherin  and  Clark  retired, 
and  their  interest  was  purchased  by  our  subject, 
the  firm  of  M.  C.  Judge  &  Co.  being  established, 
which  has  since  carried  on  a  profitable  business. 
Aside  from  his  mercantile  interests,  Mr.  Judge 
is  connected  with  the  lumbering  business,  in  con- 
nection with  other  gentlemen,  and  holds  impor- 
tant interests  in  North  Carolina.  He  is  also  a 
stockholder  in  the  Taylor  Silk  Manufacturing 
Company.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Young  men's  Insti- 
tute of  Hyde  Park.  In  religious  behef  he  is 
a  Catholic.  He  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  Demo- 
cratic principles  and  upon  that  ticket,  in  1896, 
was  a  candidate  for  the  assembly,  but  was  de- 
feated in  common  with  members  of  that  party  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  country.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  local  matters  and  contributes  to  their 
progress. 


M' 


ICHAEL  J.  KELLEY,  one  of  the  ener- 
getic business  men  of  Scranton  and  for- 
merly president  of  the  board  of  school 
control,  was  born  in  this  city  September  3,  1853, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Bridget  (Hughes) 
Kclley.  His  father,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to 
Pennsylvania  in  boyhood  and  for  some  time  lived 
in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  but  in  1846 
settled  in  Scranton,  where  he  was  employed  by 
the  Lackawanna  and  Western  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany. In  1857  he  went  to  Minnesota  and  for 
seven  years  cultivated  a  farm  near  St.  Paul,  but 
in  1864  returned  to  Scranton,  and  seven  years 
afterward  embarked  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Phelps  Street,  continuing  the  same  until  his  death 
in  1890,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  His  widow  is 
still  living  in  this  city.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Kel- 
ley,  a  farmer  of  Ireland,  who  brought  his  family 
to  the  United  States,  settled  in  Scranton  and  died 
here  when  eighty-four  years  old. 


The  family  of  Thomas  J.  Kelley  consisted  of 
three  children  who  attained  years  of  maturity, 
and  of  these  two  are  living,  our  subject  being 
the  elder.  He  was  reared  in  Scranton  and  St.  Paul 
and  received  a  fair  education  in  the  public 
schools.  .\t  the  age  of  ten  he  began  working 
around  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  mines,  later 
was  employed  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Company  in  the  Diamond  mines,  and 
was  then  apprenticed  as  a  machinist  in  the  shops, 
continuing  five  years  with  the  company.  He 
finally  abandoned  work  as  a  machinist  and  took 
a  position  as  salesman  with  Leonard  Bros.,  hard- 
ware merchants,  in  whose  interests  he  traveled 
through  this  valley  for  more  than  a  year.  After- 
ward he  took  charge  of  his  father's  grocery  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  since  conducted  in  his  own 
name. 

In  1887,  forming  a  partnership  with  M.  J. 
Ruddy,  under  the  firm  name  of  Ruddy  &  Kelley, 
our  subject  built  a  bakery  on  the  corner  of  Ca- 
pouse  Avenue  and  Ash  Street,  where  he  began 
in  the  bakery  business  and  the  manufacture  of 
cakes  and  crackers.  After  twenty  months  he  sold 
out  and  built  at  Nos.  1031-33  Capouse  Avenue, 
where  he  has  since  established  a  large  trade  in 
crackers,  cakes,  confectionery  and  ice  cream.  He 
has  a  large  oven  with  a  capacity  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  barrels  of  crackers  per  day.  There  is 
an  elevator  connecting  with  the  second  floor, 
where  the  confectionery  is  kept.  As  a  caterer 
for  parties  and  dinners  his  services  are  in  demand, 
the  quahty  of  his  service  being  first-class  and  in 
every  way  satisfactor\\  He  ships  goods  through- 
out the  east  and  north,  and  also  to  the  south  and 
west,  and  furnishes  employment  to  fifty-five 
hands. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Kelley  married  Miss  Cather- 
ine Mahon,  who  was  born  in  Carbondale,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  children  that  are 
living.  In  1878  Mr.  Kelley  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  board  of  school  control  and  served  for 
twelve  successive  years,  being  a  member  of  dif- 
ferent committees  and  serving  as  president  in 
1882.  In  this  capacity  he  was  instrumental  in 
placing  the  finances  of  the  board  upon  a  solid  ba- 
sis and  extending  its  usefulness.  In  i8go  he  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  board  of  health  by 


954 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mayor  Fellows  and  is  now  its  president.  He  was 
connected  witli  the  (ir.ijanizalion  of  the  Artisans 
Building  and  Loan  Association  and  is  now'  one 
of  its  directors.  Politically  a  Demijcrat,  he  has 
rendered  service  on  the  city  and  county  com- 
mittees and  is  pronounced  in  his  allegiance  to 
party  principles.  In  religious  belief  he  is  con- 
nected with  St.  Peter's  Cathedral  at  Scranton. 


JARED  M.  KISTLER,  vice-president  of  the 
Laclcawanna  Wheel  Company  at  Scranton 
and  for  years  a  clerk  in  the  coal  sales  depart- 
ment of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company,  was 
born  near  Allentown,  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1855.  The  family  of  which  he  is  a 
member  originated  in  Holland  and  was  identified 
with  the  farming  interests  of  this  country  in  the 
early  days  of  its  settlement.  His  great-grand- 
father, David  Kistler,  a  native  of  Lehigh  County, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  and  the  grand- 
father, John,  served  in  the  War  of  181 2,  The 
latter  was  a  blacksmith  and  carriage  manufac- 
turer at  Lynnville,  Lehigh  County,  and  his  old 
home,  one  mile  from  the  village,  is  still  stand- 
ing. 

The  father  of  our  subject.  Elias  Kistler,  was 
born  in  Lehigh  County  and  there  engaged  in 
farming,  contracting  and  ore  mining.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  home  guard  and  captain  of  a 
light  horse  cavalry,  and  in  politics  was  a  strong 
Republican.  He  and  his  family  were  identified 
with  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  His  death  oc- 
curred October  21,  1895,  when  he  was  seventy- 
nine  years  of  age.  He  married  Kate,  daughter 
of  John  Mohr,  who  was  of  direct  New  England 
and  French  extraction.  She  was  born  near  Lynn- 
ville and  received  her  education  in  ;i  female  sem- 
inary in  Massachusetts.  The  great-grandfather 
Mohr  accompanied  Lafayette  from  hVance  and 
served  in  the  Revolution,  afterward  settling  in 
Lehigh  County.  John  Mohr  was  in  the  War  of 
1812,  tlien  the  regular  army,  and  afterward  the 
Mexican  War,  returning  to  the  regular  army 
and  remaining  until  he  was  discharged  on  ac- 
count of  age.  He  was  one  hundred  and  three 
when  he  died.  Mrs.  Kate  Kistler  resides  in 
Whitehall   Township,   Lehigh    County. 


Of  nine  children  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
fourth  in  order  of  birth.  .'\t  the  age  u{  five  years 
he  was  taken  by  his  parents  from  the  farm  to 
Allentown,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  .Mlentown  Academy  under  Professor  Greg- 
ory. In  1868  he  entered  Wyoming  Seminars-  at 
Kingston  and  continued  his  studies  there  until 
the  spring  of  1 87 1.  The  following  year  he  came 
to  Scranton  and  secured  work  as  machinist  in 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  shops,  re- 
maining there  until  sickness  caused  the  loss  of  the 
position.  He  was  then  employed  in  surveying  for 
two  years,  after  which  he  was  with  the  city  en- 
gineer. In  1877  he  entered  the  sales  department 
of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company,  with  whom 
he  has  since  remained.  In  the  organization  of 
the  Lackawanna  Wheel  Company  he  took  a  very 
active  part  and  its  establishment  upon  a  sound 
financial  basis  was  largely  due  to  his  efiforts.  The 
plant  is  located  in  Washington  Avenue  and  a 
large  business  is  being  built  up.  Since  the  com- 
]>any  was  organized  in  the  summer  of  1896  he 
has  been  vice-president  and  a  director.  The  de- 
mands of  his  business  are  such  that  he  can  devote 
little  attention  to  public  affairs,  but  he  keeps  him- 
self posted  concerning  national  questions  and 
gives  his  vote  to  the  Republican  party. 


Wl  LLIAM  CONRAD,  proprietor  of  the 
Yellow  Gate  Farm  Dairy,  is  one  of 
the  representative  business  men  of 
Scrantcjn,  having  his  central  office  at  Mousey 
Avenue  and  Larch  Street.  He  is  a  very  enter- 
prising citizen,  always  alert  to  advance  the  best 
interests  of  the  community.  But  a  few  years  ago 
he  started  on  a  very  small  scale  the  business 
which  has  since  grown  to  large  proportions  un- 
der his  constant  endeavor  and  direction.  He  is, 
in  fact,  one  of  the  pioneers  in  creameries  in.  this 
secticm  and  his  success  has  undoubtedly  stimu- 
lated others  to  undertake  the  same  line  of  trade. 
His  i)aternal  grandfather  was  a  landholder  and 
a  111,111  of  sterling  worth,  honored  and  respected 
liy  all  who  knew  him.  lie  was  a  native  of  Saxe- 
Coburg,  (iermany.  ami  in  that  country,  also,  was 
born  our  subject's  father,  Andrew  Conrad,  who 
engaged  in   farming  extensively  and  also  ran  a 


JOSl'MMl   MADlvNSl'ACIlIvR 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


957 


mill  there.  In  1858  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  upon  his  arrival  in  New  York  City  he  first 
was  employed  in  merchandising,  but  soon  began 
teaching  vocal  and  instrumental  music.  Subse- 
quently removing  to  near  Pottsville,  he  operated 
a  farm  in  the  vicinity  and  later  we  find  him  a  ho- 
telkeeper  in  the  village  of  Tumbling  Run.  But 
wherever  he  went  his  love  for  music  was  one  of 
his  chief  joys  and  in  every  locality  he  founded 
classes  or  gave  individual  instruction  on  the  piano 
and  violin.  He  spent  some  time  in  Wilkesbarre 
and  Pottsville  and  in  1866  became  one  of  the 
citizens  of  Scranton.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
was  actively  engaged  in  his  beloved  work  as  a 
teacher  of  music,  was  the  first  director  of  Scran- 
ton Liederkranz,  a  position  he  held  most  ac- 
ceptably many  years,  and  was  also  organist  and 
leader  of  the  choir  in  the  Lutheran  Church.  For 
the  past  few  years  he  has  represented  the  Ger- 
mania  Life  Insurance  Company.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  Schiller  Lodge  No.  345,  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  has  been  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  died  in  Germany,  leaving  two  children,  one 
of  whom  has  since  passed  away  and  the  other 
resides  in  Philadelphia.  His  present  wife  was 
Catherine  Miller,  a  native  of  Germany.  Of  the 
eight  children  born  to  them  all  but  one  are  living. 
Born  May  6,  i860,  near  Pottsville,  Schuylkill 
County,  William  Conrad  is  the  eldest  child  of  his 
father's  second  marriage.  He  was  only  six  years 
old  when  he  was  brought  to  Scranton  and  here 
he  received  his  education.  When  about  fourteen 
he  began  working  for  his  father  on  the  home- 
stead and  continued  there  until  the  spring  of 
1883,  when  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself, 
having  a  milk  supply  depot  and  running  one 
wagon.  Later  he  located  at  the  corner  of  Larch 
Street  and  Sanderson  Avenue  and  by  degrees 
built  up  a  large  and  profitable  trade.  He  has  es- 
tablished two  milk  shipping  depots,  one  at  Chin- 
chilla and  the  other  at  Factoryville.  At  the  cor- 
ner of  Larch  Street  and  Monsey  Avenue  he  erect- 
ed a  fine  three-story  and  basement  structure,  38.x 
80  feet  in  dimensions.  The  building  is  heated 
by  steam  and  furnished  with  all  modern  appli- 
ances, a  twenty-five  horse  ])Ower  boiler,  refrig- 
erators, etc.  Here  are  manufactured  by  the  most 
approved    processes    creamery    butter,     cottage 


cheese  and  cream  cheese,  in  addition  to  which 
the  trade  is  supplied  with  a  superior  quality  of 
bottled  milk  and  cream.  A  telephone  connects 
the  creamery  with  the  office  on  Washington  Ave- 
nue. In  order  to  meet  the  demand  two  trucks, 
one  carrying  sixty  cans  of  milk,  and  nine  delivery 
wagons  are  used. , 

In  1889  Mr.  Conrad  married  Miss  Lydia, 
daughter  of  Frank  B.  Bates,  the  well  known  con- 
stable of  this  city.  Mrs.  Conrad  was  born  in  New 
York  State  and  is  the  mother  of  a  bright  little 
lad,  Andrew  by  name.  The  family  attend  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Conrad  is  a 
member.  Politically  he  affiliates  with  the  Repub- 
lican party. 


JOSEPH  :\IADENSPACHER.  foreman  of 
the  brewery  of  E.  Robinson's  Sons  at  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  Belgium  March  18,  1851, 
and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Francisca  (PfefFe- 
lor)  Madenspacher.  His  father,  who  was  born 
in  Baden,  Germany,  held  the  position  of  man- 
ager of  iron  ore  mines  in  Belgium  for  fifteen 
years,  but  in  1861  returned  to  Baden  and  pur- 
chased a  large  farm,  where  he  continued  to  make 
his  home  until  he  passed  from  earth  at  fifty-six 
years.  His  wife  died  August  26,  1870.  At  the 
time  the  family  went  back  to  Baden,  our  subject 
was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  and  his  education  was  ob- 
tained principally  in  the  high  schools  of  that  city. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen,  in  1868,  he  enlisted  as 
a  musician  in  the  army  and  served  for  three  years 
and  two  months  in  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps 
under  General  Weder.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service  he  went  to  Millhausen,  Germany, 
where  he  spent  two  months. 

June  I,  1872,  Mr.  Madenspacher  set  sail  for 
America  on  the  steamer  "Maine,"  and  upon 
reaching  New  York  secured  employment  in 
Lyon's  brewery,  where  he  remained  one  year  and 
seven  months.  Going  further  west  he  worked 
in  a  brewery  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  three 
months,  then  was  foreman  of  a  malt  house  in 
Sandusky  for  a  year,  and  from  there  removed  to 
Pittsburg,  where  he  worked  for  a  large  concern 
for  two  and  one-half  years.  On  his  return  to  New 
York  he  resumed  work  in  Lyon's  brewery,  hold- 


958 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  the  position  of  ii;altster  one  winter,  and  after- 
ward securing  employment  with  Ellis  &  Detts, 
with  whom  he  continued  for  eighteen  months. 
I'"or  one  winter  he  also  worked  in  a  cooper  shop 
in  New  York.  Afterward  he  worked  for  various 
concerns  in  the  city,  being  foreman  for  Schmidt  & 
Schwanenfluegal  seven  years.  December  i,  1885, 
he  came  to  Scranton  and  has  since  been  foreman 
for  E.  Robinson's  Sons,  owners  of  the  largest 
brewery  here. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Madenspacher,  February 
2,  1877,  united  him  with  Augusta  Rapp,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Josephine, 
Joseph,  Adolph,  Otto,  Henry,  Bertha  and  Au- 
gusta. The  family  are  identified  with  the  Catholic 
Church.  Politically  Mr.  Madenspacher  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  fraternally  he  is  identified  with  Schiller 
Lodge  No.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Lodge  No.  123, 
B.  P.  O.  E.,  in  Scranton. 


REUBEN  NELSON  LA  BAR,  secretary, 
treasurer  and  manager  of  the  North  End 
Lumber  Company,  Limited,  of  Scranton, 
was  born  near  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  and 
has  spent  his  life  thus  far  in  this  portion  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  is 
mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  his  second  cousin, 
John  A.  LaBar,  of  Scranton.  He  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
John  LaBar,  who  was  born  in  Pittston,  grew  to 
manhood  in  Luzerne  County,  and  having  pre- 
pared himself  by  careful  study  for  the  ministerial 
profession  was  ordained  by  bishops  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  after  which  he  held  pas- 
torates in  Luzerne  and  Lackawanna  counties. 
His  last  charge  was  at  Fortyfort  and  upon  its 
expiration  he  retired  from  the  ministry  and  re- 
turned to  \\'yoming,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  As  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  he  was, 
in  his  prime,  an  earnest  and  scholarly  expounder 
of  the  truths  of  the  P)ible,  and  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  Methodist  denomination.  His  faithful  cfTorts 
in  Christian  work  were  followed  by  excellent  re- 
sults. A  man  of  positive  convictions,  he  never 
hesitated  to  attack  that  which  he  believed  to  be 
an  evil  or  which  would  work  an  injury  to  the 
cause  of  Christ.  He  can  now  look  back  over  his 
past  life  with  no  regret  for  lost  opportunities  and 


he  can  also  look  forward  to  the  future  with  the 
Christian's  hope. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  A.  Rug- 
gles,  a  native  of  Buttonwood,  Luzerne  County, 
and  member  of  a  pioneer  family  of  the  state.  Of 
her  nine  children  five  are  living;  one  son,  L.  G., 
is  a  stock  broker  in  Scranton;  and  another,  W. 
S.,  is  connected  with  the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad 
in  Wilkesbarre.  Reuben  N.,  who  is  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  was  educated  in  Wyoming  Semi- 
nary at  Kingston,  completing  the  regular  course 
there.  January  4,  1888,  he  became  bookkeeper 
for  T.  F.  Leonard,  wholesale  hardware  mer- 
chant, with  whom  he  remained  for  three  years, 
and  later  was  with  the  Peck  Lumber  Company 
for  two  years.  For  a  similar  period  he  acted  as 
representative  of  a  wholesale  lumber  business 
here.  In  June,  1896,  with  William  Chappell,  he 
secured  the  incorporation  of  the  North  End  Lum- 
ber Company,  Limited,  and  to  the  management 
of  this  he  has  since  devoted  his  attention.  They 
own  eight  lots  on  North  Main  Avenue  with  a 
frontage  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  and  con- 
taining shed  and  piling  room,  with  building  ma- 
terial of  all  kinds. 

Fraternally  Mr.  LaBar  is  connected  with  Peter 
Williamson  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  politics 
votes  the  Republican  ticket  at  all  elections.  His 
residence  at  No.  419  Vine  Street  is  presided 
over  by  his  wife,  an  accomplished  lady,  who  was 
educated  at  Bucknell  University,  Lewisburg. 
.She  was  Miss  Sadie  C.  Spencer  and  was  born  in 
Dunmore.  Her  father,  A.  D.  Spencer,  is  a  cual 
operator  of  Scranton. 


THE  CARBONDALE  LUMBER  COM- 
PANY. The  plant  operated  by  this  com- 
pany is  owned  by  J.  T.  and  R.  W.  Pethick 
and  their  brother-in-law,  E.  E.  Bunnell,  succes- 
sors to  J.  T.  Pethick  &  Brother,  who  were  for- 
merly the  sole  owners.  Richard  Pethick,  father 
of  J.  T.  and  R.  W.,  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Eng- 
land, January  I,  1836,  and  in  boyhood  received 
only  coHinion  school  advantages.  At  an  early 
age  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed in  his  native  country  until  1866,  but  in  that 
year  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Hones- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


959 


dale,  Pa.  Though  lie  had  very  limited  means  at 
first,  through  industry  and  perseverance  he  be- 
came well-to-do,  and  now  is  the  possessor  of  a 
competency.  He  is  still  engaged  as  a  builder  and 
contractor  in  Honesdale.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  an  Episcopalian. 

The  grandfather  of  J-  T.  and  R.  W.  Pethick 
was  Nathaniel  Pethick,  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  a 
lifelong  resident  of  England,  where  he  died  at 
sixty-six  years.  His  wife  passed  away  when 
eighty-eight.  They  had  four  sons  who  came  to 
America.  William,  who  resides  at  Tyler  Hill, 
Wayne  County,  and  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  at 
one  time  carried  on  a  lumber  business  on  the 
Delaware  River;  he  is  the  father-in-law  of  F.  L. 
Peck,  superintendent  of  the  Lackawanna  Lum- 
ber Company,  of  Scranton.  Another  son,  John, 
also  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  resides  at  Cocheton, 
Pa.,  and  Nathaniel,  a  carpenter,  lives  in  Carbon- 
dale. 

The  mother  of  our  subjects  was  Elizabeth  Ford, 
a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  and  novi'  living  in 
Honesdale.  Her  father,  Thomas  Ford,  who  was 
a  wheelwright  by  trade,  died  when  sixty-six  years 
of  age.  She  has  only  one  relative,  a  first  cousin, 
known  to  be  living.  Of  her  nine  children,  three 
died  when  young.  Mary,  who  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, married  S.  T.  Ham,  a  harness  maker  by 
trade,  but  now  engaged  in  government  work  in 
New  York  City.  John  T.,  who  was  born  in  Eng- 
land February  ii,  1859,  was  seven  years  of  age 
when  he  crossed  the  ocean  with  his  parents.  He 
received  a  common-school  education  and  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  started  out  to  make  his  own  way 
in  the  world.  For  fifteen  years  he  worked  in  a 
wheelbarrow  and  mattress  factory  in  Honesdale, 
being  for  some  time  superintendent  of  the  works. 
Afterward  he  went  to  Southfield,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
superintendent  of  a  large  bedding  concern  owned 
by  Frank  A.  Hall,  of  New  York  City,  remaining 
there  for  three  years. 

In  1888  Mr.  Pethick  married  ?sliss  Lizzie, 
daughter  of  William  and  Alice  Crago,  of  Carbon- 
dale.  In  the  fall  of  1891,  in  company  with  his 
father-in-law,  he  began  in  the  lumber  business  in 
this  city,  (hi  the  death  of  his  father-in-law,  R. 
W.  Pethick  purchased  his  interest,  and  the 
firm  became  J.  T.  Pethick  &  Brother.    Later  this 


firm  was  succeeded  by  the  Carbondale  Lumber 
Company,  their  brother-in-law,  E.  E.  Bunnell,  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  new  company.  They 
are  pushing  business  men  and  have  built  up  a 
large  business,  both  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
trade.  John  T.  and  his  wife  occupy  the  old  Crago 
estate.  He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  MethodLst 
Episcopal  Church  and  an  active  worker  in  all 
public-spirited  projects. 

The  junior  member  of  the  firm,  R.  W.  Pethick, 
was  born  in  Cornwall,  England,  January  3,  1861, 
and  with  his  parents  came  to  America  in  1866. 
He  received  a  common-school  education  and  in 
boyhood  started  out  to  learn  the  glass  blower's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  eighteen  years.  He 
was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  Scran- 
ton Glass  Company,  which  after  years  of  pros- 
perity met  with  reverses  that  proved  a  heavy  fi- 
nancial loss  for  him.  The  afifairs  of  the  company 
are  now  being  settled,  and  after  paying  all  obli- 
gations there  will  be  quite  a  sum  to  be  distributed 
among  the  stockholders.  In  1892  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Carbondale  Lumber  Company, 
since  which  he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  in- 
creasing the  importance  and  prosperity  of  the 
concern.  In  1888  he  married  Anna,  daughter  of 
P.  J.  Coles,  of  Honesdale,  and  they  have  one 
child,  R.  Duane. 

The  three  younger  sisters  of  our  subjects  are 
Ada,  wife  of  A.  Y.  Seaman,  of  the  mercantile  firm 
of  Seaman  Brothers,  of  Carbondale;  Mina,  who 
married  E.  E.  Bunnell,  of  Honesdale,  member  of 
the  Carbondale  Lumber  Company ;  and  Addie, 
the  youngest  member  of  the  family,  and  now  re- 
siding with  her  parents  in  Honesdale. 

Edward  E.  Bunnell  was  born  in  Honesdale, 
Pa.,  August  18,  1862.  His  father,  Henry,  who 
was  born  in  Bethany,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  Octo- 
ber 19,  181 1,  engaged  in  farming  for  some  years, 
but  on  his  location  at  Honesdale  in  1845  he  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  business  and  also  ran  boats 
on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal.  Politically 
he  was  a  Republican,  but  never  held  any  public 
office.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  in  which  faith  he  died  December 
19,  1872.  His  brother,  Rockwell,  was  a  fanner 
at  Prompton,  Pa.,  on  the  Gravity  Railroad,  and 
died  in  1893.    A  sister,  Sarah,  married  Rev.  Gil- 


960 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


belt  Bailoy.  a  I'.aptist  minister,  who  preached  in 
Chicago  for  many  years,  hut  finally  went  to  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  where  he  died,  and  where  she  is 
still  living.  Charles,  another  brother,  was  a  farm- 
er at  Montrose,  Pa.,  and  there  died  in  1880. 
Eunice  married  I 'rooks  Lavoe,  a  farmer,  at  Beth- 
any, Pa.,  where  both  died,  she  in  1875,  and  he  in 
1880.  Pike  was  engaged  in  farming  near  Hones- 
dale  and  died  in  1S64.  John  K.,  a  farmer  now 
living  near  Honesdalc,  married  Annie  Brons- 
comb.  Jennie,  wlm  married  J.  E.  Stockdale,  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  and  there  died.  David  is  a 
resident  of  Pliiladeljjhia. 

David  I'.unnell,  grandfather  of  Edward  E.,  was 
born  in  the  sonthern  part  of  Pennsylvania  and  fol- 
lowed the  blacksmith's  trade  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  near  Honesdale.  The  mother  of 
Edward  E.  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Bun- 
nell and  was  born  in  New  Jersey.  Her  father, 
Gersham  lUninell.  was  also  a  native  of  that  state 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  She  has  a  brother, 
Henry  J.,  living  in  Waverly,  N.  Y.,  and  a  rela- 
tive, Jacob,  who  is  editor  of  the  "New  Jersey  Her- 
ald," at  Newton,  N.  J.  The  family  is  distantly  re- 
lated to  the  well  known  millionaire,  John  I.  Blair, 
of  whom  Mrs.  Bunnell  was  a  warm  friend. 

Mary  Bunnell  was  the  third  wife  of  Henry 
Bunnell.  The  children  of  the  first  marriage  are 
David  M.,  a  millwright  living  at  Honesdale;  Cal- 
vin P.,  who  lives  in  Seelyville;  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
L.  R.  Bump,  of  Douglas.  lUitler  County,  Kan.; 
and  Amanda  C.,  who  married  John  Bellamy,  and 
livetl  in  Damascus  Township,  Wayne  County, 
until  her  death.  Of  the  second  marriage  there 
were  two  sons  burn,  namely:  Judson  W.,  a  mer- 
chant of  .Scranton,  and  Irving  VV.,  a  carpenter  in 
llradford,  Pa.  The  third  marriage  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  the  following-named  sons:  Edward 
E.;  P.  W.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness in  Honesdale;  Harry  II.,  a  farmer  of  that 
city;  Elery  P.,  who  is  engaged  in  agricidtural 
])iirsuits  in  Damascus  Township,  Wayne  County. 

v..  ]Z.  I'.unnell  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Honesdale.  After  his  father's  death  he  remained 
on  the  farm  with  his  mother  until  he  was  twenty- 
seven,  and  then  entered  the  lumber  business  at 
Honesdale,  continuing  there  until  January  i, 
1895,  when  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  with 


his  brothers-in-law  under  the  name  of  the  Car- 
bondale  Lumber  Company.  June  12,  1889,  he 
married  Mina  Pethick,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Bessie  May  and  Edwin  Ford.  For  six 
years  Mr.  Bunnell  has  held  the  office  of  school 
director  at  Honesdale.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, fraternally  is  identified  with  the  Royal  Ar- 
cammi,  belongs  to  the  state  militia,  an<l  in  re- 
ligion holds  membership  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Honesdale. 


JAMES  RUSSELL  was  the  eldest  son  of 
John  and  Christina  (Anderson)  Russell, 
born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  in  June,  181 5. 
During  the  summer  of  1840  the  family  emigrated 
to  the  L'uited  States,  locating  first  at  McAlla  City 
in  Clififord  Township,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa. 
Within  seven  weeks  after  their  arrival  in  this 
country  the  father  <lied,  and  the  eldest  son  was 
called  upon  to  take  his  place  as  manager  of  the 
family  afTairs.  In  the  spring  of  1841  the  family 
purchased  a  tract  of  land,  partly  cleared,  near 
Crystal  Lake,  in  the  township  of  Fell,  where  the 
family  home  was  erected  and  maintained  until 
the  death  of  the  widowed  mother,  in  March,  1861. 
In  the  year  1847  Jam<-'s  Russell  purchased  the 
farm  property  that  still  bears  his  name,  and  the 
first  day  of  January,  185 1,  witnessed  his  marriage 
to  Margaret  Locke  of  Carbondale.  Ten  children 
were  born  to  them,  six  daughters  and  four  sons, 
of  wliiini  three  sons,  James  A.,  ex-mayor  of  the 
city  of  Carbondale;  George  M.,  William  A.,  and 
three  daughters,  Mrs.  S.  S.  Jones^  Jeanette  L., 
and  Jemiie  M.,  are  still  living. 

Vew  men  have  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  their 
fellowmcn  in  such  an  eminent  degree  as  James 
Russell  (lid  (luring  liis  lifetime.  He  served  the 
district  in  which  he  lived  continuously  from  1849 
as  school  director  and  treasurer  of  the  township. 
He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
in  1 85 1  and  re-elected  at  the  expiration  of  each 
term,  without  o])position.  He  served  three  terms 
as  supervisor  of  the  township  and  was  an  ardent 
advocate  of  good  roads  and  public  improvements 
generally.  He  was  a  thorough-going  business 
man,  methodical,  tireless  and  scrupulously  hon- 
est in   all  his  dealings.     \\'ilh   him   public  office 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


961 


was  accepted  with  all  its  responsibilities ;  he  never 
shirked  a  duty,  nor  feared  public  criticism.  He 
believed  in  doing  right,  and  did  it.  He  was  al- 
ways a  busy  man,  and  managed  to  accomplish 
by  methodical  work  what  would  have  been  im- 
possible without  systematic  planning.  He  was 
a  scientific  farmer,  and  his  lands  were  tilled  to 
secure  the  largest  and  best  crops.  His  farm 
stock  was  kept  up  to  a  high  standard.  He  was 
progressive  and  secured  at  once  the  labor-saving 
implements  of  agriculture,  for  he  was  always  of 
the  opinion  that  the  best  of  everything  was  none 
too  good,  to  help  lighten  man's  burdens. 

Mr.  Russell  was  public-spirited,  generous,  al- 
ways ready  to  assist  those  in  need,  and  that 
promptly.  In  politics  he  was  an  ardent,  old- 
school  Democrat;  his  patriotism  was  never  ques- 
tioned and  in  the  political  campaigns  he  took  an 
active  part.  He  was  enterprising  and  his  efforts 
were  not  confined  to  agricultural  pursuits.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  operated  the  Fall  Brook 
colliery  and  the  delivery  of  the  Delaware  and 
Hudson  coal  in  the  city  of  Carbondale.  All  his 
undertakings  were  successful,  for  the  reason  that 
he  was  in  no  sense  a  speculator,  but  holding 
firmly  to  the  law  that  "men  must  earn  what  they 
call  their  own.'"  This,  and  all  his  opinions  upon 
matters  appertaining  to  the  daily  life  were 
formed  from  practical  observations  and  expe- 
rience. He  was  in  no  sense  a  theorist,  but  emi- 
nently practical,  controlled  by  a  high  sense  of 
duty  to  his  Maker,  and  a  tender  regard  for  his 
fellowmen.     His  death  occurred  May  12,  1872. 


WARNER  J.  HALL  owns  the  largest 
carriage  and  wagon  works  in  Dun- 
more  and  manufactures  carriages,  bug- 
gies, wagons,  sleds  and  cutters,  besides  which  he 
has  on  sale  all  kinds  of  vehicles,  harness,  fine 
paints  and  oils.  He  is  a  member  of  an  old  Eng- 
lish family,  his  great-grandfather  having  come 
from  England  to  this  country  in  an  early  day  and 
settled  near  Hall's  Station  (named  in  honor  of 
the  family),  twelve  miles  south  of  Williamsport, 
Pa.,  where  he  bought  and  improved  a  farm.  This 
occupation  his  son  also  followed  in  Lycoming 
Countv.     Adam  Hall,  our  subject's  father,  was 


born  on  the  farm  in  Muncy  Township,  Lycom- 
ing County,  where  he  purchased  and  cultivated 
land,  but  in  addition  to  farming  also  engaged  in 
business  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  When  he 
settled  upon  his  farm,  the  surrounding  country 
was  very  wild  and  the  buildings  of  a  primitive 
character;  his  first  home  was  an  old  log  house. 
For  twenty-two  years  he  held  the  office  of  con- 
stable in  Lycoming  County,  and  his  death  oc- 
curred there  in  October,  1881,  when  he  was  six- 
ty-two years  of  age.  His  wife  was  born  in  Ly- 
coming County,  whither  her  father,  John  Gatz, 
had  come  from  Germany  and  settled  upon  a  farm. 
Of  their  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  four 
daughters  attained  maturity  and  nine  are  still 
living.  The  oldest  son,  George  H.  Hall,  lives  on 
the  old  homestead,  which  belongs  to  W.  J.  Hall, 
he  having  bought  it  October  i,  1896,  and  rented 
it  to  his  brother. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  in  Lycoming  Coun- 
ty, which  he  now  owns,  Warner  J.  Hall  was  born 
January  4,  1865,  and  there  his  boyhood  years  were 
passed.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  went  west  for  the 
purpose  of  seeing  something  of  the  country,  and 
after  spending  two  months  in  Freeport,  111.,  he 
went  to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  worked  for  a 
year  as  order  clerk  for  the  Star  Oil  Company. 
From  there  he  went  to  Leo,  Lyon  County,  Minn., 
where  his  brother,  John  B.,  had  a  farm  of  four 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  One  year  was  spent 
with  him  and  he  then  returned  to  Lycoming 
County,  Pa.,  and  became  an  apprentice  in  the 
blacksmith  department  of  a  wagon  shop  owned 
by  DeHass  Bros.,  of  Muncy,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained about  two  years.  Next  he  worked  a  year 
for  D.  C.  Hunt  in  Danville,  Pa.,  then  with  W.  K. 
Wurtman  at  Milton,  Pa.,  and  afterward  was  with 
the  Williamsport  Wagon  Company.  In  1888  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Scranton  Buggy  Company,  taking  charge  of 
their  wheel  room,  and  the  setting  up  of  tires. 
When  the  works  were  burned  down,  he  left  the 
employ  of  the  firm.  In  1890  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  another  gentleman  and  bought  the 
establishment  that  had  been  started  in  1868  by 
John  Chamberlain. 

After  eighteen  months  Mr.  Hall  bought  his 
partner's   interest  and   has   since  conducted  the 


962 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAnilCAL   RECORD. 


business  alone.  At  tlic  time  of  purchase,  this  was 
but  a  rough  shop,  but  he  has  buiU  it  up,  and  added 
to  it.  The  building  now  lias  a  frontage  of  sixty- 
two  feet  and  a  depth  of  sixty-four  feet  and  the 
most  of  it  has  four  floors.  The  basement  is  used 
as  a  carpenter  shop  and  for  Idacksniith  work, 
tlie  first  floor  for  ofTice,  stock  and  ware  rooin,  the 
second  floor  for  painting  and  triiuming,  and  the 
top  for  storage.  He  gives  employment  to  seven 
or  more  men  and  lias  his  building  equipped  with 
an  elevator  and  the  modern  conveniences.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  Silurian  Lodge  No. 
763,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Hyde  Park,  and  Dunmore 
Conclave  No.  235,  Improved  Order  of  Hepta- 
sophs.  In  politics  he  takes  an  active  interest,  fur- 
thering the  princijiles  of  the  Republican  party. 
In  1889  he  married  Miss  Laura  Panst,  of  Muncy, 
daughter  of  William  Franklin  Panst,  who  was 
wounded  in  tlie  Civil  War  and  died  soon  after- 
ward. 


SAMUEL  G.  SHOEMAKER.  One  of  the 
popular  business  men  of  Dalton  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who,  since  opening  a 
store  at  this  place,  has  proved  that  he  possesses 
decided  ability  and  that  he  has  made  no  mistake 
in  his  selection  of  an  occupation.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  steady  habits,  great  energy  and  well 
trained  mental  power — qualities  that  have  aided 
him  in  building  up  an  excellent  trade  in  his  spe- 
cial department  of  business,  among  the  people 
of  his  community.  Since  1887,  when  he  opened 
a  hardware  store  here,  he  has  kept  in  stock  a 
full  assortment  of  shelf,  general  and  builders' 
hardware,  and  farm  machinery,  together  with 
other  articles  usually  found  in  such  establish- 
ments. 

Jasper  Shoemaker,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Muncy,  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  in  1826, 
and  in  1852  married  Sarah  Dorworth,  who  was 
born  in  Oil  City  in  1836.  Her  father  was  born 
about  1799  ^"fl  'I'ed  about  1879.  Samuel  C, 
father  of  Jasper  Shoemaker,  was  born  in  1790  and 
died  in  1873  at  Mimcy,  Pa.;  his  wife,  Mary 
CPott)  Shoemaker,  was  born  in  1795  and  died  in 
1878.  Henry,  Jr.,  father  of  Samuel  G.,  married 
Susan  Duddcr.     His  father,  Henry,  Sr.,  was  born 


in  Germany  about  1720  and  died  at  Muncy  in 
1799;  his  wife  was  Sarah  Kepner.  The  father 
of  Mary  Pott  was  Benedict  Pott,  born  in  1766, 
and  the  family  name  of  his  wife  was  Alengus. 
Benedict  Potfs  parents  were  John  and  Maria 
(Hock)  Pott,  the  former  born  in  Holland  about 
1725,  married  in  1754,  and  died  in  1767.  John 
Pott's  father,  Wilhelm,  arrived  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  September  12,  1734,  on  the  ship  "St. 
Andrew,"  Capt.  John  Steadman,  from  Holland; 
his  ancestors  went  to  Holland  from  England 
about  the  time  of  Charles  I.  He  settled  in  the 
Schuylkill  Valley,  and  his  son,  John,  located  in 
Germantown,  but  afterward  removed  to  Berks 
County;  his  descendants  live  mostly  in  and 
around  Pottsville,  Pa. 

The  Shoemaker  family  was  founded  in  America 
by  Henry  Shoemaker,  Sr.,  who,  w'ith  two  broth- 
ers and  two  half-brothers  came  to  this  countrv 
from  Germany  about  1740.  Two  brothers  set- 
tled in  Berks  County,  Pa.,  one  went  to  Virginia, 
and  one  settled  in  the  Wyoming  V^alley.  Henry 
Shoemaker  removed  to  Muncy,  Pa.,  from  near 
Harrisburg  in  1783.  Jasper  Shoemaker,  our 
subject's  father,  came  from  Muncy  to  Dalton  in 
1863.  With  his  brother,  R,  F.  Shoemaker,  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods. 
In  1870  he  bought  his  brother's  interest  and  the 
business  was  carried  on  very  successfully  until 
1893,  when  the  mill  was  burned.  In  1853  he  mar- 
ried Sarah  Dorworth,  and  they  reared  eight  chil- 
dren, namely;  Mary  M.  Boardman,  of  Dalton, 
born  in  1853;  Emma  H.  Stevens,  of  Dalton, 
born  in  1855;  Kate  S.  Baldwin,  of  Groton,  N.  Y., 
born  in  1858;  Bertha  E.  Mosher,  of  Lake  Hop- 
atcong,  N.  J.,  born  in  i860;  George  W.,  of  Dal- 
ton, born  in  1861 ;  Elmer  E.,  of  Albion,  111.,  born 
in  1862;  Samuel  G.,  of  Dalton,  born  in  1864,  and 
Elena  E.  Mosher,  of  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  born 
in  1866.  Politically  Jasper  Shoemaker  is  an  ad- 
vocate of  the  Republican  party  and  has  always 
maintained  a  warm  interest  in  public  matters. 

On  the  homestead,  near  Dalton,  where  his 
father  still  resides,  the  subject  of  this  article  was 
born  January  5,  1864,  and  here  his  boyhood  days 
were  passed.  Receiving  the  advantage  of  a  col- 
legiate education,  he  was  prepared  for  the  respon- 
sibilities of  a  business  life.     In  1883  he  was  em- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


963 


ployed  as  telegraph  operator  with  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  rendered  efficient  service.  His  busi- 
ness career,  upon  an  independent  scale,  began  in 
1887,  when  he  opened  a  hardware  store  at  Dal- 
ton,  and  since  that  time  he  has  worked  his  way 
forward  to  a  position  among  the  energetic  busi- 
ness men  of  the  place.  He  is  deeply  interested 
in  all  topics  before  the  people  and  with  patriotic 
spirit  strives  to  make  himself  master  of  these 
questions  in  order  that  he  may  intelligently  sup- 
port the  best  principles.  He  usually  casts  his 
vote  with  the  Republican  party.  In  religious 
views  he  is  a  Methodist  and  with  his  wife  be- 
longs to  that  church. 

October  19,  1889,  Mr.  Shoemaker  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Shelley,  who  was 
born  in  Franklin,  Pa.,  and  one  child,  Mary  Leona, 
blesses  their  union.  Mrs.  Shoemaker  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Enos  A.  Shelley,  who  was  born  at  Mt. 
Bethel,  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  January  26, 
1827,  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  Shelley.  John 
Shelley  was  born  at  Mt.  Bethel  February  17, 
1798,  and  died  at  Newton  Centre,  Lackawanna 
County,  January  13,  1847,  aged  about  forty-nine 
years;  his  wife,  Mary,  was  born  at  Plainfield  in 
1800  and  died  May  12,  1882.  The  mother  of 
Mrs.  Shoemaker  was  Amanda  Melvina  Whitney 
and  was  born  in  West  Abington,  Lackawanna 
County,  January  13,  1832,  the  daughter  of  Wil- 
lard  and  Elizabeth  Whitney.  Willard  Whitney 
was  born  at  Ft.  Ann,  Washington  County,  N.  Y., 
January  25,  1784,  and  died  in  West  Abington  in 
1867,  aged  eighty-three;  his  wife  was  born  Nov- 
ember 7,  1789,  and  died  in  West  Abington,  July 
31,  1843- 

For  twenty-five  years  Enos  A.  Slielley  engaged 
at  carpenter  work  and  for  twenty-five  years  he 
has  followed  farm  pursuits.  Of  his  seven  chil- 
dren, five  are  living,  Mrs.  Susan  E.  Frear,  Mrs. 
Effie  M.  Jacques,  Mrs.  Anna  Shoemaker,  Mrs. 
H.  M.  Pease  and  Mrs.  Burton  Cronk.  The  Shel- 
ley family  originated  in  Germany,  but  has  been 
represented  in  America  for  many  generations. 
Grandfather  Shelley  moved  with  his  family  from 
Mt.  Bethel,  Northampton  County,  to  Newton 
Centre,  Lackawanna  County,  in  1837.  His  son, 
Enos  A.,  in  1851,  married  Miss  A.  M.  Whitney, 


purchased  a  home  in  West  Abington,  and  there 
lived  four  years,  after  which  he  sold  out  and  went 
west  to  Iowa.  However,  in  a  few  years  he  came 
back  to  this  state  and  now  owns  a  valuable  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  at  Lake 
Winola,  Wyoming  County,  where  he  resides. 


ANTHONY  J.  MURRAY.  In  giving  the 
record  of  the  life  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  article,  we  are  enabled 
to  show  the  results  wliich  may  be  obtained  even 
when  worldly  circumstances  seem  decidedly  ad- 
verse. Starting  at  the  lowest  round  in  the  ladder, 
he  has  worked  his  way  up  in  the  coal  business 
until  he  is  now  one  of  the  prominent  operators 
of  Dunmore.  He  was  born  December  i,  1848, 
a  son  of  Peter  Murray  who  came  to  America  in 
1850,  and  the  family  joined  him  in  1853.  The 
voyage  took  si.x  weeks  and  three  days  and  when 
the  vessel  reached  this  country  it  went  ashore  on 
Sandy  Hook.  After  three  days  they  were  taken 
ofif  by  small  boats  and  brought  to  the  harbor  at 
New  York  City.  The  ship  afterward  went  to 
pieces  there,  though  all  lives  were  saved.  Tak- 
ing the  Erie  Railroad  to  Lackawaxen,  he  then 
came  by  canal  to  Hawley  and  by  the  Gravity 
Railroad  to  Dunmore. 

Mr.  Murray  attended  tiie  public  schools  in 
Dunmore  until  eleven  years  of  age,  when  he  en- 
tered the  employment  of  the  Delaware.  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  in  the  Diamond  breaker  as  a 
slate  picker,  though  for  two  winters  he  g-ave  up 
this  employment  to  attend  school.  The  remuner- 
ation for  this  employment  was  only  twenty-five 
or  thirty  cents  a  day  and  he  was  obliged  to  walk 
a  distance  of  three  and  a  half  miles.  He  was  then 
employed  for  a  short  time  in  the  von  Storch  slope, 
where  he  was  door  boy,  and  for  three  years  a 
mule  driver,  and  for  the  same  length  of  time  he 
worked  for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company. 
After  leaving  them  he  went  to  work  for  the  Roar- 
ing Brook  Coal  Company  and  was  engaged  as  a 
driver  boss  there  for  about  four  years,  then  was 
employed  in  loading  stock  coal  at  the  drifts,  after 
which  he  began  working  in  the  mines  for  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  and  was  with  them 
until  the  big  suspension  in  1871.    Later  he  spent 


(/h 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nearly  a  year  working  in  another  drift,  after  which 
he  worked  for  the  Roaring  Brook  Coal  Company 
for  two  years,  then  began  laying  track  for  the 
same  company.  Mr.  ^lonagan,  who  was  inside 
foreman,  gave  him  charge  of  the  track  laying  and 
he  was  employed  in  this  position  for  ten  years. 

Mr.  Murray  then  conceived  the  plan  of  min- 
ing for  himself  and  in  company  with  his  brother 
commenced  operations  in  the  old  Spencer  tract. 
Two  years  later  the  lease  expired  and  they  were 
iniable  to  get  a  renewal  there,  bnt  upon  obtain- 
ing one  from  Dr.  Throop  they  worked  there  until 
the  coal  was  exhausted,  when  our  subject  re- 
turned to  work  for  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany and  \\as  in  their  employment  for  the  suc- 
ceediiig  two  \ears.  He  then  helped  sink  the  No. 
I  shaft  at  Dunmore  and  when  this  was  about 
completed  obtained  his  present  lease  of  Throop 
&  Parker,  which  is  a  perpetual  lease  for  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres.  In  this  enterprise  he  and 
his  lirotjicr  were  joined  by  Messrs.  Jackson  and 
Brown,  but  Mr.  Jackson  soon  sold  out  to  Mr. 
Carney  and  the  firm  was  known  as  Murray,  Car- 
ney &  Brown.  They  sank  a  shaft  to  a  depth  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet,  and  in  1892  built 
a  new  breaker,  and  the  outlook  for  this  mine  is 
very  bright.  When  lie  first  began  they  broke 
the  coal  over  grates  with  hannners,  as  in  the  re- 
tail business  in  which  he  was  first  engaged  the 
smaller  sizes  of  coal  were  in  demand,  so  it  can 
be  seen  from  what  a  humljle  begimiing  he  has 
been  enabled  by  perseverance  comI)ined  with  na- 
tive ability  to  build  u|)  the  fine  business  he  now 
has. 

September  30,  1869,  in  Dunmore,  ^Ir.  Murray 
married  Miss  Julia,  a  daughter  of  Michael  Car- 
ney. Mr.  Carney  was  born  in  County  Sligo, 
where  he  married  Winnie  Council  and  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  there.  He  came  to  .Seranton 
in  1848  and  was  engaged  witli  the  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Company  until  he  retired.  His  death  oc- 
curred here  in  1879,  in  his  eighty-second  year, 
while  his  wife  is  still  living  aged  about  seventy- 
five.  Of  their  seven  ciiildren  six  are  still  living. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  twelve 
children,  as  follows:  J(jhn,  engaged  with  the 
Pennsylvania  Gravity  Railroad:  Peter,  engaged 
in  the  general  merchandising  in  Dunmore;  Win- 


nie, Mrs.  Marcus  Connolly  of  Dunmore;  Julia, 
Michael,  who  is  attending  the  state  normal  at 
Stroudsburg;  Ellen,  Anthony  J.,  Jr.;  Charles, 
Annie,  Edward,  Margaret  and  Lucy. 

Mr.  Murray  was  one  of  the  originators  and  is 
a  director  in  the  Dunmore  Electric  Light,  Heat 
&  Power  Co.,  was  a  member  of  the  school  board 
of  Dunmore  two  terms  of  three  years  each  and 
was  president  one  year,  during  which  time  Green 
Ridge  school  building  was  completed,  also  build- 
ings No.  6  and  8.  He  was  ta.x  collector  for  the 
borough  of  Dunmore  for  three  years,  appointed 
every  year  by  council  until  his  time  was  so  taken 
up  that  he  was  obliged  to  refuse  further  appoint- 
ments in  that  line.  He  was  a  charter  member 
of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benevolent  Association, 
to  which  he  still  belongs,  and  is  identified  with  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel.  He  has 
been  quite  active  in  political  matters,  having 
served  on  the  local  committee  of  the  Democratic 
party,  to  whicji  he  has  given  much  of  his  time 
and  means. 

It  is  thus  in  the  Ijrief  outline  shown  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  those  who  have  inherent 
ability,  even  if  not  favored  by  fortune  or  influence, 
and  a  record  of  his  success  as  shown  should  be 
an  incentive  to  the  youth  of  the  country  to  spur 
them  on,  regardless  of  what  difficulties  may  be- 
set them  when  starting  out  to  fight  life's  battles. 


HERBERT  D.  BUCK.  It  is  impossible  to 
overestimate  the  value  of  a  thorough 
conmiercial  education.  In  this  practical 
age  of  the  world's  history  men  are  rising  to  po- 
sitions of  prominence  in  business  circles  not 
through  luck,  not  through  any  combination  of 
fortuitous  circumstances,  but  as  the  result  of  per- 
sonal endeavor.  How  important  is  it,  therefore, 
that  those  wlio  enter  the  realms  of  commerce 
should  be  thorougjdy  jirepared  for  the  artluous 
duties  awaiting  them.  To  accomplish  this  ob- 
ject, no  institution  surpasses  our  modern  busi- 
ness colleges,  with  their  complete  equipments  for 
instruction  in  every  department  of  business. 

While  the  Scranton  Business  College  is  one 
of  the  youngest  schools  of  the  kind  in  Lackawan- 
na County,  it  is  also  the  largest  and  most  sue- 


JOHN  FRICHTEL. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


967 


cessful.  It  occupies  a  building  situated  at  the 
corner  of  Adams  Avenue  and  Linden  Street,  and 
is  attended  by  five  hundred  or  more  students,  to 
whom  is  given  instruction  in  bookkeeping,  short- 
hand, typewriting,  and  other  branches  of  a  busi- 
ness course.  There  are  day  and  evening  ses- 
sions, the  latter  for  the  convenience  of  those 
unable  to  attend  during  the  day.  The  graduates 
of  the  school  are  filling  important  positions  in 
different  business  houses  throughout  the  coun- 
try and  their  success  is  an  indication  of  the  thor- 
ough training  they  received  here. 

The  proprietors  of  the  college  are  Buck,  Whit- 
more  &  Co.,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  being 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in 
Hughesville,  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  January  6, 
1862,  and  is  the  son  of  Israel  W.  and  Ann  (Kelly) 
Buck,  natives  of  the  same  county  as  himself.  His 
father,  who  was  reared  on  a  farm,  engaged  in 
business  in  Hughesville  until  his  death  at  si.xty- 
two  years,  and  the  old  homestead  is  still  occu- 
pied by  his  widow.  The  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  a  member  of  an  old  eastern 
family  and  a  merchant  in  Hughesville;  a  Method- 
ist in  religion,  he  was  a  local  preacher  in  that 
church  and  was  instrumental  in  organizing  many 
new  congregations  in  his  locality.  The  family 
of  Israel  W.  Buck  consisted  of  four  children,  H. 
D.  being  the  eldest.  The  others  are  W.  E.,  a 
well  known  traveling  salesman  in  this  state  and 
New  York;  Justin,  in  Hughesville;  and  Alta, 
also  residing  in  that  place. 

The  educational  advantages  of  our  subject 
were  exceptionally  good  and  were  obtained  prin- 
cipally through  his  own  efforts.  After  attending 
the  county  normal  school  at  Muncy,  he  taught 
one  term,  and  then  became  a  student  in  the  state 
normal  at  Lock  Haven,  after  which  he  taught  for 
five  years  in  Lycoming  County.  Meantime  hav- 
ing graduated  from  Wood's  Commercial  College 
in  Williamsport,  in  August,  1886,  he  came  to 
Scranton  to  teach  in  Wood's  Business  College, 
and  soon  became  principal  of  the  school,  which 
position  he  held  for  eight  years.  In  September, 
1894,  he  opened  the  Scranton  Business  College, 
of  which  he  has  already  made  a  success.  So- 
cially he  is  connected  with  the  Scranton  Bicycle 
Club,  and  in  religious  belief  is  identified  with  the 
41 


Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  being  in- 
terested in  its  work  and  especially  active  in  the 
Sunday-school.  In  this  city  he  married  Miss 
Amy  Casperson,  daughter  of  Samuel  Casperson, 
who  was  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company  in  Wilmington,  Del.  Their  three 
children  are  Edna,  Anna  and  Ethel. 


JOHN  FRICHTEL,  a  worthy  German-Amer- 
ican citizen  of  Scranton,  is  foreman  of  the 
blast  furnaces  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Steel  Company,  formerly  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Company,  and  has  been  long  one  of  their 
tried  and  true  employes.  Thoroughly  vuider- 
standing  every  detail  of  his  business,  industrious 
and  energetic,  always  at  his  post,  he  is  a  most 
valuable  man  to  any  business  concern,  and  his 
own  company  realize  this  fact.  He  has  been 
very  successful,  for  he  possesses  the  qualities  that 
inevitably  bring  their  reward. 

A  native  of  Germany,  our  subject  was  born 
May  9,  1833,  in  Untersteinach,  Bavaria,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Louise  (Rader)  Frichtel.  The 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  lived  and 
died  in  Germany,  and  his  wife,  who  bore  him 
five  sons,  also  departed  this  life  in  the  Father- 
land. John  Frichtel,  in  common  with  his  broth- 
ers, received  a  good  education  in  the  excellent 
schools  provided  by  the  government.  His  par- 
ents instructed  and  trained  their  family  in  use- 
ful, industrious  ways,  thus  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  their  character  for  after  life.  When  he 
had  arrived  at  suitable  years  he  began  working 
for  himself,  by  hiring  out  to  farmers.  Imbued 
with  a  strong  desire  to  come  to  the  land  of  lib- 
erty and  freedom,  he  at  last  was  able  to  carry 
into  effect  his  long-cherished  dream,  and  August 
7,  1853,  he  left  Bremen  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which 
reached  New  York  City  at  the  end  of  a  tedious 
voyage  of  forty-six  days.  He  was  the  pioneer 
of  his  family  in  the  New  World,  but  later  the 
other  brothers  followed  his  example  and  came 
to  found  homes  here.  Employment  was  prof- 
fered him  with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company 
on  the  canal,  at  Honesdale,  and  he  was  glad  to 
accept  the  first  opportunity  of  honest  work,  this 
having  been  one  of  the  secrets  of  his  success. 


968 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


It  was  in  January,  1854,  that  Air.  FriclUel  came 
to  Scrantoii,  and  at  once  began  his  long  service 
for  the  company  that  we  find  him  with  today. 
Six  weeks  passed  and  he  was  transferred  to  this 
blast  furnace  and  from  time  to  time  he  was  pro- 
moted until  he  was  made  keeper.  In  1862  he 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  blast  furnaces  as 
foreman  and  still  occupies  this  position,  though 
his  duties  have  perceptibly  increased. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Frichtel  and  Barbara  Borner 
were  married  in  1856.  The  lady  is  also  a  native 
of  Germany.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  them, 
but  much  more  than  ordinary  sorrow  came  to 
their  hearts,  as  one  by  one  their  children  were 
taken  from  their  hearthstone  by  death,  until  Init 
one,  an  enterprising  young  man,  Jacob  by  name, 
is  left  to  them  of  all  the  once  large  family  circle. 
Jacob  is  a  fine  machinist,  with  the  same  company 
as  is  his  father.  Mrs.  Barbara  Gutheng  died  in 
1894,  and  Frederick,  a  machinist,  died  when 
twenty-four  years  old.  Mr.  Frichtel  built  his 
comfortable  residence  at  No.  305  Willow  Street. 
Fraternally  he  belongs  to  Residenz  Lodge,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  and  to  Scranton  Odd  Fellows'  Encamp- 
ment. He  is  also  identified  with  the  Saengerunde 
and  with  the  (German  Benefit  Association.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  trustee  of  the  Germaa  Pres- 
byterian Church,  until  he  resigned  from  office. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 


BENAJAH  S.  GARDNER.  It  is  doubtless 
due  to  the  industrious  and  persevering 
manner  in  which  Mr.  Gardner  has  adhered 
to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  that  he  has  risen  to 
such  a  substantial  position  in  the  agricultural 
conmiunity  of  Lackawanna  County.  His  life  has 
been  spent  within  the  confines  of  Benton  Town- 
ship, and,  as  a  natural  result,  he  is  much  interested 
in  the  progress  and  development  of  this  section, 
which  he  has  assisted  in  making  the  farming 
region  it  now  is. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Horace  Gard- 
ner, who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1800,  and 
the  following  year  was  brought  to  this  country  by 
his  parents,  George  and  Abigail  (Dean)  Gardner, 
also  natives  of  Rhode  Island,  and  deceased  in 
Abington  Township.     Grandfather  Gardner  was 


a  fanner  and  tinner,  a  veteran  of  the  War  of  181 2 
and  died  when  over  eighty  years  of  age.  The 
father  of  George  Gardner  and  the  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  captain  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War  and  came  with  his  son,  grand- 
son, and  other  members  of  the  family  to  Abing- 
ton Township,  being  among  the  very  first  to  set- 
tle in  this  section  of  the  country.  The  trip  was 
made  over  the  mountains  with  ox  teams,  and 
on  arriving  at  their  destination  they  cleared  the 
land  and  began  the  life  of  agriculturists  at  the 
commencement  of  the  present  century.  The 
family  was  founded  in  America  by  three  brothers, 
who  came  to  this  country  from  Scotland.  The 
grandmother  of  our  subject  attained  the  age  of 
one  hundred  and  five  years. 

The  marriage  of  Horace  Gardner  united  him 
with  Narcissa  Bowen,  who  died  on  the  home 
farm  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine;  he  passed  away 
in  the  spring  of  1872  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
only  two  are  living.  One  son,  J.  C,  who  parti- 
cipated in  the  late  war,  died  in  1896;  the  second 
son,  Cyrus  C,  is  a  resident  of  Factoryville.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  Benton  Township,  May  3, 
1827,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  but  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five  went  to  Scranton  and  was 
employed  in  the  meat  business.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  continued  to  live  there  for  four  years, 
then  came  to  this  place  in  the  spring  of  1856 
and  began  agricultural  work.  About  1875  he 
built  a  saw  mill,  and  three  years  later  erected  a 
grist  mill,  the  dam  of  which  was  built  in  1874. 
He  has  since  operated  these  mills,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  his  son.  Miles,  who  at  the  present  time 
owns  a  half  interest  in  the  mill. 

September  7,  1853,  Mr.  Gardner  married  Miss 
Catharine  A.  Reynolds,  daughter  of  Crispen  and 
A.  Melinda  (Seamans)  Reynolds.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  about  1798  settled, 
with  his  family,  at  Factoryville,  and  twenty-five 
years  later  purchased  the  farm  where  our  sub- 
ject now  lives.  He  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the 
war  in  1814  as  a  substitute  for  his  father.  He  re- 
turned to  Benton  Township,  residing  here  for 
many  years  afterward,  and  until  his  death  in  1855 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one;  his  wife  died  when  sixty- 
six.     They  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  but 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


969 


only  two  are  now  living.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents of  Mrs.  Gardner  were  Solomon  and 
Frances  (Northrup)  Reynolds,  natives  of  Rhode 
Island,  who  died  in  Factoryville,  Pa.  The  Rey- 
nolds family  cleared  tlie  first  land  in  Benton 
Township  and  were  among  the  earliest  perman- 
ent settlers  here. 

The  only  son  of  our  subject,  Miles  P.,  was 
given  educational  advantages  in  youth  and  has 
been  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  his  father  in 
the  management  of  their  business  interests.  He 
married  Luzina  Gardner,  who  though  bearing  the 
same  name  was  not  related  to  this  family;  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Mary  H.,  Jack 
B.,  and  Howard  P.  The  only  daughter  of  our 
subject  is  Lucetta,  who  received  an  excellent  ed- 
ucation, has  gained  breadth  of  culture  and  re- 
finement by  extensive  travel  throughout  the 
United  .States,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  ladies  of  this  locality.  The  family 
attend  the  Baptist  Church  and  have  assisted  in 
the  erection  of  houses  of  worship,  besides  aid- 
ing in  other  religious  undertakings  and  charitable 
projects.  Both  father  and  son  are  Republicans 
in  political  belief  and  support  the  principles  of 
that  party.  They  willingly  aid  in  local  improve- 
ments and  public  enterprises,  and  have  lent  a 
helping  hand  in  various  township  matters. 


CHRISTOPHER  A.  SHERMAN.  This 
county  had  its  quota  of  men  who  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War 
and  endured  all  the  hardships  of  forced  marches, 
exposure  to  weather  and  on  the  tented  field,  be- 
sides the  greater  peril  of  open  engagements  with 
the  Confederate  forces.  In  this  class  of  patriotic 
citizens  belongs  the  name  of  Mr.  Sherman,  of 
Glenburn,  who  enlisted  August  14,  1862,  for  three 
years,  or  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Company  B, 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  was  incorporated  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  Regiment  of 
Pennsylvania  Infantry.  At  the  close  of  the  Re- 
bellion he  was  honorably  discharged,  June  12, 
1865,  by  reason  of  General  Order  No.  jy,  A.  G.  O., 
from  headquarters.  He  took  part  in  the  various 
engagements  in  which  his  regiment  participated 
and  at  Gettysburg  was  made  a  prisoner,  but  was 


paroled  while  on  the  field.  For  three  months 
he  was  on  detached  service,  and  was  afterward 
mustered  out  in  New  York  harbor.  He  is  justly 
proud  of  the  history  of  his  regiment  and  the  hon- 
orable part  it  bore  in  quelling  the  Rebellion. 
The  nineteen  engagements  of  the  regiment  were 
as  follows:  Pollock's  Mills,  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  South  Mountain,  Funkstown,  Cen- 
treville.  Thoroughfare  Gap,  Wilderness,  Laurel 
Hill,  Spottsylvania,  Bull's  Church,  North  Anna, 
Pannmkey  River,  Cold  Harbor,  siege  of  Peters- 
burg, Weldon  Railroad,  Petersburg,  Weldon  raid 
and  Hatchie's  Run.  He  was  with  the  regiment  in 
all  these  battles  except  the  last,  when,  after  start- 
ing out  with  his  comrades,  he  was  sent  back  by 
the  adjutant,  Charley  Campbell,  because  of  sick- 
ness. 

Tracing  the  genealogy  of  the  Sherman  family, 
we  find  that  Philip  Sherman  was  born  in  July, 
1610,  and  married  Sarah  Potter.  Their  son,  Sam- 
uel Sherman,  was  born  in  February,  1648,  and 
married  Martha  Tripp,  whose  birth  occurred  Au- 
gust 31,  1663.  Their  descendant,  John,  born  May 
25,  1725,  had  a  son.  Job  Sherman,  who  was  born 
May  20,  1752,  and  married  Lydia  Cundale,  born 
July  7,  1 75 1.  Next  in  line  of  descent  was  John 
Sherman,  born  May  25,  1786,  died  September 
21,  1870;  his  wife  was  Mary  Norton  of  Tiverton, 
R.  I.  Their  son,  John  C,  was  born  January  10, 
1814,  in  Rhode  Island,  and  at  the  age  of  two 
years  was  brought  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
married   Ruth   P'hillips,   born   in  this  state  July 

28,  1815.  Their  children,  ten  in  number,  were 
born  as  follows:    Mary,  May  13,  1834,  died  May 

18,  1834;  William  Norton,  born  May  13,  1835; 
Ezra,  born  December  16,  1837,  died  May  20, 
1840;  Jencks,  born  September  2,  1839, 
and  died  June  24.  1840;  Christopher  Alon- 
zo,    born    May    17,    1841 ;    Celestia,    born    May 

19,  1843,  died  July  11,  1879;  George, 
born  May  17,  1845;   Ruth  Ellen,  born  November 

29,  1848,  died  March  18,  1851;  Zachary  T.,  born 
April  9,  1849,  died  March  15,  1851;  and  John 
C,  Jr.,  born  October  5,  1854,  died  January  10, 
1856.  The  father  was  a  man  of  energetic  and  in- 
dustrious character  and  great  kindness  of  heart, 
a  consistent  believer  m  the  principles  of  Christi- 
anity and  the  doctrines  of  the  Baptist  Church, 


970 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


which  he  proclaimed  from  the  pulpit.  His  was  a 
busy  and  useful  life  and  his  death  was  deeply 
mourned.  He  passed  away  November  27,  1873, 
at  which  time  he  was  pastor  of  Pcqua  Church  in 
Lancaster  County,  Pa. 

In  South  Abington  Township,  this  county,  Mr. 
Sherman  was  born  l\Iay  17,  1841,  a  son  of  J.  C. 
and  Ruth  (Phillips)  Sherman.  During  his  ab- 
sence in  the  war,  he  was  cheered  by  letters  from 
his  sweetheart  at  home,  and  the  year  after  his 
return  they  were  married.  She  was  Miss  Amanda 
Brooks,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  but  from  four 
years  of  age  a  resident  of  Carbondale,  where  she 
was  reared  by  an  aunt.  Their  marriage,  January 
8,  1866,  was  blessed  by  five  children,  namely; 
Charles,  who  is  married  and  has  one  child;  Al- 
bert, who  lives  in  Scranton;  Hurley;  Arthur  and 
Amy,  twins. 

From  1865  until  1868  Mr.  Sherman  worked 
for  his  father,  after  which  he  spent  two  years  in 
Newton  Township,  then  returned  to  South  Ab- 
ington Township  (now  Glenburn  borough),  and 
afterward  went  to  Tunkhannock,  where  he  was 
engaged  at  cabinet  work  for  five  years,  also  gave 
some  attention  to  wagon-making.  From  that 
l)lace  he  came  back  to  the  family  homestead, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  served  as 
burgess,  justice  of  the  peace  and  held  the  most  of 
the  offices  in  the  borough.  While  in  the  army  he 
voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  on  the  occasion  of 
his  second  election  to  the  presidency,  and  since 
then  he  has  always  supported  the  ticket  of  the 
Republican  party.  His  family  are  connected  with 
the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  has  held  various 
official  positions.  He  is  a  pensioner  of  the  war 
and  an  active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post 
in  Waverly,  of  which  he  was  the  second  com- 
mander. 


CJ.  WILBUR,  M.  D.  The  calling  of  a 
physician  is  one  of  the  most  important 
•  to  which  a  man  can  devote  his  life.  It 
is  one  that  calls  for  physical  strength  and  power 
of  endurance,  and  for  keenness  of  intellect  and 
mental  acuteness.  Fortified  with  these  qualities 
a  physician  will  attain  success  in  the  profession, 
without  them  his  hopes  will  never  be  realized. 


When  Dr.  Wilbur  started  out  in  the  practice 
many  years  ago,  he  was  a  young  man  of  robust 
constitution,  strength  of  character  and  discrimi- 
nation of  mind.  More  than  this,  he  had  the  great- 
est faith  in  the  possibilities  of  his  profession,  and 
the  strongest  determination  to  succeed  in  it.  The 
passing  years  brought  him  prominence  as  a  phy- 
sician and  financial  success;  it  being  a  notable 
fact  that  of  the  eleven  hundred  cases  of  obstetrics 
he  attended  he  lost  but  one  and  this  speaks  much 
for  his  skill  and  ability  as  a  physician. 

Dr.  Wilbur  was  born  March  23,  1836,  at  Car- 
bondale, to  the  union  of  Eseck  Tabor  and  Mary 
S.  (Kennedy)  Wilbur,  being  the  fourth  of  ten 
children.  He  is  the  descendant  of  one  of  three 
brothers,  who  settled  in  Massachusetts  in  early 
colonial  times,  being  Quakers  by  faith,  and  endur- 
ing all  the  hardships  of  early  settlers.  His  grand- 
father, Christopher  E.  Wilbur,  was  born  in  New 
York  State  and  removed  from  there  to  Carbon- 
dale  in  the  year  1810,  where  he  purchased  a  large 
tract  of  land,  becoming  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  that  place. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  January  20,  1806,  and  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Carbondale  at  the  age  of 
four  years.  There  he  grew  to  manhood  and  was 
employed  as  contractor  and  lumberman.  About 
1842  he  removed  to  what  is  now  North  Scranton 
(then  called  Razorville  and  afterwards  Provi- 
dence), and  became  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest 
flour  mills  in  the  Lackawanna  Valley,  also  a  val- 
uable tract  of  land  upon  which  he  opened  a  coal 
mine  called  Leggett's  Gap.  In  1844  he  removed 
to  Susquehanna  County,  and  purchased  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  that  section  of  the  country,  upon 
which  he  remained  until  his  death  August  7,  1865. 
He  was  a  successful  business  man,  having  started 
without  means  and  leaving  at  his  death  an  estate 
valued  at  $60,000.  His  wife  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island  July  4,  1809,  and  died  at  Moscow  at  the 
home  of  her  son.  Dr.  Wilbur,  March  16,  1891, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 

The  early  years  of  Dr.  Wilbur  were  passed 
upon  a  farm.  He  obtained  a  primary  education 
in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
he  began  to  read  medicine  with  Dr.  A.  C.  Blakes- 
lee  of   Springville,   and   in    1857   he  attended  a 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


971 


course  of  lectures  at  the  medical  department  of 
Yale  College.  In  the  spring  of  1858  he  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  David  James  of  Laceyville,  where 
he  assisted  the  doctor  in  his  large  practice,  re- 
turning in  the  fall  of  1858  to  attend  his  second 
course  at  Yale  College.  In  i860  he  opened  an 
office  at  Moscow,  where  he  continued  in  active 
practice  until  1887,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
time  spent  in  the  army  during  the  Rebellion. 
In  September,  1864,  he  was  appointed  surgeon 
at  Hampton  Hospital,  Fortress  Monroe,  where  he 
remained  for  three  months,  being  transferred  to 
Point  of  Rocks  Hospital  on  Appomattox  River, 
near  City  Point.  He  remained  here  but  a  short 
time;  receiving  orders  to  report  at  Norfolk,  he 
was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  Delemator 
Post  Hospital,  where  he  remained  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  His  sen'ices  were  volunteered,  leav- 
ing a  lucrative  practice  to  endure  the  perils  and 
hardships  of  an  army  life,  believing  that  thereby 
he  could  be  of  service  to  his  fellowmen  and  coun- 
try. 

May  I,  1873,  Dr.  Wilbur  married  Miss  Sarah 
J.  Dixon,  an  estimable  lady,  who  died  April  9, 
1892,  leaving  two  daughters,  Mary  Valeda  and 
Romie  Marion. 

In  early  manhood  Dr.  Wilbur  was  an  active 
Republican,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has 
taken  no  part  in  politics.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  always  been  a  man  of 
temperate  habits  and  firm  character  with  strong 
likes  and  dislikes,  expressing  his  opinions  with  a 
fearlessness  that  is  one  of  his  pronounced  traits 
and  condemning  under  all  circumstances  the  de- 
ceit and  hypocrisy  that  too  often  mar  the  char- 
acter of  men  and  women. 


HON.  WILLIAM  HUNTTING  JESSUP, 
senior  member  of  the  well  known  law 
firm  of  Jessup  &  Jessup,  of  Scranton,  is 
a  distinguished  descendant  of  a  celebrated  fam- 
ily. John  Jessup,  the  first  of  the  family  of  whom 
there  is  any  authentic  record,  is  said  to  have  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts  as  early  as  1620,  the  year 
of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims.  In  1637  there  are 
records  of  the  family  living  in  Flartford,  Conn., 


but  before  1640  they  had  removed  to  Wethers- 
field,  in  the  same  state,  and  in  the  latter  year  had 
again  removed,  this  time  to  Stamford,  one  of  the 
oldest  Connecticut  towns,  of  which  they  were 
among  the  first  settlers.  In  1649  the  father  re- 
moved his  family  to  Southampton,  Long  Island, 
where  descendants  have  continued  to  live. 

John  Jessup,  the  member  of  this  family  from 
whom  Judge  Jessup  is  descended,  was  married 
June  16,  1669,  and  had  a  son  Henry,  born 
March  12,  1681.  Thomas  Jessup,  a  son  of  Henry, 
was  born  February  28,  1721,  and  in  later  life 
held  the  office  of  deacon  of  his  denomination. 
One  of  his  sons,  Zebulon,  was  born  September 
^Si  I755>  ^rid  was  consequently  in  early  man- 
hood when  occurred  the  great  struggle  between 
the  mother  country  and  the  American  colonies, 
in  which  contest,  it  may  be  presumed  from  his 
title  of  major,  he  took  an  active  part.  December 
6,  1780,  he  married  Zerviah,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Huntting,  a  merchant  of  Southampton,  whose 
family  came  from  England  in  August,  1638,  the 
family  of  the  present  generation  being  therefore 
able  to  trace  its  descent,  through  two  branches, 
to  over  three  hundred  years  of  unbroken  Ameri- 
can ancestry. 

William  Jessup,  son  of  Zebulon  and  Zerviah 
Jessup,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  at  Southampton,  Long  Island,  June 
21,  1797,  and  removed  to  Montrose,  Pa.,  in  1818, 
entering  the  law  office  of  A.  H.  Read,  and  also 
teaching  for  five  temis  in  the  town  academy. 
February  2,  1820,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Susquehanna  County,  and  at  once  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  Being  a  man  of 
ability  and  force  of  character,  he  took  the  lead  in 
many  matters  of  public  import  in  his  adopted 
town,  and  especially  in  military  matters  as  col- 
onel of  his  regiment,  gained  a  reputation  for  the 
high  degree  of  skill  his  troops  attained  under 
his  well-directed  discipline.  From  1824  until 
1833  he  served  as  register  of  wills  and  recorder 
of  deeds  for  his  county,  but  declined  re-appoint- 
ment to  the  position  in  the  latter  year.  April  7, 
1838,  he  was  commissioned  judge  of  the  Eleventh 
Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania,  serving  by  re- 
appointment until  November,  1851.  His  career 
as  a  judge  was  marked  by  great  wisdom  and  im- 


97^ 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


partialit)'.  In  the  tcnipcraiice  movement  he  was 
one  of  the  earliest  leaders,  at  a  time  when  public 
sentiment  needed  a  great  deal  of  arousing  as  to 
the  sinfulness  of  the  traffic  in  liquors.  He  joined 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Montrose  Septem- 
ber 3,  1826,  and  August  2,  1829,  was  made  a 
ruling  elder.  Two -sons  were  foreign  mission- 
aries of  the  Presbyterian  denomination  in  Syria. 
In  politics  he  was  first  a  Democrat,  then  a  stanch 
Whig,  and  later  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party.  At  the  Chi- 
cago convention  of  i860,  when  Lincoln  was 
nominated  for  the  presidency,  he  was  chairman 
of  the  committee  of  resolutions,  and  when  in  his 
speech  before  the  convention  he  said,  "Freedom 
is  the  normal  condition  of  the  territories,"  he  was 
greeted  with  thunderous  applause  and  cries  of 
"Read  that  again"  from  the  difTerent  parts  of  the 
house. 

July  4,  1820,  Judge  Jessuj)  married  Miss 
Amanda  Harris,  of  Southampton,  Long  Island, 
and  to  this  union  were  born  ten  children:  Jane 
R.,  a  daughter,  married  Col.  J.  B.  Salisbury,  of 
New  York,  but  is  now  deceased ;  Alary  S.  became 
tlie  wife  of  F.  B.  Chandler  of  Montrose,  and  is 
deceased;  Harriet  A.  married  Isaac  L.  Post,  of 
Scranton,  and  is  likewise  deceased.  Of  the  sons, 
William  H.  is  the  subject  of  this  notice;  Rev. 
Henry  H.  Jessup,  D.  D.,  has,  with  his  brother. 
Rev.  Samuel  Jessup,  D.  D.,  been  a  missionary  to 
Syria,  stationed  at  Beirut,  for  many  years,  the 
former  since  1856  and  the  latter  since  1862.  Of 
the  remaining  children  of  the  family,  Phoebe  A. 
married  Alfred  Hand,  of  Scranton,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased; Fannie  M.  is  unmarried;  George  A.  is  a 
resident  of  Scranton,  and  Iluntling  C.  is  the  law 
partner  of  his  brother,  William  II.  The  father 
died  in  Montrose  September  11,  1868,  his  death 
resulting  from  a  stroke  of  jiaralysis.  The  mother 
died  in  August,  1883. 

William  Ihmtting  Jessup  was  born  in  Mont- 
rose, Pa.,  January  29,  1830,  and  was  educated 
at  Cortland  Academy,  in  the  town  of  Homer, 
X.  Y.  In  1846,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  entered 
the  sophomore  class  at  Yale  College,  and  on  his 
graduation  in  1849,  chose  the  practice  of  law 
as  a  profession.  After  two  years  of  hard  study 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  last  term  held 


by  his  father,  who,  finally  severing  his  connection 
with  the  bench  just  then,  re-entered  the  profes- 
sion of  law  as  a  partner  with  his  son.  Under  the 
father's  experienced  management  the  fame  of 
the  firm  spread,  and  their  practice  extended 
throughout  the  state,  and  included  practice  be- 
fore the  state  and  the  United  States  courts. 
After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  son  continued 
in  the  business,  a  worthy  successor,  being  accu- 
rate, thorough,  conscientious,  and  of  unimpeach- 
able honor  and  integrity.  His  judicial  ability 
was  recognized  when,  in  1877,  he  was  appointed 
presiding  judge  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Judicial  Dis- 
trict, a  position  he  held  until  1879.  As  a  judge, 
he  was  remarkable  for  clearness  of  comprehen- 
sion of  all  intricate  and  difificult  points  of  law  and 
for  his  promptness  of  decision.  LTpon  his  retire- 
ment from  the  bench,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
law.  In  1881  he  opened  an  office  in  Scranton, 
having  as  partner  the  late  Isaac  J.  Post.  Their 
practice  became  one  of  the  largest  in  the  place. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Post,  in  1886,  Judge  Jes- 
sup's  son,  William  H.  Jr.,  became  a  partner  in 
the  practice  of  law.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Montrose  in  1859,  and  graduated  from  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1884  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  In  1886 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  since  that  time 
has  practiced  continuously  with  his  father.  He 
possesses  the  same  qualities  of  mind  which  made 
his  father  and  his  grandfather  famous  in  their 
profession,  and  is  well  qualified  to  be  the  partner 
of  his  brilliant  fatlier. 

In  October,  1853,  Judge  Jessup  married  Aliss 
Sarah  W.  Jay,  of  Belvidere,  N.  J.,  by  \vli()in  he 
had  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

At  the  early  age  of  thirteen  years,  following 
the  strong  religious  l)ent  of  many  of  his  ances- 
tors. Judge  Jessup  joined  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  has  ever  since  lent  that  denomin- 
ation his  active  support,  h^or  thirty-si.x  years  he 
served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school, 
and  since  1868  he  has  been  one  of  the  ruling 
elders.  In  all  tiie  forward  movements  of  the  day 
he  has  taken  an  active  part,  and  especially  in 
the  cause  of  temperance,  like  his  father  before 
liiiii,  he  has  W(_)rki.'(!  untiringly.  In  politics  his 
influence  has  been  one  of  the  ujnvard  factors  of 
the  communitv.     In  early  manhood  he  assisted 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


973 


ill  forming  tlie  Republican  party,  and  since  that 
early  day  has  been  unwavering  in  his  support  of 
its  principles.  He  has  been  chosen  many  times 
to  represent  his  district  in  political  conventions, 
and  has  done  so  with  an  energy  and  enthusiasm 
whicli  have  helped  carry  the  day  for  his  party. 
During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  he  saw  active 
service  as  major  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  ^Militia,  campaigning  through  1862 
and  1863.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed 
by  President  Lincoln  assessor  of  internal  revenue 
for  the  Twelfth  Collection  District  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  held  the  position  for  three  years.  In 
1871  he  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  John  W. 
Geary  as  major-general  of  the  Tenth  Division  of 
the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard.  For  many 
years  he  served  as  president  of  the  Susquehanna 
Agricultural  Society,  one  of  the  oldest  organiza- 
tions of  the  kind  in  the  state.  That  his  ability 
does  not  lie  along  one  or  two  lines,  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  has  been  one  of  the  foremost 
men  in  his  county  to  introduce  valuable  farm 
stock,  and  has  stood  sponsor  to  many  of  the 
most  advanced  methods  of  farming  that  have 
been  adopted  in  the  state.  Lately,  however,  his 
legal  business,  which  includes  the  charge  of  the 
legal  affairs  of  many  large  corporations,  has  en- 
grossed most  of  his  time,  leaving  him  little  leis- 
ure for  anything  outside  of  that  arduous  profes- 


CALVIN  E.  STONE,  foreman  of  the  black- 
smith shop  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  car  department  at  Scranton, 
is  a  member  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
Scott  Township.  The  family  is  of  English  origin 
and  was  represented  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Massachusetts,  his  great-grandfather  having  been 
born  in  Boston,  that  state.  His  grandfather, 
Benoni  -Stone,  was  bom  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and 
about  1800,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he 
came  to  Scott  Township,  where  he  afterward 
made  his  home  upon  a  farm.  The  nearest  milling 
town  was  W'ilkesbarre  and  he  was  accustomed 
to  make  trips  to  that  place  on  horseback.  The 
lady  whom  he  married  resided  in  that  city.  In 
early  life  he  bought  si.x  hundred  acres  of  land 


there,  but  this  he  afterward  disposed  of,  selling 
some  and  giving  the  remainder  to  his  children. 
He  died  on  his  homestead  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  H.  L.  Stone, 
was  born  in  what  is  now  Scott  Town- 
ship, Lackawanna  County,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood,  serving  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  Providence. 
After  his  marriage  he  removed  to  Hollisterville 
and  started  a  blacksmith  shop,  which  he  has 
since  carried  on  with  success.  Both  his  shop 
and  residence  were  built  by  himself.  During 
the  Civil  War  he  served  for  three  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  and  at  the  close  of  the  conflict 
was  honorabl}'  discharged.  In  yovmger  years 
he  was  actively  identified  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  an  active  work- 
er in  its  behalf. 

January  30,  1897,  was  celebrated,  with  accom- 
panying wishes  of  good  cheer  and  congratula- 
tions, the  golden  wedding  of  H.  L.  Stone  and 
Sarah  M.  Myers.  He  was  born  December  10, 
1826,  and  she,  December  3,  1827,  and  both  en- 
joy fair  health  for  people  of  their  years.  She  is 
a  native  of  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  the  daughter 
of  Squire  Jacob  Myers,  a  farmer,  who  settled 
in  Jefferson  Township,  this  county,  when  she 
was  a  child  of  nine  years.  Of  her  nine  children, 
five  are  living,  namely:  J.  W.,  who  resides  at 
Elk  River,  Minn.;  Calvin  E.;  Charles  E.,  of 
Tioga  County,  Pa.;  William  H.,  who  lives  in 
Huntingdon,  Pa.,  and  Carrie  L.,  Mrs.  George 
O.  Brown,  of  Hollisterville,  Pa. 

In  Hollisterville  Academy,  then  a  very  pros- 
perous and  popular  institution,  the  education  of 
our  subject  was  obtained.  His  boyhood  years 
were  passed  in  that  place,  where  he  was  born 
April  3,  1854.  When  quite  young  he  began  to 
assist  his  father  in  the  shop  and  soon  acquired  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  to  work  steadily 
in  the  shop  and  after  a  few  years  was  made  his 
father's  partner  in  the  business.  In  1879  he 
came  to  Scranton  as  an  employe  in  the  black- 
smith   shop   of   the   Delaware,    Lackawanna   & 


974 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Western  car  department,  and  after  long  and 
faithful  service,  recognition  of  his  merit  was 
shown  by  his  promotion,  in  January  of  1896,  to 
the  position  of  foreman  of  the  shop,  for  which 
his  duties  as  assistant  foreman  had  prepared  him. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Stone,  which  occurred  in 
Scranton,  united  him  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Hard- 
ing, a  native  of  Newburgli,  N.  Y.,  and  daughter 
of  Theodore  Harding,  wlio  came  to  the  States 
from  Nova  Scotia  and  was  an  employe  of  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  in 
their  blacksmith  shop.  Mr.  Harding  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grace  Reformed  Episcopal  Church. 
He  died  in  July,  1896.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stone  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Carrie  Evelyn  and 
Marion  Agnes,  who  reside  with  them  at  No. 
535  Harrison  Avenue.  Mr.  Stone  devotes  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  the  duties  of  his 
position,  and  has  never  identified  himself  with 
public  afifairs,  other  than  to  keep  posted  concern- 
ing the  issues  of  the  age  and  vote  the  Republican 
ticket  at  all  elections. 


JOHN  H.  THOMAS,  clerk  of  courts,  has  his 
office  in  Scranton,  but  retains  his  residence 
in  Carbondale,  where  he  was  born  April  10, 
1848.  His  father,  William,  was  born  in  Abertive, 
Wales,  and  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  but  in  early 
manhood  emigrated  to  America,  settling  on 
Long  Island,  where  for  about  ten  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business.  From  there  he 
removed  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  upon  a  farm 
in  Susquehanna  County.  Some  time  in  the  40's 
he  came  to  Carbondale,  where  he  engaged  in  min- 
ing with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company.  Un- 
fortunately, one  day  while  at  work,  a  spark  from 
his  lani])  fell  into  a  keg  of  powder,  causing  an 
e.xplosion,  and  he  was  instantly  killed.  This  sad 
accident  occurred  in  1855,  when  the  eldest  of 
his  children  w'as  only  seven.  In  religion  he  was 
identified  with  the  Congregational  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Elizabeth 
Davis,  and  was  born  in  the  same  shire  of  Wales 
as  her  husband.  Her  father,  David  Davis,  who 
was  a  farmer  and  butcher  in  his  native  land,  emi- 
grated tf)  America  with  his  family  and  settled  in 
Carbondale,  where  he  engaged  in  the  dairv  busi- 


ness. His  last  years  were  spent  in  retirement  in 
that  city,  where  he  died.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Thomas 
still  resides  at  the  old  home  in  Carbondale,  and 
though  now  eighty-three  years  old,  retains  much 
of  her  former  energy  and  industry.  Upon  her, 
after  her  husband's  death,  fell  the  burden  of  rear- 
ing, training  and  caring  for  her  children,  and 
nobly  did  she  discharge  the  trust.  Through  her 
self-sacrificing  efforts  they  were  fitted  for  posi- 
tions of  usefulness  in  the  world,  and  to  her,  in  a 
large  measure,  they  owe  whatever  success  may 
have  come  to  them.  Her  oldest  child,  our  sub- 
ject, was  her  only  son,  and  she  has  three  daugh- 
ters: Mrs.  Margaret  Maynard,  of  Nanticoke, 
Pa. ;  Mrs.  Alary  A.  Jones,  who  is  with  her  mother, 
and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lewis,  of  Nanticoke. 

When  only  ten  years  of  age  our  subject  be- 
came self-supporting.  At  that  age  he  began  to 
work  in  the  breaker  at  Frogtown,  receiving  thir- 
ty-five cents  per  day,  and  walking  two  miles  every 
morning  and  evening.  From  thirteen  until  sev- 
enteen he  was  a  mule  driver  in  the  mines,  after 
which  he  began  to  fill  coal  in  the  mines.  After  he 
was  twenty  he  was  employed  as  a  miner  with  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Company,  but  the  work  was 
not  entirely  congenial,  so  he  learned  the  stone 
mason's  trade.  For  eight  years  or  more  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman  in  Carbondale,  after 
wliich  he  was  appointed  on  the  police  force  of 
that  city,  serving  for  nine  years  as  assistant  chief 
of  police.  Meantime  he  did  considerable  detec- 
tive work. 

In  the  fall  of  1888  Air.  Thomas  was  the  Repub- 
lican candidate  for  clerk  of  courts,  being  nomi- 
nated by  acclamation.  At  the  election  the  face 
of  the  returns  showed  he  was  defeated  by  ninety- 
seven  votes,  but  fraud  was  discovered,  and  the 
matter  was  taken  to  the  local  and  supreme  courts, 
where  he  was  declared  to  be  legally  elected  by  a 
majority  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  This 
took  one  year,  the  former  clerk  meantime  hold- 
ing over  in  office.  It  was,  therefore,  not  until 
January,  1890,  that  he  took  the  oath  of  office, 
and  his  term  lasted  until  January,  1892.  In  the 
fall  of  181JI  he  was  again  nominated  by  acclama- 
tiini  and  was  elected  l)y  a  majority  of  two  hun- 
dred and  tiiirty-one,  after  one  of  the  closest  and 
severest  contests  in  the  county.     In  the  fall  of 


KZRA  R.  SOUTHWORTH. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


977 


1894  he  was  re-nominatecl  and  elected  by  a  major- 
ity of  more  than  eleven  hundred,  taking  his  seat 
for  the  third  term  in  January,  1895,  to  hold  office 
until  January,  1898.  The  fact  of  his  re-election 
with  such  a  largely  increased  majority  speaks  vol- 
umes for  his  successful  administration  and  shows 
that  he  has  won  the  regard  and  confidence  of  the 
people.  To  aid  in  the  work  of  the  office  he  has 
two  assistants. 

In  Carbondale  Mr.  Thomas  married  Miss 
Anna,  daughter  of  William  Roberts,  a  miner  of 
that  place,  and  the  son  of  Welsh  parents.  They 
had  two  children,  but  only  one  is  living,  Wil- 
liam, who  is  a  machinist  in  Carbondale.  Fratern- 
ally Mr.  Thomas  has  been  a  member  of  Carbon- 
dale Lodge  No.  249,  F.  &  A.  M.,  since  1870,  and 
is  identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
Lackawanna  Tribe  of  Red  Men.  A  Republican 
in  politics,  he  has  served  as  delegate  to  county  and 
state  conventions,  has  frequently  been  a  member 
of  the  county  committee  and  was  its  chairman 
in  1895-96. 


EE.  SOUTHWORTH.  In  every  city  that 
has  attained  prominence  in  literature  and 
•  art,  there  have  always  been  a  few  lead- 
ing spirits  to  plant  the  standard  of  progress  and 
serve,  as  it  were,  as  watchers  on  the  walls,  so  that 
there  may  be  no  retrogression.  Such  a  one  is 
Ezra  E.  Southworth,  who,  in  point  of  years  of 
active  labor,  is  one  of  the  oldest  music  instructors 
both  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music  in  Scranton, 
and  at  this  writing  has  a  large  number  of  pupils, 
in  addition  to  having  a  choral  society  of  fifty 
voices  and  the  directorship  of  two  choirs.  He  is 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Lackawanna 
County  Institute  of  History  and  Science,  also 
charter  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Oral  School 
for  the  Deaf  and  is  identified  with  the  State  Music 
Teachers'  Association,  of  which  he  has  been 
president.  At  the  formation  of  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Music  Teachers  he  identified  himself 
with  the  organization  and  has  attended  most  of 
the  meetings  held  in  the  various  cities  of  the 
ITnitcd  States. 

Horn  in  Lawsville  Center,  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  the  subject  of  this  article  is  a  descendant 


of  one  of  three  Southworth  brothers,  who,  in 
the  early  Puritan  days,  came  from  England  to 
America  with  their  mother,  a  widow,  who  later 
became  the  wife  of  Governor  Bradford,  of  Massa- 
chusetts. His  grandfather,  Gideon  Southworth, 
lived  at  Deepriver,  Conn.,  whence  he  brought 
his  family  to  Pennsylvania  after  the  War  of  181 2, 
purchasing  a  farm  near  Montrose,  Susquehanna 
County,  and  remaining  there  until  death.  Arthur 
Southworth,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Deepriver,  Conn.,  in  1805,  and  came  with  his 
parents  into  this  state  at  nine  years  of  age. 
About  the  time  of  his  marriage  to  Maria  .Turner 
he  purchased  a  place  at  Lawsville  Center,  Pa., 
where  he  died  in  1881,  aged  seventy-six.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  came  to 
Pennsylvania  with  her  father,  Chauncey  Turner, 
who  became  an  early  settler  of  Susquehanna 
County.  Mrs.  Southworth  died  in  1896,  when 
eighty-six  years  of  age.  In  religion  she  was  a 
Presbyterian,  being  a  charter  member  of  the 
church  at  Lawsville  Center. 

Six  children  comprised  the  parental  family,  of 
whom  all  but  one  attained  years  of  maturity, 
Ezra  E.,  of  this  sketch,  being  the  second  young- 
est. One  son.  Turner,  enlisted  in  1861  in  the 
army  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  participated  in  the 
engagement  at  Fair  Oaks,  was  taken  ill  as  a 
result  of  exposure  and  died  soon  after;  he  held 
the  rank  of  sergeant.  Another  son,  Almon,  who 
was  a  member  of  a  New  York  State  Cavalry  regi- 
ment, served  under  Sheridan,  was  captured  by  the 
Confederates,  who  marched  him  under  guard  to- 
wards Libby  prison.  While  a  prisoner  he  was 
hit  on  the  head  with  a  saber,  the  mark  of  which 
he  bears  to  this  day.  Fortunately  the  second 
night  he  succeeded  in  escaping  from  his  captors 
and  made  his  way  back  to  the  regiment,  which 
he  reached  after  many  hardships;  he  now  resides 
at  the  old  family  residence. 

Our  subject  was  too  young  to  join  his  older 
brothers  in  the  service,  though  it  was  his  greatest 
ambition  to  become  a  soldier.  That  he  was  born 
with  strong  musical  tendencies  springs  from  the 
fact  that  his  ancestors  were  musical  people,  all 
Ijeing  singers  with  good  voices.  One  of  his 
uncles,  Benjamin  Southworth,  taught  singing 
schools   and    was   leader   of  the   church   choir. 


978 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Since  there  were  no  organs  in  those  days  lie  se- 
cured a  pitchfork  to  aid  in  getting  the  key.  Soon 
after  the  introduction  of  this  little  instrument  in 
the  church  together  with  a  flute,  which  was  played 
by  another  uncle,  Russell  Southworth,  a  dissen- 
sion arose  among  the  good  people  on  account  of 
these  "inventions  of  the  devil,"  as  they  were 
called,  which  terminated  only  when  they,  togeth- 
er with  their  father,  Gideon  Southworth,  were 
turned  out  of  the  church.  For  some  years  the 
worship  of  the  Lord  was  continued  without  the 
aid  of  any  instrument  whatever,  when  a  melodeon 
was  purchased  and  a  sister  of  our  subject  was 
called  upon  to  play. 

The  study  of  music  was  begun  by  Mr.  South- 
worth  at  an  early  age,  first  taking  up  the  violin 
while  attending  school  at  Providence  under  the 
instruction  of  a  Mr.  Biechner,  who  was  a  fine 
violinist.  The  following  winter  he  began  study- 
ing piano  with  Charles  Pabst,  who  laid  the  foun- 
dation for  what  proved  to  be  his  future  life  work. 
During  the  season  of  1871-72  he  continued  his 
studies  in  piano  playing  under  Dr.  William  Mason 
of  New  York,  one  of  the  first  teachers  of  this 
country.  It  was  during  this  time  and  prior  to 
1 871  that  he  began  teaching.  In  violin  playing 
he  had  attained  such  proficiency  that  he  became 
leader  of  the  orchestra  in  Kline's  opera  house  on 
Lackawanna  Avenue,  which  was  since  destroyed 
by  fire.  In  1875,  having  accumulated  a  sufficient 
amount  to  permit  further  study,  he  went  to 
Europe,  being  the  first  one  in  this  valley  to  go 
abroad  for  the  purpose  of  studying  music.  With 
his  letters  of  introduction,  he  visited  London, 
Bologne  and  Frankfort,  then  went  to  Stuttgart 
and  studied  for  two  years  under  Prof.  Dr.  Lebert 
and  Pruckner.  Next  he  spent  eighteen  months 
in  Berlin,  where  he  studied  with  Theo.  Kullack, 
one  of  the  most  renowned  teachers  of  the  age. 
Afterward  for  one  summer  he  studied  in  the  piano 
classes  of  the  great  Abba  Liszt  at  Weimer. 

With  the  knowledge  acquired  under  instruction 
from  the  most  famous  musicians  of  the  world,  Mr. 
.Southworth  returned  to  Scranton  and  has  since 
devoted  himself  to  his  ])rr)fession  in  this  city  and 
vicinity,  his  elegant  :ind  s|)acious  studio  being 
in  the  Powell  Building.  Since  1888  he  has  had 
charge  of  the  musical  department  in  Keystone 


Academy,  Factoryville,  where  he  spends  one  day 
of  each  week.  For  many  years  he  was  organist 
at  St.  Luke's  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 
He  has  also  held  similar  positions  in  other  lead- 
ing churches  of  the  city.  Upon  his  return  from 
Europe  he  gave  two  successful  concerts  in  the 
Academy,  being  assisted  by  professionals  from 
New  York.  He  was  the  first  to  discover  that 
Mrs.  Joseph  O'Brien,  one  of  our  leading  singers 
here,  possessed  a  magnificent  voice,  and  it  was 
in  a  large  measure  due  to  his  efforts  that  she 
gained  a  start  in  voice  culture.  He  does  not 
take  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  but  is  inter- 
ested in  securing  good  government  and  votes 
the  Republican  ticket. 


CHARLES  H.  SCHADT.  To  succeed  in 
business  of  any  kind  one  must  possess 
an  abundance  of  energy,  shrewd  discrimi- 
nation, sound  judgment  and  untiring  persever- 
ance— and  it  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  posses- 
sion of  these  requisites  that  Mr.  Schadt  owes  his 
success.  Not  only  is  he  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful young  men  of  Scranton,  but  one  of  the  most 
popular  as  well,  a  fact  which  is  proved  by  his 
election  in  1894,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  to 
the  office  of  treasurer  of  Lackawanna  County,  he 
being  the  only  Democrat  on  the  ticket  who  was 
elected. 

Born  at  No.  in  Wyoming  Avenue,  Scranton, 
April  6,  1867,  Mr.  Schadt  is  the  son  of  Charles 
H.  Schadt,  Sr.,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany, 
who  came  to  America  in  1855,  settled  in  Scran- 
ton and  embarked  in  the  hotel  and  ice  business. 
He  was  the  pioneer  of  the  ice  business  in  Scran- 
ton and  began  in  a  small  way,  but  soon  built  up 
a  large  business,  of  which  he  was  sole  proprietor 
and  in  which  he  continued  until  his  death,  De- 
cember 15,  1883,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven.  Politi- 
cally he  upheld  Democratic  principles  and  for 
two  years  he  held  the  position  of  city  treasurer. 
I'Vaternally  he  belonged  to  the  Masonic  Order 
and  in  religious  belief  was  a  Lutheran.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Schei- 
dell,  was  born  in  Jeflfersonville,  Sullivan  County, 
N.  v..  and  died  in  Scranton  July  27,  1886.  Her 
father,  Fred  Scheidcll,  a  native  of  Germany,  set- 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


979 


tied  in  Jeffersonville,  N.  Y.,  and  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Clark,  the  large  leather  manufacturer 
there,  until  his  death. 

Of  eight  children  comprising  the  parental  fam- 
ily, four  are  living:  Charles  H.,  John  A.,  deputy 
county  treasurer:  Henrietta  and  Fred  K.,  who 
reside  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  reared  in  Scranton  and  attended 
the  public  schools  here  until  eleven  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  to  assist  his  father  in  the  ice  busi- 
ness, remaining  in  that  connection  from  1878 
until  his  father's  death  in  1883.  Afterward  he 
carried  on  the  business  alone  for  seven  years  and 
then  sold  out  to  the  Consumers'  Ice  Company, 
becoming  an  incorporator  and  director  of  that 
concern,  which  has  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000, 
and  of  which  he  has  since  been  general  manager. 
The  company  carries  on  a  retail  and  wholesale 
business  and  is  by  far  the  largest  of  its  kind  in 
northeastern  Pennsylvania,  the  two  lakes,  Ariel 
and  Maplewood,  furnishing  forty  thousand  tons 
of  ice  per  annum. 

In  1894  Mr.  Schadt  added  a  coal  business  to 
his  other  enterprises  and  is  now  one  of  the  larg- 
est retailers  in  Scranton.  During  the  same  year 
he  and  his  brother,  John,  started  a  fire  and  life 
insurance  business,  with  office  in  the  Library 
Building  in  Wyoming  Avenue,  and  representing 
six  companies.  The  office  of  the  ice  company 
is  on  the  corner  of  Adams  Avenue  and  Ash 
Street.  Mr.  Schadt  also  owns  a  one-half  interest 
in  a  popular  summer  resort  known  as  Lake  Ariel, 
where  there  are  excellent  facilities  for  swimming, 
also  two  steamers  and  over  one  hundred  row 
boats.  The  lake  is  one  mile  long  and  one-half 
mile  wide,  and  is  bordered  by  large  picnic 
grounds,  to  which  valuable  improvements  are 
constantly  added.  During  the  summer  season 
from  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  people  visit 
the  lake  daily  and  it  is  without  doubt  the  most 
popular  resort  in  this  locality.  The  grounds 
comprise  about  eight  hundred  acres  altogether. 

Since  1891  Mr.  Schadt  has  owned  a  half  inter- 
est in  the  sand  bed  at  Maplewood,  where  the  firm 
of  Schroeder  &  Schadt  owns  one  hundred  acres 
and  fr(jm  which  sand  is  shipped  in  car  lots  to 
Scranton  and  other  cities.  Mr.  Schadt  is  a  direc- 
tor in  the  Dime  Deposit  and  Discount  Bank.    He 


was  married  in  Scranton  to  Miss  Flora  Tampa, 
who  was  born  in  Hyde  Park,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Catherine  and  Carl.  He  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  first  Democrat  ever  elected  in  the 
sixteenth  ward  to  the  common  council,  serving 
nine  months  in  that  capacity.  In  1894  he  was 
elected  county  treasurer  by  a  majority  of  twenty 
out  of  twenty-seven  thousand  votes,  and  took  the 
oath  of  office  January  i,  1895,  for  three  years. 
In  the  county  Democratic  committee  he  has  been 
an  active  worker  and  its  treasurer  three  times. 
He  served  as  delegate  to  two  state  conventions 
and  at  Allentown  in  1896  was  elected  one  of  the 
Pennsylvania  presidential  electors  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Schadt  is  connected  with  Schil- 
ler Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Elks,  Scranton  Lieder- 
kranz,  Scranton  Rowing  Association  and  Scran- 
ton Athletic  Club.  In  religious  belief  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Lutheran  Church.  For  fifteen 
years  or  more  he  has  been  foreman  of  the 
Phoenix  Hose  Chemical  Company  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  fire  council.  He  is  a  lover  of  standard 
bred  horses,  of  which  he  owns  a  number,  among 
them  "Alon  Rive,"  record  2:19.  He  has  gained 
his  position  in  business  circles  through  honest 
methods  and  untiring  energy,  and  well  deserves 
the  enviable  reputation  that  he  enjoys. 


ABRAHAM  BITTENBENDER  is  num- 
bered among  the  pioneer  merchants  of 
Scranton  and  has  given  his  loyal  support 
to  many  of  the  leading  industries  and  enterprises 
of  this  city.  He  has  purchased  considerable  real 
estate  from  time  to  time  and  has  been  very  for- 
tunate in  his  various  business  transactions.  His 
handsome  stone  front  residence  is  at  No.  322 
Franklin  Avenue. 

The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  left  his 
home  in  Germany  to  become  a  settler  in  the  New 
World,  and  afterwards  participated  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  Mon- 
roe County,  and  suffered  all  the  trials  of  pioneer 
life,  as  did  also  his  son  Christopher,  the  next  in 
the  line  of  descent.  The  latters  son,  Joseph, 
father  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write,  was 
born  in  Hamihon,   Monroe  County,  and  when 


98o 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


quite  young  commenced  paddling  his  own  canoe 
by  doing  farm  work  and  driving  cattle  from  this 
state  into  New  York.  In  the  fall  of  1854  he  re- 
moved to  Scranton,  having  previously  bought 
property  in  Franklin  Avenue.  He  soon  built 
the  Mansion  House,  now  the  site  of  the  large 
hardware  business  with  which  his  son  is  con- 
nected. For  a  number  of  years  he  rented  this 
place,  and  was  still  in  the  prime  of  life  when  death 
summoned  him  from  his  labors.  He  died  in 
July,  1862,  when  he  had  reached  his  forty-fifth 
year. 

Joseph  Bittenbender  married  Aima,  daughter 
of  Peter  Fredrick,  in  1836.  Her  great-grand- 
father Fredrick  emigrated  from  Germany,  be- 
coming one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Monroe 
County.  His  son  Peter  was  born  in  Northamp- 
ton County,  and  Mrs.  Bittenbender  was  a  native 
of  Hamilton,  Monroe  County.  She  was  one  of 
six  children  and  is  the  only  one  of  them  living. 
Fourteen  years  after  her  first  husband's  death 
she  married  Isaac  Sobers,  of  New  York  State, 
who  carried  on  a  farm  in  Grotan,  Tompkins 
County,  until  his  demise  in  1895.  Since  then  his 
widow  has  made  our  subject's  home  her  head- 
quarters. Should  she  survive  until  May,  1897, 
she  will  be  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  Her  son 
Israel  lives  in  Scranton,  as  do  also  the  daughters, 
Catherine  and  Marilla,  Mrs.  John  M.  Kemmerer. 

Born  near  Stroudsburg,  in  Hamilton  Town- 
.ship,  June  10,  183S,  Al)raham  Bittenbender  was 
reared  in  that  section  and  attended  the  public 
schools,  often  working  for  sixpence  a  day.  In 
1854  the  youth  entered  the  employ  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Coal  Company,  as  a  teamster 
and  carpenter.  The  war  breaking  out,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  for 
three  months  and  again  in  August,  1862,  he  went 
to  the  front,  this  time  with  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-second  Regiment  of  Infantry.  He  took 
jiart  in  the  battles  of  that  nine  months'  cam- 
])aign,  prominent  among  these  being  Chancel- 
l(jrsville,  Antietam  and  Fredericksburg.  At 
Chancellorsville  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  was 
sent  to  Richmond,  where  for  three  weeks  he  was 
confined  on  the  island,  and  then  exchanged.  Re- 
turning to  iiis  regiment,  he  recei\'c(l  an  JKinnrablc 
discharge  at  Harrisburg.     Later  he  entered  the 


construction  and  pontoon  corps,  acting  in  that 
capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

For  a  short  time  Mr.  Bittenbender  ran  a  gro- 
cery and  hardware  business  in  Shenandoah,  Pa., 
but  in  the  fall  of  1865  removed  to  Scranton,  and 
as  he  already  owned  the  old  ^Mansion  House,  he 
decided  to  convert  part  of  it  into  a  hardware 
store.  His  brother  Israel  became  his  partner 
and  remained  in  the  firm  until  1895,  and  John  M. 
Kemmerer  has  also  been  connected  with  the 
company  for  many  years.  In  1885-86  they  put 
up  a  large  brick  block,  40x167  feet,  three  stories 
and  basement  in  height,  and  afterward  added  40X 
80  feet  more,  this  being  three  stories  high.  This 
space  is  all  needed  in  the  business,  which 
comprises  light  and  heavy  hardware,  wagon 
materials  and  blacksmith's  supplies,  etc.  A 
branch  store  in  Spruce  Street  is  used  for 
a  bicycle  shop.  For  some  sixteen  years  Mr. 
Bittenbender  traveled  for  the  firm  in  this  state 
and  in  New  York,  and  in  those  days  drove  from 
place  to  place  a  great  deal  in  carriages.  He 
has  invested  money  in  the  Scranton  lace  works, 
the  fence  works  and  the  axle  factory.  Be- 
sides fostering  these  enterprises,  he  owns 
the  North  Park  Place  Addition,  some  seven 
acres,  and  lots  in  Mifflin  Avenue.  In  political 
matters  he  casts  his  ballot  with  the  Republican 
party.  One  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Penn 
Avenue  Baptist  Church,  he  is  now  serving  on 
the  board  of  trustees. 

December  15,  1863,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Bittenbender  and  Amanda  E.  Newhart,  who 
was  born  in  Alonroe  County,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  William  Newhart,  a  farmer.  They  have  had 
four  children:  William  E.,  who  has  charge  of  the 
bicycle  shop;  Minnie,  wife  of  Ira  H.  Brader, 
foreman  of  the  hardware  store;  Ida,  at  home; 
and  Joseph,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 


WILLIAM  HAGGERTY,  M.  D.,  who, 
in  point  of  years  of  professional  activ- 
ity, is  among  the  oldest  jjhysicians  of 
Scranton,  having  ])een  engaged  in  practice  in 
this  city  since  i\]arch  14,  1868,  was  born  in  Bally- 
lucna,  t'(innl\  .\ntrim,  Ireland,  .September  15, 
1842,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  (Doole) 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


981 


Haggerty,  natives  of  the  same  locality  as  him- 
self. His  father,  who  was  a  son  of  William  Hag- 
gerty,  also  a  native  of  Antrim,  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  a  farmer  in  the  land  of  his  birth  until 
about  1856,  when  he  brought  his  family  to  Ameri- 
ca and  settled  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  remained  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his 
death. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, but  only  three  of  the  number  attained  ma- 
ture years,  William  and  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Hart,  of  Scranton,  and  Mrs.  Pitt,  of  Iowa. 
The  Doctor  was  only  eight  years  of  age  when 
death  orphaned  him,  depriving  him  of  a  mother's 
love  and  care.  In  1856,  accompanying  his  father, 
he  took  passage  on  the  sailing  vessel  "Dread 
Not,"  and  after  a  voyage  of  five  weeks  landed  in 
New  York.  It  was  then  the  spring  of  the  year, 
and  during  the  summer  months  he  worked  on  a 
farm,  after  which  he  attended  the  district  school 
for  a  few  months.  He  continued,  alternating 
farm  work  with  study  in  the  common  schools, 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  entered  Corning 
Academy,  and  remained  there  until  completing 
the  course. 

The  study  of  medicine  our  subject  began  under 
Dr.  Josiah  B.  Graves,  one  of  the  most  eminent 
surgeons  in  the  vicinity  of  Corning  and  a  man  of 
superior  ability.  In  1865  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  spring 
of  1868  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Opening  an 
office  in  Scranton,  he  soon  was  in  possession  of 
a  large  practice,  especially  among  the  coal  work- 
ers and  steel  manufacturers  here.  He  has  been 
especially  successful  in  obstetrics  and  is  also 
skilled  in  surgery.  His  office  is  situated  at  No. 
336  Wyoming  Avenue.  Until  the  dissolution  of 
the  old  Luzerne  County  Medical  and  the  Scran- 
ton City  Medical  Societies,  he  was  prominently 
connected  with  these  organizations. 

The  first  marriage  of  Dr.  Haggerty  took  place 
in  Carbondale,  his  wife  being  Miss  Emma  Mof- 
fat of  that  city.  After  her  death  he  was  united 
with  Miss  Annie  Muldoon,  of  Scranton.  He  is 
a  member  of  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church,  and  the 
Catholic  Mutual  Benevolent  Association.  In 
former  years  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  served  as 


chairman  of  the  Lackawanna  County  committee 
and  as  delegate  to  county  and  state  conventions. 
However,  the  free  trade  principles  advocated  by 
the  party  were  not  in  accordance  with  his  views, 
and  about  1894  he  transferred  his  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party,  which  he  now  supports 
by  his  influence  and  ballot. 


CHARLES  W.  FULTON,  treasurer  of  the 
Hunt  &  Connell  Co.,  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Wallace,  Cumberland  County, 
Nova  Scotia,  June  30,  1863,  the  son  of  Silas  and 
Matilda  (Stevens)  Fulton,  also  natives  of  that 
Canadian  province.  The  family  of  which  he  is  a 
member  originated  in  Scotland,  but  his  great- 
grandfather, William  Fulton,  who  founded  the 
family  in  Nova  Scotia,  was  a  native  of  London- 
derry, Ireland.  The  grandfather,  William,  Jr., 
who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  served  as  an 
officer  in  the  Canadian  militia  during  the  War 
of  1812;  he  was  a  man,  not  alone  of  great  cour- 
age, but  of  remarkable  physical  endurance,  and 
though  he  lived  to  be  ninety-three  years  of  age, 
he  retained  to  the  last  a  considerable  portion  of 
his  bodily  strength.  One  of  his  sons,  Stephen, 
was  a  member  of  parliament  in  Canada  before  the 
confederation,  and  led  the  opposition  to  Sir 
Charles  Tupper,  though  the  two  afterward  be- 
came very  good  friends. 

Reared  in  Nova  Scotia,  Silas  Fulton  has  made 
it  his  lifelong  home  and  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
fluential and  prominent  citizens  of  Wallace.  At 
various  times  he  has  had  different  interests,  all 
of  them  important,  and  is  the  owner  of  quarries 
of  plaster  and  gypsum,  situated  in  the  locality 
where  he  lives.  His  wife,  Matilda  (Stevens)  Ful- 
ton, was  born  in  Nova  Scotia  and  died  there  in 
December,  1887.  Her  father,  Levi  Stevens,  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  traced  his  ancestry  to 
England,  and  during  the  Revolution,  in  spite  of 
the  prevailing  opinion  of  his  neighbors,  he  re- 
mained a  strong  loyalist,  taking  service  in  the 
English  army.  The  feeling  in  New  England  was 
so  bitter  against  Tories  that  he  removed  to  Nova 
Scotia,  and  spent  his  remaining  years  there.  He 
was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  built  a  number  of 
flour  and  lumber  mills,  also  several  ships. 


982 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  family  of  Silas  Fulton  consists  of  six  chil- 
dren, namely:  Mary  E.,  Mrs.  Clifford  C. 
Thompson,  of  Oxford,  Nova  Scotia;  Letitia, 
Mrs.  George  I.  Thonipson,  of  Oxford;  Richard 
T.,  a  real  estate  dealer  in  Colorado;  William  G., 
M.  D.,  who  came  to  Scranton  in  1888,  and  is 
surgeon-major  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  N. 
G.  P.,  police  surgeon  of  Scranton,  president  of 
the  Scranton  Physicians'  Club,  and  visiting  phy- 
sician to  the  Lackawanna  Hospital  and  the  Penn- 
sylvania Oral  School;  Charles  Wesley;  and  Z. 
M.  K.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, with  highest  honors  in  competitive  ex- 
amination for  appointment  as  physician  to  St. 
Mary's  Hospital,  later  physician  to  the  Episco- 
palian Hospital,  and  since  1896  visiting  physi- 
cian to  St.  Christopher's  Hospital  for  Children, 
Philadelphia,  where  he  is  a  prominent  profes- 
sional man. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  our  subject  began  to 
work  in  a  store  at  Oxford,  Nova  Scotia,  and  for 
three  years  was  interested  in  telegraphy  and  mer- 
chandising. Afterward  he  went  to  Country 
Harbor  to  teach  telegraphy  on  a  new  line  on 
the  southern  coast,  now  owned  by  the  Western 
Union  Company.  Three  months  were  spent  in 
instructing  the  party  who  afterward  took  the  po- 
sition of  operator.  He  then  went  to  Antigon- 
ish.  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  secured  employment 
as  salesman  in  the  general  store  of  L.  C.  Archi- 
bald &  Co.  Three  years  later  he  joined  his 
brother,  Richard  T.,  who  had  preceded  him  to 
Hazleton,  Pa.,  and  about  the  same  time  (1882) 
first  saw  Scranton,  visiting  his  cousin.  Rev.  S.  C. 
Fulton,  the  pastor  of  a  Methodist  Church  here. 
Instead  of  resuming  mercantile  work,  he  accept- 
ed a  position  as  station  agent  on  the  Boston  and 
Maine  Railway  at  Maiden,  Mass.,  and  while 
there,  in  1884,  he  was  appointed  postmaster, 
holding  the  position  for  two  years.  His  appoint- 
ment was  made  by  President  Cleveland,  though 
he  himself  held  pronounced  Republican  views. 
While  there  his  former  employer,  L.  C.  Archi- 
bald, ofTered  to  double  his  former  salary  and 
give  him  a  one-fourth  interest  in  the  business  if 
he  would  return,  which  he  did,  and  managed  the 
business  very  successfully  for  five  years. 

Selling  out  in  1890,  Mr.  Fulton  went  to  Colo 


rado  and  with  his  brother,  Richard  T.,  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  and  investment  business,  with 
office  in  Denver,  Puclilo  and  Boulder,  and  he 
still  retains  an  interest  in  the  firm  of  Fulton 
I'rothers,  of  which  his  brother  is  manager.  April 
4,  1894,  he  married  Miss  Annie  A.,  youngest 
daughter  3f  Hon.  W^illiam  Connell,  M.  C,  their 
wedding  being  the  first  solcnmized  in  the  new 
Elm  Park  Methodist  Church.  Returning  to 
Colorado  with  his  wife,  he  remained  there  until 
December  of  the  same  year,  and  then  returned  to 
Scranton.  He  became  connected  with  the  Hunt 
&  Connell  Co.,  of  which  he  has  been  treasurer 
since  January,  1896.  The  firm  deals  in  heavy 
hardware,  both  wholesale  and  retail,  and  also  has 
a  complete  stock  of  pluinbing  and  heating  ap- 
paratus. While  in  Colorado  he  was  identified 
with  the  Odd'  Fellows  at  Boulder  and  was  past 
officer  of  the  encampment  there.  Politically  he 
affiliates  with  the  Republicans.  He  and  his  wife 
are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Russell  Connell.  In 
religious  connections  they  are  identified  with 
the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


OB.  SCHREIFER,  president  of  the 
board  of  school  control  in  Scranton, 
•  has  risen  step  by  step  in  the  employ 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany since  he  first  became  connected  with  this 
corporation,  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 
The  qualities  which  command  success  at  the 
hands  of  the  goddess  Fortune  we  find  are  the 
same  the  world  over,  strict  attention  to  business, 
the  neglect  of  no  detail,  however  small,  punc- 
tuality, perseverance  and  industry.  The  man 
who  wishes  to  rise  to  a  place  where  he  will  be 
esteemed  and  honored  nuist  not  scorn  these  hard 
yet  sterling  virtues,  and  in  the  history  of  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
record  we  can  clearly  see  that  he  did  not  "de- 
spise the  day  of  small  things.'' 

Christoplrer  Schreifer,  father  of  the  above,  was 
born  in  Germany,  but,  having  faith  in  what  he 
believed  the  New  World  held  out  to  him  in  the 
way  of  better  opportunities  for  making  a  home 
and  fortune,  he  determined  to  come  to  America. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


983 


He  was  unmarried  at  the  time,  but  subsequently 
in  New  York  City  wedded  Augusta  Lange,  who 
now  survives  her  husband.  They  began  house- 
keeping in  Honesdale,  Pa.,  where  they  remained 
until  1867.  Tliey  then  came  to  Scranton,  Mr. 
Schreifer  being  employed  by  a  wholesale  grocery 
firm.  After  some  time  had  elapsed  he  embarked 
in  business  for  himself,  as  a  member  of  the  whole- 
sale commission  firm  of  Kemmerer  &  Schreifer, 
their  location  being  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 
He  died  in  1878,  when  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
His  widow  is  still  living,  and  a  resident  of  this 
city,  her  home  being  on  Madison  Avenue. 

O.  B.  Schreifer  was  born  in  Honesdale,  Octo- 
ber II,  1855,  and  was  next  to  the  eldest  in  a  fam- 
ily of  six  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased. 
He  was  fortunate  in  being  given  the  chance  of 
obtaining  a  good  education,  and  was  not  slow  to 
avail  himself  of  it.  After  leaving  the  common 
school  he  was  admitted  to  the  old  high  school, 
where  the  fine  new  high  school  now  stands  in  its 
place.  He  has  lived  in  Scranton  since  1867  and 
has  taken  great  interest  in  everything  pertaining 
to  its  development.  In  1870  he  entered  the  rail- 
road employ  as  junior  clerk  in  the  way  bill  office, 
from  that  worked  his  way  up,  until  he  was  ap- 
pointed chief  clerk  in  1880,  and  this  position  he 
has  since  held  most  creditably. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Cornelia 
Langstafif  took  place  at  the  home  of  the  lady's 
father,  Daniel  Langstafif,  in  Scranton,  in  1875. 
Mrs.  Schreifer  was  born  in  Scranton  and  here 
grew  to  womanhood.  To  Mr.  and.  Mrs.  Schrei- 
fer were  born  one  daughter,  Cornelia,  and  a  son, 
deceased.  The  family  residence  is  at  No.  412 
Miffiin  Avenue. 

In  political  afTairs  Mr.  Schreifer  takes  great 
interest,  and,  as  is  well  known,  is  active  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  fre- 
quently served  on  city  and  county  committees, 
and  in  1887  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
board  of  school  control.  In  1891  he  was  regu- 
larly nominated  to  a  similar  office  from  the  six- 
teenth ward  and  was  elected.  He  entered  upon 
his  duties  March  i,  and  served  until  March,  1894, 
when  he  was  re-elected  for  four  years  more,  and 
in  November,  1896,  he  was  promoted  to  be  the 
president  of  the  board,  to  succeed  George  Mitch- 


ell, resigned.  For  two  years  he  was  chairman 
of  the  supply  committee,  and  at  other  times  he 
acted  on  the  teachers',  building  and  text  book 
committees  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
on  insurance.  When  the  question  of  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  high  school  came  before  the  board 
he  took  great  interest  in  the  matter  and  later  be- 
came one  of  the  building  committee.  To  the 
good  management  of  the  members  of  this  com- 
mittee we  owe  our  fine  and  commodious  new 
school  for  advanced  pupils.  In  short,  whatever 
Mr.  Schreifer  has  been  able  to  do  to  promote  the 
cause  of  education  here  he  has  done  with  all  his 
might,  for  he  realizes  that  in  the  proper  solving 
of  the  problem  lies  the  cure  for  many  evils  aris- 
ing from  ignorance  and  superstition,  evils  which 
sometimes  seem  to  threaten  the  very  foundations 
of  our  republic. 


M' 


ORRIS  D.  BROWN,  vice-president  of 
the  Green  Ridge  Lumber  Company  and 
one  of  the  active  business  men  of  Scran- 
ton, was  born  in  the  town  of  Pharsalia,  Chenan- 
go County,  N.  Y.,  in  1839,  being  the  son  of  Wil- 
liam S.  and  Catherine  (Weaver)  Brown,  also  na- 
tives of  that  county.  His  father,  who  was  born 
in  1812,  was  reared  amid  pioneer  influences  and 
adopted  for  his  life  work  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer,  though  in  addition  he  for  some  years  was 
proprietor  of  a  store  located  at  country  cross- 
roads in  Pharsalia.  He  died  at  sixty-seven  years 
of  age,  and  is  survived  by  his  widow,  who  makes 
her  home  in  Scranton.  Of  their  five  children, 
Ann  Eliza  died  in  this  city,  where  now  reside  the 
three  surviving  children,  Morris  D.,  George  D. 
and  Harriet.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  a  descendant  of  English  ancestry,  re- 
moved from  Stonington,  Conn.,  to  Chenango 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  a  pioneer  farmer. 
During  the  Revolution  he  served  in  the  navy 
and  later  was  captain  of  the  state  militia.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Davis  Weaver,  was  also  a 
native  of  Connecticut  and  an  early  settler  of  Che- 
nango County. 

The  education  of  our  subject  was  obtained  in 
the  district  schools  and  Cincinnatus  Academy, 
Cortland  County,   N.  Y.     From  early  boyhood 


984 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  assisted  liis  father  in  the  store  and  npon  at- 
taining his  majority  took  entire  charge  of  the 
business,  contiiuiing  it  under  the  name  of  M.  D. 
Brown.  Afterward  his  brother  was  taken  into 
partnership,  the  firm  name  becoming  Brown 
Brothers.  While  engaged  in  merchandising,  he 
was  also  postmaster  at  Pharsalia  for  more  than 
twelve  years.  In  1877  he  went  to  Norwich,  N. 
Y.,  and  with  his  brother  embarked  in  the  manu- 
facture and  sale  of  lumber,  continuing  there  for 
some  years.  The  spring  of  1884  found  him  in 
Scranton  and  soon  afterward  he  began  the  lum- 
ber business,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  The 
Green  Ridge  Lumber  Company,  of  which  he  is 
vice-president,  is  engaged  in  the  sale  of  lumber 
and  also  takes  contracts  for  residences  and  pub- 
lic buildings.  In  i8go,  as  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  M.  D.  Brown  &  Co.,  he  started  a  lumber 
and  contracting  business  in  Olyphant,  and  car- 
ried it  on  until  the  fall  of  1896,  when  he  sold  his 
interest. 

At  No.  1620  Sanderson  Avenue  Mr.  Brown 
built  the  comfortable  residence  where  he  makes 
his  home.  He  was  married,  while  in  New  York, 
to  jMiss  Minerva  E.,  daughter  of  J.  B.  Packer, 
both  natives  of  Chenango  County.  While  Mr. 
Brown  has  never  actively  identified  himself  with 
politics,  he  is  interested  in  public  questions  and 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  served  for  one 
term  as  a  member  of  the  select  council,  to  which 
he  was  elected  from  the  thirteenth  ward.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  identified  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  fraternally  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  lodge  at  Norwich  and  the  Green 
Ridge  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  contrib- 
uted to  the  upbuilding  and  advancement  of  the 
north  end  of  Scranton  and  many  of  its  improve- 
ments are  traceable  to  his  energy  and  persever- 
ance. 


FERDINAND  VON  STORCH  was  born 
December  4,  1810,  in  Providence  Town- 
ship, Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  near  what  is 
now  Providence  Square,  Scranton.  His  birth- 
place was  the  log  house  occupied  for  some  years 
by  his  father,  Henry  Ludwig  Christopher  von 
Storch,  which  was  later  replaced  by  a  more  im- 


posing frame  structure  across  the  way.  His 
father's  death  left  P'erdinand  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  with  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  the 
widow  and  six  younger  children  and  tilling  the 
broad  acres  of  the  homestead,  thus  rendering  ef- 
ficient aid  for  a  number  of  years. 

January  17,  1833,  the  house  was  gladdened  by 
a  young  bride,  Ferdinand  having  chosen  Caro- 
line, daughter  of  Sidney  and  Jane  (La  France) 
Slocuni  to  rule  his  domestic  affairs  on  the  home- 
stead, which  in  the  settlement  of  his  father's  es- 
tate, with  one  hundred  acres  of  excellent  land, 
came  into  his  possession.  Miss  Slocum  was  born 
in  Providence,  April  29,  1814,  being  thus  about 
four  years  his  junior. 

As  the  years  passed  the  fond  heart  of  Grandma 
von  Storch,  who  had  removed  meantime  to  an- 
other house,  was  gladdened  by  the  prattle  of 
nine  boys  and  three  girls,  the  fruit  of  this  most 
happy  union,  whom  we  name  in  order  of  birth: 
Henry,  Ellen  V.,  Corrington  S.,  Leander,  George, 
Henry  Ferdinand,  Alexander  J.,  Robert,  Cas- 
sius  M.,  Caroline  Taue,  Frederick,  and  Hannah 
M. 

The  von  Storch  family  have  always  been  a 
hardy  race  and  for  many  years  death  was  almost 
unknown amcjng them, these  children  all  reaching 
maturity  except  the  first,  Henry,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. However,  February  21,  1855,  death  en- 
tered Ferdinand's  home  and  removed  the  partner 
of  his  joys  and  sorrows,  and  seven  years  later  the 
good  old  grandmother  was  taken  at  the  ripe  age 
of  seventy-nine  years  and  six  months. 

The  early  settlers  found  the  hillsides  clothed 
with  virgin  forests  of  pine  and  oak,  consequently 
Ferdinand  and  his  stalwart  sons  had  spent  many 
a  weary  day  clearing  up  his  farm,  which  was  so 
soon  to  develop  far  greater  wealth  from  the  once 
despised  "black  rock,"  so  plentifully  stored  in 
rich  seams  beneath  the  surface. 

In  1855  the  von  Storch  Coal  Company,  of 
which  he  was  the  chief  promoter,  was  organized 
and  after  having  successfully  founded  this  cor- 
poration and  leased  his  coal  at  an  advantageous 
figure  for  those  times,  his  health  having  become 
seriously  impaired,  he  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. His  death  occurred  November  21,  1868, 
and  his  remains  were  finally  laid  at  rest  in  the 


w 


1  I 


T^rr 


Uh' 


GARRETT  SMITH. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


987 


von  Storch  family  burying  ground,  located  on 
North  Main  Avenue,  Providence,  Scranton. 

This  sketch  would  not  be  complete  should  we 
fail  to  mention  his  open-hearted  liberality  to  the 
poor  and  needy.  None  could  be  more  free  in 
helping  the  unfortunate.  More  than  one  minis- 
ter of  the  gospel  has  been  heard  to  express  his 
appreciation  of  the  many  kind  offices  and  liberal- 
ity of  Ferdinand  von  Storch  in  assisting  him  per- 
sonally. In  fact,  until  the  final  accounting  is 
made,  none  can  tell  the  number  of  his  good 
deeds.    "Requiescat  in  pace." 


GARRETT  SMITH,  foreman  of  the  mill 
of  the  Lackawanna  Store  Association 
and  a  resident  of  Scranton  since  1849, 
was  born  near  Belvidere,  Warren  County  N.  J., 
September  17,  1831.  The  family  of  which  he  is 
a  member  originated  in  England.  His  grand- 
father, Peter  Smith,  was  born  in  New  Jersey 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Warren  County,  near 
Oxford  Furnace,  where  he  owned  two  hundred 
and  six  acres  of  well-cultivated  land.  On  his 
death  the  property  fell  to  one  of  his  sons,  and 
when  the  latter  died  our  subject  bought  the  land 
from  the  heirs,  and  still  has  it  in  his  possession, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  lots  that  have  been 
platted  in  the  village  of  Oxford  Furnace.  Peter 
Smith  died  at  Belvidere  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Jacob  Smith,  was 
born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  and  engaged  in 
farming  near  Belvidere  for  a  time,  thence  re- 
moved to  the  vicinity  of  Oxford  Furnace.  In 
1855  he  went  to  Michigan  and  bought  a  farm 
near  Pontiac,  Oakland  County,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  death  at  seventy-five  years.  He 
married  Caroline  Axford,  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey and  a  daughter  of  John  Axford,  a  farmer, 
who  removed  from  that  state  to  Oakland  Coun- 
ty, Mich.,  in  1829,  when  southern  Michigan  was 
a  vast  wilderness.  He  purchased  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  in  the  oak  openings  and  erected 
a  log  house  near  the  center  of  the  section.  Soon 
he  gained  many  friends  among  the  other  pio- 
neers of  the  county  and  was  regarded  as  an  effi- 
cient farmer  and  a  man  of  keen  business  fore- 
sight. His  father,  a  descendant  of  English  an- 
42 


cestors,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  a 
farmer  in  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Caroline  Smith  was 
born  in  1810  and  died  in  1848.  Seven  of  her 
children  attained  maturity  and  four  sons  and 
two  daughters  are  still  living,  three  in  Michigan 
(John  A.  in  Oakland  County,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing); Samuel  T.,  at  Rockaway,  N.  J.,  and 
P.  J.  in  Rochelle  Park,  N.  J.  Samuel  T.  and  P. 
J.  were  soldiers  in  the  Union  army,  the  former 
in  a  New  Jersey  regiment  and  the  latter  a  lieu- 
tenant of  a  Pennsylvania  company.  The  two 
daughters,  Miss  Eliza  Smith  and  Mrs.  Caroline 
Cole,  live  in  Michigan. 

The  oldest  of  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family  and  the  only  one  of  them  in  Scranton  is 
Garrett.  In  boyhood  he  learned  the  miller's 
trade.  In  1849  he  came  to  Scranton  with  Mr. 
Landis,  making  the  journey  by  wagon  and  team. 
This  now  prosperous  city  was  then  in  its  embryo, 
with  a  very  few  houses  and  these  small  and  un- 
desirable. He  well  remembers  hunting  rabbits 
where  the  court  house  now  stands.  The  im- 
provements that  have  since  been  made  were  un- 
dreamed of  by  the  few  residents  of  those  days, 
and  had  any  one  prophesied  that  Scranton  would 
now  be  a  city  of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabi- 
tants he  would  have  been  laughed  at  as  an  idle 
visionary.  From  spring  until  fall  he  worked  on 
a  farm  where  now  stand  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  depot  and  shops.  He  then 
took  a  position  in  the  old  Slocum  mill,  run  by  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company.  After  one 
year,  this  mill  being  built,  he  took  charge  of  it 
and  has  since,  been  its  foreman,  a  period  of 
forty-seven  years.  The  mill  was  built  by  Thomas 
P.  Harper  and  for  thirty  years  was  run  by  water 
power,  but  finally  steam  power  was  introduced 
from  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company's 
rolling  mill.  The  shafting  and  machinery  remain 
about  the  same  as  when  the  mill  was  built  and 
are  still  in  excellent  operative  condition.  For 
a  number  of  years  the  mill  ground  all  the  flour 
sold  by  the  company,  but  by  the  present  process 
rye,  buckwheat  and  feed  are  manufactured. 
The  fact  that  the  mill  has  been  in  constant  use 
since  1850  shows  the  substantial  manner  in 
which  it  was  built  and  the  durability  of  its  ma- 
chinery. 


988 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Smith  resides  on  one  of  the  old  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  farms  near  Bellevue 
Heights,  where  he  superintends  the  two  hundred 
acres  comprising  the  place.  In  the  house  where 
he  now  resides  he  married  Miss  Mary  H.  Landis, 
daughter  of  John  Landis,  in  whose  company  Mr. 
Smith  came  from  New  Jersey  to  Scranton  in 
1849,  and  who  farmed  the  land  upon  which  Gar- 
rett Smith  worked.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  N.  J.,  and  died  in  Scranton  Oc- 
tober 9,  1 891,  leaving  three  children:  S.  I.,  a 
farmer  of  Lackawanna  Township;  Lizzie  B.,  wife 
of  Frank  H.  Freeman,  of  the  Freeman  Pant  and 
Overall  Company,  Scranton,  and  Marvin  C,  who 
is  in  charge  of  the  rail  shipping  department  of  the 
south  steel  mill  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company.  Though  rocked  in  the  cradle  of 
Democracy,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Washburn  Street  Presby- 
terian Church. 


REV.  THOMAS  M.  CANN,  A.  M.,  LL.D. 
Side  by  side  in  their  responsibility  for  the 
proper  training  of  the  young  stand  the 
home  and  the  school.  The  fact  being  univers- 
ally acknowledged  that  the  moral  and  intellect- 
ual status  of  men  depends  upon  the  influences 
thrown  around  them  in  youth,  it  is  therefore  of 
prime  importance  that  the  instructors  of  our  land 
be  men  and  women  of  large  hearts  and  grand 
characters,  as  well  as  of  mental  culture  and  intel- 
lectual development.  It  is  saying  no  little  to  the 
credit  of  Dr.  Cann  to  assert  that  he  is  in  every 
way  worthy  of  the  high  vocation  he  has  chosen. 
As  founder  and  president  of  The  School  of  the 
Lackawanna,  he  is  well  known  in  educational 
circles  and  by  the  general  public.  This  institu- 
tion, now  a  quarter  of  a  century  old,  is  the  lead- 
ing preparatory  school  of  northeastern  Pennsyl- 
vania and  numbers  nearly  one-fourth  of  its  pu- 
pils from  out  of  the  city  of  Scranton.  The  in- 
fluence it  has  wielded  and  its  steady  growth  are 
due  largely  to  the  tact  with  which  Dr.  Cann  has 
always  selected  his  assistants  and  to  the  prestige 
of  his  honorable  name. 

The  first  of  the  Cann  family  to  settle  in  Ameri- 
ca came  from  Bristol,  England,  and  in  1684  set- 


tled on  White  Clay  Creek,  Newcastle  County, 
Del.,  where  he  had  a  land  patent  from  William 
Penn,  with  deeds  executed  by  John  Penn  and 
a  Mr.  Claypole.  This  property  still  remains  in 
possession  of  his  descendants.  In  1685  he  was 
made  justice  of  the  peace  and  served  with  Wil- 
liam Geist  in  Philadelphia.  He  had  two  sons, 
John  and  William.  The  latter  had  a  son,  John, 
who  was  the  founder  of  the  Cann  family  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Indiana.  The  former,  who  was  a 
prominent  merchant  and  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Philadelphia,  had  three  sons,  of  whom  Robert, 
the  direct  ancestor  of  Dr.  Cann,  was  a  merchant 
in  Newcastle  County,  Del.,  and  served  during 
the  Revolution  in  what  was  called  the  Bucktail 
brigade.  Of  his  sons,  William,  Dr.  Cann's 
grandfather,  was  born  in  1775  and  died  in  1834. 

During  the  War  of  1812  William  Cann,  our 
subject's  father,  served  in  the  cavalry  as  an  offi- 
cer, and  afterward  engaged  in  farming  and  mer- 
chandising in  Delaware  until  his  death,  when 
fifty-six  years  of  age.  His  wife  was  Mary  McMul- 
len,  a  lady  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Their  young- 
est son,  Thomas  McMullen,was  born  in  Glasgow, 
Del.,  in  1819,  and  received  excellent  educational 
advantages,  graduating,  in  1842,  from  Delaware 
College,  as  valedictorian  of  his  class.  The  de- 
gree of  A.  B.  was  then  conferred  upon  him,  and 
three  years  later  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  and  in  June, 
1896,  his  alma  mater  tendered  him  the  degree  of 
LL.D.,  the  first  degree  of  the  kind  given  in  the 
history  of  the  college,  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact 
that  at  the  time  he  was  the  oldest  living  valedic- 
torian. 

In  Lexington,  Miss.,  January  9,  1846,  Dr. 
Cann  married  Miss  Sarah  S.  Goodnow,  of  Fram- 
ingham,  Mass.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Josiah 
and  Mary  (Sanger)  Goodnow,  and  connected 
with  families  of  colonial  note,  and  was  born  at 
Petersham,  Mass.,  in  1821.  They  have  five  living 
children:  Judge  George  Wade  Cann,  a  prominent 
attorney  and  manufacturer,  of  Brooklyn;  Mrs. 
Mary  S.  Plumley,  wife  of  Rev.  W.  E.  Plumley, 
A.  M.,  of  Scranton;  Mrs.  Alberta  S.  McSherry, 
wife  of  Gen.  E.  C.  McSherry,  of  Maryland;  Mrs. 
Louise  H.  Buell,  wife  of  Dr.  Cann's  associate  in 
the  school;  and  Marion  Stuart  Cann,  an  attor- 
ney, teacher  and  writer,  of  Scranton. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


989 


Entering  into  the  Presbyterian  ministry  in 
1846,  Dr.  Cann  lias  devoted  his  life  to  educa- 
tional and  ministerial  work.  In  1857  he  was  one 
of  the  founders  and  the  first  treasurer  of  the  Na- 
tional Teachers'  Association,  at  Philadelphia,  and 
has  always  been  interested  in  this  and  similar  or- 
ganizations. He  taught  at  Easton,  Pa.,  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  and  was  president  of  the  Freder- 
ick Female  Seminary,  from  which  institution  he 
resigned  to  found  The  School  of  the  Lackawan- 
na, the  success  of  which  has  so  fully  repaid  his 
energies.  On  coming  to  Scranton,  in  1873,  he 
became  specially  interested  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  was  for  many  years  a 
prominent  worker  for  its  success.  For  several 
years  he  worked  each  Sunday  in  the  Cedar  Street 
Mission,  and  his  ministrations  held  together  the 
worshipers  who  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  pres- 
ent well-organized  and  thriving  Sunday-school 
branch  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is 
pre-eminently  a  man  with  the  courage  of  his  con- 
victions, but,  though  firm  in  his  own  opinions, 
he  has  always  been  tolerant  of  the  views  of  oth- 
ers, and  concedes  to  them  the  same  liberty  of 
thought  which  he  demands  for  himself.  For 
that  reason  his  school  has  always  been  non-sec- 
tarian, but  eminently  Christian  in  the  broadest 
and  most  catholic  sense,  and  those  of  every  creed 
and  faith  have  been  among  its  patrons  and  en- 
dorsers. 


HENRY  SMITH,  foreman  of  the  passen- 
ger car  department  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  and  a 
resident  of  Scranton  throughout  the  principal 
part  of  his  life,  was  born  in  Wedzlar,  Prussia, 
April  22,  1849.  His  father,  J.  George  Smith, 
was  born  in  Prussia,  the  son  of  a  farmer,  and  in 
his  native  land  learned  the  horse-shoer's  trade, 
which  he  followed  there.  Having  been  encour- 
aged to  come  to  America  by  his  brother,  Philip, 
who  had  preceded  him  to  this  country,  in  1865, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  seven  children,  he 
took  passage  on  a  steamer  that  landed  them  in 
New  York.  Thence  he  at  once  proceeded  to 
Scranton  and  began  work  at  his  trade,  but  sub- 
sequently   he    became   disabled   by    rheumatism 


and  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  chosen  occupa- 
tion. He  was  then  given  employment  by  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company  as 
car  oiler,  and  continued  to  do  that  work  until  he 
retired  from  active  labors.  He  still  resides  in 
Scranton  and  is  about  eighty-two  years  of  age. 
In  religious  belief  a  Lutheran,  he  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  Petersburg  Lutheran  Church 
and  was  one  of  its  charter  members.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  E.  Henrich, 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  died  in  Scranton  at 
the  age  of  forty-nine.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  daughters  and  three  sons,  namely:  Henry; 
Lizzie,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  Texas;  Min- 
nie, who  died  in  Omaha,  Neb.;  Philip,  of  Scran- 
ton; Mrs.  Susie  Butler,  of  this  city;  Christian, 
who  died  in  Texas;  Leonora,  who  died  in  Ger- 
many in  infancy;  and  Mrs.  Lena  Youngblood, 
of  Scranton. 

Reared  in  Germany,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he  at- 
tended a  private  school  to  prepare  for  college. 
His  father's  resolution  to  come  to  America 
caused  a  change  in  his  plans.  He  accompanied 
the  family  to  Scranton  and  at  once  began  to  learn 
the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for 
nine  months.  In  February,  1866,  he  took  a  po- 
sition in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
car  shops,  where  he  continued  under  different 
foremen.  In  June,  1883,  he  was  made  foreman 
of  the  passenger  car  department,  a  very  responsi- 
ble position,  which  he  has  since  filled  with  the 
greatest  ef^ciency.  At  times  he  has  been  in- 
spector of  cars  in.  various  places.  The  depart- 
ment with  which  he  is  connected  is  a  most  in- 
teresting one,  for  new  coaches  are  built  here,  and 
as  a  proof  of  his  able  service  it  may  be  stated 
that  the  new  mail  cars,  after  inspection,  were  said 
to  be  the  best  of  the  kind  in  the  country. 

Aside  from  his  business  connections,  Mr. 
Smith  has  other  interests.  He  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  new  Schiller  Building  & 
Loan  Association.  He  especially  co-operates  in 
plans  for  the  benefit  of  Dunmore,  where  he 
makes  his  home  on  William  Street  and  Clay 
Avenue.  In  Residenz  Lodge  No.  513,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  he  has  officiated  as 


990 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


secretary.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lackawanna 
Beneficial  Society  and  of  Petersburg  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church.  While  he  has  not  cared  to 
identify  himself  with  politics,  he  has  firm  convic- 
tions on  the  subject  and  is  ardently  in  favor  of 
Republican  principles.  In  this  city  he  married 
Miss  Annie  Wellner,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Julius  Wellner,  a 
hotel  man  and  painter.  Six  children  were  born 
to  their  union,  namely:  Mrs.  Annie  Robertson, 
of  Scranton;  Henry,  a  pattern  maker  with  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company; 
Julius,  deceased;    Minnie,  Laura  and  Robert. 


GARRETT  BOGART  has  had  a  longer 
experience  in  railroading  than  falls  to 
the  lot  of  many  and  rose  to  his  responsi- 
ble position  entirely  by  his  own  merits  and  thor- 
oughness in  every  detail.  He  is  now  superin- 
tendent of  the  Northern  and  Southern  and 
Bloomsburg  divisions  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company,  and  holds  a  similar 
place  with  the  Lackawanna  &  Montrose  Rail- 
road.    His  headquarters  are  in  Scranton. 

On  both  sides  of  the  family  Mr.  Bogart  is  of 
Holland  ancestry.  His  great-grandfather,  C.  G. 
Bogart,  was  born  at  Nyack  on  the  Hudson  and 
was  a  farmer.  He  lived  to  the  extreme  old  age 
of  one  hundred  and  one  years,  and  his  wife  lived 
to  eclipse  this  record  by  a  year.  He  participated 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  son,  our 
subject's  grandfather,  was  not  less  patriotic,  for 
he  took  part  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  latter, 
Garrett  C,  was  also  born  on  the  old  homestead 
near  Nyack,  was  an  agriculturist,  and  reached 
the  ripe  age  of  ninety-two  years.  He  married  a 
Blauvelt,  also  of  Holland  descent. 

Cornelius  Bogart,  a  native  of  Nyack,  as  were 
his  forefathers,  was,  unlike  them,  in  his  early 
manhood  a  carpenter  and  builder  at  various 
places  along  the  Hudson  and  for  seven  years  in 
New  York  City.  He  owned  a  farm  about  three 
miles  from  Nyack,  at  a  place  called  Blauvelt.  He 
was  foreman  in  the  Erie  car  shops  at  Pierpoint, 
until  they  were  removed  to  Jersey  City.  Retir- 
ing then  from  active  life  he  went  to  live  with  his 
son,  John,  in  Scranton,  but  shortly  before  his 


death  he  returned  to  Blauvelt,  where  he  died  in 
1 89 1,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  His  wife,  Cath- 
erine, was  also  of  Dutch  extraction,  but  a  native 
of  Rockland  County,  N.  Y.  Her  parents,  James 
and  Annie  (Staeg)  Remsen,  were  born  in  the 
same  county.  The  father  was  a  veteran  of  the 
War  of  1812  and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-five 
years.  Mrs.  Catherine  Bogart  departed  this  life 
at  the  age  of  si.xty-two. 

Of  a  family  numbering  nine  children  only  three 
survive,  Garrett,  James,  on  the  old  homestead, 
and  John,  whose  sketch  appears  on  another  page 
of  this  work.  Frank  was  an  operator  on  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad, 
then  a  dispatcher  and  conductor  on  the  same 
road.  Afterward  he  returned  to  the  old  farm 
and  died  there.  Garrett  Bogart  was  born  in 
June,  1837,  and  passed  his  early  years  happily  on 
the  ancestral  farm.  From  1844  to  1851  he  lived 
in  New  York  City,  on  Eighth  Avenue,  between 
Twenty-first  andTwenty-second  Streets, this  then 
being  considered  well  out  of  town.  Receiving 
a  good  education,  he  then  became  a  clerk  in  a 
store  in  Piermont,  and  in  1857  came  to  Scranton. 
His  first  service  with  his  present  employers  be- 
gan May  I,  and  soon  he  was  sent  to  Bridgeville, 
N.  J.,  where  he  learned  telegraphy  and  at  last  was 
made  station  agent.  This  place  he  filled  until  he 
received  promotion  in  July,  1864,  when  he  was 
made  chief  train  dispatcher.  Over  eleven  years 
he  faithfully  performed  the  important  duties  that 
devolved  upon  him  and  then  he  received  the  just 
deserts  of  his  reliability,  in  being  given  the  place 
of  assistant  superintendent.  In  1889  he  became 
the  superintendent. 

In  Bridgeville,  N.  J.,  occurred  the  marriage 
ceremony  which  united  the  fortunes  of  Mr.  Bo- 
gart and  Maggie  Voss,  the  date  of  the  event  being 
July  9,  1859.  The  lady  was  born  there  and  is  a 
daughter  of  George  Voss,  a  farmer,  and  the  old- 
est settler  in  that  place.  The  old  deed  that  was 
granted  by  King  George  HI,  and  signed  by  him, 
bears  date  of  1761,  and  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mrs.  Bogart.  The  only  child  of  our  subject 
and  wife  is  Mrs.  Lizzie  Fowler,  of  Binghamton, 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  of 
Bethlehem,  Pa.  The  pleasant  home  of  the  fam- 
ily is  at  the  comer  of  Adams  Avenue  and  Spruce 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


991 


Street,  and  the  property  now  bears  little  resem- 
blance to  what  it  did  when  it  was  first  purchased, 
as  it  was  only  a  swamp  then.  Mr.  Bogart  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  is  a  member  of  the  Central 
Club.  In  1883  he  went  to  Europe  for  a  much 
needed  change  and  rest  and  greatly  enjoyed  his 
travels  in  the  British  Isles. 


ROBERT  WILLIAMSON  WALKER,  of 
Scranton,  has  been  a  representative  citi- 
zen for  more  than  two  score  years,  and 
we  take  great  pleasure  in  placing  his  life  history 
among  those  of  the  men  whom  we  delight  to 
honor  by  perpetuating  their  names.  Great 
changes  in  our  city  have  taken  place  since  he 
first  came  among  us,  the  sleepy  town  of  Slocum's 
Hollow  has  been  transformed  into  the  bustling, 
busy,  enterprising  city  of  over  a  hundred  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  in  all  these  progressive 
movements  he  has  ever  taken  an  active  share  and 
great  interest. 

Born  in  Scotland,  December  3,  1836,  Mr. 
Walker  was  reared  at  his  birthplace  in  Newton, 
Newbattle  Parish,  Midlothian,  only  seven  miles 
distant  from  historic  Edinburgh.  His  paternal 
grandparents,  John  and  Nancy  (Muir)  Walker, 
were  natives  of  the  same  locality.  The  parents 
of  our  subject  were  John  and  Janet  (Ross)  Walk- 
er, natives  of  Newton  and  Galleshields  respect- 
ively. The  father  was  a  gardener  by  occupation 
and  was  employed  by  the  Marquis  of  Midlothian, 
and  afterward  by  Duke  Buccleugh,  of  Dalkeith. 
Later  in  life,  about  1857,  he  and  his  wife  joined 
their  son,  Robert,  in  Scranton.  He  died  when  in 
his  sixty-seventh  year,  and  was  survived  many 
years  by  his  wife,  who  was  eighty-four  at  the  time 
of  her  demise.  Her  mother  also  reached  more 
than  ordinary  longevity,  attaining  the  age  of 
ninety-six  years. 

The  family  of  John  and  Janet  Walker  com- 
prised seven  children,  in  order  of  birth  as  fol- 
lows: John  B.,  Jane,  James,  Robert  W.,  William, 
Jesse  and  George.  John  enlisted  during  the 
Civil  War,  was  placed  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-first  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  under  Cap- 
tain Mumford,  was  captured  at  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  and  was  sent  to  Andersonville  pris- 


on, where  he  remained  for  nine  months,  or  until 
the  end  of  the  war.  He  was  the  artist  who  copy- 
righted pictures  of  Andersonville  scenes  and  was 
also  the  author  of  many  other  notable  papers  and 
pictures.  Mrs.  Jane  Brown  resides  in  New  Ha- 
ven, Conn.,  and  George  is  in  Walker  County, 
Texas.  James  died  in  Scotland,  William  was 
killed  while  acting  as  brakeman  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  and  Jesse  died 
in  Hyde  Park. 

After  receiving  a  common  scho<jl  education 
young  Walker  went  to  Edinburgh  to  be  appren- 
ticed to  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  remained  at 
this  employment  five  years.  In  1854  he  followed 
his  brother  John's  example  and  came  to  Ameri- 
ca to  make  a  home  and  livelihood.  Starting  from 
Glasgow  in  the  sailing  vessel  "Glasgow,"  they 
had  not  proceeded  far  down  the  river  Clyde  when 
the  ship  ran  aground  and  was  obliged  to  return 
to  port.  The  company  reimbursed  their  passen- 
gers at  the  rate  of  a  shilling  per  day  for  every  day 
that  they  had  been  delayed,  but  our  hero  deter- 
mined not  to  try  his  luck  again  in  just  the  same 
way,  so  he  went  to  Liverpool,  where  he  em- 
barked in  the  "David  Cannon,"  bound  for  New 
York  City.  However,  the  fates  seemed  against 
him  again,  for  about  fifteen  days  after  sailing  nine 
of  the  crew  mutinied,  but  the  passengers  helped 
to  subdue  them  and  put  them  in  irons  in  the 
hold.  Mr.  Waller  himself  nailed  the  chains,  to 
which  the  men's  handcuffs  were  attached,  to  the 
side  of  the  ship,  and  then  with  others  of  his  fel- 
low passengers  helped  man  the  vessel.  Arriv- 
ing at  last  in  New  York,  he  went  into  the  em- 
ploy of  a  Mr.  Riker,  at  Twenty-third  Street  and 
Third  Avenue,  but  in  twelve  months  he  left  there 
and  in  July,  1855,  landed  in  Scranton.  He  liked 
this  beautiful  valley  so  well  that  he  decided  to  lo- 
cate here  permanently.  In  August,  1856,  he  be- 
came a  carpenter  in  the  shops  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  and  five  years 
later  he  took  a  position  as  fireman  on  the  famous 
engine  "Constitution,"  and  in  two  years  was 
made  engineer.  Then,  fifteen  months  subse- 
quently, he  returned  to  his  trade.  In  March, 
1865,  he  went  into  the  government  service  as  an 
engineer,  running  from  Alexandria,  Va.,  until 
April  15,  when  he  was  sent  under  sealed  orders 


992 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  Fortress  Monroe,  thence  to  Cape  Hatteras, 
and  Newbern,  N.  C.  In  November  of  the  same 
year  he  returned  liome  and  resumed  work  at  his 
trade.  In  1876  he  was  appointed  rail  inspector, 
and  discharged  the  duties  pertaining  to  this  of- 
fice some  twelve  years.  September  i,  1888,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  important  post  of  master 
builder  of  bridges  and  buildings,  and  still  offi- 
ciates in  this  capacity. 

In  Scranton  a  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  Rev.  Mr.  Clark,  by  which  the  destin- 
ies of  Mr.  ^^'alker  and  Catherine  E.  Shively  were 
united.  She  comes  of  an  old  family  in  this  state, 
her  father  being  Peter  Shively,  a  merchant  tailor 
of  Scranton.  Mrs.  Walker  was  born  in  Wilkes- 
barre,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren. John  H.,  a  civil  engineer  in  the  employ  of 
the  same  railroad  as  is  his  father,  went  to  Austra- 
lia and  was  absent  two  years,  returning  six  years 
ago;  he  was  elected  councilman  of  the  Fifth 
ward  of  Scranton  in  1897.  Robert  \\\  is  in  busi- 
ness with  his  father;  Grace  Blanche  and  Ed- 
ward Allen  are  at  home.  In  1858  Mr.  Walker 
built  his  residence  on  Hyde  Park  Avenue  and 
Division  Street,  and  he  is  one  of  the  oldest  in- 
habitants of  this  district. 

In  1861  our  subject  joined  Hyde  Park  Lodge 
No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  trustee  of  the  same 
for  years.  He  belongs  to  Washburn  Street 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics. In  1885  he  went  to  Europe  for  a  much 
needed  change  and  rest,  and  traveled  in  the  Brit- 
ish Isles  for  two  months,  revisiting  the  scenes  of 
his  early  recollections  and  receiving  great  benefit. 


HAMPTON  C.  SHAFER,  cashier  of  the 
Scranton  Savings  Bank,  was  born  in 
( irccnsville,  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  in 
1853,  and  is  a  representative  of  the  fifth  genera- 
tion of  the  family  in  America,  the  first  of  the 
name  here  having  come  from  the  Rhine  prov- 
ince of  Germany  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  New 
Jersey  when  Indians  were  still  numerous.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Ilardwick 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  first  house  of  worship 
in  that  part  of  the  state.     Hon.  Abraham  Shafer, 


great-grandfather  of  H.  C,  was  born  in  Still- 
water, Sussex  County,  and  engaged  in  farming 
throughout  life,  except  at  such  intervals  when 
representing  his  district  in  the  state  legislature 
or  officiating  in  other  public  capacities. 

Casper  Shafer,  who  was  the  father  of  H.  C, 
was  born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J.,  in  1817,  and 
in  early  manhood  engaged  in  milling  at  John- 
sonsburg,  but  afterward  removed  to  the  farm  in 
Greensville,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for 
nearly  fifty  years.  While  he  has  never  gained 
great  wealth,  yet  he  had  a  competence  that  per- 
mitted him  to  give  his  children  far  better  advan- 
tages than  were  his  in  youth.  A  man  of  quiet, 
unassuming  disposition,  kind  to  the  needy,  and 
willing  to  aid  in  any  charitable  undertaking,  he 
has  the  esteem  of  his  community  and  the  affect- 
tion  of  his  descendants.  He  married  Miss  Re- 
becca C,  daughter  of  Judge  Abraham  Hazen, 
both  of  whom  were  born  near  Hardwick,  mem- 
bers of  an  old  family  of  New  Jersey.  In  1880 
the  golden  wedding  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shafer  was 
celebrated  and  their  wedded  life  continued  two 
years  longer,  until  her  death  in  the  fall  of  1882. 
They  had  a  family  of  five  children. 

The  youngest  member  of  the  family  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  He  attended  Schooley's 
Mountain  Seminary  for  two  years  and  for  one 
year  was  a  student  in  Trenton  Normal  School. 
After  completing  his  education  he  clerked  in  a 
book  store  in  Trenton  for  six  weeks,  but  soon  a 
better  opening  presented  itself.  In  1873  he  was 
given  a  clerkship  in  the  Lambertville  (N.  J.)  Na- 
tional Bank,  and  continued  in  that  capacity  for 
eight  years,  when  he  was  made  assistant  cashier. 
In  January,  1881,  he  was  called  to  the  position  of 
cashier  of  the  Scranton  Savings  Bank,  and  here 
he  has  since  continued,  having  meantime  gained 
a  reputation  as  a  successful  financier  and  judi- 
cious business  man.  As  a  member  of  the  State 
and  National  Bankers  Associations  he  has  be- 
come well  known  by  the  representative  bankers, 
among  whom  his  ability  gives  him  merited  prom- 
inence. He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trade 
and  has  contributed  to  the  advancement  of  the 
business  interests  of  the  city.  Active  in  relig- 
ious work,  he  is  a  member  of  the  session  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian   Ciun-ch  and  a  director  in 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


993 


the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time 
treasurer.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Shafer  is.  situated  in 
North  Washington  Avenue,  and  here  his  hours 
of  relaxation  from  business  are  usually  spent  in 
the  winter  season,  while  in  summer  he  enjoys 
the  delights  of  rural  life  in  his  beautiful  cottage 
at  Dalton.  His  accomplished  wife,  daughter  of 
the  late  Milton  Blair  and  granddaughter  of 
James  Blair,  was  born  in  this  city  and  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Elizabetii  Blair.  She  was 
given  exceptional  advantages,  her  education  be- 
ing received  principally  in  Miss  Porter's  school 
in  Massachusetts,  and  shortly  after  her  return 
home,  in  November,  1890,  she  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Shafer.  A  daughter,  Margaret  Linen, 
blesses  their  union. 


REINHARD  SCHOENFELD  is  one  of  the 
old  settlers  of  Scranton  and  has  been  a 
witness  of  vast  changes  here.  The  little 
town  as  he  first  beheld  it  over  two  score  years 
ago  has  grown  to  be  a  large,  wide-awake  city, 
crowned  with  prosperity.  As  one  of  our  busi- 
ness men  he  has  borne  his  share  of  financial  un- 
dertakings which  have  led  to  this  result.  In  the 
German  language  the  family  name  is  spelled 
Schonfcld,  but  it  has  been  found  best  to  modify 
it  to  the  present  form.  Our  subject  was  born  in 
Weisbaden,  Nassau,  Germany,  January  13,  1835, 
and  was  left  an  orphan  when  fourteen  years  of 
age.  His  good  mother  died  when  he  was  a  child 
of  two  years  and  thus  the  burden  of  life  fell  upon 
him  ere  it  does  to  many.  The  father,  George 
William  Schoenfeld,  a  native  of  the  same  locality, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  owning  his  well- 
tilled  acres,  and  besides  running  the  place  he 
frequently  engaged  in  making  shoes.  He  died 
in  1849,  aged  fifty-three  years.  Of  his  six  chil- 
dren who  survived  childhood,  Reinhard  is  the 
youngest  and  the  only  one  in  America. 

When  in  his  fifteenth  year  Mr.  Schoenfeld  was 
apprenticed  to  a  wheelwright,  and  in  1853  he  de- 
cided to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  United  States. 
After  a  long  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  which  left 
Antwerp  docks  he  reached  New  York  City  on  the 


sixty-third  day  from  his  fatherland.  Proceeding 
direct  to  Honesdale,  Pa.,  where  he  arrived  No- 
vember 18,  he  worked  for  a  short  time  at  the 
coal  docks  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  and  then  two  years  was  employed  as 
a  wheelwright  in  a  wagon  shop.  In  1855,  com- 
ing to  Scranton,  he  went  into  the  car  shops  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  and  re- 
mained there  for  about  thirteen  years.  In  1868 
he  started  in  business  for  himself,  opening  a  pro- 
vision store  in  Cedar  Avenue,  but  his  success  did 
not  meet  his  expectations  and  at  the  end  of  a  year 
or  so  he  began  working  as  a  carpenter.  It  was 
in  1869  that  he  embarked  in  his  present  business 
of  undertaking,  and  he  also  ran  a  furniture  es- 
tablishment in  connection  with  it  several  years. 
His  first  location  was  in  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
but  afterwards  he  removed  to  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue. Subsequently  we  find  him  back  in  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue,  and  now  his  store  and  residence 
are  in  the  same  building  at  No.  318  Franklin 
Street.  He  has  an  exclusive  undertaking  busi- 
ness and  has  a  very  fine  line  of  coffins  of  all  styles 
and  at  all  prices.  These  are  enclosed  in  a  hand- 
some cabinet,  so  that  customers  can  easily  make 
their  selection.  A  fine  lot  of  carriages  and  two 
hearses  afiford  ample  facilities  to  patrons. 

Tlie  marriage  of  Mr.  Schoenfeld  and  Miss  Bar- 
bara Schwartz  took  place  in  Scranton  in  1857. 
The  lady  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany, 
near  the  city  of  Stuttgart  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Andrew  Swartz,  who  was  an  extensive  fanner 
there.  His  wife  was  before  her  marriage  Miss 
Barbara  Housman.  Both  parents  died  in  the 
fatherland,  and  in  1854  Mrs.  Schoenfeld  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  take  up  her  abode  in  Washington. 
Two  years  later  she  settled  in  Scranton.  One 
son  and  two  daughters  were  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife:  William  C,  who  is  in  business  with 
his  father;  Amelia,  Mrs.  Wenzel,  who  died  when 
twenty-seven  years  old;  and  Mary,  who  lived  to 
be  twenty-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schoenfeld 
are  members  of  the  Zion  Lutheran  Church,  tak- 
ing a  very  active  part  in  its  various  departments. 
She  was  president  of  the  ladies'  society  for  two 
years,  was  for  six  years  treasurer  and  four  years 
was  the  secretary.  Our  subject  was  formerly  con- 
nected with  the  German  Presbyterian   Church, 


994 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


holding  positions  of  responsibility,  was  in  the 
choir,  a  trustee  and  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school. Years  ago  he  was  an  Odd  Fellow, 
but  has  not  attended  the  meetings  of  the  body  of 
of  late.     Politically,  he  is  independent. 


JAMES  H.  TORREY,  A.  M.  The  family 
of  which  this  gentleman  is  a  member  has 
for  several  generations  taken  a  foremost 
rank  in  professional  and  educational  work,  its 
representatives  having  been  men  of  culture,  eru- 
dition and  scholarly  tastes.  On  his  father's  side 
he  traces  his  lineage  to  England,  whence  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America  emigrated  fo 
this  country  about  1640,  settling  in  Massachu- 
setts. The  grandfather,  Jason  Torrey,  was  born 
in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  but  in  an  early  day  re- 
moved to  Pennsylvania,  becoming  a  pioneer  of 
ATount  Pleasant,  but  later  settling  in  Bethany, 
where  he  died.  His  occupation  throughout  life 
was  that  of  surveyor  and  land  agent,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  well  known  throughout  all  north- 
eastern Pennsylvania. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Rev.  David  Torrey, 
D.  D.,  was  born  in  Bethany,  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
and  was  the  youngest  child  born  of  the  second 
marriage  of  Jason  Torrey.  The  best  educational 
advantages  the  country  afforded  were  his,  and 
he  availed  himself  of  them  to  the  utmost.  He 
graduated  from  Amherst  College  with  the  de- 
gree of  A.  B.,  and  later  received  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  His  theological  studies  were  conducted 
in  Andover  Academy  and  Union  Seminary,  and 
upon  graduating  from  the  latter  he  was  ordained 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Suc- 
cessively he  held  pastorates  at  Delhi  and  Ithaca, 
N.  Y.,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  Cazenovia,  N.  Y., 
having  a  charge  at  the  last-named  place  from  1869 
until  1884,  when  he  retired  from  active  ministerial 
work.  He  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Cazeno- 
via until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1894.  The 
degree  of  D.D.  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Ham- 
ilton College,  in  which  he  held  the  chair  of  meta- 
physics for  a  year.  For  a  long  time  he  was  one 
of  the  commissioners  and  examiners  of  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary,  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.  In 
ante-bellum  days  he  was  outspoken  against  tlie 


institution  of  slavery  and  during  the  war  took 
an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Christian  Com- 
mission. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  E.,  was  born 
in  Amherst,  Mass.,  received  an  excellent  educa- 
tion that  fitted  her  for  her  work  as  a  pastor's 
wife,  and  was  her  husband's  assistant  in  all  of  his 
work  until  her  death,  which  occurred  in  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.,  in  1867.  Her  family  consisted  of 
two  children,  of  whom  the  daughter,  Sarah  M., 
wife  of  W.  D.  Wells,  died  in  1895.  The  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rev.  Heman  Hum- 
phrey, A.  M.,  LL.D.,  D.  D.,  was  a  Congrega- 
tional minister  and  one  of  the  most  prominent 
educators  of  his  day,  being  president  of  Amherst 
College  from  1821  to  1842.  He  married  a  Miss 
Porter,  who  was  a  relative  of  Noah  Porter  and 
member  of  the  family  that  furnished  to  Yale  Col- 
lege one  of  its  presidents.  The  Humphrey  fam- 
ily originated  in  England,  but  has  been  repre- 
sented in  Massachusetts  since  about  1640. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Delhi, 
Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  June  16,  185 1.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  schools  of  the  differ- 
ent places  where  his  father  held  pastorates  and 
for  some  time  was  a  student  in  the  high  school 
at  Ann  Arbor.  He  prepared  for  college  at  North- 
ampton, Mass.,  and  in  1869  entered  Amherst  Col- 
lege, where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
junior  year.  In  1872  he  came  to  Scranton  to  be- 
gin the  study  of  law  and  here  he  has  since  re- 
sided. Though  not  a  graduate  of  the  college,  the 
degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred  on  him  by  Am- 
herst in  1888.  His  legal  studies  were  commenced 
under  Willard  &  Royce  and  completed  under  E. 
B.  Sturges,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
October,  1876,  at  Wilkesbarre.  During  the 
period  of  his  studies  he  was  also  employed  as 
weighmastcr  by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  princijjally  in  Scranton  and  immediate 
vicinity.  After  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he 
started  for  himself  in  the  general  practice  of  law, 
in  which  he  has  since  continued,  making  a 
specialty  of  civil  cases. 

In  1886  Mr.  Torrey  was  appointed  by  the  board 
of  trade  as  a  delegate  to  the  convention  that 
framed  the  municipal  act  of  18S7.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  connnittec  of  three  that  drafted 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


995 


the  act  regarding  cities  of  third  and  minor 
classes,  and  met  with  the  other  members  at 
Reading  and  Harrisburg.  The  act  of  1887  being 
declared  unconstitutional  in  1888,  the  commit- 
tee again  met  and  drafted  the  act  of  1889,  under 
which  cities  of  the  third  class  have  since  been 
regulated.  In  1896  another  municipal  conven- 
tion of  cities  of  the  third  class  was  held,  for  the 
purpose  of  adopting  amendments  to  the  act  of 
1889;  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  committee 
of  city  solicitors  that  met  at  Reading  and'  Wil- 
liam sport  and  performed  all  the  active  work  of 
drafting  the  amendments. 

A  Republican  ''n  politics,  Mr.  Torrey  is  a  pop- 
ular speaker  in  local  and  state  campaigns.  In 
April,  1893,  he  was  chosen  city  solicitor  by  the 
city  councils  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term 
was  re-elected  in  1895  to  serve  until  1897.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  Lackawanna  Law  and 
Library  Association,  of  which  he  is  now  the 
president.  For  two  years,  1877-78,  he  was  pres- 
ident of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  Scranton.  In  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  he  is  a  ruling  elder 
and  for  fourteen  years  has  been  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday-school.  He  attended  the  general 
assembly  of  his  denomination  held  at  Saratoga 
in  1890  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  that 
framed  the  plan  for  the  revision  of  the  confes- 
sion of  faith.  In  Scranton  December  10,  1872, 
he  married  Miss  Ella  C,  daughter  of  D.  H.  Jay, 
formerly  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company,  but  now  living  retired  in  this  city. 
They  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  Mary 
Humphrey,  William  Jessup,  Elizabeth  Jay  and 
Douglas  Jay. 


GEORGE  H.  PEARL,  superintendent  of 
the  Moosic  Powder  Company  at  Moosic, 
was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  June 
28,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  John  T.  and  Elizabeth 
(Hospelhorn)  Pearl.  His  father,  who  was  born 
in  Carroll  County,  Md.,  died  there  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  and  was  buried  the  day  that  the  Reb- 
els fired  on  Ft.  Sumter.  By  trade  a  carpenter,  he 
followed  that  occupation  until  two  years  before 
his  death,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing.   The  family  of  which  he  was  a  member  fol- 


lowed agricultural  pursuits  principally.  His  wife, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  a  veteran  of  the  War 
of  1812,  was  of  German  descent,  and  her  ances- 
tors in  the  old  country  were  spinners  and  weavers 
by  occupation. 

On  account  of  the  fact  that  the  family  were  very 
poor,  our  subject  had  no  advantages  in  boyhood, 
but  was  obliged  to  become  self-supporting  at  an 
early  age.  When  the  war  broke  out,  it  was  his 
desire  to  enter  the  service,  but  he  was  a  mere  lad 
and  his  widowed  mother  forbid  his  enlistment. 
The  old  adage,  "Where  there's  a  will  there's  a 
way,"  proved  true  in  his  case.  He  ran  away  from 
home  and  soon  his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which 
he  served  for  seventeen  months,  being  under  Gen. 
R.  B.  Hayes  a  portion  of  the  time.  He  accom- 
panied General  Sherman  on  his  famous  march  to 
the  sea  and  participated  in  the  principal  engage- 
ments of  his  regiment.  He  fortunately  went 
through  the  war  uninjured  and  was  able  to  re- 
port for  duty  every  day.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  enlistment,  he  was  mustered  out  in 
1865. 

On  his  return  home  our  subject  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  three  years  to  the  tanner's  trade. 
With  a  desire  to  gain  a  better  education,  he  saved 
his  earnings  and  took  a  course  of  study  in  Key- 
stone Academy.  For  three  years  he  followed  his 
trade,  as  a  journeyman,  then  worked  one 'year 
in  shops,  and  later  on  the  road.  For  nine  months 
he  was  employed  as  fireman  and  then  was  pro- 
moted to  be  engineer  on  the  local  freight,  where 
he  remained  fifteen  months.  For  two  years  after- 
ward he  was  employed  in  shops,  and  for  nine 
months,  in  1870,  worked  at  bridgebuilding.  He 
then  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Scran- 
ton in  October,  1871,  working  there  for  a  year. 
Through  the  influence  of  Col.  H.  M.  Boies,  presi- 
dent of  the  Moosic  Powder  Company,  he  was 
given  a  position  as  machinist  in  the  powder  mill 
and  afterward  was  promoted  to  be  superintendent. 
During  the  twenty-four  years  of  his  connection 
with  the  mill,  he  has  been  found  daily  at  his  post 
of  duty,  and  while  there  have  been  eight  explos- 
ions of  powder  in  that  time,  only  one  of  these  has 
occurred  since  he  became  superintendent. 

October  21,   1876,  Mr.   Pearl    married    Miss 


996 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Frances  B.  Bla:kman,  of  this  county.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  four  children,  namely:  Olive 
E.,  who  graduated  from  the  Normal  at  Strouds- 
burg  in  1896;  John  H.,  who  has  been  a  student 
in  the  business  college  at  Scranton;  Bettie  F., 
who  died  at  two  years;  and  Ernest  G.,  who  is 
with  his  parents.  Mrs.  Pearl  is  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Olive  (Williams)  Blackman,  natives 
respectively  of  Wyoming  County  and  Dundaff, 
Pa.,  both  of  whom  died  at  their  son-in-law's  home. 
The  first  presidential  ballot  cast  by  our  subject 
was  for  U.  S.  Grant  and  he  has  since  been  a  Re- 
publican in  his  views.  At  dififerent  times  he  has 
been  chosen  to  serve  in  local  offices,  the  duties 
of  which  he  has  always  discharged  satisfactorily. 
With  his  wife  and  daughter,  he  holds  membership 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  attends  the  ser- 
vices there.  In  1874  he  was  made  a  Mason  and 
has  since  been  an  active  worker  in  the  fraternitv. 


JB.  SNYDER,  an  honored  resident  of 
Scranton,  is  now  serving  his  eighteenth 
•  year  as  court  crier,  having  been  appoint- 
ed to  that  position  on  the  3d  of  January,  1880, 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  at  the  old  court 
house  in  Washington  Hall  on  Lackawanna  Ave- 
nue. He  is  a  native  of  the  county  which  is  still 
his  home,  born  in  Greenfield  Town.^hip,  July  7, 
1824,  but  at  that  time  it  was  a  part  of  Luzerne 
County.  His  great-grandfather,  Jacob  Snyder, 
was  a  Hollander  by  birth,  and  on  coming  to 
America  located  on  a  farm  at  Livingston  Manor, 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  but  later  removed  to 
Schoharie  County,  that  state,  where  was  born  his 
son  Jacob,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject.  The 
latter  was  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes,  and 
witnessed  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  to  General 
Washington,  at  Yorktown,  Va.  He  then  return- 
ed to  his  farm  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  but 
later  removed  with  his  family  to  Greenfield 
Township,  this  county,  and  died  in  Green  Ridge, 
l^cligiously  he  was  a  member  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Church. 

Jacob  Snyder,  the  father  of  oin-  subject,  was 
born  in  Dutchess  County,  and  while  still  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Empire  State  manifested  his  loyalty 
and  patriotism  by  serving  his  country  in  the  War 


of  1812.  He  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Greenfield  Township,  Lackawanna  Coimty, 
where  he  erected  a  primitive  log  house  and  bam, 
and  at  once  began  to  clear  and  improve  a  farm 
in  the  midst  of  the  forest.  He  continued  to  make 
his  home  in  that  township  until  called  to  his  final 
rest  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  and  there 
his  remains  were  interred.  He  had  married  Re- 
becca Niver,  a  native  of  Fulton  County,  N.  Y., 
and  a  daughter  of  William  Niver,  who  also  aided 
the  colonies  all  through  the  war  for  independ- 
ence, and  spent  his  entire  life  in  New  York.  Mrs. 
Snyder  was  of  German  descent  and  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  twelve 
children,  as  follows:  Elias,  who  died  in  Green- 
field at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years;  Maria,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Daniel  English  and  died  in 
Lackawanna  County  at  the  age  of  eighty-two; 
Sabina,  who  married  Angus  Cameron  and  died 
in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lampheire,  who  died  in  Michi- 
gan at  the  age  of  seventy;  John  G.,  who  died  in 
Greenfield  at  the  age  of  seventy-two;  Henry,  a 
resident  of  Carbondale,  who  is  now  seventy-five 
years  of  age;  Jacob  B.,  of  this  sketch;  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  the  Bradfield  oil  region;  Mrs. 
Eleanor  Decker,  who  died  in  Greenfield  at  the  age 
of  fifty;  Ira,  who  died  in  Deposit,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age 
of  fifty;  and  Margaret  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen. 

Upon  the  home  farm  Jacob  B.  Snyder  was 
reared,  and  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  the 
neighborhood  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when  he 
started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
being  employed  for  one  season  as  a  bowsman 
on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal.  He  then  be- 
gan learning  the  shoemaker's  trade  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  Henry  B.  Jadwin  in  Carbondale,  at 
which  he  was  employed  for  thirteen  years,  and  for 
the  following  year  was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing in  that  city.  Locating  in  Hawley,  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  he  there  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  two  five  years'  terms,  and  in  the  mean- 
time began  the  study  of  law  under  E.  Richardson 
and  Earl  Wheeler  of  Honesdale.  At  Wilkes- 
barrc  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  Judge 
Conyingham,  and  at  once  opened  an  office  in 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


997 


Scranton,  where  he  engaged  in  practice  until  ap- 
pointed to  his  present  position  as  crier  for  the 
United  States  district  and  common  pleas  courts. 
Although  he  gave  up  his  law  practice  he  still  con- 
tinues to  engage  in  the  real  estate  business  which 
he  had  previously  established. 

At  Johnstown,  Fulton  County,  N.  Y.,  June  20, 
1850,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Snyder  and 
Miss  Elizabeth  Decker,  a  native  of  that  place, 
where  her  father,  John  Decker,  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  Four  children  blessed  this 
union,  of  whom  three  are  still  living,  namely: 
Byron  J.,  an  engineer  on  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  of  Scranton;  Samuel 
H.,  an  engineer  connected  with  the  Electric  Com- 
pany of  that  city;  and  Frederick  G.,  a  machinist 
of  Scranton. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Snyder  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  religiously  is  an  active  and  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Simpson  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  Hyde  Park,  with  which  he  is 
officially  connected,  and  is  also  a  great  worker  in 
the  Sunday-school.  His  hospitality  is  unbound- 
ed, and  he  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances,  who 
recognize  his  sterling  worth  and  many  excellent 
traits  of  character. 


WILLIAM  PRICE  &  SON  are  under- 
takers in  Scranton.  The  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  is  truly  a  pioneer  in  his 
line  in  this  county  and  is  one  of  the  old  and  re- 
spected residents  of  the  city,  dating  his  coming 
here  some  thirty-two  years  ago.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  Robert  Cadwallader,  of  Mer- 
ionethshire, Wales.  His  son,  our  subject's  fath- 
er, William  by  name,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade 
and  was  early  claimed  by  death.  According  to 
the  ancient  Welsh  custom  William  Price,  of  this 
article,  took  his  mother's  name  of  Price,  she  hav- 
ing been  Miss  Susan  Price  before  her  marriage 
with  Mr.  Cadwallader.  Her  demise  occurred  in 
1876. 

William  Price  was  born  May  16,  1823,  in 
Merionethshire,  Wales,  and  was  an  only  child. 
When  he  was  about  thirteen  years  old  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  cabinetmaker  of  his  home  neigh- 


borhood for  three  and  a  half  years,  after  which  he 
went  to  Birmingham,  England.  He  remained 
there  until  reaching  his  majority,  becoming  a 
very  practical  workman.  Tlie  next  few  years  he 
was  employed  as  a  journeyman  in  Manchester, 
Liverpool  and  Rocksdale.  In  1848  he  set  sail 
for  America  in  the  good  ship  "Columbus,"  the 
voyage  consuming  thirty  days.  April  1st  he  land- 
ed in  New  York,  and  having  no  friends  in  this 
country  he  drifted  to  Philadelphia  and  then  to 
Pottsville.  As  he  was  a  good  workman  he  had 
little  difficulty  in  finding  employment  and  about 
1850  we  find  him  trying  his  fortune  in  Pittston, 
which  place  he  made  his  home  until  fifteen  years 
had  rolled  over  his  head. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Mr.  Price  came  to  Scran- 
ton, bought  the  property  where  he  has  since 
done  business  and  embarked  as  an  undertaker. 
While  in  Pittston  he  had  mastered  the  details  of 
this  branch  and  for  years  it  has  been  his  ambition 
to  keep  the  best  establishment  in  the  county.  In 
this  he  has  been  successful  and  his  patronage  is 
from  the  very  best  families  of  the  city.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  large  double  office  there  are  store- 
rooms in  the  rear,  fitted  with  all  the  appliances 
now  used  by  the  trade.  His  residence  is  at  one 
side  of  the  building  and  offices  and  all  are  heat- 
ed by  steam.  The  large  barns,  50x100  feet,  three 
stories  high,  afiford  ample  accommodation  for  his 
splendid  line  of  carriages  and  two  fine  hearses. 
Also,  there  are  fifteen  good  horses,  twelve  of 
them  being  beautiful  black  animals.  One  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Lackawanna  County  Funeral 
Directors'  Association,  he  was  its  president  for 
years. 

November  11,  1849,  M""-  Price  married  Miss 
Jane  Reese,  in  St.  Clair,  Schuylkill  County.  She 
was  born  in  South  Wales  and  was  brought 
up  in  this  state.  By  her  marriage  she  became 
the  mother  of  six  children:  Susie,  Mrs.  Green, 
of  Syracuse;  Anna,  at  home;  Gomer,  formerly 
in  business  with  his  father,  but  who  died  in  Au- 
gust, 1888;  Idris,  whose  death  occurred  when 
six  years  old;  Alma,  Mrs.  D.  W.  Connolly;  and 
William  C. 

William  Cadwallader  Price  was  born  in  Scran- 
ton in  April,  1869,  and  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
west  side.     When  his  ekler  brother  died  he  was 


998 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


taken  into  the  firm,  which  then  became  William 
Price  &  Son.  He  married  Rachel,  daughter  of 
Eleazer  and  Mary  (Reese)  Evans.  The  father 
was  superintendent  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  mines;  was  at  one  time  city  treasurer 
and  is  now  in  the  postofiiice.  The  son  of  W.  C. 
Price  bears  the  old  family  name  of  William.  The 
young  man  is  a  member  of  Hyde  Park  Lodge 
No.  339,  F.  &  A.  M.;  the  Loyal  Knights  of 
America,  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  and 
the  Knights  of  Malta.  Like  his  father,  he  is 
marching  under  the  banner  of  the  Republican 
party. 


FREDERICK  L.  WARD,  member  of  the 
board  of  county  auditors  and  salesman 
for  G.  W.  Fritz,  of  Scranton,  was  born  in 
New  Milford,  Pa.,  April  5,  1S54.  The  family 
which  he  represents  is  of  old  English  origin  and 
its  coat  of  arms  consists  of  a  shield  leaning  upon 
the  side  of  an  oak  tree,  and  showing  the  sunrise. 
His  paternal  grandparents  came  from  the  Con- 
necticut branch  of  the  old  colonial  settlers,  and 
his  maternal  grandparents  were  Long  Islanders. 
Both  branches  of  the  family  founded  homes  in 
the  forests  of  Susquehanna  County  in  the  pio- 
neer days  when  brains,  muscle  and  endurance 
were  the  first  and  only  concomitants  to  success. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject.  Deacon 
Ichabod  Ward,  followed  his  son,  William  Ward, 
from  Connecticut  in  1807,  settling  in  New  Mil- 
ford,  and  in  time  becoming  the  largest  land  own- 
er of  his  section.  In  this  respect  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  was  ever  exceeded  by  any  of  the  earlier  set- 
tlers. His  holdings  consisted  of  all  the  land  now 
lying  between  the  present  site  of  New  Milford 
borough  and  Susquehanna.  His  home  stood 
nearly  opposite  the  present  site  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  which  organization  he  was  a 
founder  and  most  valued  member.  He  was  the 
father  of  five  children:  William,  Samuel,  Mrs. 
Benjamin  Doolittlc,  Mrs.  Selah  Bryant,  and  Mrs. 
Uriah  Hawley. 

Accompanied  by  his  young  wife,  in  1806,  our 
subject's  grandfather,  William  Ward,  removed 
from  Litchfield  County,  Conn,,  to  New  Milford, 
Pa.     Hither  he  had  been  preceded  a  few  years  by 


Benjamin  Doolittle,  whose  glowing  accounts  of 
the  place  induced  him  to  settle  here.  Immedi- 
ately upon  his  arrival  he  began  chopping  a  large 
fallow  where  now  stand  the  depot  and  steam 
mill.  After  making  quite  an  extensive  clearing, 
he  removed  to  Mt.  Pleasant  and  remained  for 
several  years,  but  finally  returned  to  New  Mil- 
ford. In  1834  he  was  commissioned  justice  of 
the  peace.  For  many  years  he  was  the  principal 
agent  in  that  section  for  the  sale  of  the  lands  of 
the  DuBois  estate  and  the  tracts  owned  by  Mere- 
dith, Bingham  and  Drinker.  Few,  indeed,  were 
the  citizens  of  the  Salt  Lick  Valley  of  earlier  days 
who  did  more  to  develop  its  resources  and  con- 
tributed to  its  prosperity  with  a  more  lavish  and 
willing  hand  than  did  he.  He  was  a  loyal  friend, 
the  kindest  of  neighbors,  and  a  land  agent  of 
acknowledged  ability.  To  rich  and  poor  alike  he 
extended  a  cheerful  hospitality.  The  house 
where  he  resided  was  the  second  frame  dwelling 
in  the  place,  and  in  it  he  died  in  October,  1849, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Sally  Briggs,  and  was  born  in 
Roxbury,  Conn.,  after  his  death  was  married  to 
Joseph  Williams,  a  pioneer  of  Bridgewater 
Township.  She  died  in  Augxist,  1872,  at  eighty- 
five  years.  To  show  her  courage  this  incident  is 
told:  A  large  buck  was  one  day  chased  by  the 
hunter's  dogs  into  Mr.  Ward's  clearing.  Samuel, 
a  lad  of  twelve  years,  then  living  with  his  brother, 
saw  the  animal  stumble  and  immediately  caught 
him  by  the  horns,  at  the  same  time  calling  to 
Mrs.  Ward  for  assistance.  Realizing  his  danger- 
ous position  and  knowing  she  must  act  instantly, 
she  hastened  to  unwind  the  long-webbed  garters 
she  wore,  and  with  them  speedily  succeeded  in 
tying  its  legs.  They  were  relieved  from  their 
dangerous  position  by  a  neighbor,  who  was  for- 
tunately within  calling  distance  and  who  at  once 
cut  the  animal's  throat. 

Among  the  ten  children  of  William  Ward  were 
Christopher  Longstreet,  William  C,  Peter,  John, 
Jack,  Augustus  and  Charles.  The  first  named 
was  a  printer  and  lawyer  and  amassed  a  large 
fortune.  He  was  president  of  the  Atlantic  & 
Great  Western  Railroad  during  its  construction 
through  Pennsylvania,  and  was  for  many  years 
an  inllucntial  resident  of  Towanda.     Owing  to  a 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


999 


resolution  formed  in  early  life,  he  never  entered 
politics,  though  high  honors  were  tendered  him 
under  several  presidents.  William  C,  a  promi- 
nent man  of  New  Milford,  was  agent  for  his 
brother  in  the  sale  of  lands,  also  purchased  many 
cattle,  driving  them  to  New  Jersey  and  New 
York,  and  spent  a  considerable  period  in  the 
mercantile  business.  For  more  than  thirty  years 
he  was  justice  of  the  peace  and  gained  the  title 
of  "peacemaker"  through  his  endeavors  to  settle 
all  disputes  in  an  amicable  manner,  without  re- 
course to  the  law.     He  died  February  24,  1871. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Charles  H.  Ward, 
was  born  April  19,  1819,  and  in  early  youth  was 
one  of  the  active  spirits  of  the  New  Milford  pio- 
neers. The  town  of  his  birth  owed  much  of  its 
earlier  growth  to  his  indomitable  energy.  For 
some  time  he  attended  Harford  University, 
and  later  was  in  Union  College.  Afterward 
he  taught  school  for  several  terms  and  then 
entered  upon  a  business  life  in  New  York  City 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Terrell  &  Ward.  On 
retiring  he  returned  to  New  Milford,  where  he 
died  in  1889.  His  wife,  now  deceased,  was  a  sis- 
ter of  the  mother  of  George  W.  Fritz,  of  Scran- 
ton.  Of  their  seven  children,  two  died  young, 
and  the  others  are  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ballard,  of 
Bradford  County;  Frederick  L. ;  Frank,  of  Bos- 
ton, Mass.;  Allen,  residing  in  New  Milford;  and 
Kate,  of  Great  Bend,  Pa. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  and  St.  Francis 
College  of  Loretto,  Cambria  County,  our  sub- 
ject learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade  in  Wa- 
verly,  then  returned  to  New  Milford,  where  for 
two  years  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
furniture.  Later  he  was  employed  in  the  finish- 
ing department  of  a  tannery  tliere.  In  1881  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  soon  became  connected 
with  G.  W.  Fritz  as  salesman.  He  expects  soon 
to  erect  a  residence  on  his  property  in  Wood- 
Lawn  Park.  Politically  a  Republican,  he  was 
ward  assessor  for  four  years,  tax  collector  for 
three  terms,  and  in  the  fall  of  1896  was  the  suc- 
cessful candidate,  among  fourteen,  for  the  posi- 
tion of  county  auditor,  taking  office  in  January, 
1897,  to  hold  three  years.  Fraternally  he  is 
identified  with  the  Heptasophs. 

In  Great  Bend,  Pa.,  November  27,  1878,  Mr. 


Ward  married  Alary  Alice  Hoffman,  who  was 
born  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Conrad 
and  Barbara  (Vail)  Hoffman,  natives  of  Hesse- 
Darmstadt  and  Wurtembcrg,  Germany.  Her 
father,  a  stone  cutter  by  trade,  came  to  New  York 
City  from  his  native  land,  removed  to  Corning 
and  married  there,  then  went  to  Binghamton, 
and  later  to  Great  Bend,  vi'here  he  operated  quar- 
ries. He  died  November  9,  1886,  and  the  busi- 
ness has  since  been  carried  on  by  his  sons.  His 
widow  resides  at  the  old  homestead.  They  had 
seven  children,  all  but  one  of  whom  are  living. 
Mrs.  Ward  is  the  next  to  the  eldest  and  the  only 
one  in  Scranton.  By  her  marriage  she  has  one 
son,  Albert  James. 


GEORGE  SCHULTZ.  In  the  great  com- 
petitive struggle  of  life,  when  each  must 
enter  the  field  and  fight  his  way  to  the 
front,  or  else  be  overtaken  by  disaster  of  circum- 
stance or  place,  there  is  ever  particular  interest 
attaching  to  the  life  of  one  who  has  turned  the 
tide  of  success,  has  surmounted  all  obstacles  and 
has  shown  his  ability  to  cope  with  others  in  their 
rush  for  the  coveted  goal.  Success  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  genius,  but  the  result  of  consecutive  effort, 
tireless  purpose  and  capable  management.  The 
life  of  Mr.  Schultz  demonstrates  what  may  be  ac- 
complished by  the  improvement  of  opportunity, 
by  unflagging  industry  and  resolute  determina- 
tion. He  was  born  near  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany, 
in  January,  1840.  His  father,  Peter  Schultz,  a 
native  of  the  same  locality,  was  in  the  employ  of 
the  government  as  inspector  of  coal  mines.  He 
died  in  1843,  leaving  the  care  of  his  children  to 
his  widow.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza- 
betli  Brunswick,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Rus- 
sian parents  who  removed  to  Germany.  With 
her  seven  children  she  came  to  America  in  1846, 
reaching  this  country  after  a  voyage  of  ten  weeks 
and  making  her  way  to  Carbondale,  where  one 
of  her  children,  William,  had  located  in  1844. 
The  same  year  she  came  to  Scranton,  where  she 
reared  her  family,  and  made  her  home  until  her 
death,  which  occurred  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
eight  years. 

George  Schultz  is  the  youngest  of  the  family 


lOOO 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  hving. 
Soon  after  reaching  Scranton  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  errand  boy  in  the  foundry  of  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Coal  Company,  with  which  he  remained 
for  thirteen  years.  Having  completely  mastered 
the  molder's  trade  in  that  time,  he  then  accepted 
a  position  as  saw-yer  with  the  Tobyhanna  Lum- 
ber Company,  and  remained  in  that  service  until 
the  war.  In  August,  1861,  his  patriotic  spirit 
was  aroused  by  the  secession  of  the  south,  and 
he  volunteered  in  the  Union  service  and  joined 
Company  B,  Ninth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  being 
mustered  in  at  Harrisburg.  He  participated  in 
the  engagements  at  Tompkinsville,  Paris,  Rich- 
mond and  Perryville,  Ky.,  Carter's  raid,  Frank- 
lin, Thompson  Station,  Spring  Hill,  Brentwood, 
Franklin,  Triune,  Rover,  Middle  Long  and  Shel- 
byville,  Tenn.,  Lafayette  and  Chickamauga, 
Ga.,  Newmarket,  La.,  Danbridge,  Mossy  Creek, 
Saville,  Fair  Garden  and  Reedyville,  Tenn.,  Love- 
joy  Station,  Macon,  Griswold  Station,  Buck- 
head  Creek,  Waynesboro  and  Savannah,  Ga., 
Johnston  Station  and  Columbia,  S.  C,  Averas- 
boro,  Bentonville  and  Raleigh,  N.  C,  and  was 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army  at 
Benton  House,  N.  C,  April  26,  1865.  He  served 
with  the  rank  of  sergeant  and  his  military  career 
is  one  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud,  for  on  the 
field  of  battle  or  in  camp  he  was  ever  faithful  to 
his  duty,  performing  the  service  allotted  him  and 
rendering  loyal  aid  to  the  Union  cause. 

After  his  return,  Mr.  Schultz  was  employed  as 
a  molder  until  1877,  when  with  the  capital  he 
had  acquired  through  his  own  efforts  he  em- 
barked in  business  on  his  own  account,  erecting 
a  store  at  No.  15 14  Ash  Street  and  stocking  it 
with  general  merchandise.  In  1892  he  remod- 
eled and  enlarged  the  store  and  on  the  1st  of 
February,  1895,  turned  over  the  business  to  his 
sons,  who  are  now  conducting  it  under  the  name 
of  Schultz  Brothers.  His  success  in  commercial 
circles  was  marked  and  immediate,  and  during 
his  career  as  a  merchant  he  enjoyed  a  most  ex- 
cellent trade  that  yielded  to  him  a  handsome  com- 
petence. His  business  ability  is  by  no  means  lim- 
ited to  one  line  of  endeavor,  for  his  efforts  have 
been  carried  into  various  fields  of  industrial  ac- 
tivity and  have  been  uniformly  successful.     He 


owns  both  a  residence  and  business  property, 
erected  the  Schultz  Hall  and  made  other  judicious 
investments  in  real  estate. 

Mr.  Schultz  was  married  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa., 
to  Caroline  Hartman,  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Hartman,  a  stone  mason,  who 
brought  his  family  to  Scranton.  Their  children 
are  George,  a  postal  clerk  in  the  United  States 
mail  service;  Albert,  who  is  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  in  Scranton;  William  and  Edward  H., 
w4io  form  the  firm  of  Schultz  Brothers;  Lena, 
Arthur,  Robert,  and  Ernest  C.  Mr.  Schultz  was 
a  member  of  the  school  board  for  the  tenth  ward 
for  four  years.  He  belongs  to  Dunmore  Lodge, 
I.  O.  O.  F.;  Oakland  Post  No.  25,  N.  V.  U.;  is 
a  past  officer  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge, 
No.  369;  also  of  the  Knights  of  the  Mystic  Chain; 
and  of  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A. 
R.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  this  order  and  at- 
tended the  national  encampments  in  Boston, 
Washington,  Pittsburg  and  Louisville.  He  is 
one  of  the  active  and  influential  members  of  St. 
Peter's  Lutheran  Church.  His  political  support 
is  given  the  Republican  party,  and  he  has  served 
on  the  city  and  county  committees  and  has  at- 
tended the  county  and  state  conventions. 


CHARLES  J.  WEICHEL.  The  establish- 
ment of  which  Mr.  Weichel  is  proprietor 
ranks  among  the  finest  of  its  kind,  not 
only  in  Scranton,  but  in  the  entire  state.  In  Oc- 
tober of  1896  he  came  to  his  present  location  in 
the  Mears  Building,  where  he  occupies  apart- 
ments, 35x155  feet  in  dimensions,  and  in  addi- 
tion utilizes  for  storage  purposes  35x135  feet  on 
the  second  floor.  The  interior  arrangement  is 
original  with  him.  The  background  is  in  black, 
which,  together  with  the  cases,  carved  shelving 
and  fancy  woodwork  of  original  and  beautiful 
design,  affords  every  facility  for  the  display  of 
crockery,  lamps  and  glassware.  Wares  of  ever>' 
variety,  from  the  cheapest  to  the  most  elegant,  as 
well  as  a  large  quantity  of  imported  goods,  may 
be  found  here,  and  a  large  business  is  carried  on, 
both  in  retail  and  wholesale. 

The  Weichel  family,  as  indicated  by  the  name. 
is  of  German  origin.     The  father  of  Charles  J. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lOOI 


was  Frederick,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  the  first 
of  the  family  to  seek  a  home  in  America,  though 
subsequent  to  his  emigration  his  brothers  crossed 
the  ocean  to  this  country.  In  his  native  land  he 
was  employed  as  a  merchant  tailor,  but  after 
settling  in  Scranton  he  became  the  first  boss  in 
the  old  rolling  mill  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  & 
Coal  Company.  Later  he  opened  a  grocery  on 
the  south  side  in  Cedar  Avenue,  and  this  he  car- 
ried on  for  many  years.  He  was  the  first  to 
establish  vinegar  works  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
and  subsequently  engaged  in  the  distillery  busi- 
ness for  a  short  time.  He  purchased  the  corner 
of  Center  Street  and  Wyoming  Avenue  and  in- 
creased its  value  by  improvements,  and  it  is  still 
owned  by  the  family,  tlis  death  occurred  in 
1889,  when  he  was  sixty-five  years  of  age. 
Among  the  Germans  of  Scranton  he  was  a  recog- 
nized leader,  and  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
the  German  Society  here.  He  was  also  a  char- 
ter member  of  the  German  lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Catherine  Witha- 
meier,  was  born  in  Germany,  where  her  father 
died;  her  mother  died  in  Montreal  while  en  route 
to  Scranton.  The  most  of  her  life  she  spent  in 
this  city,  and  here  her  death  occurred  in  1887. 
To  her  marriage  there  were  born  five  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Charles  J.,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Scranton,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  this  city,  and  in  1871  was  employed  in 
the  crockery  store  of  J.  L.  Harding  in  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue,  where  he  carried  on  business  for 
eight  years.  Later  he  was  in  the  employ  of  H. 
A.  Coursen.  In  1888  he  started  in  business  for 
himself  at  No.  314  Spruce  Street  and  afterward 
took  into  partnership  G.  V.  Millar,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Weichel  &  Millar.  The  enterprise  was 
prospered  and  a  large  trade  was  established.  In 
the  spring  of  1896  he  sold  out,  and  in  October  of 
the  same  year  opened  the  establishment  which 
he  has  since  conducted.  The  Mears  Buildinsf,  in 
which  the  store  is  situated,  is  one  of  the  finest  of- 
fice buildings  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  is  con- 
veniently located,  thus  affording  him  every  ad- 
vantage in  the  retail  trade. 

At  No.  538  Quincy  Avenue  Mr.  Weichel  has 
a  pleasant  home,  with  beautiful  interior  appoint- 


ments. Here  every  comfort  is  provided  for  his 
family,  which  consists  of  his  wife,  formerly  Miss 
Annie  Hopewell,  and  four  children,  Clyde,  Lau- 
rene,  Karl  and  Catherine.  lie  is  identified  with 
the  Hickory  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
which  his  parents  were  charter  members  and  very 
active  workers;  his  wife  holds  membership  in 
Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Though 
not  active  in  politics,  he  possesses  firm  convic- 
tions on  national  issues  and  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. In  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks  he  holds  the  ofifice  of  treasurer,  and  is  ac- 
tively identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Scranton  Rowing  Association  and  Liederkranz. 


NATHAN  THOMPSON  retired  from  active 
business  pursuits  in  1889  and  has  since 
enjoyed  the  fruit  of  his  labors  in  former 
years.  Of  Canadian  birth,  once  each  year  he 
visits  the  old  home  in  Ontario  and  spends  a 
month  or  more  with  his  mother  and  brothers. 
While  he  loves  the-  land  of  his  birth,  he  is  in- 
tensely patriotic  in  his  devotion  to  our  govern- 
ment and  has  the  same  devotion  to  country  char- 
acteristic of  his  maternal  ancestors,  the  Aliens. 
His  grandfather  was  a  nephew  of  Ethan  Allen, 
of  Revolutionary  fame,  while  an  uncle,  George 
R.  Allen,  was  a  brave  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
The  latter  attained  the  advanced  age  of  one  hun- 
dred and  two  years. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rob- 
ert Thompson,  was  born  in  Monmouth  County, 
N.  J.,  January  2,  1784,  and  moved  from  there  to 
Canada,  locating  in  Iroquois,  Dundas  County, 
Ontario.  March  28,  1805,  he  married  Elizabeth 
Cameron,  who  was  born  in  Canada  February  23, 
1788,  of  Scotch  descent.  Her  father,  who  was  of 
Scotch  birth,  emigrated  from  Cameron  County  to 
Canada  and  became  a  farmer  near  Cardnell.  In 
religious  belief  the  family  were  strong  Presbyter- 
ians. Robert  Thompson,  though  a  mechanic  by 
trade,  spent  much  of  his  life  on  a  farm,  of  which 
he  became  the  owner. 

Of  ten  children,  James  Thompson,  our  sub- 
ject's father,  was  next  to  the  eldest.  He  was  born 
March  11,  1809,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  which 
was  part  of  the  old  homestead.    This  he  after- 


I002 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ward  cultivated  and  upon  it  the  family  still  re- 
side. His  death  occurred  there  in  1886.  His 
character  was  above  reproach,  and  he  was  an 
honored  and  prominent  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  One  of  his  sons,  David, 
is  a  magistrate  in  Iroquois  at  present.  The  moth- 
er of  our  subject,  Rhoda  Allen,  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  still  living,  in 
possession  of  her  mental  faculties,  though  now 
ninety  years  of  age.  Her  father,  Samuel,  was 
born  in  Vermont,  removed  thence  to  St.  Law- 
rence County,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  farming. 

The  family  of  James  and  Rhoda  Thompson 
consists  of  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  the  eldest  is  sixty-four  years  of  age.  They 
are  Mrs.  Charlotte  Robinson,  of  Tuscola  County, 
Mich.;  Ezra,  a  business  man  and  attorney  of 
Waupaca,  Wis.;  Mrs.  Lydia  Kelley,  of  St.  Law- 
rence County,  N.  Y.;  Myron,  who  resides  on  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead;  Mrs.  Salome  Albraut, 
of  Tuscola  County,  Mich.;  Robert,  a  blacksmith 
at  Little  Bull  Falls,  Wis. ;  Nathan ;  Samuel,  who 
owns  a  flour  mill  near  Little  Bull  Falls,  Wis. ; 
Homer,  who  occupies  a  portion  of  the  old  home- 
stead; Edson  and  William,  who  also  operate  a 
part  of  their  father's  estate. 

In  May  of  1865  Mr.  Thompson  went  to  Wau- 
paca, Wis.,  where  he  had  a  brother.  For  a  time 
he  worked  in  Janesville,  later  was  employed  in 
Beloit,  then  went  to  Greene  County,  Iowa,  and 
assisted  a  contractor  in  building  eight  miles  of  the 
Pacific  Railroad.  From  there  he  drove  by  team 
to  Scranton,  through  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Indi- 
ana and  Ohio  into  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the  last 
day  of  the  trip  drove  sixty-three  miles,  arriving 
in  Scranton  September  13,  1866.  Here  he  drove 
a  team  for  Joseph  Church  for  two  years  and  then 
began  to  deal  in  cattle  and  hides  and  tallows, 
making  his  headciuarters  here,  and  erecting  large 
buildings  for  storage.  He  continued  a  large  busi- 
ness, having  fine  machinery  for  tallow  rendering 
and  a  first-class  hide  packer,  and  the  hides  he 
sold  brought  the  highest  market  price  at  all  times. 
In  1889  he  retired  from  business.  He  owns  four 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  frontage  in  Provi- 
dence Road,  his  residence  being  at  No.  1251, 
and  also  owns  five  hundred  and  twenty -five  feet 
in   North   Main  Avenue,   also   three   brick  resi- 


dences, a  wagon  repository,  paint  and  blacksmith 
shops,  which  he  rents.  His  attention  is  now  giv- 
en to  the  oversight  of  his  real  estate  business. 
Fond  of  fine  horses,  he  owns  a  number  that  are 
standard-bred,  including  "St.  Nick."  He  raised 
and  trained  "Blue,"  that  made  a  record  of  2:27 
in  Scranton  and  afterward  went  as  high  as  2:16^ 
in  Saginaw,  Mich. 

In  December,  1874,  Mr.  Thompson  married 
Miss  Jennie  Francis,  who  was  born  here,  the  sec- 
ond eldest  of  six  children,  and  died  at  the  family 
residence  July  20,  1895,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven. 
Of  her  children,  Viola  died  at  the  age  of  about 
one  year.  The  others  are  Robert  and  James, 
members  of  the  high  school  class  of  1899  and 
1900,  and  Ruth.  Mrs.  Thompson  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Francis,  who  was  born  in  South 
Wales  and  came  to  America  in  early  manhood, 
settling  in  Scranton,  where  he  was  employed  as 
a  miner  in  the  Diamond  mines  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company.  He  married 
Rachel  Jones,  whose  father,  James  Jones,  settled 
in  Scranton  in  the  early  days,  having  come  hither 
from  South  Wales,  and  was  employed  as  a  miner 
here.  While  Mr.  Thompson  has  never  been  ac- 
tive in  politics,  he  is  interested  in  the  national 
issues  and  always  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


JOHN  M.  ROBERTSON  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Robertson  &  Law,  pro- 
prietors of  the  "Katydid"  coal  mines,  located 
at  Moosic.  Through  well  directed  efforts,  enter- 
prise and  industry  he  has  acquired  a  competence 
and  is  now  in  comfortable  circumstances  finan- 
cially, a  fact  which  speaks  well  for  his  ability  and 
which  is  especially  noteworthy  in  view  of  his  for- 
eign birth  and  education. 

In  Glasgow,  Scotland,  where  he  was  born 
March  22,  1844,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  re- 
ceived his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Later  he  became  a  student  in  the  Edmington  Col- 
lege of  London,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
Next  he  entered  St.  Andrew's  University  in  Scot- 
land, from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1861. 
His  education  completed,  he  at  once  began  an 
active  business  career,  forming  a  partnership 
with  another  gentleman  in  Glasgow  and  embark- 


S.   I'.  LoXGSTREKT,  M.   D. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


loo^ 


ing  in  the  wholesale  business.  For  five  years  he 
was  thus  engaged  and  on  selling  out,  he  took 
a  position  as  bookkeeper  for  Isaac  Baxter  & 
Sons. 

It  was  in  1867  that  Mr.  Robertson  came  to 
America,  settling  m  Lackawanna  County.  For 
a  time  he  was  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Company  at  Providence,  after  which 
he  was  with  the  Hillside  Coal  &  Iron  Company 
at  Scranton,  being  paymaster  of  the  latter  com- 
pany for  ten  years.  On  coming  to  Moosic  in 
1883,  he  leased  land  and  developed  the  mines 
he  now  owns.  At  first  he  was  alone,  but  in  1893 
took  his  present  partner  into  the  business. 
The  daily  output  of  coal  averages  four  hundred 
tons  and  the  large  business  demands  his  close 
and  careful  attention. 

In  1874  Mr.  Robertson  married  Miss  Jennie 
Law,  sister  of  his  business  partner,  and  they  have 
four  children,  David,  Charles,  John  and  Mar- 
gery. The  religious  connections  of  Mr.  Robert- 
son are  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  of- Moosic, 
in  which  he  is  an  influential  member.  Frater- 
nally he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  lodge  in 
Taylor.  Besides  assisting  materially  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  resources  of  Moosic,  he  has  an 
influence  for  good  as  a  man  of  sound  sense,  un- 
swerving integrity  and  thoughtful  disposition 
which  make  him  just  and  considerate  in  his  deal- 
ings with  others. 


SAMUEL  PRICE  LONGSTREET,  M.  D., 
coroner  of  Lackawanna  County,  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  physicians  and  sur- 
geons now  practicing  in  Scranton.  The  Long- 
street  family  upon  coming  to  this  country  lo- 
cated in  New  Jersey,  and  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  there.  One  of  the  ancestors  removed  to 
Virginia,  and  the  noted  General  Longstreet  is 
descended  from  that  branch.  Dr.  Longstreet's 
grandfather  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  Wayne 
County,  Pa.,  and  there  engaged  in  farming.  His 
son,  William  R.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
engaged  in  lumbering  there,  and  followed  the 
same  business  in  Prompton,  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
then  for  about  five  years  in  Moscow,  this  county, 
after  which  he  went  to  Erie  City,  and  there  en- 
43 


gaged  in  the  coal  business  until  his  death  in  1873. 
He  was  one  of  those  who  gave  up  all  for  the  de- 
fense of  his  country  and  served  for  three  years 
in  the  Civil  War.  About  1847  he  married  Anne 
Krone,  of  Milford,  Pike  County,  Pa.,  and  they 
had  eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  living,  our 
subject  being  next  to  the  youngest. 

Samuel  Price  Longstreet  was  born  at  Hawley, 
Pa.,  March  2,  1862,  and  when  young  moved  with 
his  parents  to  Prompton,  Moscow  and  Erie  City. 
He  attended  school  four  years  in  the  latter  place, 
then  moved  back  to  Prompton,  and  after  his 
father's  death  attended  the  Wayne  County  nor- 
mal school  there.  He  finished  his  preliminary 
education  at  the  state  normal  at  Mansfield,  then 
taught  for  several  years  in  the  Wayne  County 
schools.  Having  a  predilection  for  the  profession 
of  a  physician,  and  having  spent  much  of  his 
leisure  time  in  reading  up  with  the  end  in  view 
of  fitting  himself  for  such  a  life,  he  entered  the 
ofiice  of  Dr.  L.  Kelly,  of  Olyphant,  in  1879,  and 
studied  at  intervals  until  1883,  when  he  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  Hand,  of  Scranton,  and  later 
was  a  student  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  New  York.  After  a  three  years' 
course  there  he  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M. 
D.,  March  8,  1886,  and  for  the  next  three  years 
was  associated  with  Dr.  Hand.  In  May,  1889, 
he  began  practice  for  himself  and  is  still  in  the 
office  in  which  he  first  started.  In  response  to 
the  urgent  solicitation  of  many  of  his  friends  he 
allowed  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  candidate  for 
county  coroner,  and  his  popularity  was  shown 
by  the  result  of  the  election  held  November  3, 
1895,  by  which  he  was  elected  with  the  largest 
majority  of  any  candidate  on  the  ticket.  He  has 
advanced  ideas  in  medicine  and  surgery  and 
avails  himself  of  all  opportunities  to  make  him- 
self the  more  fitted  for  his  chosen  profession. 
He  was  the  first  physician  in  northeast  Pennsyl- 
vania to  successfully  use  the  X-rays  in  his  prac- 
tice, and  in  his  first  operation  was  successful  in 
a  case  which  had  foiled  the  best  attempts  of  other 
physicians.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  surgical 
operations  and  has  been  wonderfully  successful 
in  that  line.  In  seventeen  cases  that  he  has  had 
of  appendicitis  he  has  not  lost  a  single  case. 
Jime  25,   1891,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Dr. 


ioo6 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORt). 


Longstreet  and  Christine  Martha,  daughter  of 
William  Evans,  of  Scranton,  who  is  of  Scotch- 
English  and  Welsh  descent.  Two  children  have 
been  bom  to  them,  Anne  Elizabeth  and  Sarah 
I'rances.  The  family  attend  St.  Luke's  Episco- 
pal Church  of  Scranton.  Fraternally  the  Doctor 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  the  Benev- 
olent Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In  his  political 
affiliations  he  adheres  to  the  tenets  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 


JOSEPH  SCHREIBER,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  milk  business  at  No.  531  Pittston  Ave- 
nue, Scranton,  is  a  young  man  of  business 
ability  and  has  already  established  a  trade  in  his 
special  line  among  the  people  of  the  city.  His 
patronage  is  large  and  constantly  increasing,  as  a 
result  of  the  energetic  manner  in  which  he  car- 
ries forward  his  various  enterprises.  He  has 
spent  his  entire  life  in  this  city  and  was  born  at 
the  home  of  his  parents  in  Pittston  Avenue,  July 
25,  1863,  the  descendant  of  German  ancestors. 

Charles,  the  father  of  Joseph  Schreiber,  was 
born  in  Baden-Baden,  Germany,  and  emigrated 
to  America  in  young  manhood,  settling  first  in 
Newark,  N.  J.,  where  he  married.  Later  he  re- 
moved to  Cochecton,  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  employed  for  a  time.  In  1862  he 
came  to  Scranton  and  secured  work  as  a  black- 
smith with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Com- 
pany, but  after  a  time  became  a  junk  dealer  on 
the  south  side.  He  was  an  industrious,  hard- 
working man,  and  as  such  was  respected  by  those 
who  knew  him.  He  married  Miss  Appolonia 
Guenter,  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  himself, 
and  daughter  of  Ferdinand  Guenter,  who  was  for 
thirty-two  years  a  soldier  in  tlie  German  army, 
was  a  participant  in  the  Napoleonic  wars,  a  man 
of  splendid  military  ability  and  courage.  On 
coming  to  America  he  settled  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J., 
where  he  died  in  1885  at  the  age  of  one  hun- 
dred and  six  years  and  four  months.  His  father 
had  attained  the  age  of  ninety-nine  years. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  John  is 
a  junk  dealer  in  Scranton;  Mary  is  married  and 
lives  in  this  city;  Ferdinand,  who  graduated  from 


St.  Vincent's,  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by 
Bishop  Gilmore,  of  Cleveland,  and  is  now  pastor 
of  a  Catholic  Church  in  Vernon  Junction,  Ohio; 
Jacob  is  with  our  subject;  and  Kate  lives  in  this 
city.  The  others  are  deceased.  The  childhood 
years  of  our  subject  were  spent  in  Scranton, 
where  he  attended  the  parochial  schools.  At  the 
age  of  twelve  he  began  to  earn  his  own  liveli- 
hood, his  first  position  being  as  moulder  in 
Price's  stove  works  on  the  west  side.  After  six 
months  there  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  tinsmith's 
trade  with  Hunt  &  Connell,  and  continued  with 
the  same  firm  for  fifteen  years.  On  resigning  this 
position  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  on  Al- 
der Street  and  Pittston  Avenue,  being  for  one 
year  proprietor  of  the  White  House  Hotel.  On 
selling  out  in  1888,  he  embarked  in  the  milk  busi- 
ness in  a  small  place  in  River  Street,  but  after  a 
year  removed  to  Pittston  Avenue,  where  he  oc- 
cupied a  basement  for  a  year.  Next  he  came  to 
No.  531  Pittston  Avenue,  where  he  carries  on  a 
retail  business  in  milk,  butter,  eggs  and  cheese. 
In  addition  to  this  place  he  owns  a  creamery  in 
Brown  Hollow,  Scott  Township,  this  county. 

June  17,  1887,  in  Scranton,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Schreiber  to  Miss  Rosa  Ruf,  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  Anthony  Ruf.  They  are  the  parents 
of  six  children,  Rosa,  Mary,  Annie,  Joseph, 
Henry  and  Lorenz,  to  whom  good  advantages 
will  be  given  for  education.  Mr.  Schreiber  at- 
tends St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  with  his  fam- 
ily and  all  are  identified  with  its  work.  Politically 
he  supports  Republican  principles,  but  has  never 
identified  himself  with  public  affairs,  preferring 
to  devote  himself  entirely  to  the  business  he  has 
established. 


PATRICK  F.  GORDON,  member  of  the 
conunon  council  from  the  second  ward  of 
Scranton  and  one  of  the  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city,  was  born  in  Girardville, 
Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  September  6,  1864,  and 
was  the  only  child  of  Edward  and  Mary  (Mc- 
Laughlin) Gordon.  His  father,  who  was  reared 
in  Wayne  County,  removed  from  there  to  Schuyl- 
kill County  and  for  some  time  was  employed  in 
the  iron  works  of  Girardville.     In  1866  he  came 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


loo;? 


to  Scranton  and  here  engaged  in  teaming.  His 
death  occurred  in  this  city  in  January,  1882,  when 
he  was  forty  years  of  age;  his  wife  still  lives 
here. 

When  only  seven  years  of  age  our  subject  was 
put  to  work  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  von  Storch 
breaker  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany, but  later  was  made  office  boy.  From  nine 
until  eleven  he  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Scranion,  and  after  working  for  Captain  Fish  for 
eighteen  months  again  returned  to  school  for 
six  months.  Next  he  became  an  apprentice  to 
the  plumber's  trade  under  William  P.  Connell, 
but  after  six  months  left  the  place.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  began  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
trades  of  blacksmith  and  wagonniaker  under 
William  Bright,  with  whom  he  remained  for  three 
years  and  eight  months.  Afterward  he  worked 
for  Andrew  Lord  for  eighteen  months. 

In  1885  Mr.  Gordon  started  in  business  for 
himself  at  No.  323  Green  Street,  where  he  oc- 
cupies two  floors,  26x60,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  light  and  heavy  wagons  and  in 
blacksmithing.  The  residence  which  he  built  for 
his  family  stands  on  the  corner  of  Ferdinand 
Street  and  Summit  Avenue.  He  was  married  in 
this  city  to  Miss  Annie  Cunningham,  who  was 
born  in  Dunmore,  and  was  the  eldest  of  the  six 
children  of  William  and  Mary  (Hart)  Cunning- 
ham, the  latter  still  living.  Her  father,  who  in 
1861  became  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment of  cavalry,  served  until  the  following  year, 
when  he  was  wounded  in  the  leg  and  chest,  and 
on  that  account  was  honorably  discharged.  How- 
ever, he  soon  re-enlisted  and  served  until  about 
the  close  of  the  war,  retiring  as  first  sergeant. 
During  his  second  period  of  service  he  was 
wounded  in  the  hip.  In  1877,  while  acting  as 
watchman  on  the  railroad,  he  was  run  over  by 
a  train  in  Nicholson  tunnel  and  was  killed.  Ap- 
pearances seemed  to  indicate  that  he  had  been 
murdered  and  the  body  laid  in  such  a  position 
that  the  train  would  run  over  him.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely: 
Mary  Lauard;  Edward;  Carrie,  who  died  at  two 
years;  and  Lauretta. 

As  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Gordon  has  taken  a  prom- 
inent part  in  local  politics.     In  February,  1896, 


he  was  the  nominee  of  his  party  to  represent  the 
second  ward  in  the  common  council,  and  his  pop- 
ularity is  indicated  by  the  fact  that,  though  the 
ward  has  a  nominal  Republican  majority  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five,  he  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  forty-seven.  During  his  service  in 
this  position  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  park 
committee  and  member  of  the  auditing,  estimate, 
fire  department,  pavements,  light  and  water  and 
streets  and  bridges  committees.  From  1885  to 
1890  he  was  a  member  of  Company  I,  Thirteenth 
Regiment  of  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  when  honorably  discharged  was  serving  as 
corporal.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  Excelsior 
Hose  Company  No.  8,  in  which  he  has  been  an 
official,  and  is  still  active  in  the  organization. 


A' 


LFRED  E.  CONNELL,  manager  of  the 
Scranton  Button  Company,  Limited,  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  June  24,  1867, 
and  is  a  son  of  Hon.  William  Connell,  one  of  the 
prominent  coal  operators  of  the  state.  In  boy- 
hood he  was  given  the  best  advantages  which  the 
schools  of  the  city  afforded,  gaining  the  rudi- 
ments of  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
afterward  attending  The  School  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna. Inheriting  a  love  of  business  pursuits, 
which  had  been  fostered  by  judicious  training, 
he  early  turned  his  attention  to  commercial  af- 
fairs and  in  these  has  since  won  merited  recogni- 
tion. 

During  the  season  of  1886  Mr.  Connell  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  Barber  Asphalt  Company. 
Next  he  took  a  position  as  salesman  for  the  hard- 
ware firm  of  Hunt  &  Connell,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained in  that  capacity  nearly  five  years.  After- 
ward he  became  manager  of  the  general  mercan- 
tile establishment  of  A.  E.  Connell  at  Duryea, 
now  operated  under  the  name  of  the  Lawrence 
Store  Company,  continuing  there  for  two  years. 
His  service  in  these  different  capacities  prepared 
him  for  the  responsible  position  which  he  now 
holds  and  to  which  he  was  called  December  13, 
1892.  Since  then  his  entire  attention  has  been 
devoted  to  the  management  of  the  Scranton  But- 
ton Company,  Limited,  and  under  his  able  super- 
vision  the   business   has  grown   in   importance. 


ioo8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  location  is  Brook  Street,  corner  of  Cedar 
Avenue,  where  the  company  occupies  a  three- 
story  building  in  the  shape  of  an  L,  covering  two 
hundred  feet  altogether.  Employment  is  fur- 
nished to  nearly  two  hundred  hands.  The  plant 
has  a  capacity  of  four  thousand  gross  per  day, 
the  products  being  buttons  of  all  varieties  and 
styles,  from  the  most  dainty  and  diminu- 
tive to  the  largest  and  most  striking.  The  sales 
are  not  limited  to  this  country,  though  of  course 
largest  here,  but  shipments  are  made  of  the 
manufactured  articles  also  to  South  America  and 
Australia. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Council  married  Miss  Jane 
Harris,  who  was  born  in  Tredegar,  South  Wales, 
received  an  excellent  education  here,  and  prior  to 
her  marriage  was  a  successful  teacher  in  the 
Scranton  schools.  In  childhood  she  was  brought 
to  America  by  her  father,  Job  Harris,  who  was 
formerly  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Company,  but  is  now  living  retired.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Connell,  with  their  children,  Edwin  and 
Janet,  reside  in  a  comfortable  residence,  corner 
of  Webster  Avenue  and  Vine  Street.  They  at- 
tend the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  which  they  hold  membership.  Politically  he 
is  a  pronounced  Republican,  ever  firm  in  his  al- 
legiance to  party  principles,  and  fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323, 
F.  &  A.  M. 


WILLIAM  C.  COWLES,  proprietor  of 
a  large  hardware  store  at  No.  1907 
North  Main  Avenue,  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Waverly,  Pa.,  in  1852,  and  is  a  descend- 
ant of  one  of  three  brothers  who  came  from  Eng- 
land in  an  early  day  and  settled  in  Coimecticut. 
The  family  is  of  good  old  Puritan  stock.  One 
of  his  uncles,  Warren  Cowles,  was  a  member  of 
the  New  York  Assembly,  and  under  President 
Grant  held  the  office  of  attorney-general  of 
Dakota,  where  he  died. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  C.  A.  Cowles,  was 
born  in  Southport,  N.  Y.,  and  in  early  manhood 
traveled  extensively  as  an  agent  for  patent  tur- 
bine water  wheels.  Settling  in  Waverly,  he  car- 
ried on  a  hardware  business  there  until  his  death 


in  1883,  ^""^  during  a  part  of  this  time  the  busi- 
ness was  carried  on  under  the  name  of  C.  A. 
Cowles  &  Sons.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master 
Mason,  and  an  active  worker  in  the  Waverly 
lodge.  He  married  Cynthia  A.  Raymond,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Raymond,  both  natives  of  Benton. 
The  latter  removed  to  Waverly,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  Raymond's  patent 
medicines,  and  carried  on  a  wholesale  and  retail 
business  until  his  death  in  i860.  His  wife  passed 
away  five  years  previous  to  his  demise. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
originally  consisted  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
and  all  are  living  but  the  daughter.  They  are  A. 
B.,  who  has  charge  of  the  hardware  business  at 
Waverly,  formerly  conducted  by  his  father;  Wil- 
liam C;  B.  E.,  night  dispatcher  for  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  at  Scran- 
ton; James  G.,  who  is  clerking  for  William  C. ; 
and  R.  R.,  who  resides  in  Brooklyn,  and  is  gen- 
eral manager  for  a  lumber  company  in  New  York 
City.  Until  1877  our  subject  was  with  his  father 
in  the  hardware  store  and  meantime  learned  tin- 
smithing,  but  in  that  year  he  came  to  Scranton  as 
agent  for  the  Singer  sewing  machines.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  took  a  position  as  fireman  in  the 
employ  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Company. 

Resigning  from  the  road,  Mr.  Cowles  went  to 
Leadville  March  26,  1880,  and  was  there  em- 
ployed at  his  trade  until  1884,  when  he  went  to 
Aspen,  Colo.,  as  an  employe  of  Durand  &  Lux. 
In  1887  he  went  to  Glenwood  Springs  to  open  up 
a  branch  store  for  tlie  firm,  and  carried  a  stock 
of  goods  valued  at  $100,000.  In  July,  1888,  he 
returned  to  Scranton,  and  on  the  ist  of  August 
opened  a  hardware  store  at  No.  108  West  Market 
Street,  but  in  1890  removed  to  his  present  loca- 
tion, where  he  has  a  building,  25x98,  three  floors 
in  height,  and  furnished  with  elevator  service. 
The  value  of  the  stock  is  over  $20,000.  He  is 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Lacka- 
wanna Hardware  Company  at  No.  221  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue,  where  are  carried  a  full  line  of 
hardware,  tinware,  stoves,  furnaces,  sheet  iron  for 
roofing,  and  every  facility  for  plumbing,  steam 
and  gas  fitting.  The  firm  represents  the  Abram 
Cox  Stove  Company. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


1009 


Fraternally  Mr.  Cowles  is  identified  with  Celes- 
tial Lodge  No.  833,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Scranton 
Encampment.  For  two  years  he  was  captain  of 
Canton  Scranton  No.  4,  and  now  ranks  as  major 
of  the  Second  Batallion,  Second  Regiment,  Patri- 
arch Militant  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Traders  &  Bankers  Mutual  Life  As- 
sociation he  took  an  active  interest,  and  is  the 
first  vice-president.  He  was  also  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers and  a  director  of  the  Pocono  Spring 
Water  Ice  Company;  also  of  the  Lorraine  Land 
Association,  that  bought  out  Wood,  Harmon  & 
Co.,  and  is  now  its  treasurer  and  a  trustee.  In 
addition  he  is  a  member  of  the  Heidelberg  Inn 
Company  at  Naomi  Pines,  Pa.,  is  treasurer  of 
the  Providence  Board  of  Trade  and  of  the  Per- 
severance Club,  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is  a  Republican  in 
politics.  While  a  member  of  the  band,  he  was 
identified  with  Company  D  of  the  Scranton  City 
Guard,  and  during  his  residence  in  Waverly  he 
was  second  lieutenant  of  Company  E,  Ninth  Regi- 
ment of  State  Militia,  commissioned  by  Governor 
Hartranft.  In  Scranton  he  married  Miss  Carrie 
E..  daughter  of  John  and  Caroline  (LaBar) 
Whaite.  Mrs.  Cowles  was  born  and  educated  in 
Waverly,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  child,  Catherine 
von  Storch. 


JOHN  DEMUTH,  president  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  and  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Oldenburg,  Germany,  in  1847,  being  the 
son  of  John  and  Annie  Demuth,  also  natives  of 
that  province.  His  father  and  grandfather  were 
both  millwrights  by  trade  and  both  remained  in 
Germany  until  their  death,  the  former  passing 
away  at  an  early  age.  His  widow  and  their  only 
child,  John,  came  to  Scranton  in  1857,  and  here 
she  was  afterward  married  to  Mr.  Gundlach,  their 
union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  two  daughters. 
Mrs.  Gundlach  died  in  Scranton  in  1887. 

The  early  education  of  our  subject  was  ob- 
tained in  the  common  schools  of  Germany.  When 
he  was  ten  years  of  age  he  and  his  mother  took 
passage  at  Bremen  on  a  sailing  vessel,  and  after 
a  voyage  of  thirty-seven  days  landed  in   New 


York,  coming  thence  to  Scranton.  At  an  early 
age  he  was  obliged  to  become  self-supporting, 
so  that  his  education  in  America  was  limited  to 
a  brief  attendance  in  the  night  schools  of  the 
middle  ward.  His  first  work  was  that  of  a  slate 
picker,  after  which  he  was  employed  as  fireman 
for  a  year,  and  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age 
he  did  duty  as  engineer  and  fireman.  In  1863  he 
became  an  employe  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company  in  the  machine  shop, 
later  was  transferred  to  the  wood  or  saw  shops, 
remaining  with  the  company  for  thirty  years,  and 
during  the  latter  part  of  this  time  he  held  the 
position  of  sawyer. 

In  1893,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  Mr.  De- 
muth was  nominated  for  county  commissioner, 
and  was  elected  by  the  largest  majority  given 
any  commissioner  that  year.  On  the  first  Mon- 
day in  January,  1894,  he  took  the  oath  of  office 
for  three  years,  and  has  since  served  acceptably 
on  the  board,  being  its  president  at  this  writing. 
They  are  making  important  improvements  on 
the  court  house,  and  have  had  a  number  of  large 
transactions  under  consideration.  Since  1866  he 
has  been  interested  in  the  Scranton  fire  depart- 
ment, being  a  charter  member  and  now  president 
of  the  Neptune  Fire  Company,  in  which  he  has 
also  been  treasurer  and  trustee.  He  has  served 
his  party  on  county  and  city  committees.  Since 
1872  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Lackawanna 
German  Beneficent  Society.  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
Church  numbers  him  among  its  active  members 
and  liberal  supporters.  He  married  in  this  city 
Miss  Kate  Reidenbach,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  they  are  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
Katie,  Louisa,  Emma,  Mary,  Frank,  Rosa  and 
John  Jacob. 


ROBERT  F.  TAYLOR,  D.  D.  S.,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  dental  profession  at  No. 
191 1  North  Main  Avenue,  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Grey,  a  county  of  Ontario,  bordering  on 
Georgian  Bay,  July  7,  1865.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, who  served  for  some  time  in  the  English 
navy,  brought  his  family  to  America  and  settled 
in  Ontario,  embarking  in  the  mercantile  business 
in  Young  Street,  North  Toronto.     During  the 


lOIO 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Canadian  Rebellion,  he  took  part  as  a  McKenzie 
man.  His  death  occurred  when  he  was  nearly 
ninety  years  of  age. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Taylor,  Rev.  Charles  Taylor, 
was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  prepared 
for  the  ministry  in  Toronto,  afterward  being  or- 
dained as  a  preacher  in  the  Methodist  Episcof)al 
Church.  He  has  held  pastorates  in  different  parts 
of  Ontario,  and  is  now  located  at  Barrie,  Sinicoe 
County.  Though  seventy-three  and  superannu- 
ated, he  is  still  active  and  quite  robust.  He  mar- 
ried Martha  Bagshaw,  who  was  born  in  Ontario, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Squire  Bagshaw,  who 
came  from  Norfolk,  England.  Though  a  jeweler 
by  trade,  after  coming  to  America  he  engaged  in 
farming.  During  the  rebellion  he  held  the  office 
of  magistrate,  and  tried  a  number  of  prisoners 
arrested  for  connection  therewith.  His  death  oc- 
curred when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  an  Episcopalian.  Mrs. 
Martha  Taylor  passed  from  earth  in  1893. 

The  family  of  Rev.  Charles  and  Martha  Taylor 
consisted  of  ten  children,  of  whom  all  but  one 
are  living.  Three  sons  are  in  Canada:  Charles, 
a  minister;  William,  a  contractor;  and  John,  a 
dentist.  Robert  P.,  the  next  to  the  youngest  and 
the  only  member  of  the  family  residing  in  Scran- 
ton,  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
the  various  places  where  his  father  resided.  He 
received  a  classical  education,  and  prepared  to 
enter  Toronto  University.  The  study  of  den- 
tistry he  began  in  the  office  of  his  brother  in 
Campbcllford,  Ontario,  after  which  he  entered  the 
Wisconsin  Dental  College  and  remained  there 
until  his  graduation,  in  1884,  with  the  degree  of 
D.  D.  S.  Opening  an  office  in  Midland,  Ontario, 
he  engaged  in  practice  there  for  a  short  time. 

In  1892  Dr.  Taylor  began  a  post-graduate 
course  in  the  P.altiniore  Dental  College,  and 
graduated  the  following  year  as  valedictorian  of 
his  class,  receiving  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S.  Imme- 
diately afterward  he  began  professional  work  in 
Scranton,  where  he  has  since  conducted  an  in- 
creasing practice.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
higher  branches  of  dentistry,  and  has  been  quite 
successful  in  crown  and  Ijridge  work,  and  por- 
celain dental  art.  Pralcrnally  he  is  connected 
with  Green  Ridge  Lodge,  1'".  &  .\.  M,,  Independ- 


ent Order  of  Odd  Pellows  and  Sons  of  St.  George, 
while  in  politics  he  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
His  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Ontario, 
united  him  with  Miss  Florence  A.,  daughter  of 
William  Bowles,  a  farmer  of  Bradford,  where  she 
was  born.  Four  children  bless  their  union,  Hor- 
ace, Percival,  Marion  and  Ruth,  who,  with  their 
parents,  reside  at  No.  1707  Church  Street. 


EDWARD  T.  SWARTZ,  of  Scranton,  who 
lias  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the 
most  efficient  engineers  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  was  born  in 
Pittston  Township,  Luzerne  County,  in  August, 
1847,  and  is  of  German  ancestry.  His  father, 
Elias,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  was  for  a 
time  proprietor  of  Lackawanna  Hotel  in  Lacka- 
wanna Township,  then  took  charge  of  Central 
Hotel  in  Pittston,  later  conducted  the  Central 
Hotel  in  Moscow.  In  1859,  while  the  hotel  in 
Moscow  was  being  remodeled,  he  was  one  day 
riding  on  the  engine,  "Old  Virginia,"  toward  his 
home  town,  when  the  engine  blew  up  and  he  and 
four  other  men  were  killed.  He  was  then  forty- 
eight  years  of  age. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Azubah  Miller, 
a  native  of  Lackawanna  Township  and  daughter 
of  Samuel  Miller,  who  engaged  in  farming  there. 
The  family  was  of  German  extraction.  In  relig- 
ious belief  she  was  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Her  last  years  were  spent  in 
her  home,  No.  323  Franklin  Avenue,  where  she 
passed  away  in  January,  1888,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-four. Of  her  fourteen  children,  all  but  two 
attained  maturity,  namely:  George  H.,  member 
of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  during  the  war  and 
now  a  farmer  of  Eau  Claire,  Wis.;  William  H., 
who  served  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  during 
the  war  and  is  now  engineer  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Coal  Company  at  Dunmore;  Lydia  A., 
Mrs.  L.  \.  Meader,  of  New  Hampshire,  deceased : 
John  P..,  a  soldier  in  the  war  and  now  a  moulder 
residing  in  Glenwood,  Pa. ;  Ira  M.,  quartermas- 
ter's clerk  in  the  United  States  army,  member  of 
a  cavalry  regiment  during  the  war,  and  now  in 
Portland.  Ore.;  Ilattic  D.,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Lockanl. 
who  died  in  Lackawanna  Township;    Emma  J., 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lOl  I 


Mrs.  E.  K.  Crothamel,  of  Scranton;  Edward  T. ; 
Charles  F.,  a  carpenter  in  Chicago;  Benjamin 
M.,  an  engineer  in  Ehnira  on  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  road;  Frank  M.,  also  an  en- 
gineer on  this  road  and  a  resident  of  Elmira;  and 
Mrs.  Addie  L.  Young,  who  died  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  mother  reared 
the  large  family  and  cared  for  them  until  they 
were  old  enough  to  start  out  in  the  world  for 
themselves.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Pittston  and  Mos- 
cow and  in  Wyoming  Academy.  In  1863,  when 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  became  a  brakeman  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad,  and  after  two  years  was  made 
fireman.  September  4,  1867,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  position  of  engineer  on  the  south  division,  be- 
tween Scranton  and  Washington,  and  has  since 
served  in  this  capacity,  having  run  the  following- 
named  engines:  Success,  Ohio,  Windgap,  John 
E.  Williams,  Stroudsburg,  Portland,  John  I. 
Blair  and  No.  55,  having  had  the  last-named  since 
1892.  He  has  been  very  fortunate  in  his  long  ex- 
perience on  the  road,  for  he  has  never  met  with  a 
serious  accident  and  never  lost  a  day  from  his 
work.  However,  he  once  had  a  very  narrow  es- 
cape; when  firing  he  jumped  from  a  passenger 
train  at  Pocono  to  take  his  engine,  but  the  snow 
being  deep  and  the  surface  frozen  hard,  he  was 
thrown  back  under  a  truck  that  knocked  him  off 
the  track,  cutting  his  head  and  bruising  him  con- 
siderably. 

In  Scranton,  on  Christmas  day  of  1867,  Mr. 
Swartz  and  Miss  Mary  Daniels  were  united  in 
marriage  in  the  house  in  Franklin  Avenue,  where 
they  now  reside.  Mrs.  Swartz  was  born  in  Car- 
bondale,  the  only  child  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Brewer)  Daniels,  natives  of  New  York,  the  form- 
er of  whom  died  in  New  York  City  while  on  a 
visit  there,  and  the  latter  in  Pleasant  Valley  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  Mr.  Daniels  was  a 
contractor  and  builder  by  trade.  The  first  sixteen 
years  of  the  life  of  Mrs.  Swartz  were  passed  in 
Carbondale,  where  she  received  her  education, 
but  since  that  age  she  has  been  a  resident  of 
Scranton.  Her  two  children,  Emma  E.  and  Jen- 
nie, died  at  the  respective  ages  of  four  years  and 


twenty-one  months.  In  fraternal  organizations 
she  is  very  prominent  and  active,  being  past  offi- 
cer in  the  Order  of  Rebekah,  member  of  Otsen- 
ingo  Chapter  No.  14,  Eastern  Star,  at  P.ingham- 
ton,  N.  Y.,  and  of  Mrs.  W.  F.  Hallstead  Lodge 
No.  82,  Auxiliary  to  Samuel  Sloan  Division  No. 
276,  B.  L.  E.  She  and  her  husband  are  active 
workers  in  the  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Swartz  is  officially  connected 
with  Moscow  Lodge  No.  504,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Rob- 
ert Burns  Lodge  No.  859,  at  Scranton ;  Scranton 
Encampment  No.  81 ;  Patriarchs  Militant  No.  4. 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  Rebekah  Degree,  and  for  some  years 
has  been  second  assistant  engineer  of  Samuel 
Sloan  Division  No.  276,  B.  L.  E.  While  he  has 
never  been  active  in  politics,  the  duties  of  his  po- 
sition preventing  him  from  identifying  himself 
with  local  afifairs,  yet  he  is  well  informed  regard- 
ing the  issues  of  the  age  and  votes  the  Republi- 
can ticket  at  all  elections. 


JOSEPH  P.  SANBORN,  of  Scranton,  was 
born  in  Gilboa,  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
April  27,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  A.  (Pynum)  Sanborn,  natives  of  New  York 
City.  His  mother,  who  died  in  April,  1896,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine,  was  a  descendant  of  En- 
glish ancestors,  who  came  to  America  in  the  his- 
toric "Mayflower."  The  Sanborn  family  also 
originated  in  England.  Joseph  Sanborn,  w'ho 
was  a  tinsmith  by  trade,  removed  to  Gilboa  after 
his  marriage  and  there  engaged  in  business  as  a 
tinner  and  hardware  merchant.  In  1851  he  set- 
tled in  Carbondale,  and  thence  removed  to  Scran- 
ton in  1870,  since  which  time  this  city  has  been 
his  home.  Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Delaware 
&  Hudson  railroad  he  ran  an  express  between 
Scranton  and  Carbondale,  but  afterward  had  a 
tinshop  in  the  latter  city.  In  1859  he  went  to 
Orangeville,  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  and  there 
during  the  war  enlisted  in  Company  E  of  the 
Third  Heavy  Artillery.  On  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  enlistment,  he  again  entered  the  ser- 
vice and  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  re- 
ceiving wounds  in  a  number  of  engagements. 
After  the  war  he  was  employed  in  Carbondale 
with  the  A^-ui  Bergen  Company,  and  thence,  as 


IOI2 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


above  stated,  he  came  to  Scranton  in  1872.  He  is 
actively  interested  in  Grand  Army  affairs. 

The  family  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Sanborn  con- 
sisted of  six  children,  of  whom  two  daughters 
and  one  son  are  now  living.  The  latter,  our  sub- 
ject, was  reared  in  Scranton  and  Carbondale  and 
attended  school  No.  i,  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
grove  of  pines.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began 
to  learn  the  tinsmith's  trade  under  his  father  in 
the  shop  of  the  Van  Bergen  Company,  and  for 
some  time  was  employed  by  a  firm  in  .Scranton. 
In  1872  he  went  to  Escanaba,  Mich.,  and  worked 
at  bis  trade  for  two  years.  On  his  return  to 
Scranton  he  started  in  the  business  of  breaking 
colts  and  selling  horses,  and  continued  in  that 
way  until  1889,  since  which  time  he  has  repre- 
sented C.  A.  Feas,  of  New  York,  the  largest  and 
one  of  the  oldest  manufacturers  of  artificial  limbs 
in  the  United  States.  He  is  agent  for  the  terri- 
tory in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  is  meeting  with 
success  in  the  business. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Sanborn  married  Miss  Fannie 
A.  Wickizer,  who  was  born  in  Abington  Town- 
ship, Lackawanna  County,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Lovisa  Wickizer.  Her  father,  a  native  of 
Wilkesbarre,  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Wickizer,  whose 
grandfather  emigrated  from  Holland  and  settled 
in  Wilkesbarre,  dying  there  in  middle  age.  For 
nine  years  John  Wickizer  was  engaged  at  shoe- 
making  in  North  Abington  Township,  but  from 
there  came  to  Scranton  and  is  now  living  retired 
in  this  city.  He  married  Lovisa,  daughter  of  Ho- 
sea  Phillips,  who  was  born  in  Exeter  Township, 
and  engaged  in  farming  near  Pittston,  where 
she  was  born.  Her  great-grandfather,  John,  was 
born  in  England,  and  settled  in  the  Wyoming 
Valley  prior  to  the  massacre.  He  died  in  Abing- 
ton Township  at  the  age  of  ninety-six.  Mrs. 
Wickizer  passed  away  in  1889  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two. Of  her  eight  children,  three  arc  living, 
Mrs.  Sanborn  being  the  eldest.  The  oldest  son, 
Loran  B.,  served  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  for  nine  months,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Reared  in  Abington  Township,  Mrs.  Sanborn 
remained  there  until  her  marriage  in  1872.  She 
is  prominently  connected  with  many  social  or- 
ganizations of  Scranton,  being  a  member  of  the 


Daughters  of  St.  George,  No.  51,  Waco  Coun- 
cil, No.  45,  Auxiliary  of  the  Red  Men,  Ladies' 
American  Protestant  Association,  and  is  a  prac- 
ticing physician  of  the  eclectic  school,  clairvoy- 
ant and  business  test  medium,  practicing  under 
the  law  of  1869.  Fraternally  Mr.  Sanborn  is 
identified  with  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of 
America. 


ENOCH  PAGE,  e.x-chief  of  the  Scranton 
fire  department,  has  been  one  of  the  most 
valuable  employes  of  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western  Company  during  a  period 
covering  nearly  thirty  years.  His  position  has 
been  that  of  contracting  for  all  the  foundry  work 
at  the  machine  shops  of  the  company  in  this  city. 
In  1874  he  was  elected  chief  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment and  served  as  such  about  three  years,  and 
again,  in  1888,  was  elected  and  acted  in  the 
same  capacity  for  another  three  years.  His  first 
service  as  a  fireman  was  in  1852,  when  he  joined 
Engine  No.  8  Company  in  Albany  and  became 
first  assistant  foreman  under  Daniel  D.  Tomp- 
kins. He  was  there  for  several  years,  and  after 
coming  to  this  city  he  joined  our  forces  and 
helped  organize  Crystal  Hose  Company  No.  4, 
of  which  he  was  an  active  member  until  he  en- 
tered Nay- Aug  Hose   Company  No.    i. 

Born  at  Chatham,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y., 
June  15,  1835,  our  subject  is  a  son  of  Joel  Page, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Connecticut  in  1800.  The 
latter's  father,  Edward  Page,  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation in  the  "Nutmeg"- state  and  was  an  early 
settler  in  New  York.  Joel  Page  learned  the 
molder's  trade  and  carried  on  a  foundry  for  many 
years  in  Chatham  and  subsequently  one  in  Al- 
bany. He  won  success  by  hard  and  diligent  toil, 
and  was  in  business  for  just  half  a  century.  At 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years  death  called  him 
from  his  labors,  and  by  a  strange  coincidence  his 
good  wife  died  at  the  same  age.  She  was  Miss 
Jane  Palmer,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Of  their 
family  consisting  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters 
only  two  are  now  living.  After  the  father's  death 
the  son,  Isaiah,  took  the  management  of  the  old 
foundry  until  he  also  died,  since  which  time  an- 
other son,  Hon.  William  Page,  conducts  it.     R. 


THHODORK  VOX  STORCII 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1015 


H.  is  foreman  for  our  subject  in  the  Scranton 
foundry. 

Enoch  Page  was  reared  at  his  birthplace  and 
was  quite  early  initiated  into  his  father's  trade. 
In  1849  he  went  to  Albany,  where  he  worked  in 
his  father's  foundry  until  the  close  of  1867.  On 
New  Year's  day,  1868,  he  came  to  Scranton,  tak- 
ing his  present  position  with  the  company.  The 
foundry  has  been  enlarged  to  meet  the  demands 
of  the  trade  four  times  its  original  capacity.  In 
the  three  cupolas  there  can  be  managed  about 
forty-two  tons  at  a  time,  and  employment  is  given 
to  one  hundred  and  thirty  men. 

The  comfortable  and  hospitable  home  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Page  is  located  at  No.  232  Mifflin  Ave- 
nue. Mrs.  Page  was  formerly  Miss  Amelia  Rule, 
born  in  Baltimore  and  left  an  orphan  at  the  early 
age  of  ten  years.  Six  children  have  been  born 
to  them:  Josephine,  widow  of  T.  M.  Beal;  Hat- 
tie,  who  remains  at  home;  Jennie,  Mrs.  Hoffman, 
of  Brooklyn;  John,  foreman  in  his  father's  foun- 
dry; Pierpoint,  at  home,  and  R.  C,  who  is  also 
in  the  foundry.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The 
first  vote  of  Mr.  Page  was  cast  for  John  C.  Fre- 
mont, and  since  the  organization  of  the  Republic- 
an party  he  has  been  one  of  its  stanchest  sup- 
porters. 


THEODORE  VON  STORCH  Almost 
the  entire  life  of  this  gentleman  was  passed 
upon  the  von  Storch  homestead  lands  in 
Providence,  where  he  was  born  May  19,  1812. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  yet 
so  unassuming  that  only  his  steadfast  adherence 
to  right,  as  he  saw  the  right,  marked  him  as  a 
man  of  tenacious  purpose.  His  life  was  not 
marked  by  thrilling  experiences  or  brilliant  ex- 
ploits, but  was  quietly  passed  in  the  discharge  of 
duty — like  the  constant  sunshine  of  an  autumn 
day  rather  than  the  fitful  flashes  of  an  electric 
storm. 

A  son  of  Henry  L.  C.  von  Storch,  the  origi- 
nator of  the  family  in  America,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Providence.  His  early  days  were  passed 
in  the  old  log  house  built  by  his  father  and  in 
which  he  was  born. 


Those  times  were  times  of  hard  work,  a  con- 
tinual battle  with  nature,  the  days  spent  in  clear- 
ing up  a  wilderness  amid  wild  beasts  of  almost 
every  description;  wolves,  bear  and  wildcats 
abounded ;  and  deer  were  almost  as  tame  as  the 
cattle  and  far  more  plentiful. 

In  1833  the  estate  was  divided  and  Mr.  von 
Storch  continued  with  the  improvement  of  the 
part  which  had  fallen  to  his  share.  In  1840  he 
built  what  was  for  those  times  a  very  fine  dwell- 
ing, in  which  he  lived  until  1872,  then  replacing 
it  with  a  large  modern  residence.  For  more 
than  twenty  years  he  held  the  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  served  as  chief  bur- 
gess of  Providence  nearly  all  the  time  it  was 
under  borough  government.  The  land  which  he 
owned  is  underlaid  with  as  fine  coal  deposits  as 
may  be  found  in  the  valley,  and  two  companies 
operate  it,  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Coal  Com- 
pany and  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company. 

It  has  often  been  said  of  Theodore  von  Storch 
that  he  never  knowingly  wronged  anyone,  but 
was  always  honest  and  straightforward  in  his 
dealings,  and  showed  the  highest  moral  courage 
in  every  position.  Though  not  identified  with 
any  denomination,  he  was  a  Christian  man,  con- 
sistent, modest  and  upright  in  every  deed,  and 
his  death.  May  30,  1886,  was  a  public  loss.  In 
his  political  affiliations  he  was  a  firm  Republican. 
October  23,  1863,  he  married  Josephine  D.  Bar- 
ney, who  was  born  in  Milton,  Chittenden  County, 
Vt.,  June  2,  1828.  Her  father,  Hiram  J.,  a  son  of 
Joseph  Barney  who  participated  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  place,  Mil- 
ton, and  there  followed  the  cabinet-maker's  trade 
until  his  death.  He  married  Orpha  Church,  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  daughter  of  Con- 
stant Church,  member  of  an  old  Rhode  Island 
family  and  a  participant  in  the  Revolution.  Her 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Deborah 
Wheeler,  was  from  Westmoreland  County,  N.  H. 
Mrs.  Barney,  after  her  husband's  death,  took 
her  family  to  Ulster  County,  and  there  her  daugh- 
ter, Josephine  D.,  was  reared  and  educated.  Her 
mother  died  there  in  1839,  nine  years  after  the 
demise  of  her  husband. 

Mrs.  von  Storch  was  married  in  Poughkeepsie, 
N.  Y.,  and  since  then  has  made    her   home   in 


ioi6 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Scranton.  For  many  years  she  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  an  interested 
assistant  in  its  good  works.  She  is  the  mother 
of  two  children,  Theodore  Cramer,  born  Oc- 
tober 26,  1864,  and  Helen  Josephine,  born  March 
20,  1866,  wife  of  F.  M.  Vandling,  the  post- 
master of  Scranton.  The  son,  who  graduated 
from  Harvard  University  in  1887  with  the  de- 
gree of  A.  B.,  studied  law  in  this  city  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1891,  since  which  time 
he  has  engaged  in  practice.  In  addition,  he  is 
president  of  the  West  Ridge  Coal  Company, 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  von  Storch  Coal 
Company,  and  connected  with  other  corporations 
in  Scranton. 


JOHN  J.  KEARNEY,  member  of  the  select 
council  from  the  third  ward  of  Scranton 
and  conductor  on  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad,  was  born  in  June, 
1853,  at  No.  II,  on  the  Pennsylvania  &  Gravity 
road,  this  county,  but  has  been  practically  a  life- 
long resident  of  Scranton,  having  resided  here 
from  the  age  of  six  months.  His  father,  Stephen, 
was  born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  was  the 
son  of  Michael  Kearney,  a  stone  mason  and  farm- 
er. In  1846  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in 
Philadelphia,  but  after  a  short  sojourn  there,  went 
to  Pottsville,  securing  work  in  the  mines.  His 
next  employment  was  in  connection  with  the 
building  of  the  Erie  road.  Since  December  of 
1853  he  has  resided  in  Scranton,  which  at  the 
time  of  his  arrival  was  a  small  place,  known  as 
Slocum's  Hollow.  For  a  time  he  was  employed 
in  the  mines  and  later  was  inlcrcsteil  in  merchan- 
dising. He  is  now  seventy-six  years  of  age,  and 
quite  strong  and  rugged,  notwithstanding  his  ac- 
tive life.  He  married  Mary  Laughney,  who  died 
in  this  city  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  Of 
their  six  children,  Ellen  and  John  J.  were  the 
only  ones  that  attained  mature  years. 

Looking  about  him  to-day,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  finds  little  trace  of  the  village  in  which 
his  childhood  years  were  spent.  Gone  are  the 
swamps,  ponds,  rougli  roads  and  nuk-  houses, 
and  with  the  change  of  conditions,  the  name  of 
the  place  itself  has  undergone  a  transformation. 
In  boyhood  he  walked  two  and  one-half  miles 
to  the  Keyscr  Valley  school  on  the  mountain 


road,  where  his  education  was  obtained.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen,  in  1868,  he  began  to  work  for  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company,  his 
first  work  being  that  of  carrying  water  on  the 
gravel  train.  Later  he  was  brakeman  for  five 
years  on  the  main  line.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor,  which 
he  has  since  held,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
period  during  the  strike  of  '"/"j.  His  run  is  now 
on  the  fast  through  freight  from  Scranton  to 
Washington,  N.  J.  In  his  railroad  work  he  has 
been  very  fortunate;  the  only  accident  he  has 
ever  had  was  in  boyhood,  when  he  was  run  over 
by  a  gravel  train,  and  for  some  time  sufTered  from 
the  effects  of  the  injury. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  in  i8go  Mr.  Kearney 
was  elected  upon  that  ticket  to  the  select  council, 
and  rendered  efficient  service  there.  Two  years 
later  he  was  again  a  candidate,  but  suffered  de- 
feat. In  February,  1896,  however,  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  winning  the  election  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  In- 
stitute of  Providence,  the  Mutual  Aid  Associa- 
tion of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
employes,  Division  No.  12  of  the  Order  of  Rail- 
way Conductors,  and  High  Works  Young  Men's 
Beneficial  Society,  being  treasurer  of  the  organi- 
zation last  named.  He  resides  at  No.  1672  North 
Keyser  Avenue. 


BENJAMIN  E.  COWLES  holds  the  re- 
sponsible position  of  night  dispatcher  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroad  for  the  divisions  north  and  south  from 
Scranton.  In  attaining  this  position  he  was  not 
assisted  by  prestige  or  influence,  but  unaided  has 
worked  his  way  from  an  humble  place  to  one  of 
honor  and  prominence.  His  success  is  surely 
deserved,  for  he  is  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
every  duty,  energetic  and  capable,  and  person- 
ally is  the  possessor  of  genial  manners  that  make 
friends  of  his  associates. 

The  record  of  the  Cowles  family  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  volume,  in  the  sketch  of  Wil- 
liam C,  our  subject's  brother.  Born  and  reared 
in  Waverly,  Pa.,  Benjamin  E.  Cowles  attended 
tile  ])ul)lic  schools  of  that  ])lacc  until  he  was  fif- 
teen years  of  age.  In  1871  he  connncnced  to 
learn  telegraphy  at  the  old  Abington  station,  now 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1017 


Glenburn.  and  after  about  six  montlis'  study  was 
suificiently  familiar  with  the  work  to  be  able  to 
accept  a  position.  His  first  place  was  that  of 
night  operator  at  Lehigh  on  Mt.  Pocono,  where 
he  remained  for  a  year,  and  afterward  for  four 
years  was  employed  as  an  extra  for  the  company. 
In  1876  he  became  connected  with  the  Blooms- 
burg  division  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  road  and  was  stationed  at  different 
places  on  that  division  for  a  year,  after  which  he 
was  promoted  to  be  dispatcher,  with  headquarters 
at  Kingston. 

Retiring  from  the  company's  employ  in  1879, 
Mr.  Cowles  accepted  a  position  with  the  million- 
aire railroad  prince,  the  late  Austin  Corbin,  by 
whom  he  was  given  charge  of  the  Manhattan 
Beach  Railroad,  and  he  continued  in  that  capac- 
ity until  1884.  He  then  returned  to  the  home 
road  as  night  dispatcher  at  Scranton,  where  he 
has  since  remained,  filling  the  position  to  the  en- 
tire satisfaction  of  superior  officials.  He  has  lit- 
tle time  to  devote  to  public  affairs  and  cannot 
identify  himself  with  politics,  owing  to  the  press- 
ure of  business  duties,  but  always  votes  the  Re- 
publican ticket  at  elections. 

In  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Cowles  and  Miss  Margaret  Lay- 
cock,  who  was  born  in  Bloomsburg,  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  Laycock,  and  member  of  an  old  fam- 
ily from  Easton.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  Garrett  Bogart  and  Irene  G. 


REV.  SAMUEL  C.  LOGAN,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
of  Scranton,  was  born  at  Logan's  Point, 
Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  December  21. 
1823,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Susan  (Logan) 
Logan,  natives  respectively  of  Lexington,  Ky., 
and  McKeesport,  Pa.  In  1816  his  father,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  their  five  children,  left 
Kentucky,  being  led  to  this  step  by  his  abhor- 
rence of  the  institution  of  slavery,  and  at  once 
upon  crossing  the  Ohio  gave  freedom  to  his 
slaves.  From  a  cousin  of  General  Harrison  he 
purchased  a  farm  lying  on  the  Ohio  River  in 
Indiana,  and  thus  Logan's  Point  was  named. 
There  he  died  in  1875  ^^  the  age  of  ninety-one. 
His  wife  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  eighty- 


four.  During  the  War  of  1812  he  was  a  captain 
of  infantry  under  General  Harrison,  and  our  sub- 
ject still  has  the  sword  he  wore  in  battle,  bearing 
the  mark  of  a  bullet  from  the  battle  of  Tippe- 
canoe. When  John  Morgan  came  through  his 
town  during  the  Rebellion,  he  buckled  on  his  old 
sword  and  joined  the  volunteers,  his  heart  as 
warmly  enthusiastic  in  our  country's  cause  as  fifty 
years  before  when  he  started  out  to  join  the  brave 
soldiers  of  1812. 

William  Logan,  our  subject's  paternal  grand- 
father, settled  at  Bryant's  Station,  Ky.,  and  spent 
his  entire  life  in  the  Blue  Grass  State.  Mrs.  Susan 
Logan  was  born  in  McKeesport  while  her  parents 
were  en  route  to  the  west.  She  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  Alexander  Logan,  a  native  of  the 
north  of  Ireland  and  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America,  where  he  settled  in  Carlisle,  Pa.  Dur- 
ing those  early  days  Indians  were  very  hostile  to 
the  white  settlers.  At  one  time  the  family  was 
obliged  to  flee  to  the  blockhouse  for  refuge,  and 
after  remaining  there  a  week,  he  and  a  son  start- 
ed back  home.  In  the  house  they  found  every- 
thing as  it  had  been  left,  but  as  they  were  com- 
ing out  of  the  cellar,  both  father  and  son  were 
shot  by  the  savages.  Their  bodies  were  taken 
to  Philadelphia,  which  appealed  so  strongly  for 
help  that  the  Quakers  were  aroused  by  the  story 
of  their  assassination;  a  small  regiment  was 
raised,  a  battle  fought  and  peace  restored. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Maj. 
David  Logan,  was  born  in  Cumberland  County, 
Pa.,  and  gained  his  title  through  service  in  the 
Revolution.  In  the  early  days  of  the  history  of 
Kentucky,  he  removed  thither,  and  was  present 
when  the  town  of  West  Lexington  was  laid  out; 
there  the  people  heard  of  the  outbreak  of  the 
Revolution  and  the  battle  of  Lexington.  In  mem- 
ory of  that  now  historic  engagement,  the  village 
was  named  West  Lexington.  Very  soon  after- 
ward, with  some  friends,  he  came  east  and  joined 
his  brother-in-law,  General  Armstrong,  with 
whom  he  fought  the  British  troops  in  various 
engagements.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  went 
back  to  Kentucky,  receiving  his  pay  for  service 
in  land  scrip  claims  and  settled  on  a  farm  eight 
nu'les  from  Lexington.  On  the  corner  of  this 
place  he  built  a  church,  to  which  the  early  settlers 


ioi8 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  miles  around  came  each  Sunday  for  worship. 
In  addition  to  the  management  of  his  farm  he 
operated  a  large  tannery.  At  one  time  he  served 
as  a  magistrate,  and  his  ser\Mces  in  that  and  other 
public  positions  were  most  efificient.  The  faith  of 
the  Presbyterian  denomination  governed  his  ac- 
tions in  life  and  brought  peace  to  his  dying  hours, 
when  he  was  called  from  earth  in  1823. 

Samuel  Crothers  Logan  was  next  to  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
ten  are  deceased.  Alexander,  who  was  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War  in  Illinois,  died  on  a  place  ad- 
joining the  old  homestead  in  Indiana;  David,  a 
tanner,  died  in  Palestine,  111.;  William,  who  fol- 
lowed the  tailor's  trade,  died  at  his  father's  home 
when  thirty-five  years  of  age;  James,  who  was  a 
graduate  of  Hanover  College  and  a  practicing 
physician  for  fifty  years,  made  his  home  in  Pales- 
tine, 111.,  but  died  in  Indiana;  John  and  Charles 
died  when  young;  Erastus,  who  resided  in  Pales- 
tine, was  at  the  head  of  a  land  ofiQce  under  Presi- 
dent Fillmore  until  his  death;  Baxter  K.,  who 
served  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  the  Thir- 
ty-second Indiana  Infantry,  was  wounded  in  Ten- 
nessee, died  July  3,  1864,  and  was  buried  in  In- 
diana; Eliza  died  at  four  years;  Susan,  wife  of 
Rev.  Samuel  Gregg,  died  in  Illinois;  Margaret 
and  Mary  E.  reside  at  the  old  homestead  in  Lo- 
gan's Point,  Ind. 

In  1846  the  subject  of  this  sketch  graduated 
from  Hanover  College  with  the  degree  of  A.  B., 
after  which  he  taught  for  one  year,  founding  a 
school  of  learning  known  as  the  Palestine  Acade- 
my. He  then  entered  the  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1850  with 
the  degree  of  B.  D.,  and  was  immediately  after- 
ward ordained  as  a  missionary  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Michigan,  his  territory  comprising  the 
counties  of  Berrien,  Cass  and  St.  Joseph.  Dur- 
ing the  seven  and  one-half  years  of  his  labor 
there,  he  organized  twelve  or  more  churches,  the 
majority  of  which  have  continued  in  works  of 
usefulness  from  that  day  to  this,  with  constant 
increase  numerically.  In  1858  he  was  called  to 
Cincinnati  as  pastor  of  the  Fifth  Presbyterian 
Church  and  remained  for  four  years,  after  which 
he  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Valparaiso,  Ind.     During  the 


war  he  was  commissioned  a  chaplain  in  the  army, 
his  work  by  request  lying  in  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
In  1864  he  wrote  the  first  article  ever  presented 
to  the  conference  in  behalf  of  the  education  of 
freedmen,  and  was  chosen  secretary  of  a  commit- 
tee, appointed  in  Indianapolis,  to  consider  the 
feasibility  of  this  work.  His  speech  before  the 
conference  in  1865  was  one  of  the  greatest  efiforts 
of  his  life,  and  did  much  toward  arousing  an  in- 
terest in  the  work  so  near  to  his  heart.  For  seven 
and  one-half  years  he  had  charge  of  this  work 
and  organized  the  Presbyterian  Missionary  Board 
for  Freedmen  in  the  South,  which  built  eighty 
schoolhouses,  raised  $71,000  and  organized  about 
one  hundred  churches  before  he  left  it;  also 
founded  a  seminary  in  North  Carolina,  Biddle 
University  in  Charlotte,  N.  C. ;  Wallingford 
Academy  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  a  school  in 
Salisbury  that  later  became  Livingston  College. 
In  addition  to  these,  he  established  a  school  in 
Kansas  at  Quindaro,  but  the  colored  people  in 
that  locality  were  principally  refugees,  and  be- 
came scattered  after  the  war,  so  that  the  school 
was  discontinued. 

Dr.  Logan  came  to  Scranton  in  1868,  and  be- 
gan his  work  here  on  Thanksgiving  Day.  Early 
in  the  following  year  he  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  having  continued 
his  work  among  the  freedmen  during  tliat  year. 
He  brought  his  family  here  in  July,  1869, 
and  continued  as  pastor  until  1892,  when  he 
resigned.  In  the  meantime  he  had  organized 
an  Italian  mission  in  his  own  church,  and  on  his 
retirement  from  his  pastorate  he  was  appointed 
by  the  presbytery  to  organize  a  mission  for  the 
education  and  moral  elevation  of  the  thousands 
of  coal  miners  in  the  Lackawanna  and  Wyoming 
Valleys.  Under  him  there  are  now  four  preachers 
and  seven  teachers,  laboring  among  foreigners 
in  the  Lackawanna  Valley.  In  spite  of  other  im- 
portant duties,  he  has  found  time  for  literary 
work,  and  among  his  writings  we  find  "Reports 
on  Missions  to  the  Freedmen,"  "City  Danger 
and  Defence,  as  Suggested  by  Riots  of  1877," 
"The  Duties  to  the  Old  Ministers,"  (in  support 
of  superannuated  preachers),  a  tract  on  "Rever- 
ence of  Things  Sacred,"  and  "The  Life  of  Thomas 
Dickson,"    the  address  delivered  at  the  funeral 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1019 


of  that  gentleman,  and  which  was  given  the  high- 
est praise  as  a  model  of  its  kind.  In  addition  he 
wrote  tracts  circulated  by  the  Presbyterian  Board 
and  others  distributed  among  the  soldiers  during 
the  war. 

In  Hanover,  Mass.,  Dr.  Logan  married  Miss 
Lucy  W.  Loring,  a  cousin  of  George  Loring,  the 
well  known  Massachusetts  politician.  On  both 
sides  of  the  family  she  was  of  the  sixth  generation 
in  descent  from  John  and  Priscilla  Alden.  Her 
father,  Dr.  W.  L.  Loring,  was  a  graduate  of  Har- 
vard University,  and  a  practicing  physician  of 
Springfield,  Mass.,  until  his  death;  her  mother 
was  a  member  of  the  family  to  which  Rear-Ad- 
miral Smith  belonged.  Mrs.  Logan  died  July  14, 
1895.  Of  her  five  children,  all  but  two  are  living. 
Harry  V.  is  a  physician  in  Scranton;  Arthur  C, 
who  is  a  member  of  the  Lackawanna  County  bar, 
lives  on  the  homestead  at  Logan's  Point,  Ind., 
now  owned  by  his  father;  Lilhe  is  the  wife  of 
Judge  Knapp  of  Scranton. 

While  in  Indiana  Dr.  Logan  was  nominated 
for  member  of  congress  on  the  free  soil  ticket, 
but  declined  to  run  for  the  ofSce.  He  was  present 
at  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in 
Philadelphia.  During  the  war  he  assisted  in  rais- 
ing troops  and  worked  in  connection  with  the 
Christian  Commission,  on  different  occasions  be- 
ing vifith  the  army  for  weeks  in  that  capacity.  In 
1865  he  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  his 
alma  mater  at  Hanover  College,  also  has  the 
degrees  of  A.  B.,  A.  M.,  B.  D.,  and  LL.  D.,  the 
latter  from  Livingston  College  in  1888,  in  recog- 
nition of  his  service  to  the  colored  race.  He  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Victoria  Institute  or 
Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain  in  1895. 
Not  alone  in  this  country  has  he  traveled  exten- 
sively, but  also  in  the  West  Indies,  Central  Amer- 
ica, Mexico,  Bermuda  Islands,  Africa,  through 
Egypt,  Syria,  and  Turkey,  and  has  made  a  com- 
plete tour  of  Europe.  In  1879  he  spent  forty-two 
days  on  horseback  in  Palestine.  In  1884  he  was 
moderator  of  the  synod  of  Pennsylvania,  has  also 
been  a  member  of  eighteen  general  assemblies,  and 
at  different  times  served  as  chairman  of  the  gener- 
al committees  of  the  general  assembly.  August  23, 
1877,  he  was  made  chaplain  of  the  Scranton  City 
Guard,  and  was  given  the  same  position  on  the 


organization  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  Novem- 
ber 23,  1878,  being  re-appointed  October  26, 
1883;  October  8,  1888;  October  7,  1893;  and 
April  29,  1895.  July  19,  1895,  upon  his  request  to 
be  relieved  from  duty  he  was  honorably  retired 
as  a  member  of  the  Guard  witli  a  state  diploma, 
and  holds  the  state  badges  of  the  qualified  marks- 
men. At  this  writing  he  is  chaplain  of  the 
Prisoners  of  War  Association  of  Lackawanna 
County. 


CHARLES  S.  SEAMANS,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  at  No.  317  Penn 
Avenue,  Scranton,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  common  council,  representing  the  thir- 
teenth ward,  was  born  in  Benton  Township, 
Lackawanna  (then  Luzerne)  County,  February 
3,  1856,  and  is  a  member  of  a  family  that  origi- 
nated in  England,  but  was  represented  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Rhode  Island.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  John  Seamans,  a  native  of  that  state, 
came  to  Pennsylvania  in  early  manhood  and  set- 
tled in  Factoryville,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
first  residents. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Hon.  Jolm  M.  Sea- 
mans,  was  born  in  Factoryville,  and  for  more  than 
forty  years  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
at  Wallsville,  Benton  Township,  Lackawanna 
County.  During  twenty-five  years  of  this  time, 
he  was  postmaster  of  the  place.  When  there 
were  only  fifteen  Republicans  in  his  entire  town- 
ship, he  was  elected,  on  that  ticket,  to  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  served  in  that  capac- 
ity for  fifteen  years.  He  lived  to  see  a  change  in 
political  sentiment,  and  before  he  died  the  town- 
ship went  Republican  at  elections.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  April,  1891,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years. 
The  highest  position  to  which  he  was  ever  called 
was  that  of  assemblyman.  In  1887  he  was  elect- 
ed to  represent  the  old  seventh  district  of  Luzerne 
(now  the  third  district  of  Lackawanna)  in  the 
state  assembly,  and  during  his  period  of  service 
took  an  active  part  in  many  important  measures. 
He  had  a  reputation  as  a  peacemaker  in  local 
disputes.  It  is  said  that,  while  justice  of  the  peace, 
he  never  had  a  case  reversed  by  higher  courts.  A 
thoughtful  reader  and  well  informed  man,  he  was 


I020 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


successful  as  a  political  speaker,  and  by  his 
fluency  and  logical  arguments  aided  much  in  local 
campaigns. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Seamans  was  captain  of  a 
company  of  militia  and  with  his  men  responded 
to  the  emergency  call,  marching  as  far  as  Car- 
lisle, Pa.,  when  he  was  ordered  back,  as  the  quota 
had  been  secured.  For  a  time  he  served  as  en- 
rolling ofificer  in  Benton  Township,  which  was 
a  perilous  position  in  those  days,  but  he  was  a 
man  of  courage  and  threats  did  not  intimidate 
him.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  Grand  Army  man 
and  belonged  to  George  Fell  Post  at  Waverly. 
Fraternally  he  was  a  Master  Mason.  In  the  or- 
ganization of  the  county  of  Lackawanna  and  its 
separation  from  Luzerne,  he  took  a  warm  inter- 
est and  co-operated  with  other  public-spirited  cit- 
izens in  securing  the  desired  result. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Wil- 
liam Green,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  but  when 
a  young  man  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  becom- 
ing a  pioneer  farmer  of  Benton  Township,  Lack- 
awanna County.  His  death  occurred  at  Fac- 
toryville  when  he  was  over  eighty  years  of  age. 
During  the  Civil  War  his  sons,  Pardon,  L.  B., 
and  Jere,  enlisted  in  the  service,  and  the  last- 
named  was  killed  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run. 
Our  subject's  mother,  Charlotte  Green,  was  born 
in  Benton  Township  and  died  there  in  1873.  Of 
her  twelve  children,  eight  are  living,  all  in  this 
county. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  third  in  or- 
der of  birth,  was  reared  in  Wallsville  and  for  three 
years  attended  Keystone  Academy,  after  which 
he  taught  for  two  years  in  Lackawanna.  Later 
for  three  years  he  was  commercial  traveler,  repre- 
senting a  New  York  and  Binghamton  house.  In 
November,  1881,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  at  No.  317  Penn  Avenue,  Scranton, 
where  he  has  since  carried  on  a  large  retail  busi- 
ness. In  addition  to  his  business  enterprises,  he 
is  a  director  in  the  Dime  Deposit  and  Discount 
Bank. 

In  Wilkesbarre  Mr.  Seamans  married  Miss 
Emma  A.,  daughter  of  the  late  John  Raeder,  an 
early  settler  of  that  city,  where  she  was  born. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seamans  reside  at  No.  1528  Wyom- 
ing Avenue.    Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and 


has  been  a  member  of  city  and  county  commit- 
tees. In  1895  he  was  elected  to  the  common 
council  for  a  term  of  two  years,  and  during  his 
service  in  this  capacity  has  been  chairman  of 
committees  on  streets  and  bridges,  sewers  and 
drains,  and  member  of  other  important  commit- 
tees. In  189s  he  introduced  the  fender  ordinance, 
which  was  adopted  and  is  in  vogue  to-day.  He 
has  also  succeeded  in  securing  seventeen  lateral 
sewers  for  his  ward. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Seamans  is  past  master  of 
Union  Lodge  No.  291,  F.  &  A.  M.,  a  charter 
member  and  first  master  of  Green  Ridge  Lodge 
No.  597,  high  priest  of  Lackawanna  Chapter,  R. 
A.  M.,  and  is  generalissimo  of  Melita  Command- 
ery  No.  68,  K.  T.  He  was  active  in  securing  the 
erection  of  the  Universalist  Church  and  has  been 
treasurer  of  the  congregation  for  twelve  years. 
A  lover  of  fine  horses,  he  owns  a  fine  team  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Driving  Park  Association.  In 
former  years  he  was  identified  with  Company  A, 
of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  and  is  now 
an  honorary  member  of  the  General  Phinney  En- 
gine Company. 


JOHN  BRIEGEL,  who  has  been  engaged 
in  business  in  the  city  of  Scranton  since 
1872,  and  is  now  a  dealer  in  paints  and  oils 
at  No.  238  Penn  Avenue,  was  born  near 
Stuttgart,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  in  1850, 
and  is  the  older  of  the  two  children  of 
John  and  Magdalene  (Schuler)  Briegel,  who  were 
lifelong  residents  of  their  native  province  of 
Wurtemberg.  The  father,  who  was  a  merchant 
tailor  and  a  hard-working  man,  died  at  forty-one 
years  of  age. 

Like  the  majority  of  German  boys,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  spent  his  first  fourteen  years  mainly 
in  obtaining  a  common  school  education  and 
then  began  an  apprenticeship  to  a  trade.  For 
two  years  he  worked  as  a  tailor  in  Wurtemberg, 
but  neither  the  occupation  nor  the  prospects  of- 
fered by  his  native  land  proved  attractive  to  him, 
and  he  therefore  resolved  to  come  to  America. 
In  1865  he  crossed  the  ocean,  and  from  New  York 
City  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  became  an 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to2i 


apprentice  to  the  barber's  trade.  On  the  concki- 
sion  of  his  time,  two  years,  he  began  to  work  in 
the  employ  of  others,  remaining  in  Philadelphia 
for  some  time.  Knowing  that  Scranton  was  a 
progressive,  growing  city,  he  came  here  in  the 
spring  of  1872  and  at  once  opened  in  business, 
four  years  later  becoming  the  ow'ner  of  a  shop  in 
Wyoming  Avenue,  en  the  present  site  of  the 
Library  Building.  Later  he  was  barber  in  the 
Wyoming  House,  then  in  the  old  Forest  House, 
but  in  1880  abandoned  the  trade  and  entered  his 
present  business. 

Opening  a  store  at  No.  315  Spruce  Street,  Mr. 
Briegel  embarked  in  business  for  himself,  and 
as  prosperity  enabled  him  to  make  new  ventures, 
he  built  a  place  at  No.  408  Spruce  Street,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1895  removed  to  his  present  location 
in  Penn  Avenue,  where  he  carries  in  stock  paints 
and  -oils  of  all  descriptions,  making,  however,  a 
specialty  of  the  Sherwin  Williams  paints.  The 
business  is  both  wholesale  and  retail,  and  through 
the  energy  of  the  proprietor  has  become  one  of 
the  well  established  concerns  of  the  locality. 

In  Philadelphia  Mr.  Briegel  married  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine (Berklebach)  Becker,  the  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Sarah  (Snyder)  Berklebach,  natives  of 
Philadelphia  and  Gwynedd,  Pa.  Her  paternal 
grandfather,  William  Berklebach,  a  farmer  near 
Philadelphia,  was  of  German  descent,  and  took 
part  in  the  Revolution.  Her  maternal  grand- 
father, Abraham  Snyder,  was  a  member  of  a  prom- 
inent family  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits. 
Her  father  was  a  tool  maker  in  Philadelphia,  and 
developed  a  large  business  in  his  special  line. 
Mrs.  Briegel  was  reared  in  Philadelphia,  and  in 
young  womanhood  became  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Becker,  who  served  as  sergeant  on  the  United 
States  sloop  of  war  "Dale"  and  on  the  steamer 
"Pawnee,"  of  the  South  Atlantic  squadron,  dur- 
ing the  entire  period  of  the  Civil  War.  After- 
ward he  was  engaged  as  music  teacher  and 
organist  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Briegel  is  the 
mother  of  a  daughter,  Salome  M.  Becker. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Briegel  is  connected  with 
Schiller  Lodge  No.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna 
Chapter  No.  185,  R.  A.  M.,  Melita  Commandery 
No.  68,  K.  T.,  and  Keystone  Consistory,  thirty- 
second  degree.    In  1889  he  built  a  residence  on 


the  corner  of  Monroe  Avenue  and  Delaware 
Street,  Dunmore,  and  here  he  and  his  wife  have 
a  cozy  and  comfortable  home.  In  religious  con- 
nections he  is  a  member  of  the  Dunmore  Presby- 
terian Church.  While  he  has  never  been  promin- 
ent in  politics,  nor  aspired  to  political  honors,  yet 
he  is  well  informed  regarding  the  questions  before 
the  people  to-day,  and  gives  his  support  to  the 
Republican  party. 


JUDGE  ROBERT  W.  ARCH  BALD.  In 
reviewing  the  history  of  any  community 
there  are  always  a  few  names  that  stand 
out  pre-eminently  among  others,  because  those 
who  bear  them  are  men  of  superior  ability,  sound 
judgment  and  philanthropic  spirit.  Such  a  one 
is  the  subject  of  this  article,  a  leading  citizen  of 
Scranton  and  a  lifelong  resident  of  Lackawanna 
County.  He  was  born  in  Carbondale  (then  a 
part  of  Luzerne  County)  September  10,  1848,  be- 
ing named  in  honor  of  his  ancestor,  Rev.  Robert 
Wodrow,  who  was  a  prominent  Presbyterian 
clergyman  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  wrote 
a  history  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Church  of  Scot- 
land. The  father  of  our  subject,  James  Archbald, 
was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  came  to  Carbon- 
dale  in  1828  and  soon  afterward  w^as  made  super- 
intendent of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Com- 
pany's works  there.  For  nearly  thirty  years  he 
held  that  position,  meantime  taking  an  active  part 
in  the  development  of  that  section.  When  Car- 
bondale became  a  city,  in  1851,  he  was  chosen  its 
first  mayor  and  for  five  years  was  retained  in 
that  office,  vmopposed.  In  1857  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Scranton,  where  he  became  gen- 
eral agent,  and  later  chief  engineer,  for  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad.  With 
that  company  he  continued  until  his  death  in 
1870.  Under  all  circumstances  he  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  those  public  spirited  citizens 
who  could  be  relied  upon  to  aid  worthy  enter- 
prises, and  although  he  was  unostentatious  in 
dispensing  charity,  he  did  so  in  a  way  that  ex- 
perience taught  him  accomplished  the  best  re- 
sults. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  daughter  of 


I022 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Maj.  Thomas  Frothingham,  of  the  continental 
army,  who  was  a  native  of  Charlestown,  Mass. 
At  the  time  the  family  removed  to  Scranton  Judge 
Archbald  was  in  his  ninth  year,  and  he  has  there- 
fore been  identified  from  boyhood  with  the  his- 
tory and  progress  of  this  place.  In  youth  he  was 
given  excellent  educational  advantages.  His 
tastes  led  him  to  decide  to  become  a  civil  engi- 
neer and  with  that  object  in  view  he  spent  two  sea- 
sons with  an  engineering  corps  in  the  field,  pros- 
pecting for  a  railroad  from  Wilkesbarre  to 
Stroudsburg.  However,  he  relinquished  his  idea 
of  entering  that  profession  and  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  the  Flushing  (L.  I.)  Institute,  later  en- 
tering Yale  as  a  freshman  in  1867.  Four  years 
later  he  graduated  with  high  honors. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  our  subject  began  the  study 
of  law  in  Scranton  with  the  firm  of  Hand  &  Post, 
the  senior  member  being  Hon.  Alfred  Hand, 
afterward  judge  of  the  courts  of  Lackawanna 
County,  and  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania,  by  appointment  of  Gov- 
ernor Beaver,  for  a  short  time.  In  1873  he  was 
admitted  to  the  practice  of  the  law  and  for  the  en- 
suing ten  years  continued  to  pursue  professional 
duties  at  Scranton.  In  1883  he  was  named  by 
the  Republicans  for  city  solicitor  and  after  a  close 
canvass  was  defeated  before  the  councils  by  I. 
H.  Burns,  then  incumbent  of  the  office,  by  a  bare 
majority  of  two  votes,  the  vote  at  first  being  a  tie. 
The  next  year,  the  term  of  Hon.  John  Handley, 
president  judge  of  the  county,  being  about  to  ex- 
pire, the  name  of  Robert  W.  Archbald  was  pre- 
sented on  the  Republican  ticket.  Judge  Handley, 
though  a  Democrat,  failed  to  secure  the  nomina- 
tion of  the  party,  Edward  Merrifield  being  the 
regular  nominee;  but  the  personal  popularity  of 
Judge  Handley  was  such  that  he  was  induced  to 
run  as  an  independent  candidate.  However, 
Judge  Archbald  gained  the  election  by  a  plural- 
ity of  about  two  thousand  votes.  In  January, 
1885,  he  took  his  seat  on  the  bench  as  additional 
law  judge.  Judge  Hand,  by  the  retirement 
of  Judge  Handley,  advancing  to  the  presidency 
of  the  court. 

From  the  first  Judge  Archbald  was  successful, 
his  broad  information  and  studious  consideration 
of  every  question  winning  the  respect  of  those 


his  seniors  in  years.  August  i,  1888,  the  appoint- 
ment of  Judge  Hand  to  the  supreme  court  ad- 
vanced him  to  the  position  of  president  judge, 
which  position  he  has  since  filled.  His  associates 
on  the  bench  from  time  to  time  have  been  Hon. 
H.  A.  Knapp,  Hon.  John  F.  Connelly,  Hon.  F. 
W.  Gunster,  Hon.  P.  P.  Smith  and  Hon.  H.  M. 
Edwards.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
strongest  members  of  the  court.  Under  his 
supervision  the  work  of  the  court  has  been 
systematized  and  brought  to  a  high  stage  of  ef- 
ficiency. The  business  which  comes  before  the 
courts  of  Lackawanna  County,  civil  and  criminal, 
is  very  large,  and  the  legal  questions  which  arise 
are  of  the  highest  importance.  During  his  eleven 
years'  connection  with  the  bench,  he  has  had  an 
experience  in  judicial  work  equal  to  that  of  al- 
most any  other  judge  in  the  state  and  superior  to 
that  of  many.  Whatever  question  is  brought  before 
him  is  sure  to  have  his  searching  examination,  and 
his  decisions  stand.  He  is  a  great  writer  of  opin- 
ions, and  as  a  rule  they  are  an  exhaustive  consid- 
eration of  the  legal  questions  which  they  under- 
take to  dispose  of.  Twice  his  decisions  have  been 
taken  before  the  United  States  Supreme  Court 
and  there  fully  sustained,  and  his  rulings  have  al- 
ways been  accepted  by  the  Pennsylvania  Supreme 
Court.  An  instance  of  this  was  the  contested  elec- 
tion of  Owen  Cusick  (139  Pa.).  The  report  of 
this  case,  in  the  state  reports,  gives  very  little 
idea  of  the  labor  expended  upon  it,  a  better  idea 
being  given  by  the  opinion  of  Judge  Archbald 
(Lackawanna  reports,  page  341)-  The  case  of  the 
respondent  presented  a  most  determined  and  ob- 
stinate assault  upon  the  registry  and  election  laws, 
and  the  opinion  of  Judge  Archbald  is  a  full  and 
satisfactory  vindication  of  them. 

On  another  important  branch  of  the  law  Judge 
Archbald  has  a  strong  record.  In  no  negligence 
case  ever  tried  before  him  has  he  been  reversed 
by  the  supreme  court.  In  municipal  law  he  also 
has  an  experience  only  to  be  acquired  by  grow- 
ing up  with  municipal  questions.  On  mining 
questions  he  is  an  authority  and  is  fully  equipped 
to  cope  with  the  most  intricate  of  these. 

In  1892,  a  vacancy  upon  the  supreme  bench 
having  occurred  by  the  death  of  the  late  Justice 
Clark,  a  candidate  from  the  anthracite  coal  re- 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RF.CORl). 


1023 


gion  was  suggested,  and  Judge  Archbald  was 
put  forward  by  the  Republicans.  While  he  did 
not  win  the  nomination,  which  after  a  spirited 
struggle  went  to  Judge  Dean,  of  Blair  County, 
yet  he  secured  sufficient  recognition  to  warrant 
the  elTort  in  his  behalf.  In  1893  he  was  again 
spoken  of  for  the  vacancy  caused  in  the  same 
tribunal  by  the  resignation  of  Chief  Justice  Pax- 
son,  but  the  place  by  common  consent  was  given 
to  a  representative  from  Philadelphia,  and  Judge 
Fell  was  nominated.  In  1894,  after  ten  years' 
service,  the  end  of  his  first  term  m  the  court  of 
common  pleas  approached.  He  was  tendered  a 
nomination  by  his  own  party  unanimously,  and 
for  a  time  it  looked  as  though  no  one  would  be 
put  up  against  him  in  any  other  party.  Hon.  P. 
P.  Smith  was  finally  nominated  by  the  Demo- 
crats, however,  and  an  exciting  canvass  followed, 
the  result  being  that  Judge  Archbald  was  re-elect- 
ed by  about  sixteen  hundred  majority,  and  he  is 
now,  therefore,  serving  on  his  second  term.  In 
1895  he  took  part  in  the  contested  election  of 
Judge  Dunham,  president  judge  of  the  forty- 
fourth  judicial  district,  composed  of  the  neigh- 
boring counties  of  Wyoming  and  Sullivan,  Judge 
Rice,  of  Wilkesbarre,  and  Judge  Searles,  of  Mont- 
rose, making  up  the  special  court  provided  by 
law  for  such  contests.  By  the  promotion  of  Judge 
Rice  to  the  superior  court,  Judge  Archbald  was 
left  at  the  head  of  this  court,  and  thus  took  an 
important  part  in  the  final  disposition  of  it.  His 
acquaintance  throughout  the  state  brings  to  him 
frequent  calls  to  hold  special  courts  in  the  ju- 
dicial districts,  not  only  in  the  counties  imme- 
diately adjoining,  but  also  in  the  center  of  the 
state,  in  Dauphin,  Center,  Snyder  and  Clinton, 
also  as  far  west  as  Somerset  and  Venango. 

At  Oxford,  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  January 
21,  1875,  Judge  Archbald  married  Elizabeth 
Baldwin  Cannon,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
four  children,  three  still  living:  Robert  W.,  Jr., 
a  law  student;  Anna  and  Hugh.  Mrs.  Archbald 
is  a  granddaughter  of  Benjamin  Cannon,  founder 
of  Cannonsville,  N.  Y.,  and  some  of  her  ancestors 
participated  in  the  Revolution.  She  was  the  only 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Anna  (Miller)  Can- 
non, was  born  in  Oxford.  N.  Y.,  and  at  an  early 
age  accompanied  her  parents  to  Cannonsville. 
44 


Her  father,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Union  Col- 
lege in  1840,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  New 
York  City  in  1843,  served  as  clerk  of  Delaware 
County  from  1853  until  1859,  and  died  at  Ox- 
ford December  19,  1877. 

As  a  citizen  Judge  Archbald  favors  every  en- 
terprise that  will  be  of  assistance  to  the  people 
and  that  will  promote  the  progress  of  the  place. 
His  knowledge  of  men  is  of  a  broad  character, 
and  he  is  always  charitable  in  his  views.  The 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  people  has  never 
been  betrayed,  and  throughout  his  active  career 
he  has  retained  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact.  His  legal  knowl- 
edge, accompanied  by  broad  experience,  is  large 
and  comprehensive,  and  his  rulings  on  the  bench 
have  been  invariably  just  and  according  to  the 
law. 

In  the  compilation  of  this  sketch,  the  writer 
acknowledges  assistance  received  from  an  arti- 
cle published  in  the  Scranton  "Tribune"  March 
17,  1892. 


CHARLES  NEULS  has  been  president  of 
both  the  common  and  select  councils  of 
Scranton  and  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent Republican  politicians  on  the  south  side, 
his  interest  in  public  affairs,  extensive  knowledge 
and  acknowledged  ability  fitting  him  admirably 
for  leadership  in  such  matters.  As  indicated  by 
his  name,  he  is  of  German  extraction.  He  and 
his  father,  David,  and  uncles,  John,  Peter  and 
Adam,  were  natives  of  Boerenbach,  Kreisel,  the 
Rhine  Province,  where  the  family  was  prominent, 
its  members  being  principally  cabinet-makers 
and  farmers. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  cabinet- 
maker, brought  his  family  to  America  in  1854. 
setting  sail  on  the  ship  "Virse  Marie,"  which  was 
wrecked  and  sunk  at  sea.  The  passengers  were 
rescued  on  an  island,  and  after  a  few  days  were 
picked  up  by  a  passing  vessel.  After  many  perils 
and  thrilling  experiences  during  his  voyage  of 
eighty-five  days,  he  landed  in  New  York  City, 
and  November  2^,  of  the  same  year,  settled  in 
.Scranton,  where  he  engaged  at  his  trade.  For 
some  time  he  carried  on  business  on  the  south 


I024 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


side,  but  in  1868  entered  the  car  shop  of  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  &  Western  Company,  with 
whom  he  remained  some  time.  He  died  in  this 
city  in  March,  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five, 
having  been  born  January  27,  1821.  In  rehgion 
he  was  a  Presbyterian.  While  in  Germany  he 
was  a  soldier  in  the  cavalry  and  took  part  in  the 
revolution  of  1848.  He  had  several  brothers, 
one  of  whom  died  in  Germany;  Adam  resides  in 
Scranton  and  is  eighty  years  of  age;  John,  who 
participated  in  the  Civil  War,  died  in  Jermyn; 
Peter  died  in  Scranton;  one  brother  and  sister 
went  to  Brazil. 

Maria  Louisa  Engers,  as  our  subject's  mother 
was  known  in  maidenhood,  was  born  in  Olden- 
burg, Germany,  September  29,  1824,  and  died  in 
Scranton  May  25,  1894,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine. 
Her  two  sons  are  still  living,  and  one  of  her  three 
daughters  survives.  Chafles,  who  was  next  to 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  born  March  2,  1851, 
and  was  three  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  being 
brought  to  Scranton.  Here  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools.  At  a  very  early  age  he  began  work 
as  a  slate  picker  in  the  Bellevue  mines  and  later 
was  in  other  inines.  When  his  father  was  in 
business,  under  him  he  learned  the  cabinetmak- 
er's trade,  and  afterward  worked  in  the  car  shops 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Com- 
pany. December  8,  1883,  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  speed  recorder  and  has  since  held  this  posi- 
tion, of  which  he  is  the  first  incumbent.  In  this 
city  he  married  Miss  Catherina  Mirtz,  who  was 
born  in  Germany,  but  was  reared  here.  They 
became  the  parents  of  two  children,  but  their 
only  son,  Charles,  died  at  two  years;  Catherina 
is  the  wife  of  Philip  C.  Scheuer,  of  Scranton. 

On  the  RepubHcan  ticket,  in  1880,  Mr.  Neuls 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  common  council 
from  the  eleventh  ward,  and  two  years  later  was 
again  chosen  to  the  position,  serving  as  presi- 
dent of  the  council,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
for  three  years,  being  president  of  the  body  in 
1886.  In  1887  he  was  elected  poor  tax  collector 
for  the  city  of  Scranton  and  borough  of  Dun- 
more,  and  was  re-elected  the  following  year.  His 
next  position  was  that  of  school  controller  from 
the  eleventJi  ward,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  resignation  of  Jolni  Cliarles  Miller.     Always 


active  in  politics,  he  has  done  valuable  commit- 
tee work  and  is  justly  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
party  here.  November  28,  1868,  he  was  made 
a  member  of  Neptune  Engine  Company  No.  i, 
and  is  now  connected  with  No.  2,  of  which  he  has 
been  president.  He  is  past  officer  in  Nay-Aug 
Tribe  No.  140,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  and  is  connected  with 
Residenz  Lodge  No.  513,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Scranton 
Saengerbunde  and  the  Athletic  Club.  In  the 
Hickory  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 
his  father  was  one  of  the  organizers,  he  holds 
active  membersJiip.  taking  a  deep  interest  in 
its  work. 


ELIEZER  D.  JENKINS.  Both  as  a  pub- 
lic official  and  as  a  business  man,  E. 
D.  Jenkins,  of  Scranton,  has  become  fa- 
vorably known  to  the  people  of  the  county.  A 
strong  adherent  and  stanch  advocate  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party,  he  was,  in  1882, 
their  candidate  for  the  ofifice  of  recorder  of  deeds, 
at  which  time  the  people,  remembering  his  con- 
scientious and  careful  work  as  deputy  for  Re- 
corder Lathrope,  and  respecting  his  manly  char 
acter  and  integrity,  elected  him  to  the  position, 
he  being  one  of  the  two  candidates  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket  who  were  not  defeated.  In  1885 
he  was  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  eight  hundred 
and  thirty-seven,  and  again  in  1888  by  a  fair- ma- 
jority, serving  until  January  i,  1892. 

The  Jenkins  family  originated  in  Wales.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Hopkin  Jenkins,  was 
born  in  Neath,  Glamorganshire,  removed  thence 
to  Monmouthshire,  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  powder.  Rev.  William  Jenkins,  our 
subject's  father,  was  born  in  Cendl,  Monmouth- 
shire, and  became  a  minister  in  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  In  1869,  three  years  after  his  son, 
E.  D.,  had  crossed  the  ocean,  he  came  to  America 
and  at  once  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  at  Jermyn,  where  he  continued 
to  preach  the  gospel  until  his  death,  in  1884,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years  and  five  months.  His 
wife,  Ann  Miles,  was  born  in  Pontypool,  Mon- 
mouthshire, and  died  in  Jermyn  in  1880,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-nine  years.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Edmund  and  Gvvenellian  CTIarris)  Miles,  the 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


102: 


former  a  native  of  W'ales  and  employed  as  over- 
seer of  forests. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  ten  children.  Margaret  died  in 
Wales  in  1852.  Hopkin,  who  was  a  member  of 
Company  F,  Forty-fifth  Pennsylvania  Infantry 
for  three  years  during  the  war,  died  at  Scranton 
in  1888.  William,  who  was  a  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Jermyn,  died  there  in  1895.  Rev.  David  Miles 
Jenkins  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  gifted 
members  of  the  family,  and  is  now  pastor  of  a 
Congregational  church  in  Liverpool,  England; 
he  was  chosen  to  deliver  the  principal  address 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Congregational  Union  in 
\\'ales,  and  stands  very  high  in  his  denomination. 
Henry  lives  in  Providence,  Scranton.  Rev.  E. 
H.,  who  is  a  fine  scholar,  holds  the  pastorate  of 
a  Congregational  church  in  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Rachel,  Mrs.  James,  died  in  Jermyn  in  1876,  and 
Rasalama,  Mrs.  Davis,  is  a  widow  living  in  Pitts- 
ton. 

The  character  of  Rev.  William  Jenkins  was 
conspicuous  for  its  fearlessness  and  determina- 
tion. A  man  of  strong  convictions,  his  purity  of 
principle  and  firmness  of  moral  courage  exhib- 
ited themselves  in  decided  opinions  on  the  issues 
of  the  day  and  a  readiness  to  express  his  views, 
irrespective  of  consecjuences.  In  Wales  he  did 
much  toward  the  elevation  of  the  working  classes, 
where  he  was  often  a  mediator  between  capital 
and  labor,  and  in  this  capacity  he  acted  more 
frequently  and  more  successfully  than  any  other 
man  of  his  day. 

In  Pont-aber-pen-gam,  Monmouthshire,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  May  13,  1848. 
He  was  educated  in  what  is  now  called  the  Gelly- 
gaer  Academy,  and  being  a  good  student  made 
rapid  progress  in  his  studies.  When  only  fifteen 
he  taught  in  the  Pontymoile  schools  of  Ponty- 
pool,  and  this  occupation  he  followed  for  several 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1866  he  came  to  this 
country  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Jermyn,  and 
has  since  resided  in  this  county,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  short  time  in  Youngstown,  Ohio.  Prior 
to  his  election  as  county  recorder  the  mercantile 
business  was  his  principal  occupation.  Six 
months  after  retiring  from  office  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Stevens  Coal  Company,  operat- 


ing in  Pittston,  and  was  immediately  chosen  a 
director,  and  took  charge  of  the  general  store 
of  Jenkins  &  Co.,  at  the  mines.  Later  he  was 
made  vice-president  and  is  now  general  manager 
of  the  coal  company  and  store.  Since  1892  a 
new  shaft  has  been  sunk  and  a  breaker  erected, 
with  a  capacity  of  about  one  thousand  tons  per 
day. 

In  Jermyn  Mr.  Jenkins  married  Miss  Marv  L.. 
daughter  of  Preserved  Taylor,  who  was  born  in 
Scranton,  a  member  of  a  family  that  was  num- 
bered among  the  original  owners  of  this  city. 
She  was  born  in  Wyoming,  Luzerne  County,  and 
received  an  excellent  education  there.  In  relig- 
ious belief  she  is  a  Methodist,  while  Mr.  Jenkins 
adheres  to  the  faith  of  his  forefathers  and  allies 
himself  with  Congregationalists.  Their  six  chil- 
dren are  Blanche,  Grace,  Annie,  Bertha,  Willard 
Warren  and  Eliezer  D.,  Jr.  The  family  residence 
is  at  Xo.  1519  Capouse  Avenue,  where  Mr.  Jen- 
kins built  in  1886.  Fraternally  he  is  a  INIason 
and  an  C)dd  Fellow. 

During  his  service  as  recorder  Mr.  Jenkins 
gained  a  reputation  as  a  systematic,  accurate  and 
efficient  public  official.  During  office  hours  he 
was  always  to  be  found  at  his  desk,  attending 
personally  to  every  duty.  All  records  of  deeds 
and  mortgages  were  accurately  written  and  in- 
dexed, thus  preventing  the  possibility  of  an  er- 
ror in  this  very  important  department.  He  is  an 
active  man,  of  resolute  character  and  undoubted 
integrity.  Although  of  foreign  birth,  the  years 
of  his  manhood  have  been  passed  in  the  United 
States,  and  as  an  intelligent  citizen,  familiar  with 
her  institutions  and  laws,  he  takes  a  hearty  in- 
terest   in   her   welfare   and    progress. 


ASA  EVERETT  KIEFER,  auditor  of 
Lackawanna  County  and  for  some  years 
a  resident  of  Scranton,  was  born  August 
10,  1848,  at  Martins  Creek,  eight  miles  above 
Easton,  Northampton  County,  Pa.  The  family 
of  which  he  is  a  member  has  been  identified  with 
the  history  of  this  state  for  several  successive 
generations,  and  his  paternal  great-grandfather, 
who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  took  part  in 
the  war  of  the  Revolution.     His  father,  Samuel. 


I026 


PORTRAIT   AXI)    lilOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


who  was  born  in  1789,  was  a  son  of  I'etfr  Kiefer, 
and  both  were  natives  of  Northampton  County. 
The  former,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
enlisted  in  the  War  of  1812  as  a  member  of  the 
Northampton  Light  Guard;  lie  passed  away  in 
1864  and  his  body  was  interred  at  Lower  Mt. 
Bethel. 

The  mother  of  our  sul)ject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  Everett  and,  like  her  husband, 
was  a  descendant  of  German  ancestry.  She  was 
born  in  Upper  Mt.  Bethel,  Northampton  County, 
which  was  also  the  native  place  of  her  father, 
William  Everett,  and  for  several  generations  the 
home  of  the  family.  She  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
five  years.  Of  her  six  children,  all  but  one  are 
living.  Asa  E.,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  passed  his  childhood  years  on  the  home 
farm  and  received  excellent  educational  advan- 
tages. On  completing  the  studies  of  the  com- 
mon schools  he  entered  Freeland's  Institute  at 
Collegeville,  Pa.,  where  he  studied  under  Profes- 
sor Feteroff.  From  there  he  went  to  Carvers- 
ville  Institute,  in  Bucks  County,  later  spent  one 
year  as  a  teacher  in  New  Jersey  and  then  took  a 
course  of  study  in  Bryant  &  Stratton"s  Commer- 
cial College,  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated. 

On  leaving  the  college  Mr.  Kiefer  took  a  posi- 
tion as  extra  messenger  for  the  Adams  Express 
Company  at  Fasten.  Eighteen  months  later,  in 
1874,  he  was  appointed  messenger  between  Scran- 
ton  and  New  York  on  the  New  Jersey  Central, 
and  served  in  that  capacity  on  the  same  route 
about  two  years.  Later  he  was  transferred  to 
New  York  and  Elmira,  then  to  New  York  and 
Scranton,  and  later  P)elvidere  and  Philadelphia. 
In  1880  he  resigned,  after  years  of  faithful  ser- 
vice, and  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  secured 
a  clerkship  with  the  hardware  house  of  Bitten- 
bcnder  &  Co.,  remaining  in  their  employ  for 
eighteen  months.  Later  he  was  timekeeper,  then 
bookkeeper  for  the  Green  Ridge  iron  works. 
Resigning  in  April  of  1892,  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  timekeeper  and  general  superintendent 
of  supplies  for  the  Scranton  Lace  Curtain  Manu- 
facturing Company. 

During  his  residence  in  Easton,  Mr.  Kiefer 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma,  daugh- 


ter of  Charles  Younkiu,  a  contractor  on  the  New 
Jersey  Central  railroad.  They  are  the  parents  of 
a  daughter,  Marilla,  who  is  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1 897,  Scranton  high  school.  On  the  Republic- 
an ticket  Mr.  Kiefer  was  twice  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  thirteenth  ward  in  the  common  council, 
and  during  his  period  of  service  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  building  committee  at  the  time  of  the 
starting  of  the  municipal  building.  In  the  fall 
of  1896  he  was  nominatetl,  on  the  Republican 
ticket,  for  the  office  of  county  auditor  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  five  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine.  On  January  i,  1897,  he 
took  the  oath  of  office  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  city  and  county  com- 
mittees and  has  served  as  delegate  to  local  con- 
ventions. P^raternally  he  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Odd  F^ellows  lodge  in  Green  Ridge  and  be- 
longs to  the  Conclave  of  Heptasophs  in  Provi- 
dence. 


WILLIAM  S.  HOPKINS,  register  of 
wills  of  Lackawanna  County,  was  born 
in  Newton  Township,  Luzerne  (now 
Lackawanna)  County,  in  July,  1843.  He  is  of 
English  descent,  his  grandfather,  David  Hop- 
kins, having  been  a  native  of  that  country,  whence 
he  emigrated  to  the  L'nited  States  and  engaged 
in  farming  in  New  Jersey.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Solomon  S.,  was  born  in  Sussex  County, 
N.  J.,  in  1808,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  came 
to  Lackawanna  County,  settling  in  Newton 
Township,  where  he  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  purchased  land,  which  he  cleared  and 
out  of  which  he  made  a  well-improved  farm.  Po- 
litically he  was  a  Republican  and  in  religious  be- 
lief a  inember  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  died 
in  this  county  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

The  marriage  of  Solomon  S.  Hopkins  united 
him  with  Maria  Sturr,  who  was  born  in  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  and  died  in  Lackawanna  County  in  1874, 
aged  sixty-four.  Her  father,  Isaac  Sturr,  who 
was  a  farmer  near  Paterson,  was  a  son  of  a  Revo- 
lutionary patriot,  who  enlisted  as  a  drummer  and 
endured  all  the  vicissitudes  of  that  long  war,  in- 
cluding the  terrible  winter  at  Valley  Forge.  In 
the  family  of  Solomon  and  Maria  Hopkins  there 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


1027 


were  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
attained  years  of  maturity,  and  three  sons  served 
in  the  Civil  War.  George  W.,  who  was  an  orderly 
sergeant  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor  June  2,  1864.  William  S.  was  a 
member  of  the  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania,  and 
Judson  D.,  now  a  resident  of  Newton  Township, 
was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  Of  the 
other  sons,  James  H.  is  deputy  register  of  wills; 
Alva  died  in  Colorado;  Peter  resides  in  Newton 
Township;  and  John  died  after  the  close  of  the 
war.  One  of  the  sisters  is  living,  the  other  de- 
ceased. 

After  completing  the  studies  taught  in  the  dis- 
trict school,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
Madison  Academy  at  Waverly  and  Wyoming 
Seminary  at  Kingston.  In  1861,  when  little  more 
than  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  Fifty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and 
was  mustered  in  at  Harrisburg,  sent  from  there 
to  Washington,  and  in  the  fall  of  1864  returned 
to  Pennsylvania.  After  taking  part  in  numerous 
engagements,  he  was  transferred  to  Morris  Is- 
land, Charleston,  S.  C,  and  took  part  in  a  num- 
ber of  battles,  fourteen  in  all.  In  December, 
1864,  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  ser- 
vice, having  been  in  the  army  for  three  }ears 
and  three  months.  In  recognition  of  his  gallant 
and  meritorious  conduct  at  Ft.  Sumter  in  Au- 
gust, 1863,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  he  was 
awarded  a  medal  of  honor  by  Major-General  Q. 
A.  Gilmore.  During  one  year  of  his  service  he 
was  under  fire  day  and  night,  and  at  one  time  was 
struck  and  knocked  down  by  a  shell.  In  his  com- 
pany he  held  the  rank  of  corporal  and  did  duty 
as  a  sergeant. 

Upon  his  return  home  Mr.  Hopkins  embarked 
in  the  lumber  business  in  Newton  Township  with 
his  brothers,  but  later  turned  his  attention  to  the 
slate  business  in  Bangor,  Pa.,  being  for  three 
years  superintendent  of  a  slate  quarry  at  West 
Bangor.  His  next  enterprise  was  that  of  a  con- 
tractor in  the  roofing  business  at  Scranton,  tak- 
ing orders  for  slate  roofing  through  dififerent  parts 
of  this  state  and  of  New  York.  He  continued 
successful  until  he  met  with  a  serious  accident. 


While  working  on  the  Scranton  Insane  Asylum 
he  fell  forty  feet  from  the  roof  of  the  building  to 
the  ground,  receiving  injuries  in  the  back  that 
confined  him  to  the  house  for  a  year,  and  pre- 
vented permanently  his  return  to  the  work.  After 
his  recovery  he  took  a  position  as  bookkeeper, 
which  he  held  until  he  was  elected  register  of 
wills  in  1888.  For  this  position  he  was  nominated 
on  the  Republican  ticket  against  six  other  candi- 
dates, and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  six  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six.  He  began  his  official  duties 
in  January,  1889,  and  at  the  close  of  the  term  re- 
tired to  private  life,  but  in  1894  was  re-elected, 
beginning  his  term  in  January,  1895,  to  hold  until 
1898.  He  has  his  office  in  the  court  house  and 
devotes  his  entire  time  to  the  vv'ork,  having  his 
brother  as  deputy.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican, 
in  religious  belief  holds  membership  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  fraternally  is  identi- 
fied with  Lieut.  Ezra  S.  Griffin  Post  No.  139, 
G.  A.  R.,  and  L^nion  \^eterans'  Union  No.  2^. 


EDWIN  H.  EVANS,  superintendent  of  the 
Brisbin  mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Scranton  since  1863,  was  born  in  Salem 
Corners,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  in  1849.  the  son  of 
Richard  and  Maria  (Hazleton)  Evans.  His  father, 
who  was  born  in  England,  was  employed  as  ship 
carpenter  and  builder  at  Liverpool,  and  after  his 
marriage  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  settling 
on  a  farm  at  Salem  Corners,  and  combining  agri- 
cultural pursuits  with  work  as  a  carpenter  and 
builder.  Retiring  from  active  labors  when  ad- 
vanced in  years,  he  came  to  Scranton  and  died 
here  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  His  wife,  who  was 
of  Scotch  descent,  died  here  in  1888.  Of  their 
children  five  are  living,  namely:  Richard,  now 
residing  in  Hawley,  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania 
regiment  during  the  Civil  War;  Walter,  of  Scran- 
ton, a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
second  Heavy  Artillery  in  the  Union  Army;  Mrs. 
Emma  Fritz,  of  Trinidad.  Col. ;  Mrs.  Anna  Mash, 
of  Hyde  Park;  and  Edwin  H. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the  pub- 
lic school  at  Salem  Corners  and  from  boyhood 
assisted    his   father   in   tlic   carpenter's  business, 


I028 


PORTRAIT   AXD    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


working  at  the  trade  with  him  for  a  time  and 
then  spending  one  year  as  clerk  in  a  store  in 
Stroudsbiirg.  Afterward,  however,  he  returned 
to  his  work  as  a  carpenter.  In  1863  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  Benore  a 
number  of  years.  About  1870  he  became  a  car- 
penter for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Company  in  Hyde  Park,  and  in  1882  was 
made  outside  foreman  of  the  Brisbin  mines,  with 
one  breaker  and  two  shafts.  These  mines  were 
opened  about  1874  and  now  have  a  capacity  of 
one  thousand  tons  per  day,  giving  employment 
to  four  or  five  hundred  hands. 

While  not  identified  with  politics  in  a  per- 
sonal manner,  Mr.  Evans  is  pronounced  in  his 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  never 
fails  to  vote  that  ticket  when  opportunity  is  of- 
fered. Fraternally  he  is  associated  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
in  this  city  with  Miss  Alice  Fairchild,  who  was 
born  in  London,  the  daughter  of  George  E.  Fair- 
child.  They  and  their  two  children,  George  and 
Harold,  reside  at  No.  34  Brisbin  Street. 


JOHN  B.  AMMANN,  M.  D.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  medicine 
and  surgery  at  Scranton,  with  office  and  res- 
idence at  No.  424  Cedar  Avenue,  is  of  Swiss  birth 
and  parentage,  a  native  of  St.  Gall,  in  the  canton 
of  the  same  name.  He  was  born  ^lay  9,  1842, 
to  Franz  Joseph  and  ^larie  A.  (Bauman)  Am- 
mann,  natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself,  the 
former  being  engaged  in  farm  pursuits  and  in 
the  lumber  business.  Both  were  Catholics  in  re- 
ligious belief.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Franz 
Joseph,  Sr.,  was  for  many  years  engaged  in 
teaching  school,  but  in  later  life  retired  and  set- 
tled upon  a  farm. 

The  family  of  which  Dr.  Ammann  is  a  mem- 
ber consisted  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  he 
being  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  and  one  of 
the  two  survivors.  None  except  himself  ever 
came  to  America,  the  others  being  content  to  re- 
main in  the  old  country.  His  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools  and  gymnasium  of 
St.  Gall,  and  was  of  so  solid  a  nature  that  he 
passed  a  creditable  examination  in  classics  when 


applying  for  admission  into  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Berne.  February  21, 
1867,  he  passed  the  examination  before  the  state 
board,  standing  the  second  highest  in  his  class. 
For  a  time  he  was  assistant  to  Professor  Goll  in 
Zurich  and  during  the  war  of  1866  was  with  Dr. 
Nageli  in  Volketschedel,  afterward  returning  to 
Zurich,  where  he  was  with  Dr.  Hauser. 

In  May,  1867,  Dr.  Ammann  took  passage  at 
Havre  on  the  steamship  "Guiding  Star,"  and 
after  an  uneventful  voyage  of  eighteen  days 
reached  New  York  City.  Through  chance  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  some  Swiss  farmers 
from  Rome,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  in  that 
way  he  was  led  to  locate  in  Rome,  where  he 
studied  English  and  practiced  medicine.  Not 
meeting  with  the  success  desired,  he  removed  to 
Syracuse,  where  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
Dr.  Gehlehardt,  formerly  of  Scranton,  and  being 
advised  by  him  to  locate  in  this  city,  he  came 
here  September  13,  1868,  and  opened  an  office 
on  the  south  side.  In  1872  he  went  to  Arch- 
bald,  his  special  object  in  the  removal  being  that 
he  might  have  better  advantages  for  the  study 
of  English.  In  1876  he  came  back  to  Scranton, 
but  the  strike  of  the  following  year  caused  him 
to  go  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  carried  on  pro- 
fessional work  for  two  years,  and  for  a  similar 
period  resided  at  Pamelia  Four  Corners,  Jeffer- 
son County.  He  then  came  again  to  Scranton, 
where  he  has  his  office  in  Cedar  Avenue  and 
has  built  up  a  good  practice  among  the  people 
of  this  locality. 

In  Rome,  N.  Y.,  Dr.  Ammann  married  Miss 
Eliza  Regetz,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents.  She 
died,  leaving  two  children:  Johanna  E.,  Mrs. 
John  Schoppaul ;  and  John  O.,  who  lives  in  New 
York  City.  The  Doctor's  second  marriage  unit- 
ed him  with  Miss  Sophia  Boog,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  and  died  in  Scranton.  His  present 
wife  was  Mrs.  Hermina  (Steinhof)  Ernst,  a  na- 
tive of  Vienna,  Austria,  and  the  mother  of  two 
sons  by  her  first  marriage:  Lionel  C.  Ernst,  a 
clerk  in  the  city  treasurer's  office;  and  Herman 
J.  Ernst,  who  is  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance 
business. 

In  national  politics  Dr.  Ammann  is  a  Demo- 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAI.    RECORD. 


1029 


crat.  He  is  loyal  to  his  adopted  country  and  in- 
terested in  all  progressive  measures.  While  re- 
siding in  Oneida  and  Jefferson  Counties,  N.  Y., 
he  was  identified  with  the  medical  societies  there, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty Medical  Society,  in  which  he  has  been  vice- 
president.  He  was  the  founder  and  the  first  pres- 
ident of  the  Gruetli  Verein  in  Scranton,  a  Swiss 
society,  in  which  he  is  still  an  active  worker. 


PROF.  R.  J.  BAUER  is  well  known  as  the 
leader  of  Bauer's  band  in  Scranton,  which 
he  organized  in  1876  and  vt'hich  is  one  of 
the  best  drilled  in  this  section  of  country.  He  is 
a  native-born  son  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  Naz- 
areth, Northampton  County,  April  17,  1857.  The 
first  of  the  name  in  America  was  his  great-grand- 
father, who  was  born  in  Germany  and  settled  in 
Northampton  County.  Grandfather  Charles 
Bauer,  though  a  farmer  by  occupation,  devoted 
much  of  his  time  to  music,  for  which  he  had 
considerable  talent;  he  was  a  successful  teacher 
and  a  proficient  performer.  His  death  occurred 
in  Wind  Gap. 

J.  H.  Bauer,  our  subject's  father,  was  born 
in  Northampton  County,  where  he  learned  the 
painter's  trade.  In  1869  he  came  to  Scranton, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  fine  performer  on  the  flute  and  was  a  mu- 
sical genius,  though  not  a  professional.  He  was 
also  an  expert  grainer,  and  while  in  New  York- 
City  received  the  highest  wages  of  any  one  in 
that  line  there.  His  wife,  who  resides  in  Scran- 
ton, was  in  maidenhood  Lucy  Werner  and  was 
born  in  Northampton  County  of  German  de- 
scent. Of  her  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all 
are  living  except  Benjamin,  who  died  here  in 
1893;  he  was  a  musician,  his  specialty  being  the 
violin. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  years,  in  1869,  Robert  J. 
Bauer  came  with  the  family  from  Northampton 
County  to  Scranton,  settling  in  Hyde  Park, 
where  he  attended  school.  In  youth  he  learned 
the  printer's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  five 
years.  A  talent  for  music  was  born  with  him, 
and  when  only  nine  years  old  he  began  to  play 
the  violin.     His  musical  studies  were  conducted 


under  local  teachers,  Professors  Krebs  and  South- 
worth,  after  which  he  studied  in  New  York  un- 
der Prof.  August  Zeiss,  a  pupil  of  Spohr,  for  two 
years  or  more.  At  once  after  his  return  to  Scran- 
ton he  organized  a  large  class  and  has  since  been 
successfully  engaged  in  teaching  the  violin  and 
all  orchestral  instruments.  In  1876  he  organized 
Bauer's  band  and  Bauer's  orchestra.  When  the 
Academy  of  Music  was  built  in  1877  he  became 
the  leader  of  orchestra  there,  and  has  held  the 
position  since.  He  has  a  well  equipped  studio 
at  No.  117  Wyoming  Avenue.  His  services  are 
in  demand  for  all  special  occasions  at  home  and 
he  is  often  called  to  outside  points.  At  the  last 
four  commencements  of  Lafayette  College,  East- 
on,  he  has  had  charge  of  the  music,  and  he  has 
also  been  called  to  Wilkesbarre,  Elmira,  Bing- 
hamton  and  Cayuga  Lake,  where  he  has  given 
large  and  successful  concerts.  A  portion  of  his 
time  is  devoted  to  transposing  and  arranging 
music. 

In  .Scranton  Professor  Bauer  married  Miss 
Mary  Leyshon,  who  was  born  in  Pittston.  Of 
their  seven  children  four  survive,  Allen,  Theo- 
dore, Helen  and  Florence,  who  reside  with  their 
parents  at  No.  119  Bromley  Avenue.  Politically 
the  Professor  is  a  Republican,  but  the  demands 
upon  his  time  are  such  that  he  can  give  little 
attention  to  public  affairs.  In  former  years  he 
was  identified  with  the  State  Music  Teachers  As- 
sociation. Fraternally  he  is-  a  member  of  the 
Liederkranz  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 


GUSTAVE  KRIEGELSTEIN,  for  many 
years  foreman  of  the  Di.xon  Manufactur- 
ing Company  of  Scranton,  but  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  his  comfortable  home  at  No.  519 
Wyoming  Avenue,  was  born  near  Berlin,  Ger- 
many, July  16,  1 841,  the  son  of  Gustave  Kriegel- 
stein,  Sr.,  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  When  he  was 
about  twelve  years  of  age  he  was  orphaned  by 
the  death  of  his  parents.  Two  years  afterward 
he  left  school  and  began  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  blacksmith's  trade  in  a  shop  near  Berlin,  re- 
maining there  for  five  years.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen he  entered  the  Prussian  army  and  remained 


I030 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


in  the  government  service  for  seven  years,  in  the 
meantime  working  at  liis  trade  in  the  artillery  de- 
partment. On  retiring  from  the  army,  he  se- 
cured employment  in  a  machine  shop,  where  he 
remained  about  a  year.  However,  the  prospects 
of  success  in  his  native  land  were  not  sufficiently 
alluring  to  prevail  upon  him  to  remain.  Having 
heard  so  often  of  the  favorable  openings  in  the 
United  States,  he  determined  to  come  to  this 
country,  in  the  hope  that  his  industry  might  be 
rewarded  by  the  attainment  of  a  competency. 

Crossing  the  ocean  in  1867,  Mr.  Kriegelstein 
spent  four  months  in  Wilkesbarre,  and  from  No- 
vember, 1867,  to  April  I,  1868,  worked  in  the 
shop  of  the  Cory  mine.  He  then  came  to  Scran- 
ton.  Immediately  upon  his  arrival  he  obtained 
work  in  the  blacksmith's  shop  of  the  Dickson 
Manufacturing  Company  and  reinained  there 
through  the  following  years  until  September  i, 
1888,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
foreman  of  a  large  shop,  with  from  twenty-eight 
to  thirty-five  men  under  him.  In  December, 
1896,  the  firm  changed  management  and  he  re- 
signed, retiring  from  work.  Through  economy 
and  industry  he  has  accumulated  sufficient  to  pro- 
vide for  his  remaining  years,  without  the  neces- 
sity for  hard  labor.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  liberal  in  his  views,  not  displaying  ex- 
treme partisanship.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any 
denomination,  but  contributes  to  the  German 
Lutheran  Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member. 
The  latter,  for  whom  he  sent  to  Germany  in 
1868,  was  Miss  Ida  Roy,  of  F.erlin,  and  they  were 
married  immediately  upon  her  arrival  in  this 
city.  Their  only  child,  Lottie,  died  at  six  years, 
but  they  have  adopted  a  daughter,  Lillian,  to 
whom  they  have  given  every  advantage  and  who 
occupies  a  warm  ])lace  in  their  affections. 


JAMES  C.  McCLURE.  In  the  development 
of  the  natural  industries  of  a  country  lies 
its  prosperity.  The  coal  interests  of  this 
section  of  the  state  form  its  chief  source  of  rev- 
enue and  in  the  control  of  mines  are  men  of  ex- 
cellent business  and  executive  ability,  of  keen 
discrimination  and  sound  judgment.  Capable  of 
wi«elv  controlling  men  and  of  using  the  oppor- 


tunities which  surround  them,  they  so  direct  their 
efforts  as  to  bring  a  good  return  for  their  labors 
and  their  well-managed  business  interests  pro- 
mote not  only  their  individual  prosperity  but 
add  to  the  general  welfare.  Of  this  class  of  citi- 
zens, Mr.  McClure  is  a  representative. 

He  was  born  in  Union  County,  Pa.,  March  23, 
1830,  a  son  of  James  and  Maria  A.  (Flannigan) 
McClure.  His  father  was  born  near  Harrisburg, 
Pa.,  in  1785,  and  in  1790  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  LTnion  County,  where  he  spent  his  life  as 
a  farmer.  His  business  career  was  a  successful 
one.  He  was  a  Jackson  Democrat  in  political 
sentiment  and  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  belief. 
He  died  in  1840,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 
The  grandfather.  Roan  McClure,  was  also  born 
near  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  but  became  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Union  County,  where  he  carried 
on  farming,  operating  his  land  with  the  assist- 
ance of  slaves.  He  was  of  Scotch  extraction. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  1795,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Flannigan, 
who  was  a  pilot,  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
British  during  the  Revolutionary  War  for  refus- 
ing to  pilot  their  vessel  up  the  Delaware.  Mrs. 
McClure's  early  life  was  passed  in  Philadelphia, 
but  about  1824  she  located  near  Louisburg,  Pa., 
and  her  death  occurred  in  1855,  at  the  age  of 
sixty  years.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Of  her  ten  children  only  three  are  now 
living. 

James  McClure  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm 
and  received  an  academic  education.  When 
about  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  was  employed 
in  a  mercantile  establishment,  where  he  remained 
for  five  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  at  Northumberland,  Pa.,  erecting  a 
sawmill  and  manufacturing  material  for  bridges 
and  breakers.  He  continued  this  business  un- 
til 1885,  when  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  Sibley  mines,  which  at  one  time 
was  one  of  the  leading  mines  of  the  place,  with 
an  output  o[  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
tons  per  annum. 

Mr.  McClure  married  .Miss  (ilorvina  Elder,  of 
Harrisburg,  who  was  born  in  Dauphin  County, 
Pa.,  in  1834.  Her  father.  John  Elder,  of  Scotch 
descent,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Dauphin  Coun- 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    Rl'.CORD. 


1031 


ty.  Mr.  and  Airs.  McClure  have  two  children. 
Harold  M.,  born  in  1859,  is  now  a  prominent  at- 
torney of  Lewisburg,  and  judge  of  the  seven- 
teenth judicial  district  of  Pennsylvania.  Maria 
is  the  wife  of  F.  B.  Garvin,  of  Marshalltovvn, 
Iowa.  Mr.  McClure  takes  no  active  part  in  poli- 
tics aside  from  voting,  when  he  supports  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  church  and 
charitable  institutions. 


ALFRED  H.  SHOPLAND  is  the  repre- 
sentative of  his  family  in  Lackawanna 
County  and  has  been  identified  with  the 
advancement  and  growing  prosperity  of  Scran- 
ton  since  his  boyhood.  He  is  now  retired  from 
active  business  and  employs  his  time  chiefly  in 
looking  after  his  large  property  interests.  In  the 
church,  fraternal  and  social  circles  of  this  city 
he  enjoys  the  friendship  of  a  host  of  acquaint- 
ances, and  to  all  worthy  enterprises  which  come 
beneath  his  notice  he  is  very  liberal. 

Samuel,  father  of  A.  H.  Shopland,  was  born  in 
Bradstow,  Devonshire,  England,  September  25, 
1817,  and  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Shopland.  In  his 
youth  Samuel  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in 
London  and  in  1845  he  came  to  America  with 
his  family,  and  located  in  Honesdale,  Pa.  About 
1851  he  came  to  Scranton,  and  in  1854  brought 
his  family  and  settled  here.  He  was  very  active 
and  industrious,  and  a  man  of  great  business 
talent.  From  time  to  time  he  invested  in  real 
estate,  which  he  improved  and  sold,  and  thus  he 
became  very  well-to-do.  Among  the  numerous 
houses  and  blocks  put  up  by  him  were  the  row 
on  Mifflin  Avenue,  Lackawanna  Avenue,  four 
buildings  known  as  the  Shopland  Block,  and 
eight  modern  residences  on  Wyoming  Avenue 
known  as  Shopland  Terrace.  Though  many  of 
these  buildings  were  erected  during  the  war  they 
were  so  well  constructed  that  few  modern  dwell- 
ings and  stores  compare  favorably  with  them. 
He  was  one  of  the  leading  contractors  and  build- 
ers of  the  city  in  that  day.  He  took  commend- 
able pride  in  his  chosen  city,  and  was  a  select 
councilman  about  four  years,  having  been  elected 
from  the  eighth  ward  on  tlie  Republican  ticket. 


Until  his  death  he  was  a  faithful  member  of  St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church  and  served  as  a  vestry- 
man. He  officiated  in  the  same  capacity  when 
the  chapel  was  on  the  site  of  the  present  St. 
Charles  Hotel,  on  Penn  Avenue.  On  several  oc- 
casions he  went  to  the  continent  and  England 
and  while  absent  on  one  of  these  trips,  in  Tor- 
quay, Devonshire,  England,  received  the  death 
summons,  July  15,  1872.  His  remains  were 
brouglit  home  for  burial  and  in  beautiful  Forest 
Hill  were  tenderly  placed  to  await  the  resurrec- 
tion morning.  His  first  wife,  Susan,  died  in 
Honesdale  about  1849,  and  subsequently  he  mar- 
ried Lydia,  sister  of  Richard  Henwood,  of  Scran- 
ton. She  was  born  April  21,  1807,  in  Cornwall, 
England,  and  died  in  this  city  July  11,  1891. 

Alfred  H.  Shopland  was  his  father's  only  child. 
His  birth  occurred  in  London,  England,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1843,  ^"d  when  he  was  but  six  years  old 
he  was  brought  to  the  United  States.  The  next 
great  change  in  his  life  was  when  his  devoted 
mother  (Hed  and  afterward,  in  1854,  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  entered  the  public  schools  here. 
Later  he  attended  the  Poughkeepsie  (N.  Y.)  Mil- 
itary School.  On  beginning  his  business  career 
he  opened  a  drug  store  in  Hyde  Park,  but  a  bet- 
ter opportunity  presenting  itself  for  the  rapid  ac- 
quisition of  wealth,  as  he  thought,  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  wood  and  willow-ware  business, 
on  Lackawanna  Avenue.  In  1874  he  removed 
to  Westfield,  N.  J.,  where  he  conducted  a  drug 
business  some  nine  years,  but  in  all  this  time  he 
kept  in  touch  with  everything  transpiring  in 
Scranton  and  never  lost  his  interest  in  the  place. 
About  1880  he  again  became  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton, where  he  still  resides.  At  present  he  is  not 
engaged  in  any  particular  line  of  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Shopland  and  Eugenie 
M.  Moore  was  solemnized  in  1873.  The  lady  is 
a  native  of  Waymart,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Eleanor  (Morgan)  Moore, 
who  were  born  in  the  same  county.  Mr.  Moore 
is  still  living,  his  home  being  in  HoUisterville, 
Pa.,  where  he  is  passing  his  declining  days  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  years  of  toil 
on  his  old  farm.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Moore,  of 
Goshen.  .V.  Y.,  who  was  a  pioneer  farmer  in 
Wavne  County,  and  died  there.    On  the  Morgan 


I032 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


side  we  find  that  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in 
America  was  James  Morgan,  born  in  Glamor- 
ganshire, Wales,  in  1607.  In  company  with  two 
brothers  he  arrived  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  the 
spring  of  1636,  and  soon  became  noted  for  the 
part  which  he  took  in  the  government  of  the 
colonies.  He  married  Margery  Hill,  of  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.,  where  he  first  settled.  As  a  select- 
man of  New  London,  Conn.,  a  magistrate,  one 
of  the  first  deputies  to  the  general  assembly  with 
General  Winthrop,  where  he  was  subsequently 
returned  nine  times,  in  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  in  every  walk  of  his  active  life  he 
was  very  prominent,  earnest  and  zealous.  He 
owned  large  tracts  of  land  and  was  a  surveyor, 
in  addition  to  all  of  his  other  undertakings.  This 
worthy  man  was  of  the  tenth  generation  back 
from  Mrs.  Shopland.  Her  great-grandfather. 
Samuel  Morgan,  was  a  leader  in  the  little  society 
of  Salem,  Conn.,  and  six  of  her  forefathers  fought 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  while  others  par- 
ticipated in  the  French  and  Indian  Wars,  the  War 
of  1812  and  the  Mexican  War.  Samuel  Morgan, 
father  of  Eleanor  Moore,  was  born  in  Salem, 
Conn.,  and  mov;d  into  Wayne  County,  Pa., 
when  it  was  a  wilderness.  He  settled  near  Lake 
Ariel  on  Morgan  Hill,  noted  for  its  scenery.  The 
first  American  steamship  to  ever  enter  Chinese 
waters,  the  "Empress  of  China,"  was  owned  and 
commanded  by  a  Morgan.  The  grand  Morgan 
art  collection  was  sold  by  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Mor- 
gan, widow  of  Charles  Morgan,  the  collector,  and 
was  the  greatest  art  sale  that  has  occurred  in  the 
United  States,  the  famous  peach  blow  vase  be- 
ing part  of  this  collection.  The  collection  then 
passed  out  of  the  Morgan  family.  The  late 
Charles  Morgan  was  proprietor  of  a  line  of  steam- 
ships plying  between  New  York  and  points  along 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  Morgan  Iron  Works 
are  owned  by  members  of  the  family.  Among 
those  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  the 
professions  are  Edwin  D.  Morgan,  ex-govcrnor 
of  New  York  State;  Rev.  Ferdinand  Morgan,  D. 
D.,  of  St.  Thomas'  Church,  New  York  City,  and 
Lewis  H.  Morgan  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Shopland  joined  the  Masonic  order  in 
1878,  while  living  in  Westfield,  N.  J.,  and  is  now- 
identified  with  Peter  Williamson  Lodge  No.  323, 


F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185,  R. 
A.  M.,  and  Melita  Commandery  No.  68,  K.  T.; 
of  the  latter  he  is  the  recorder.  His  father  was 
also  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  of 
Scranton.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shopland  are 
members  of  the  Second  Memorial  Presbvterian 
Church  and  active  in  its  various  departments  of 
usefulness.  Politically  he  is  a  true  blue  Repub- 
lican. 


DA\'ID  COFFMAN.  The  fact  that  merit 
always  commands  the  reward  of  success 
in  business  and  the  respect  of  all  one's 
associates  is  clearly  manifested  in  the  perusal  of 
the  life  history  of  an  honest,  industrious  man 
like  he  of  whom  we  write.  In  this  land  we  can 
be  sure  that  sterling  worth  is  the  test  of  nobilitv, 
and  when  we  find  a  man  who  has  worked  his 
way  up  from  the  bottom  rounds  of  the  ladder  to 
a  place  of  comparative  responsibility  and  impor- 
tance, we  are  glad  to  take  him  by  the  hand.  He 
is  now  assistant  yardmaster  in  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Company's  employ. 

Born  in  June,  1866,  in  Cresco,  Monroe  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  our  subject  is  a  son  of  John  Coffman,  a 
native  of  the  same  town.  Grandfather  John 
Cofifman  was  born  in  Northampton  County,  but 
at  an  early  period  settled  on  a  farm  near  Cresco. 
There  his  son,  John,  Jr.,  was  reared  to  mature 
years  and  when  he  was  offered  a  place  as  a 
brakeman  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad,  he  accepted  it.  Later  he  was 
promoted  to  be  conductor,  and  is  still  running 
on  the  main  line,  in  that  capacity,  while  his  home 
is  in  Scranton.  His  wife  was  Miss  Elizabeth 
Knoll,  of  Monroe  County.  She  had  two  chil- 
dren, David  and  Daniel,  the  latter  of  whom  died 
when  a  small  child,  and  she  did  not  long  sur- 
vive him,  as  she  was  called  from  this  life  in  1869. 

About  1872  David  Cof¥man  came  to  Scranton 
with  his  father  and  here  he  received  a  good  gen- 
eral education  in  the  public  schools.  In  March, 
1882,  he  was  made  flagman  on  a  gravel  train,  and 
has  ever  since  been  employed  by  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  \\'estern  Company.  Two  years 
having  elapsed,  he  was  promoted  to  be  brake- 
man  on  the  main  line  and  in  1887  was  made  con- 


PORTRAIT    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RI'CORI). 


1033 


ductor,  funning  on  the  main  line  out  of  Scran- 
ton.  Five  years  were  faithfully  spent  in  tlie  com- 
pany's service  here  and  he  was  then  again  pro- 
moted to  the  place  he  occupies  to-day.  In  all 
his  experience  he  has  been  very  fortunate,  in 
that  he  has  not  been  in  any  accident  worth  men- 
tioning. He  is  making  a  good  record  in  the  dif- 
ficult place  of  yardmaster.  and  is  in  the  line  of 
promotion. 

September  15,  1887,  Mr.  Cofifman  and  Bertha 
A.  Stein  were  married  at  her  father's  home.  He 
is  Matthew  Stein,  an  old  employe  of  the  Dela- 
ware Railroad.  Mrs.  Coffman  was  born  in  Mos- 
cow, Lackawanna  County.  The  young  couple 
have  a  comfortable  home  in  Dunmore  and  are 
members  of  the  local  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Cofifman  is  a  good  Republican  and 
is  connected  with  the  Order  of  Railway  Con- 
ductors. 


EUGENE  H.  REED.  The  family  of  which 
this  gentleman  is  an  able  representative 
was  one  of  the  earliest  to  settle  in  the 
vicinity  of  Glenburn,  having  come  here  from 
Rhode  Island.  Its  members  were  men  and 
women  of  energetic  and  persevering  natures  and 
honorable  characters,  well  equipped  to  assist  in 
the  settlement  of  a  new  locality.  At  the  time  of 
coming  to  this  county  in  the  earlier  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  wild  animals  still  abounded 
and  scarcely  an  attempt  had  been  made  to  redeem 
the  country  from  its  primitive  condition.  The 
first  log  cabin  in  this  locality  was  built  by  them 
and  its  location  was  near  the  site  of  the  present 
commodious  and  beautiful  family  residence. 

The  record  of  the  life  of  Benjamin  W.  Reed, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  is  similar  to  that  of 
most  pioneers.  Born  in  Exeter,  R.  I.,  he  came 
to  Pennsylvania  early  in  the  '20s  and  settled  in 
North  Abington  Township,  this  county,  where 
from  unimproved  land  he  developed  a  valuable 
farm  as  the  years  went  by.  Upon  this  place  he 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  wife. 
Mary  Gardner,  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  and 
died  at  the  homestead  aged  sixty-eight  years.  Of 
their  five  children  all  but  two,  Alfred  and  Nich- 
olas  G.,    are    dead.      The   family    originated     in 


England  and  was  represented  among  the  early 
settlers  of  New  England. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Alfred  Reed,  was 
born  near  Glenburn  November  20,  1825,  and 
grew  to  manhood  on  the  home  farm.  After  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  taught  several  terms  of 
school  in  this  county.  His  father  gave  him 
eighty  acres  of  timber  land,  all  of  which  he 
cleared  excepting  about  six  acres.  By  subse- 
quent purchase  he  became  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  acres  in  this  neighborhood, 
and  at  the  death  of  his  father  he  had  a  half  inter- 
est in  the  farm.  To  the  house  which  he  built 
the  previous  year,  February  14,  i860,  he  brought 
his  bride,  Rebecca  Jane  Gardner,  daughter  of 
William  A.  and  Elmira  (Colvin)  Gardner,  natives 
of  Rhode  Island,  who  died  in  North  Abington 
Township,  he  when  eighty  and  she  at  about  sev- 
enty-five. They  were  classed  among  the  best 
people  of  their  locality  and  were  universally  re- 
spected. 

Unto  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  were 
born  six  children,  namely:  Eugene  H.,  of  this 
sketch;  Mary  L.,  who  is  with  her  parents;  Ber- 
tha E.,  at  present  in  New  York;  Clarence  O., 
who  is  employed  in  a  store  in  St.  Louis;  George 
B.,  who  is  married  and  has  one  child ;  and  Homer 
Tohn,  who  is  in  New  York.  Politically  Mr.  Reed 
has  always  been  a  Democrat  and  upon  that  ticket 
has  been  elected  to  numerous  local  offices.  His 
first  vote  was  cast  for  James  K.  Polk  for  the 
presidency.  He  and  his  wife,  as  well  as  several 
of  their  children,  are  connected  with  the  Baptist 
Church. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  the 
family  homestead  near  Glenburn,  March  31, 
1866,  and  received  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  at  Keystone  Academy,  Factoryville. 
The  services  which  his  father  had  rendered  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party  and  his  own 
enthusiastic  support  of  these  political  principles 
led  to  his  selection  as  postmaster  of  Glenburn, 
under  the  second  administration  of  President 
Cleveland.  He  has  done  good  service  in  party 
affairs  and  may  always  be  relied  upon  to  cham- 
pion the  cause  of  the  Democracy.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  and 
is  active  in  both  organizations.     In  the  various 


I034 


PORTRAIT    AND    TUOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


positions,  political  and  others,  to  wliicli  he  has 
been  called,  the  people  have  had  the  advantage 
of  his  efficient  service  and  faithfulness  to  duty, 
and  have  therefore  come  to  realize  that  they 
may  ])Iace  confidence  in  him. 

r^ccember  9,  1896,  Mr.  Reed  married  Miss 
Ada  Fairchild,  of  Scranton,  Pa.  She  was  born 
in  the  city  of  London,  England,  September  4, 
1867,  and  is  of  noted  English  descent.  Their  per- 
manent home  is  in  their  residence  which  was 
completed  ]\Iarch   i.   1897.  ^^  Glenlnirn. 


HOX.  JOHN  BALL  OSBORNE,  one  of 
the  distinguished  and  honored  citizens 
of  Scranton,  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre, 
Pa.,  June  24,  1868,  a  son  of  Gen.  Edwin  S. 
Osborne,  of  that  city.  He  is  descended  from 
John  and  Ann  (Oldage)  Osborne,  who  came 
from  England  and  settled  in  East  Windsor, 
Conn.,  prior  to  May  ig,  1645.  Their  son,  Samuel, 
had  a  son  Jacob.,  the  father  of  Thomas  Osborne, 
who  removed  from  Connecticut  to  Essex  County, 
N.  J.,  shortly  before  the  Revolution.  He  en- 
listed as  a  private  m  Captain  Marsh's  troop  of 
Light  Horse,  and  laid  down  his  life  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Monmouth  in  1778.  He  left  a  widow  and 
infant  son.  Cooper.  The  latter,  in  1798,  married 
Hannah  Oakley,  of  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.,  who 
was  the  daughter  of  Ephraim  Oakley  and  grand- 
daughter of  Sylvanus  Oakley,  a  man  of  wealth 
and  influence  in  New  York.  There  was  some- 
thing of  a  romance  in  this  union.  The  Oakleys 
were  proud  and  aristocratic,  with  loyalist  lean- 
ings, and  did  not  look  willi  favor  on  the  mar- 
riage of  their  delicately  nurtured  daughter  with 
the  sturdy  young  man  who  had  been  thrown  on 
his  own  resources  for  a  livelihood  1)\'  I  he  un- 
timely death  of  his  patriotic  father,  lint  Cooper 
was  very  independent  and,  early  in  the  jiresent 
century,  putting  all  their  worldly  goods  in  an 
ox  carl,  he  and  his  young  wife  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  settled  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Bethany,  Wayne  County.  He  bought  some  land 
and  with  indomitable  energy  made  a  clearing 
and  erected  a  log  house.  He  died  in  1818,  and 
his  widow,  who  was  a  woman  of  unusual  force  of 
character,  was  left  alone  to  rear  a  familv  of  six 


children.     She  died  at  Bethany  in  1856,  regretted 
by  all   who   knew   her. 

One  of  these  children,  Sylvanus  Osborne,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  log 
house  in  Betliany,  in  September,  1812,  and  be- 
came a  fanner  and  later  in  life  a  railroad  con- 
tractor. In  1836  he  married  Lucy  Messinger,  a 
daughter  of  Cyrus  Messinger,  of  Bridgewater, 
Susquehanna  County,  She  was  a  descendant  of 
Henry  Messinger,  who  was  born  in  England  and 
resided  in  Boston  prior  to  1640,  He  owned  the 
property  now  occupied  by  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society.  His  son,  Thomas,  born 
March  22,  1661,  married  Elizabeth  Mellows,  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  Ebenezer,  born  June  2, 
1697,  who  married  Rebecca  Sweetser.  Their  son, 
Wigglesworth.  born  December  16,  1743,  served 
during  the  Revolution  as  first  lieutenant  in 
Read's  Massachusetts  Regiment  of  the  Conti- 
nental army.  He  married  Jemima  Everett,  sister 
of  Rev,  Oliver  Everett,  who  was  the  father  of 
Edward  Everett,  the  famous  statesman.  Both 
the  Messinger  and  Everett  families  furnished 
New  Etigland  with  several  prominent  clergymen, 
Cyrus  Messinger,  son  of  Wigglesworth  and 
Jemima  (Everett)  Messinger,  was  born  October 
26,  1776.  and  was  married  in  1798  to  Rhoda 
Keyes,  From  Massachusetts  they  removed  to 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa,,  where  their  daughter 
Lucy  was  born  October  27,  1816,  She  became 
the  wife  of  Sylvanus  Osborne  and  died  in  Promp- 
ton,  Wayne  County,  December  21,   1844. 

Gen,  Edwin  Sylvanus  Osborne,  son  of  Sylva- 
nus and  Lucy  (Messinger)  Osborne,  was  born  in 
Bethany,  Wayne  County,  August  7,  1839.  and  his 
early  years  were  spent  upon  his  father's  farm. 
After  graduating  from  the  University  of  North 
Pennsylvania,  he  entered  the  National  Law 
School  at  Poughkecpsie,  N.  Y.,  from  which  in- 
stitution he  received  a  degree  in  i860.  He  also 
read  law  in  tlie  office  of  Hon.  Charles  Dennison 
of  Wilkesbarre,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Luzerne  County  February  26,  1861.  After  the 
outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  in  April,  1861,  he  en- 
listed as  a  private  in  Company  C,  Eighth  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  and  served  during  the  cam- 
paign of  1 861  with  General  Patterson's  Division. 
The  following  \'car  he  returned  to  Wilkesliarre 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


I0.55 


and  recruited  a  company,  of  which  he  was  com- 
missioned captain  August  22,  1862.  The  com- 
pany was  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-nintli  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  From  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  until  February,  1863,  Captain  Os- 
borne served  on  the  staff  of  General  Wadsworth. 
after  which  he  returned  to  his  regiment,  and  par- 
ticipated in  all  the  battles  in  which  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  was  engaged,  being  on  several  oc- 
casions highly  complimented  in  orders  for  gal- 
lantry and  skillful  handling  of  troops  while  under 
fire.  He  was  commissioned  major  of  his  regi- 
ment and  was  three  times  brevetted  for  merito- 
rious conduct. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Major  Osborne  was 
appointed  judge  advocate,  with  the  rank  of  major, 
in  the  regular  army.  In  this  capacity  he  was 
charged  with  very  important  duties,  including 
an  inquiry  into  the  treatment  of  Union  soldiers 
while  held  prisoners  of  war  by  the  Confederates. 
He  went  to  Macon,  Andersonville,  and  other 
places  in  the  south,  and  after  careful  investiga- 
tion made  a  report  which  resulted  in  the  arrest 
and  trial  of  the  notorious  Captain  Wirz  of  Ander- 
sonville prison.  General  Osborne  drew  up  the 
formal  charges  against  Wirz  and  prepared  the 
case  for  trial.  Wirz  was  found  guilty  and  exe- 
cuted. Shortly  afterward  General  Osborne  sent 
in  his  resignation  and  returned  to  the  practice  of 
law  in  Wilkesbarre.  In  1870  Governor  Geary 
appointed  him  major-general  of  the  Third  Divi- 
sion of  the  National  Guard.  During  the  ten  years 
that  he  held  this  position  he  was  several  times 
brought  into  prominence,  notably  during  the 
exciting  labor  troubles  at  Scranton  in  1871,  and 
again  at  Susquehanna  Depot  in  1874,  and  at 
Hazleton  in  1875.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
organization  and  improvement  of  the  National 
Guard.  In  1874  he  received  the  unanimous  nom- 
ination of  the  Republicans  of  Luzerne  County 
(then  comprising  Lackawanna  County)  for  addi- 
tional law  judge,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small 
majority. 

General  Osborne  is  an  enthusiastic  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  in  1883 
was  commander  of  the  department  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Military  Order 
of  the  Loyal  Legion,  the  Society  of  the  Army  of 


the  Potomac,  Society  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps 
and  kindred  organizations.  He  was  elected  con- 
gressman-at-large  from  Pennsylvania  in  1884  by 
the  largest  vote  ever  polled  in  the  state  up  to 
that  time,  it  having  exceeded  the  vote  for  Blaine 
and  Logan  by  more  than  2,000.  He  was  re- 
elected congressman-at-large  in  1866  by  a  ma- 
jority that  exceeded  the  vote  for  Governor  Beaver 
by  nearly  6,000.  In  1888  he  was  returned  to 
congress  by  his  home  district,  comprising  Lu- 
zerne County.  Throughout  his  service  of  si.x 
years  in  congress  he  constantly  advocated  with 
force  and  ability  the  policy  of  protection  to 
American  industries  and  took  a  prominent  part  in 
the  opposition  to  the  Mills  bill  and  later  in  the 
passage  of  the  McKinley  law.  On  his  retire- 
ment from  public  service  he  returned  to  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession. 

October  12,  1865,  General  Osborne  married 
Ruth  Ann  Ball,  daughter  of  the  late  William 
Ball  and  Mary  Ann  Smith,  his  wife,  of  Carbon- 
dale,  Pa.  Mrs.  Osborne  is  descended  from  Ed- 
ward Ball,  who  came  from  England  and  settled 
in  Branford,  Conn.,  some  time  prior  to  1640. 
The  immediate  ancestors  of  Edward  Ball  were 
the  same  as  those  of  Mary  Ball,  the  mother  of 
George  Washington.  Edward  Ball  was  one  of 
the  commissioners  sent  from  Branford  and  Mil- 
ford,  Conn.,  in  1660,  to  inspect  lands  in  New 
Jersey  with  the  view  of  selecting  an  eligible  site 
for  a  town.  As  a  result  of  their  report  the  an- 
cient township  of  Newark  was  purchased  and 
the  town  of  Newark  established  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Pierson  and  his  congregation,  who  removed 
there  in  a  body  shortly  before  June  24,  1667. 
Edward  Ball  was  sherifif  of  Essex  County  in 
1693.  His  son.  Thomas,  was  the  father  of  David, 
whose  son,  Stephen  Ball,  was  an  ardent  patriot 
during  the  Revolution,  and  on  the  29th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1781,  was  executed  at  Bergen  Point  by  the 
British  as  a  spy.  His  son,  Ezekiel,  was  the  father 
of  William  Ball,  a  skilled  mechanic,  and  a  man 
of  great  energy  and  sterling  qualities.  He  re- 
moved to  Carbondale,  Pa.,  and  became  one  of 
the  leaders  in  the  development  of  that  section. 
He  helped  to  build  and  for  many  years  superin- 
tended the  Gravity  railroad  of  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson    Canal    Company    from    Carbondale    to 


1036 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Honesdak'.  William  Hall  married  Alary  Ann 
Smith,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Ruth  (Godfrey) 
Smith,  of  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.-  Mr.  Smith  was 
a  captain  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  served  on  Sta- 
ten  Island,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Ephraim  Smith, 
was  a  private  in  Capt.  Noble  Benedict's  company 
of  the  Fifth  Connecticut  Regiment  during  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Ruth  Godfrey  was  the 
daughter  of  David  Godfrey,  who  also  served  in 
the  Continental  army  as  a  private  in  Captain 
Mervin's  company.  Colonel  Hathorn's  regiment. 
New  York  Militia. 

John  B.  Osborne,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  is  the  eldest  of  six  children,  all  of 
whom  are  still  living.  After  preparing  for  col- 
lege in  the  public  schools  and  the  Harry  Hillman 
Academy  of  Wilkesbarre,  he  entered  the  fresh- 
man class  of  the  academic  department  of  Yale 
University  in  1885,  and  graduated  in  1889  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  1894  his  Alma 
Mater  honored  him  with  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts  in  recognition  of  his  work  in  political  econ- 
omy. Immediately  after  graduation  he  regis- 
tered as  a  law  student  in  his  father's  office  at 
Wilkesbarre,  but  his  course  of  study  was  inter- 
rupted in  an  unexpected  manner.  In  October, 
1889,  President  Harrison  appointed  him  consul 
of  the  United  States  at  Ghent,  Belgium.  He 
was  the  youngest  man  ever  appointed  to  such  a 
position,  being  only  a  few  months  past  his  twenty- 
first  year.  His  consular  district  consisted  of  the 
provinces  of  East  and  West  Flanders,  having  a 
population  of  two  million  souls  and  teeming  with 
thriving  industries.  Besides  the  historic  cities  of 
Ghent  and  Bruges,  the  district  contained  Ostend, 
the  fashionable  seaside  resort,  where  our  gov- 
ernment at  that  time  maintained  a  consular 
agency  subordinate  to  the  consulate  at  Ghent. 
On  the  nomination  of  Consul  Osborne,  Dr. 
James  W.  Kesler  of  Honcsdale,  Pa.,  was  ap- 
pointed and  served  for  a  time  as  consular  agent 
at  Ostend.  During  his  administration  our  sub- 
ject made  about  thirty  official  reports  on  com- 
mercial and  industrial  subjects,  many  of  which 
were  reproduced  from  the  government  publica- 
tions by  leading  trade  journals  at  home  and 
abroad.  He  served  at  Ghent  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  the  department  of  state  for  over  four 


years,  retiring  in  January,  1894,  having  thus  l^con 
retained  by  President  Cleveland  for  nearly  a 
year. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  the  United  States, 
Mr.  Osborne  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Luzerne 
County,  and  later  to  the  bar  of  Philadelphia. 
Locating  in  that  city  he  practiced  law  there,  with 
an  office  in  the  Girard  Building,  until  April,  1896, 
when  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  has  since 
successfully  prosecuted  his  profession.  He  is  a 
man  of  literary  tastes  and  has  contributed  several 
able  articles  to  leading  magazines,  including  the 
Cosmopolitan  and  the  Green  Bag.  Besides  be- 
longing to  the  college  fraternity  of  Zeta  Psi  and 
several  other  fraternal  organizations,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  the  Sons  of 
the  Revolution  and  a  Companion  of  the  Military 
Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1891,  Mr.  Osborne  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bertha  Josephine 
Grinnell,  a  daughter  of  Frank  Dexter  and  Eliza- 
beth (Upson)  Grinnell,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  One 
child  blesses  this  union,  Grace  Josephine,  born  in 
Ghent,  Belgium,  August  7,  1892.  Mrs.  Osborne 
also  comes  from  colonial  stock,  being  descended 
from-  Matthew  Grinnell,  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try from  England  at  a  very  early  day  and  was 
made  a  freeman  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  1638. 
To  the  same  family  belonged  the  late  Moses  and 
Henry  Grinnell,  the  well  known  bankers  of  New 
York  City,  who  equipped  the  Arctic  expedition 
which  discovered  Grinnell  Land.  The  paternal 
grandmother  of  Mrs.  Osborne  was  Lydia  Cog- 
geshall,  a  direct  descendant  of  Sir  Thomas  Cog- 
geshall,  of  the  Manor  Coggeshall  in  Essex,  Eng- 
land, who  lived  in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen 
(1149).  The  first  American  ancestor  was  John 
Coggeshall,  a  silk  merchant,  who  came  from 
Essex  in  the  famous  ship  "Lyon,"  arriving  at  Bos- 
ton September  16,  1632.  He  became  a  deputy 
to  the  general  court  of  Boston  and  although  a 
strict  Puritan  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Mrs.  Ann 
Hutchinson  when  she  was  persecuted.  As  a  re- 
sult he  was  practically  banished,  and  in  com- 
pany with  other  supporters  of  Ann  Hutchinson 
and  Roger  Williams,  he  removed  to  Rhode 
Island  and  founded  a  new  colony.  When  the 
four   towns,   Newport,   Portsmouth,    Providence 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1037 


and  Warwick  were  united  in  1647,  John  Cog- 
geshall  was  made  the  first  president  of  the  colony. 
He  died  the  same  year  while  in  office.  Mrs.  Os- 
borne's great-great-grandfather  in  this  line,  John 
Coggeshall,  was  born  October  5,  1757,  and  died 
at  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  July  19,  1830.  He  was  a 
major  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In  1775  he 
was  one  of  the  minute-men  and  was  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Bunker  Hill.  He  also  had  the  distinction 
of  being  in  the  first  regiment  to  march  into  Bos- 
ton after  the  evacuation  of  the  British.  On  her 
mother's  side  several  of  Mrs.  Osborne's  ancestors 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  Revolution. 
Among  these  were  Capt.  Daniel  Allen,  Lieut. 
Isaac  Kimberly,  Ensign  Samuel  Atkins  and 
Simeon  Upson. 


WELLINGTON  CHAMBERS.  By  a 
happy  dispensation  of  Providence 
there  are  "many  men  of  many  minds," 
and  in  looking  over  the  world  it  would  seem  to 
the  contemplative  mind  that  it  is  really  admir- 
ably balanced.  Some  must  necessarily  be  ex- 
pert in  the  marts  of  trade,  others  must  interest 
themselves  in  defending  the  principles  which  lie 
at  the  base  of  law  and  order,  while  a  large  num- 
ber (and  they  form  the  most  important  class  of 
all)  give  their  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  To  this  last-named  class  Mr.  Chambers 
belongs,  for  he  is  making  agriculture  his  life 
work.  He  resides  upon  a  portion  of  the  old 
homestead  in  South  Abington  Township,  where 
he  has  gathered  about  himself  and  those  dearest 
to  him  the  comforts  and  conveniences  that  have 
so  much  to  do  with  the  happiness  of  life.  His 
farm  is  in  productive  condition  and  is  devoted  to 
general  agriculture. 

During  the  residence  of  his  parents  upon  the 
homestead  in  South  Abington  Township,  the 
subject  of  this  review  was  born  February  23, 
1851.  His  father,  Sylvester  Chambers,  a  native 
of  Abington  Township,  was  born  January  26, 
1821,  and  was  united  in  marriage  April  8,  1850, 
with  Louisa  McCoy,  who  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, and  is  still  living.  A  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, he  purchased  the  place  where  he  remained 


until  his  death,  April  19,  1894.  His  active  life 
was  one  of  unceasing  toil,  but  it  brought  its  re- 
ward in  the  accumulation  of  valuable  property 
and  considerable  means.  He  was  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  and  his  ef?orts  toward  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  community  and  the  advancement  of 
its  material  prosperity  received  the  fullest  appro- 
bation. After  his  death  his  wife  purchased  a 
home  in  Factoryville,  where  she  now  resides. 
They  reared  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters.  The  sons,  Wellington  and  Perry,  re- 
side on  the  old  homestead;  the  latter  married 
Miss  Effie  Townsend.  The  eldest  daughter  is 
the  wife  of  Ira  B.  Miller  and  lives  in  Factory- 
ville ;  Ella  married  Christopher  Carpenter  and  re- 
sides in  Wyoming  County;  the  youngest  daugh- 
ter married  John  Grififin  and  lives  in  Chinchilla. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  our  subject  spent  his  winters 
in  school  and  his  summers  in  working  at  home. 
Upon  the  death  of  his  father  he  inherited  a  por- 
tion of  the  home  place  and  here  he  has  since  de- 
voted himself  to  agricultural  work.  In  August, 
1873,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hen- 
rietta Grififin,  who  was  born  in  Schultzville,  New- 
ton Township,  this  county.  Their  family  con- 
sists of  four  children,  of  whom  the  eldest,  Wal- 
ter, married  Nellie  Pelham  and  assists  his  father 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm.  The  others.  Frank, 
Blanche  and  Cecil,  are  at  home.  In  religious 
connections  the  family  are  identified  with  the 
Baptist  Church.  The  first  ballot  cast  by  Mr. 
Chambers  was  in  support  of  General  Grant  in 
1872  and  since  then  he  has  steadfastly  af- 
filiated with  the  Republican  party  and  sup- 
ported its  men.  Interested  in  progress  and 
improvement,  he  is  active  in  co-operating  in  any 
measure  by  which  the  good  of  the  county  can 
he  secured,  and  is  entitled  to  the  respect  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 


JOHN  A.  SCHADT,  deputy  treasurer  of 
Lackawanna  County,  secretary  of  the  Con- 
sumers' Ice  Company,  and  member  of  the 
firm  of  C.  H.  Schadt  &  Bro.,  insurance  agents  at 
Scranton,  was  born  in  this  city  July  26,  1872,  and 
is  a  son  of  the  late  Charles  H.  Schadt.  Sr.,  of 


I038 


PORTRAI'I    AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


whom  mention  is  made  upon  another  page  of 
this  volume.  He  was  reared  at  the  family  resi- 
dence in  Wyoming  Avenue  and  received  his 
rudimentary  education  in  Scranton  School  No.  i, 
later  taking  a  course  of  study  in  Kingston 
Commercial  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1888.  Afterward  he  was  connected  with  the 
"Scranton  Times"  for  a  few  months. 

In  1890  Mr.  Schadt  commenced  ni  the  insur- 
ance business  with  his  uncle,  the  firm  name  be- 
ing M.  Zimmerman  &  Co.,  with  ofifice  in  the  Li- 
brary Building.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Zimmer- 
man in  1892  the  title  was  changed  to  C.  H. 
Schadt  &  Bro.,  under  which  name  the  business 
is  now  conducted.  At  first  they  represented 
only  two  companies,  the  American  of  New  York 
and  the  London  Assurance,  but  two  have  since 
been  added,  the  Sun  of  London  and  the  West- 
chester of  New  York.  In  1892  Mr.  Schadt  be- 
came secretary  of  the  Consumers'  Ice  Company 
and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity.  Upon  the 
election  of  his  brother  to  the  position  of  county 
treasurer,  he  was  appointed  deputy  treasurer  Jan- 
uary 7,  1895,  and  has  since  been  the  incumbent 
of  that  position,  haying  entire  charge  of  the 
office. 

The  marriage  of  Air.  Schadt  took  place  in 
Scranton  and  united  him  with  Miss  Clara  J. 
Tamjia,  who  was  born  in  Hyde  Park  and  died  at 
the  family  residence.  No.  410  Olive  Street,  leav- 
ing two  children,  John  A.,  Jr.,  and  Hazel.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  L'nion  Lodge  No. 
2()i,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Lackawanna  Chapter  No.  185, 
1\.  A.  M.,  and  the  Conmiandery,  K.  T.,  at  Scran- 
tun,  also  Fairview  Lodge  No.  369,  K.  of  P.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  upholding  the 
principles  for  which  that  party  stands  and  voting 
for  its  men  and  measures. 


T  T  7  ILLIAM  A.  PAINE.  M.  D..  member 
\/\/  of  the  Scranton  board  of  health  and 
'  '  of  the  Scranton  ])oor  board,  is  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  on  the  west  side,  with  ofifice  at  No.  1202 
Washburn  Street.  He  is  of  English  descent,  his 
father,  John,  and  grandfather,  John,  Sr.,  having 
been  natives  of  Devonshire.     The  former,  who 


went  to  Wales  in  early  life,  there  learned  the 
iron  manufacturing  business.  In  1848  he  came 
to  America  and  after  a  short  sojourn  in  Danville, 
Pa.,  removed  to  Safe  Harbor,  Lancaster  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  busi- 
ness, later  going  to  Phoenixville,  and  in  1865  as- 
sisted in  organizing  the  Susquehanna  Iron  Com- 
pany, at  Columbia,  Pa.,  to  wdiich  he  removed  in 
1874,  becommg  superintendent  and  manager, 
also  one  of  the  directors,  until  his  resignation  in 
1883.  His  death  occurred  two  years  later.  He 
was  a  man  of  influence  in  his  community  and  was 
a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  His  son,  Frank  G., 
succeeded  to  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  iron  company  and  has  since  served  in  that 
capacity. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Catherine,  was 
born  in  South  Wales,  w^here  her  father,  Thomas 
Gregg,  was  an  iron  worker.  At  this  writing- 
she  resides  in  Columbia.  Her  family  consists 
of  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Will- 
iam A.,  who  was  third  in  order  of  birth,  was 
born  in  Safe  Flarbor,  Pa.,  in  April.  1854,  and 
in  boyhood  attended  the  schools  of  Chester  Coun- 
ty. At  an  early  age  he  began  to  work  in  the 
rolling  mills  In  1874  he  accompanied  the  fam- 
ily to  Colvmibia.  where  for  four  years  he  was 
employed  in  a  drug  store,  and  in  the  meantime 
began  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1877  he  en- 
tered Jefferson  Medical  College  and  two  years 
later  graduated  with  the  degree  of  AI.  D..  after 
which  he  took  a  post-graduate  course.  Later 
he  made  an  extended  trip  through  the  west. 

In  December,  1880,  Dr.  Paine  opened  an 
office  in  .Scranton,  where  he  has  since  conducted 
a  general  practice.  In  1890  he  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  board  of  health  by  Mayor  Fel- 
lows, and  five  years  later  was  again  appointed  by 
Mayor  Connell  for  an(3ther  term  of  five  years. 
He  assisted  in  organizing  the  Associate  Board 
of  Health  of  Lackawanna  County,  originated  to 
secure  the  uniformity  in  sanitary  work  in  the 
county.  In  addition,  he  is  connected  with  the 
State  Association  of  Health  Boards.  The  posi- 
tion of  member  of  the  Scranton  poor  board, 
which  he  holds,  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the 
president  judge,  and  ujion  the  board  he  repre- 
sents the  fourth,  fifth,  sixth,  fourteenth,  fifteenth 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1039 


and  eighteenth  wards  of  the  city.  At  the  present 
time  he  is  medical  examiner  of  the  Royal  Arca- 
num. At  different  times  he  has  held  the  offices  of 
president  and  secretary  of  the  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty Medical  Society,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  State  Medical  Association.  In  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  West  Side  Hospital  Association  he 
took  an  active  part,  and  is  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  concern.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
the  Sons  of  St.  George. 

In  Wrightsville,  Pa.,  Dr.  Paine  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  R.  Harris,  a  native  of 
Canada,  and  daughter  of  George  Harris,  who 
prior  to  the  war  was  a  prominent  railroad  con- 
tractor and  member  of  the  firm  of  Harris  & 
Black,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.  Five  children  comprise 
their  family:  George,  Catherine,  Ella,  Dorothy 
and  Margaret.  Mrs.  Paine  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  which  the  Doctor  attends. 
In  politics  he  is  an  upholder  of  Republican  prin- 
ciples, and  has  frequently  attended  state  con- 
ventions of  his  party.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
Republican  convention  of  the  first  legislative 
district  when  the  candidate  for  assembly  received 
the  largest  majority  ever  gained  by  a  member 
of  that  party. 


FRED  M.  FRANCIS,  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  Dalton,  was  born  in  New 
Milford,  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  March 
25,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Edwin  A.  and  Adaline 
(Moxley)  Francis.  His  paternal  grandparents, 
John  and  Esther  (Walden)  Francis,  were  born  in 
the  town  of  Windham,  Conn.,  and  there  re- 
mained until  death.  Among  their  fifteen  children 
was  Edwin  A.,  who  was  born  in  Canterbury, 
Conn.,  August  24,  1826;  by  his  own  exertions 
he  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  common  school 
education  and  purchased  his  time  before  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  his  younger  and 
middle  life  he  engaged  in  educational  work,  but 
later  was  an  evangelist  in  the  Baptist  Church 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Binghamton, 
N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years  and  nine 
months.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  New  Mil- 
ford,  Pa.,  March  24,  1823,  died  there  October 
28,  1863,  aged  forty  years.  Of  their  three  chil- 
45 


dren,  two  died  in  infancy,  Fred  M.  being  the  only 
survivor. 

The  maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject, 
Francis  and  Nancy  (Tyler)  Moxley,  were  natives 
respectively  of  Groton,  Conn.,  and  Harford,  Pa. 
The  former,  who  was  born  September  11,  1798, 
removed  with  his  parents  in  1814  to  New  Milford, 
Pa.,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death, 
July  17,  1883.  For  a  period  of  seventy-three  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Flis 
father,  Jonathan  Moxley,  was  an  emergency  man 
at  Ft.  Griswold,  Conn.,  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  Moxley,  whose  name  is  on 
the  Ft.  Griswold  monument  at  Groton,  Conn., 
containing-  a  record  of  the  patriots  slain  by  the 
British  under  the  leadership  of  the  traitor  Arnold 
in  1781. 

Our  subject's  grandmother,  Nancy  jMoxley, 
was  born  April  12,  1804,  and  died  August  4, 
1878.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Job  Tyler,  who  was 
born  in  Attleboro,  Mass.,  in  1780,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven.  Her  grandfather,  John 
Tyler,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1746,  came 
in  an  early  day  to  Pennsylvania,  settled  near  Har- 
ford, and  there  died  in  1822.  It  is  said  of  Job 
Tyler  that  he  was  noted  for  his  unvarying  pre- 
cision and  system  in  every  line  of  work  he  at- 
tempted. Whether  in  command  of  his  regiment 
as  its  colonel,  or  in  the  conducting  of  a  funeral, 
he  worked  with  military  order  and  preciseness. 
Even  when  he  drove  oxen  it  is  said  that  they  were 
trained  to  hold  their  heads  erect,  and  in  building 
the  old-fashioned  rail  fences  the  stakes  had  to  be 
set  as  straight  as  gun  barrels. 

The  Walden  family,  with  which  our  subject  is 
connected,  emigrated  from  England  and  settled 
in  Salem,  Mass.  The  first  member  of  whom 
there  is  any  record  is  John  Walden,  who  with 
his  wife,  Dorcas,  and  their  two  sons,  made  set- 
tlement in  Windham,  Conn.,  in  1708,  and  died 
there  in  March,  1722.  His  wife  survived  him 
twenty-six  years,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Descending  from  this  family  was 
our  subject's  great-grandmother,  Irene,  born 
February  27,  1757,  married  to  John  Francis,  who 
was  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  later  settling  in 
Canterbury,  Conn.  Capt.  John  Walden  enlisted 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  July   14,   1779,  as  a 


1040 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


member  of  the  I'ourth  Connecticut  Reg'inient, 
and  was  discharged  October  lo,  1780,  re-enHsting 
in  Captain  Durkee's  company  April  27.  1782,  and 
serving  until  a  year  from  that  date.  He  was  cap- 
tain of  a  local  military  company  in  Windham. 

Prominent  among  the  ancestors  of  Mr.  Fran- 
cis were  the  Abbe  family.  The  first  one  of  whom 
there  is  any  authentic  account  was  Hepsibath, 
a  descendant  of  John  Abbe,  of  Norwich,  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  Salem,  Mass.,  in  January, 
1637.  S.  C.  Fessenden,  whose  mother  was  an 
.A.bbe,  has  in  his  possession  the  coat  of  arms  and 
other  insignia  showing  the  nobility  of  the  early 
members  of  the  family.  Another  ancestor  of  our 
subject,  .Samuel  Palmer,  was  born  in  1659,  came 
to  Windham,  Conn.,  in  1701,  and  died  in  1744. 
With  him  came  his  son,  Samuel,  who  married 
Hepsibath  Abbe  April  8,  1707.  She  was  born  in 
Salem  (now  Danvers),  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Abbe,  who  settled  in  Windham  in  1697.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  David  Francis, 
was  born  June  15,  1766,  and  died  in  Erie  Septem- 
ber 21,  1826;  he  married  Clarissa  Everett,  who 
was  born  October  i,  1770.  and  died  January  31, 
1849.  Their  son,  John,  was  born  October  22, 
1792,  and  married  Esther  Walden.  daughter  of 
Capt.  John  Walden,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  She 
was  born  October  17,  1788,  and  died  March  18, 
1866.  A  little  more  than  two  years  later,  June 
I,  1868,  he  passed  away. 

Educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Broome 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  high  school  of  Bingham- 
ton,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Dalton  in 
1883  and  embarked  in  the  retail  lumber  business. 
In  the  fall  of  1894  his  house,  with  a  goodly  por- 
tion of  its  contents,  was  burned,  and  afterward 
he  built  a  large  residence  in  Wetherby  Street, 
overlooking  by  a  commanding  view  the  town 
and  surrounding  country.  Taking  in  as  partner 
in  the  business  J.  W.  1  )ershimer  in  the  spring  of 
1895,  together  they  bought  the  Dalton  grist  mill, 
but  sold  this  one  year  later  to  Snyder  Brothers. 
Mr.  Dershimer  sold  his  interest  to  W.  A.  Dean 
in  July,  1896,  and  that  gentleman  has  since  been 
connected  with  Mr.  Francis  in  the  lumber  trade. 
A  fire,  that  in  May,  1895,  swept  away  a  large 
part  of  the  business  section  of  tlu-  ritv,  also 
burned  out  the  lumber  plant,  but  undanntt-d  by 


the  catastrophe,  they  started  in  again  with  equal 
energy,  and  now  rank  among  the  most  eflicicnt 
business  men  of  the  place. 

June  7,  1892,  Mr.  Francis  was  made  a  Mason 
in  Waverly  Lodge  No.  301,  F.  &  A.  M..  at 
Waverly;  became  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  in  Fac- 
toryville  Chapter,  No.  205,  at  Factoryville,  Jan- 
uary 25,  1896;  was  knighted  in  Melita  Command- 
ery  No.  68,  K.  T.,  at  Scranton,  April  9,  1896; 
and  made  a  noble  of  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  in  Irem  Temple  at 
Wilkesbarre  May  20,  1896.  With  his  wife  he 
holds  membership  in  the  Baptist  Church.  His 
first  presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  Hon.  James 
G.  Rlaine,  and  since  then  he  has  been  a  firm  ally 
of  the  Republican  party.  In  1885  he  was  chosen 
town  clerk  and  served  for  two  years.  Governor 
Beaver  appointed  him  justice  of  the  peace  in  1888 
to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  the  following  year  he  was 
unanimously  elected  for  a  term  of  five  years  and 
again  in  1894  for  a  similar  period.  In  1894  he 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  state  conven- 
tion, member  of  the  Republican  state  committee 
1894-95,  member  of  legislative  district  commit- 
tee 1889-95,  and  delegate  to  district  convention 
1888,  1891,  1893.  In  all  matters  pertaining  to 
the  community  he  takes  an  active  part  and  in  the 
fall  of  1894  he  was  instrumental  in  having  the 
town  incorporated  into  a  borough.  At  present 
he  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Water  Com- 
pany. 

b'ebruary  23,  1885,  Mr.  Francis  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Minerva  J.  Brewer.  They 
are  the  parents  of  two  children:  Adaline  M.. 
born  August  28,  1886:  and  Howard  N.,  October 
I,  1888.  Mrs.  Francis  was  born  in  Stroudsburg. 
Pa.,  January  8,  1864,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John 
N.  and  Hester  (Albert)  Brewer,  the  former  born 
in  .Stroudsburg  October  28,  1838,  and  the  latter 
in  Wilkesbarre  April  26,  1838.  John  N.  Brewer 
was  educated  in  the  common  school  of  Monroe 
County  and  Stroudsburg  Academy  and  engaged 
in  educational  work,  teaching  continuously  for 
thirty  years,  later  devoted  his  time  to  farming, 
and  is  now  living  at  Canadensis,  Monroe  County, 
Pa.  His  father,  James  Brewer,  was  born  in 
Stroudsburg,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
four;  the  latter  married  Eleanor  Staples,  who  is 


PORTRAIT   AND   RIOGRAl^IITCAL   RECORD. 


1041 


still  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  The  moth- 
er of  Mrs.  Francis  had  three  children,  girls,  and 
died  in  Stroudsbnrg  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Sarah  (Gower) 
Albert,  natives  respectively  of  Shawnee,  Monroe 
County,  Pa.,  and  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  both  of  whom 
are  living,  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-nine. 


JOHN  J.  ROBERTS,  Al.  D.,  with  ofifice 
at  No.  225  South  Main  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton,  is  one  of  the  many  honorable  cita- 
zens  whom  Wales  has  contributed  to  the  United 
States.  A  native  of  Carnarvonshire,  he  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Ann  (Roberts)  Roberts,  the  latter 
of  whom  died  in  1884;  the  fomicr,  who  is  still 
living,  is  a  contractor  in  slate  quarries  at  NantUe- 
vale,  and  is  considered  an  authority  in  all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  his  chosen  occupation.  He  is 
the  father  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  The 
other  son  besides  our  subject  is  Robert  J-,  super- 
intendent of  the  slate  quarries  at  West  Pawlet, 
Vt.,  and  Brownell,  N.  Y.,  the  largest  quarries 
of  roofing  slate  in  the  United  States. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen,  the  subject  of  this  article 
entered  Holt  Academy,  where  he  continued  his 
studies  for  a  time,  but  later  left  to  begin  an  ap- 
prenticeship to  a  physician  in  Penygroes,  Carn- 
arvonshire. In  1877  he  entered  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Glasgow,  where 
he  was  a  student  for  two  years,  and  afterward 
was  assistant  to  Dr.  Hughes  at  Bethesda,  and 
Dr.  Roberts  at  Festiniog.  In  1883  he  crossed 
the  ocean  to  the  United  States  and  entered  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College,  but  after  a  short  time 
became  a  student  in  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Vermont  at  Burlington,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1885  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D. 

Upon  completing  his  education.  Dr.  Roberts 
embarked  in  practice  at  West  Pawlet,  At.,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years.  Then  for  a  year  he 
had  an  office  in  Middle  Granville,  N.  Y.,  and 
from  there  came  to  Pennsylvania,  again  entering 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  where  he  passed 
the  required  examination.  In  November  of 
1888  he  came  to  Scranton,  where  he  has  an  office 
at  No.  225  South  l\lain  Avenue.    He  is  identified 


with  the  Lackawanna  County  Medical  Society 
and  n  mcnibcr  of  the  West  Side  Board  of  Trade. 
Politically  he  adheres  to  Republican  principles, 
but  is  not  partisan  in  his  views.  He  is  not 
connected  with  any  denomination,  but  attends 
services  at  the  Welsh  Calvinistic  Church,  to 
which  his  wife  belongs.  Fraternally  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Hyde  Park  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  a  charter 
member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  Robert  .Mor- 
ris Lodge  of  Ivorites. 

In  New  York  State  Dr.  Roberts  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Maggie  Parry  Williams, 
who  was  born  in  Middle  (iranville,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Williams,  a  well  known  resident  of  that 
place.  One  child,  Newton,  blesses  their  union. 
In  his  professional  labors  Dr.  Roberts  is  earnest, 
skillful  and  persevering,  and  by  reading  keeps 
abreast  with  the  latest  developments  of  the  sci- 
ence of  medicine.  Quick  to  grasp  intricacies  that 
might  puzzle  others,  he  is  also  prompt  in  carry- 
ing out  ideas  and  plans.  His  tact,  good  judg- 
ment and  will  power  are  recognized  as  prominent 
traits  of  his  character  and  have  contributed  in  no 
small  degree  to  his  success. 


WILLIAM  J.  HAND  is  president  of  the 
Nay-Aug  Coal  Company,  operating 
in  Dunmore,  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Chair  Manufacturing  Company,  with  plant 
located  at  Brandt,  and  attorney-at-lavv,  with  office 
in  the  Commonwealth  Building,  Scranton.  As  a 
lawyer,  he  has  a  high  place  in  the  estimation  of 
the  community.  Learned  in  law,  especially  in 
that  branch  pertaining  to  corporate  interests,  he 
is  well  equipped  for  his  profession. 

Upon  another  page  will  be  found  a  sketch  of 
Hon.  Alfred  Hand,  ex-judge  of  the  supreme 
court,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
William  J.  was  born  in  Scranton  July  26,  1866, 
and  laid  the  foundation  o^  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  afterward  prepared  for  college 
in  the  School  of  Lackawanna  under  Prof.  W.  H. 
Buell,  and  in  1883  entered  Yale  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  four  years  later  with  the 
degree  of  A.  I!.    Under  the  preceptorship  of  his 


104^ 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


father  he  carried  on  his  legal  studies  and  in 
April,  1890,  was  admitted  to  the  Lackawanna 
County  bar  in  Scranton.  He  at  once  formed  a 
partnership  with  his  father  and  the  two  have 
since  been  associated  in  professional  work.  He 
is  a  director  of  the  Thouron  Coal  Land  Com- 
pany, which  owns  valuable  property  in  Schuyl- 
.  kill  County,  and  is  also  a  director  of  the  Ithaca 
Street  Railway  Company,  which  erected  the  first 
railway  plant  in  Ithaca.  In  Scranton,  January 
12,  1893,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Carrie  B.,  daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  AI.  and 
Lucy  Smith,  of  this  city.  Politically  a  stanch 
Republican,  in  February,  1892,  he  was  elected 
upon  that  ticket  to  the  common  council  without 
opposition,  and  served  as  chairman  of  the  audit- 
ing and  judiciary  committees,  but  resigned  in 
January,  1893,  owing  to  his  removal  from  the 
sixteenth  to  the  seventeenth  ward.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Country  Club  of  Scranton.  In  1888 
he  became  a  director  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  suc- 
ceeded H.  M.  Boies  to  the  presidency  in  1891, 
serving  for  two  years.  In  1892  he  aided  in  the 
organization  of  the  Scranton  Rescue  Mission, 
with  which  he  has  since  been  actively  connected 
as  a  director,  and  of  which  he  has  been  treasurer 
since  January,  1896.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
has  been  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  is  always  warmly  interested  in  the 
work  of  his  denomination. 


JOSEPH  C.  COBB,  a  representative  farmer 
of  JefTerson  Township,  and  member  of  one 
of  the  oldest  established  families  in  this 
section,  was  born  October  18,  1850,  on  the  old 
homestead,  located  in  what  was  then  Salem 
Township,  but  is  now  Jefferson  Township,  the 
line  of  demarcation  running  near  his  house.  On 
both  sides  he  traces  his  lineage  to  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  this  locality,  Iiis  ancestors  coming  here 
about  1790  and  1795.  In  Jefiferson  Township, 
within  sight  of  our  subject's  home,  stands  an  old 
graveyard,  where  his  great-grandfather,  Asa 
Cobb,  and  great-grandmother,  Sarah  Cobb,  are 
buried.  The  tombstones  still  standing  show  that 
three  of  the  family  died  the  same  year,  namely: 


Sarah  Cobb,  April  9,  1816,  aged  sixty-three 
years;  and  her  two  sons,  William,  January  19, 
1816,  aged  twenty-nine  years,  and  Henry,  March 
24,  1816,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three.  Asa  Cobb 
died  March  24,  1828,  when  fifty-eight  years  old. 

The  record  of  the  Cobb  family  is  as  follows: 
Asa  and  Sarah  Cobb  came  to  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty in  June,  1790,  from  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
and  settled  in  this  town.  They  reared  eleven  chil- 
dren, namely:  Asa,  John,  Sypron,  William, 
Noah,  Henry,  Theodore,  Ebenezer,  Abigail,  Sa- 
rah and  Angeline.  The  girls  married  and  settled 
in  this  county.  Two  of  the  sons,  John  and  Eben- 
ezer, settled  at  the  old  home  place;  two,  William 
and  Henry,  died;  and  the  others  scattered  to  dif- 
ferent places.  At  the  time  the  family  came  to 
Pennsylvania,  Ebenezer,  our  subject's  grandfa- 
ther, was  less  than  six  months  of  age,  he  having 
been  born  December  19,  1789.  In  1815,  when  in 
his  twenty-sixth  year,  he  married  Lydia  Osgood. 
who  was  born  in  Connecticut  November  8,  1794, 
and  a  year  after  her  birth,  in  1795,  her  parents 
moved  to  Salem  Township,  Wayne  County.  The 
four  children  born  to  Ebenezer  and  Lydia  Cobb 
were  as  follows:  Holley,  who  was  born  July  27, 
1816,  died  in  his  seventy-eighth  year;  Jeremiah, 
who  was  born  April  8,  181 8,  died  in  his  seventieth 
year;  William  F.,  who  was  born  November  7, 
1820,  died  in  his  seventeenth  year;  and  Ruth,  who 
was  born  June  25,  1825,  is  still  living.  After  the 
grandfather's  death  the  grandmother  made  her 
home  with  her  son  Jeremiah  until  her  death  in 
1879,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five.  The  Cobbs  have 
always  been  known  as  people  of  great  courage, 
with  strong  constitutions  and  great  powers  of 
endurance.  Four  brothers  in  the  family  of  our 
subject's  grandfather  killed  seven  bears  in  one 
day;  they  were  great  hunters  and  trappers  in  the 
early  days. 

One  of  the  enterprises  of  Ebenezer  Cobb  was 
the  building  and  running  of  a  saw  mill,  which 
with  the  land  attached  is  now  the  property  of  our 
subject  and  added  to  the  home  farm.  The  old 
mill  is  still  in  running  order  and  turns  out  con- 
siderable lumber,  though  not  in  quantities  to 
compare  with  the  early  days,  for  the  old  forests 
have  disappeared.  The  maternal  great-grand- 
father, Jeremiah  O.'^good,  was  a  pioneer  here  and 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1043 


attained  the  age  of  one  hundred  years,  while 
Grandmother  Osgood  lived  to  be  ninety-nine. 
The  settlement  of  the  family  here  was  marked  by 
many  hardships  and  their  early  days  were  marked 
by  many  thrilling  experiences. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Jeremiah  and  Car- 
oline (Croup)  Cobb,  were  born  near  here,  and 
the  former  died  on  this  place  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty. The  mother,  who  makes  her  home  with 
our  subject,  was  seventy-four  years  of  age  in 
December,  1896,  and  is  still  hale  and  active,  car- 
rying her  years  with  remarkable  vigor.  .Seven 
sons  were  born  to  her  marriage:  William  F., 
who  was  killed  on  the  railroad  in  1893;  David 
S.,  of  Scranton;  Joseph  C. ;  Franklin  P.,  de- 
ceased; Worthington  S.,  who  lives  in  Scranton; 
Alton  E.,  of  Phoenix,  Ariz. ;  and  Francis  O.,  who 
is  connected  with  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company  at  Carbondale.  The  marriage  of  the 
parents  took  place  in  December,  1846.  Our  sub- 
ject^ brother,  W.  S.  Cobb,  has  two  sons,  How- 
ard, fourteen  years  of  age,  and  Clyde,  eleven 
years.  D.  S.  Cobb  and  wife,  Augusta,  have  one 
daughter,  three  years  old,  and  A.  E.  Cobb  and 
wife,  Jennie,  have  a  daughter,  Ruth,  five  years 
of  age. 

Receiving  fair  educational  advantages  in  youth, 
Mr.  Cobb  attended  the  common  schools  and 
Hollisterville  Normal,  and  since  completing  his 
education  has  given  his  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  home  farm,  devoting  some  time  to 
the  raising  of  stock,  cattle  principally.  Among 
the  improvements  he  has  made  to  the  place  may 
be  irientioned  the  large  and  substantial  barn  and 
a  large  Monitor  power  mill  or  wind  engine,  for 
pumping,  cutting,  thrashing  and  grinding. 
The  latter,  together  with  all  of  the  machinery, 
he  bought  at  the  close  of  the  World's  Fair  in 
Chicago,  and  he  is  probably  the  only  man  in  the 
county  who  uses  wind  as  the  motive  power  for 
this  work.  It  has  often  been  said  that  Mr.  Cobb 
has  the  best  buildings  and  farm  home  in  either 
Wayne  or  Lackawanna  County;  such  was  the 
testimony  of  a  representative  of  the  "Wayne  In- 
dependent," who  gave  him  that  honor  in  his 
paper;  and  some  of  our  best  traveling  salesmen 
and  most  reliable  business  men  of  the  county 
corroborate  this  testimony. 


The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cobb  occurred  Septem- 
ber 4,  1895,  and  united  him  with  Miss  Emma 
Van  Buskirk,  of  Newton  Township.  He  gives 
his  support  uniformly  to  the  men  and  measures 
advocated  by  the  Democratic  party  and  has  filled 
the  office  of  town  clerk,  town  auditor,  etc.  A 
man  of  excellent  public  spirit,  he  takes  great  in- 
terest in  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood  and  the 
upbuilding  of  the  community. 


M 


ARION  STUART  CANN,  who  has  been 
well  known  in  Scranton  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  was  born  in  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  in  1859.  His  childhood  was  spent 
in  Maryland,  whence  in  1873  he  came  to  Scran- 
ton with  his  father,  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Cann,  LL. 
D.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  scientific  sub- 
jects, and  for  two  years,  while  preparing  for  col- 
lege, was  instructor  in  science  and  mathematics 
at  the  Greenwich  Academy,  Greenwich,  Conn.  In 
1879  he  entered  Williams  College  but  was  obliged 
to  abandon  the  course  on  account  of  ill  health. 
He  was  appointed  expert  and  special  agent  of 
the  tenth  census  in  the  departments  of  coal  and 
iron  in  1880;  was  also  attached  to  the  geological 
survey  of  Kentucky  as  assistant  in  charge  of  the 
main  office  during  the  same  period. 

At  the  close  of  this  work  Mr.  Cann's  decided 
predilection  for  journalism  led  him  to  accept  the 
city  editorship  of  the  "Louisville  Courier  Jour- 
nal" under  Hon.  Henry  Watterson,  who  took  a 
warm  interest  in  his  aspirations,  and  gave  him  a 
thorough  training  in  the  details  of  metropolitan 
newspaper  work.  On  his  return  to  Scranton  he 
became  a  member  of  the  staf?  of  the  "Scranton 
Republican,"  and  was  in  charge  of  the  Sunday 
edition  when  it  was  first  issued.  He  has  also 
been  the  city  editor  of  the  "Truth,"  the  "Times," 
and  the  proprietor  of  several  papers  of  his  own. 
For  several  years  he  taught  acceptably  in  his 
father's  school.  The  School  of  Lackawanna,  and 
has  also  had  many  private  pupils  in  science  at 
various  times.  In  1886  he  registered  as  a  student 
at  law  with  John  B.  Collings,  in  Lackawanna 
County,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1889, 
in  Jetiferson  County,  Ala.,  where  he  had  been 
called  as  editor  of  the  "Birmingham  Age  Her- 


1044 


PORTRAIT    AXl)    IMOGRAPHKAL    RI-CORD. 


aid."  IJesicLes  routine  journalism  and  the  work 
of  a  special  correspondent,  he  has  j)repare(l  many 
books  and  panijihlets  on  historical,  scientific  and 
literary  subjects.  His  most  recent  work  was  tlic 
preparation  and  editing-  of  the  notes  and  mem- 
oirs of  the  venerable  l'>.  H.  Throop,  Ai.  D., 
published  under  the  title,  "Half  a  Century  in 
Scranton." 


BEXJAM  IX  S.  LEWIS.  Xot  alone  through 
his  work  as  a  builder  and  contractor,  but 
also  by  means  of  his  investments  in  real 
estate,  Mr.  Lewis  has  become  ]3rosi)erous  and 
gained  a  place  among  the  efficient  business  men 
of  Scranton.  When  he  came  here  from  Daleville 
in  1881  he  became  the  first  settler  in  the  extreme 
north  part  of  the  city,  and  erected  the  first  house 
in  what  is  now  X''orth  Park.  At  that  time  the 
real  estate  in  this  locality  was  unimproved,  a 
heavy  growth  of  underbrush  covering  the  land, 
w  hich  had  not  as  yet  been  platted  ofif  in  blocks  or 
opened  u])  by  streets.  Locating  in  Jefiferson 
Avenue,  between  Delaware  Street  and  Electric 
Avenue,  he  has  since  been  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  locality,  and  has 
become  one  of  its  well  known  residents. 

A  native  of  Abergervenney,  Monmouthshire. 
England,  the  subject  of  this  article  was  born  lan- 
uary  i.  1(848,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ann 
(Hill)  Lewis,  natives  respectively  of  Radnorshire, 
South  Wales,  and  Clifford.  Herefdrd.  The  for- 
mer, who  was  a  farmer  in  his  native  shire,  came 
to  America,  accompanied  l)y  his  wife,  in  187,^. 
and  settled  in  Daleville,  Pa.,  where  he  remained 
until  his  deatii  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  seventv-six. 
His  wife,  who,  like  hmiself,  was  an  Episcopalian 
in  religious  belief,  died  in  Daleville  when  sev- 
enty-eight. She  was  a  daughter  of  Ik-njamin 
flill,  a  native  of  Clifford  and  a  member  of  an 
old   family  of  that  place. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  Rev.  Richard  Lew- 
i.s,  was  a  minister  of  the  Congregational  Church 
in  Radnor,  lie  had  a  sun  who  served  in  the 
English  army  dm-ing  the  Crimean  War  and  who 
was  a  man  of  remarkable  physical  strength.  His 
military  experience  was  a  ])eculiar  one.  It  hap- 
pened one  dav  that,  while  he  was  plowing  in  the 


fields,  a  neighbor  rode  by  and,  as  papers  only 
reached  the  farm  houses  once  a  week,  news  was 
eagerly  welcomed.  The  neigh1)or  paused  to  nar- 
rate the  war  news  and  found  his  listener  so  inter- 
ested that,  when  he  had  concluded,  he  was  asked 
to  drive  the  ])low  horses  hoiue,  Mr.  Lewis  hast- 
ening to  lirecon,  leaving  the  ])low  in  the  field. 
At  Brecon  he  enlisted  in  the  militia  and  learned 
nn'litary  tactics,  but  then  secured  possession  of 
his  old  clothes  and  deserted,  walking  to  Mon- 
mouth, and  going  in  a  stage  from  there  to  Alder- 
shot.  In  that  place  he  enlisted  in  a  regiment  to 
go  to  the  front  and  at  first  was  rejected,  but  on 
showing  what  he  could  do,  was  finallv  accepted 
and  went  to  Russia.  In  many  of  the  engage- 
ments of  the  Crimean  War  he  bore  a  valiant  part, 
winning  the  rank  of  color  sergeant  and  the  com- 
mendation of  his  superior  officers.  On  his  re- 
turn home  on  a  furlough,  he  reported  to  the 
guard  that  he  was  a  deserter  and  was  put  in  the 
guard  room,  the  fact  that  he  wore  a  heavy  over- 
coat ])reventing  his  uniform  from  being  seen 
by  the  guard.  On  being  brought  te)  the  colonel 
he  threw  off  his  overcoat,  revealing  a  uniform 
decorated  with  medals.  The  colonel,  much  sur- 
prised, demandetl  an  explanation,  which  was  giv- 
en, and  the  case  was  regarded  as  so  unusual  that 
it  was  reported  to  headquarters.  The  result  was 
that  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  was  given 
a  pension  of  a  guinea  a  week  and  put  in  charge 
of  the  barracks  at  the  post. 

Four  scMis  comjirised  the  family  of  which  our 
subject  is  a  memlier,  and  of  these  three  are  liv- 
ing, Charles  being  a  blacksmith  in  Providence, 
and  Richard  residing  in  Fayette  County.  Ben- 
jamin S.,  the  youngest  of  the  sons,  was  reared 
in  ICngland  until  twelve  years  of  age.  when  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  carpenter  in  Crickhowell, 
Wales.  After  three  years  he  went  to  lUenhaven, 
where  he'  worked  ten  months  at  his  trade,  and 
then  spent  a  year  in  Xewport.  Afterw;ird  he  was 
in  the  government  service  and  assisted  in  build- 
ing a  lighthouse  in  Bristol  Channel.  For  a  time 
rheumatism  (lisable<l  him,  and  on  his  recoverv  he 
followed  his  trade  in  Manchester,  England. 

In  1868  Mr.  Lewis  came  to  America  on  the 
steamer  ".Manhattan,"  and  for  about  six  vears 
worked   at    his   trade   in    .\ew    \'ork,   after   which 


POI^TRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1045 


he  was  employed  successively  in  Harrisburg, 
Riverside  and  Scranton,  returning  in  1869  to 
New  York  City,  thence  back  to  Scranton,  and  in 
1872  to  Irving  Station,  near  Pittsburg,  where 
he  was  employed  in  contracting  and  building 
for  two  years.  In  1874  he  went  to  Daleville, 
bought  a  farm  and  for  six  years  engaged  in  its 
cultivation,  but  in  1881  again  came  to  Scranton, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  Until  1885  he  worked 
at  his  trade,  but  he  then  began  contracting  and 
building,  in  which  he  was  active  until  1896.  His 
sons,  B.  S.,  Jr.,  and  T.  G.,  are  his  successors  in 
the  business.  Among  the  buildings  for  which 
he  held  the  contract  were  No.  28  school,  Simon 
Rice  residence,  D.  Jay's  building,  Conway  Hotel, 
Burr  building  on  Franklin  and  Spruce,  wood- 
work of  the  Dime  Bank,  the  residences  of  R. 
A.  Zimmerman,  Edward  Chamberlain,  Ed  Hive, 
Curtis  Crane  and  Mr.  Jurisch,  and  he  has  also 
built  a  number  of  houses  for  himself.  At  this 
writing  he  owns  a  store  and  four  dwellings  in 
Jefiferson  Avenue  and  four  houses  on  Marion 
Street  and  Adams  Avenue,  while  the  block  which 
he  built  in  the  rear  of  Jefferson  Avenue  he  has 
given  to  his  sons.  The  summer  seasons  he  usu- 
allly  spends  at  his  summer  home,  which  is  a 
small  farm  in   iNIadison  Township. 

June  22,  1872,  at  Scranton,  Mr.  Lewis  married 
Miss  Mary  L.  Hirschman,  who  was  born  here, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Emma  (Dailey)  Hirsch- 
man, and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Sykes.  She  was 
educated  in  public  and  private  schools  here,  and 
is  a  lady  of  refinement  and  cultured  tastes.  The 
five  children  comprising  the  family  are  Benja- 
min S.,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  G.,  contractors  in  Scran- 
ton; William  Hill,  with  A.  Johnson  of  Green 
Ridge;  Samuel  Sykes  and  Harry  Stanley.  Two 
daughters  are  deceased,  Josephine,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years  and  ten  months,  and  Bessie, 
who  died  at  eight  months.  The  three  eldest  sons 
have  served  in  the  Thirteentli  Regiment,  in  which 
Benjamin  was  a  corporal  and  George  still  holds 
that  position. 

While  in  Dmmiore  Mr.  Lewis  was  for  two 
years  a  member  of  the  board  of  borough  council- 
men.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he  was  chairman 
of  the  Republican  borough  committee  in  1895, 
and  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  victory  of 


his  party  that  year.  In  religious  belief  he  is  an 
Episcopalian  and  belongs  to  the  Church  of  the 
(lood  Shepherd.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
the  Heptasophs  and  is  a  charter  member  of  Green 
Ridge  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  belongs  to  the 
Peter  Williamson  Lodge  here  and  the  \'eterans' 
Association  of  Masons. 


EDMUND  I'..  JERMYN.  The  younger 
Pitt,  had  his  lot  been  cast  in  the  United 
States  in  this  day  and  generation,  would 
not  have  found  it  necessary  to  defend  himself 
against  the  "atrocious  crime  of  being  a  young 
man.''  In  this  republic  there  is  no  prejudice 
against  young  men;  in  fact,  quite  the  reverse  is 
true.  It  is  the  young  men  who,  both  in  commer- 
cial and  professional  life,  are  the  leaders  of 
thought  and  action,  and  whose  energy  and  en- 
thusiasm is  the  great  stimulator  of  financial  en- 
terprise. The  subject  of  this  narrative  is  one 
of  the  young  business  men  of  Scranton,  whose 
ability  is  not  only  resulting  advantageously  to 
himself,  but  to  the  city  as  well. 

The  entire  life  of  Mr.  Jermyn  has  been  spent 
in  this  county  and  he  was  born  in  the  borough 
of  Jermyn  April  12,  1867,  the  son  of  John  Jermyn. 
His  education  was  commenced  in  the  schools 
of  that  place,  later  carried  on  in  Peekskill  Mili- 
tary Academy,  which  he  attended  in  1881-82. 
Next  he  was  a  student  in  Wilkesbarre  Academy, 
and  from  there  went  to  the  School  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna, where  he  remained,  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  Professor  Buell,  until  his  graduation  in 
1886.  With  a  view  of  becoming  familiar  with 
commercial  affairs,  he  entered  Pierce's  Business 
College  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  until 
his  graduation  in  1887.  On  leaving  college  he 
was  for  a  time  engaged  as  private  secretary  to  his 
father.  In  1892  he  became  proprietor  and  man- 
ager of  the  Jermyn  steam  flouring  mill  at  Jermyn, 
and  through  his  energy  has  built  up  a  profitable 
business.  The  plant  is  operated  by  steam  power, 
and  the  roller 'system  process  has  been  adopted, 
the  capacity  of  the  mill  being  fifty  barrels  per  day. 
In  Scranton,  in  October,  1889,  Mr.  Jermyn 
married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Mrs.  C.  S.  Deck- 
er, of  this  city:  they  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 


1046 


PORTRAIT    AND    r.TOGRAPIITCAL    RECORD. 


dren,  Ednumd  P>.,  Jr.,  Elizabeth  and  William  S. 
They  reside  at  No.  621  Jefferson  Avenue.  Mr. 
Jermyn  is  active  in  politics  and  a  pronounced  Re- 
publican. For  three  years,  from  1887  to  1890, 
he  was  a  member  of  Company  A,  Thirteenth 
Regiment,  N.  G.  P.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Luke's 
Episcopal  Church  and  a  generous  contributor  to 
philanthropic  and  religious  enterprises. 


HON.  FRANK  T.  OKELL.  Not  by  gift, 
purchase  or  influence  can  one  rise  at  the 
bar,  but  solely  by  merit  must  he  gain  his 
reputation,  his  ability  wimiing  him  greatness  and 
enabling  him  to  pass  on  the  highway  of  life  many 
who  perhaps  had  accomplished  a  part  of  the 
journey  ere  he  started  out.  Mr.  Okell  is  one  of 
the  younger  members  of  the  bar  of  Scranton,  but 
his  prominence  is  by  no  means  measured  by  his 
years;  on  the  contrary,  he  has  won  a  reputation 
which  many  an  older  practitioner  might  well 
envy.  His  birth  occurred  November  15,  1866, 
in  the  city  which  is  still  his  home,  and  since  at- 
taining to  man's  estate  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  its  business  and  political  interests. 
His  father,  George  Okell,  is  a  native  of  Glou- 
cestershire, England.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world,  he  located  in  Scranton  in  1859, 
and  became  connected  with  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
&  Coal  Company,  being  chief  heater  in  their  roll- 
ing mills  for  many  years,  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired in  Moscow,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five 
years.  He  married  Rosanna  Williams,  who  was 
liorn  in  Devonshire,  England,  and  died  in  Mos- 
cow. The  name  of  Okcl!  is  derived  from  Oak 
Hill.  Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  four  chil- 
dren who  are  still  living.  He  was  educated  in 
the  Military  Institute  at  Bordcntown,  N.  J.,  and 
after  this  preparation  was  appointed  a  cadet  in 
1 881  to  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  in 
Annapolis,  Md.,  by  the  congressman  representing 
the  district  which  includes  Scranton.  After  three 
sunnner  cruises,  however,  he  resigned  in  1884, 
and  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Knapp. 
In  November,  1888,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Scranton,  and  has  since  successfully  engaged 
in  practice  at  this  place,  having  an  office  in  the 
Coal  Exchange  building. 


Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Okell  has 
been  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  at  different  times  has  done 
effective  service  as  secretary  of  the  Republican 
county  committee.  In  1888  he  was  elected  sec- 
retary of  the  Scranton  school  board,  serving  until 
1892,  when  he  resigned.  In  fall  of  1892  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  legislature.  He  was  the 
nominee  of  his  party  to  represent  the  second 
district  of  Lackawanna,  his  Democratic  oppo- 
nent being  John  P.  Quinnan,  who  contested  the 
election,  but  Mr.  Okell  was  seated  and  was 
the  first  Republican  ever  elected  to  the  leg- 
islature from  his  district,  a  fact  which  plainly 
indicates  his  personal  popularity.  For  the  past 
nine  years  he  has  also  acceptably  served  as  one 
of  the  auditors  of  the  Scranton  poor  board.  With 
St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church  he  holds  member- 
ship, and  also  belongs  to  Union  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  to  the  Law  and  Library  Association. 

In  Nashville,  Tenn.,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Okell  and  Miss  Harriet  M.  Evans, 
a  native  of  that  city,  where  her  father,  W.  M.  B. 
Evans,  was  engaged  in  the  wholesale  drug  busi- 
ness. He  was  formerly  a  New  York  man.  Mrs. 
Okell  is  a  cultured  and  refined  lady,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  Ward's  Female  Seminary  at  Nashville. 
Pjy  her  marriage  she  is  the  mother  of  one  son, 
Robert. 


WILLIAM  ROr.INSON,  deceased,  for- 
merly a  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  Rob- 
inson's Sons,  was  one  of  those  men 
Avliorn  to  meet  was  to  like.  His  death  was  not 
only  an  irreparable  loss  to  those  connected  with 
him  by  the  ties  of  relationship,  but  the  entire 
community  as  well.  His  many  friends  miss  the 
congenial,  warm  hearted  companion  and  his 
memory  will  long  be  cherished  by  the  many  who 
were  fortunate  enough  to  have  possessed  his 
fricndshij).  He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany, 
May  18,  1S52,  a  son  of  Col.  Jacob  R.  and  Eliza- 
beth Robinson,  ilr  came  with  his  parents  to 
this  country  when  they  emigrated  here  in  the 
year  following  his  birtli.  A  sketch  of  his  fath- 
er's life  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume 
in  connection  with  that  of  his  brother. 


PORTRAIT   AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1047 


Mr.  Robinson  married  Miss  Helen,  a  daughter 
of  Peter  Burschel,  in  December,  1878,  and  to 
them  were  born  three  children,  a  son  who  died 
when  a  few  months  old,  and  two  daughters,  Lena 
and  Amelia.  Mrs.  Helen  Robinson  died  in  1882. 
In  September,  1883,  ]\Ir.  Robinson  married 
Amelia  Brenner,  of  New  York  City,  and  to  them 
two  children  were  born.  Desiring  to  thoroughly 
master  the  brewing  business  he  went  to  Bavaria 
and  acquired  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  entire 
details  of  the  business,  and  upon  his  return  to 
this  city  assumed  the  superintendency  of  the 
brewery  on  Seventh  Street.  Mr.  Robinson  was 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Scranton  Turn  Ve- 
rein  and  the  Liederkranz.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Scranton  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company  and  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
Scranton  Lodge,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  in  which  he  was 
past  exalted  ruler.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Eichenkranz  Singing  Society,  of  New  York  City, 
besides  many  organizations  of  a  social  character 
in  this  city.  He  took  an  active  part  in  local  poli- 
tics and  his  counsel  was  much  sought  by  the 
leaders  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  death  oc- 
curred September  15,  1893. 


COL.  GEORGE  W.  SCRANTON.  This 
volume  would  indeed  be  incomplete  were 
no  mention  made  of  the  man  to  whose 
foresight,  energy  and  business  ability  much  of 
the  present  prosperity  of  the  city  of  Scranton  is 
due.  With  his  brother,  Selden  T.,  he  came  to  the 
Lackawanna  Valley  when  the  unambitious,  sleepy 
village  of  Slocum's  Hollow  occupied  the  land 
now  covered  by  large  office  buildings  and  beauti- 
ful residences,  and  where  thousands  of  busy  peo- 
ple ply  their  varied  avocations.  From  that  time 
to  the  day  of  his  death,  more  than  twenty  years 
afterward,  he  was  identified  with  the  development 
of  the  place  and  a  large  contributor  to  its  ad- 
vancement. 

The  genealogy  of  the  Scranton  family  shows 
that  it  was  founded  in  America  by  John  Scran- 
ton, who  emigrated  from  England  in  1638  and 
settled  at  East  Guilford  (now  Madison),  Conn. 
There  Colonel  Scranton  was  born  May  10,  181 1, 
and  it  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  father,  The- 


ophilus.  The  records  show  that  his  ancestors 
took  part  in  the  French  and  Revolutionary  wars 
and  were  closely  identified  with  colonial  history. 
His  education  was  more  complete  than  was  given 
to  the  majority  of  the  boys  of  his  day,  for,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  usual  winter  schooling,  he  studied 
two  years  at  Lee's  Academy,  then  a  noted  insti- 
tution, under  the  superintendence  of  Alajor  Rob- 
inson. However,  before  his  course  of  study  was 
completed,  his  uncle.  Chapman  Warner,  offered 
him  a  position  in  Belviderc,  N.  J.,  whither  he  went 
in  1828,  beginning  the  duties  of  an  active  busi- 
ness career.  A  few  years  later  he  was  offered  a 
partnership  with  Judge  Kinney  in  a  store.  After 
his  marriage  to  Jane,  daughter  of  George  Hiles, 
of  Belvidere,  he  relinquished  his  mercantile  life 
for  agricultural  pursuits. 

A  few  years  later,  in  partnership  with  his  broth- 
er, S.  T.  Scranton,  he  engaged  in  the  iron  busi- 
ness, buying  out  the  firm  of  Henrv  Jordan  & 
Co.,  at  Oxford,  N.  J.  Meanwhile  Mr.  Henry 
was  desirous  of  developing  the  ores  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna Valley  and  appealed  to  the  new  firm.  After 
examining  the  ground,  the  new  furnace  was  decid- 
ed upon.  Colonel  Scranton  came  here  in  1840  and 
at  once  threw  himself,  with  accustomed  energy, 
into  the  task  of  developing  the  resources  of  the 
locality.  A  cousin,  Joseph  A.  Scranton,  had 
amassed  a  fortune  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  was  in- 
duced to  invest  some  of  his  idle  capital  here.  In 
this  way  he  became  acquainted  with  the  mineral 
wealth  of  this  section,  and,  pleased  with  the  pros- 
pects, he  gradually  increased  his  investments;  he 
finally  removed  here  and  was  manager  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  until  his 
death. 

Nor  were  the  energies  of  Colonel  Scranton  lim- 
ited to  business  affairs,  but  in  political,  educa- 
tional and  social  matters  he  was  interested.  While 
in  New  Jersey  he  was  colonel  on  the  staff  of  the 
governor  of  that  state.  Always  a  Whig,  he  la- 
bored earnestly  in  behalf  of  Henry  Clay  in  1844. 
In  1858,  against  his  personal  wishes,  he  was  nomi- 
nated as  the  champion  of  the  protectionists,  and 
received  a  majority,  at  the  election,  of  three  thou- 
sand. He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  tariff  meas- 
ure and  it  was  said  that  no  man  in  congress  con- 
tributed more  to  the  perfection  of  its  details  than 


1048 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(lid  lie.  He  was  disappointed  by  its  failure  to 
])ass  the  senate,  but  not  disheartened,  and  upon 
his  re-election,  went  back  prepared  to  promote 
this  policy  as  zealously  as  ever.  However  his 
health  soon  became  seriously  impaired  and 
though  at  first  it  was  thought  he  would  recover, 
lie  gradually  sank,  and  passed  away  March  24, 
1 861,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years  and  ten 
months. 


CHARLES  HUESTER,  county  recorder 
of  deeds,  was  born  in  Hottenbach,  Prus- 
sia, Germany,  March  31,  1854,  and  is  a 
son  of  Jacob  and  Sophia  (Engers)  Huester,  also 
natives  of  Prussia,  where  the  latter  still  lives.  The 
father,  who  served  in  the  German  army  and  took 
part  in  the  war  of  1866  with  Austria,  died  in  his 
native  land.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Nicholas 
Huester,  took  part  in  the  Napoleonic  wars  and 
with  a  brother  accompanied  that  illustrious  gen- 
eral on  his  march  to  Russia,  when  Moscow  was 
burned.  The  uniform  which  he  wore  is  still 
preserved  by  his  descendants  in  Germany.  Pie 
was  a  man  of  rugged  physique  and  strong  con- 
stitution, and  attained  the  age  of  eighty-six.  In 
religious  belief  he  was  a  Lutheran.  His  son,  our 
subject's  father,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four, 
while  the  wife  of  the  latter  is  now  more  than 
seventy  years  old.  They  liad  tliree  children: 
Charles;  Fiorina,  who  is  in  Germany:  and  Katie, 
Mrs.  P.  Helter,  of  New  York  City. 

Reared  upon  a  farm  in  Germany,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  attended  the  common  schools  until 
fourteen  years  of  age.  and  after  coming  to  Scran- 
t<jn  was  a  student  in  the  niglit  school  for  two 
years.  In  November,  1871,  he  came  to  America 
from  Bremen,  the  voyage  taking  si.xteen  days. 
On  reaching  the  United  States  he  at  once  came 
to  Scranton,  where  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn 
the  moulder's  trade  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  foundry.  He  became  a  practical 
moulder,  which  occupation  he  followed  seventeen 
years.  In  1888  he  embarked  in  the  hotel  saloon 
business,  taking  charge  of  a  place  lie  had  started 
in  1883  at  No.  815  Cedar  Aveinie.  Here  he  built 
a  hotel  and  has  since  engaged  in  business. 

Jn   1894   .Mr.    Huester   was   nominated   for   re- 


corder, his  opponents  being  John  Reece,  George 
Schies  and  Ed  House.  He  was  elected  on  the 
Republican  ticket  by  a  majority  of  sixteen  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven,  and  took  the  oath  of  office 
January  8,  1895,  ^or  a  term  of  three  years.  In 
the  office  he  has  seven  assistants,  through  whose 
efficient  service  the  work  is  systematically  and 
accurately  performed.  He  is  a  pronounced  Re- 
publican and  has  frequently  served  on  city  and 
county  connnittees  and  as  delegate  to  conven- 
tions. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Huester  married  Miss  Numi- 
chin  Sohns,  who  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Frederick  Sohns,  a  cooper  now  re- 
siding in  Scranton.  They  are  the  parents  of  nine 
children  :  William,  a  clerk  in  the  recorder's  office; 
Jacob,  Katie.  Peter,  Frederick,  Frank,  August 
A.,  Minnie  and  Charles.  Jr.  ]\Ir.  Huester  has 
been  connected  with  the  fire  department  for 
twenty-one  years  and  assisted  in  organizing  Nep- 
tune Engine  Company  No.  2,  in  which  he  held 
a  number  of  offices.  For  eight  years  he  was  fire- 
man of  the  steamer  and  for  ten  years  the  engineer, 
and  is  still  an  active  member  of  the  company. 
About  1885  he  was  made  a  Mason,  and  belongs 
to  Schiller  Lodge,  F.  &i  A.  M.,  Lackawanna 
Chapter  and  Coeur  de  Leon  Commanderv,  K. 
T.  Twice  he  has  served  as  sachem  of  Nay-Ang 
Tribe  No.  140,  1.  O.  R.  M.  He  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Scranton  Athletic  Club  and 
the  Saengerbunde,  and  in  religious  belief  is  iden- 
tified with  the  German  Presbyterian  Church. 


JOHN  E.  ROCHE  was  bom  June  12,  1850,  at 
Cecilstown,  County  of  Cork.  Irel;ind.  and 
is  the  oldest  son  of  Cornelius  and  Mary 
(O'Connor)  Roche,  of  same  parish.  His  early 
youth  was  spent  in  Canada,  whither  his  parents 
emigrated  the  year  of  his  birth,  and  his  first  at- 
tendance at  school  was  at  the  Mohawk  settlement 
near  Deseronto.,  Province  of  Ontario,  a  majority 
of  the  pupils  being  Mohawks.  In  i860  his  ])ar- 
ents  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  near  Mid- 
dle \'alle\-,  Wayne  County,  wlu-re  his  father 
cleared  a  spot  in  the  wilderness  to  Iniild  .n  honu'. 
Three  years  latei-  they  removed  to  llawley,  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  picked  slate  on  the  coal 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1049 


docks,  was  driver  or.  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal,  brakeman  on  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany's Railroad,  peeled  bark,  cut  lumber,  etc., 
until  1872,  when  he  moved  to  Scranton. 

He  became  connected  with  the  Father  Matthew 
Total  Abstinence  Society  shortly  after  his  arrival, 
became  prominent  in  the  movement,  was  fore- 
most in  the  organization  of  the  Catholic  Total 
Abstinence  Union  of  the  diocese  of  Scranton, 
and  was  elected  its  first  president.  The  union 
now  numbers  ten  thousand  members  and  is  the 
most  potential  organization  in  northeastern  Penn- 
sylvania. He  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  pro- 
vision business  in  1876  and  retired  in  1882  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health.  In  1877  he  married  Mary 
Louisa  Campbell,  daughter  of  Henry  Campbell, 
of  Carbondale.  In  1882  he  was  nominated  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  and  was  elected  to  represent 
the  city  of  Scranton  for  the  years  1883-1884  in  the 
legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  and  during  the  term 
had  enacted  reforms  in  the  ballot  law  and  secured 
an  appropriation  of  $40,000  for  the  Lackawanna 
Hospital,  Scranton,  that  being  up  to  that  time 
the  largest  amount  obtained  from  the  state  for 
any  institution  in  northeastern  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  again  a  candidate  in  1884,  but  was  defeated, 
owing  to  the  large  Democratic  defection  to  James 
G.  Blaine,  who  was  a  candidate  for  president  that 
year.  After  President  Cleveland's  inauguration 
he  was  appointed  cashier  of  the  Scranton  post- 
ofifice,  but  resigned  in  February,  1889,  to  repre- 
sent a  wholesale  hardware  and  mine  supply  house, 
and  is  at  present  engaged  in  that  business  with 
The  Hunt  &  Connell  Co.,  of  Scranton.  In  1892 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  select  council  of 
Scranton  and  was  re-elected  without  opposition 
in  i8g6.  He  was  the  candidate  several  times  for 
president  of  that  body,  but  the  Democratic  party 
was  always  in  the  minority.  He  was  the  principal 
promoter  of  the  building  of  the  Linden  Street 
and  Roaring  Brook  bridges,  both  fine  structures, 
costing  $275,000.  At  all  times  he  was  active  in 
municipal  affairs  and  it  may  be  truthfully  said  of 
him  that  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been 
the  father  of  every  public  improvement  in  the 
ward  in  which  he  lives.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  county  committee  for  several 
years,  was  chairman  of  that  body  in  1894-95,  was 


a  member  of  the  Democratic  state  central  commit- 
tee of  Pennsylvania  for  two  years,  was  a  delegate 
to  several  state  conventions  and  was  acting  al- 
ternate delegate  to  the  national  convention  of 
1896. 

Mr.  Roche  is  self-educated,  a  good  parliamen- 
tarian, a  ready  debater,  and  has  led  his  party  in 
the  many  contests  for  supremacy  in  councils  with 
signal  ability  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  the  people  of  the  city  in  which  he  lives, 
notwithstanding  his  activity  in  public  life. 


WILLIAM  F.  IIALLSTEAD,  general 
manager  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad,  was  born  March 
22,  1836,  in  Benton  Township,  Luzerne  (now 
Lackawanna)  County,  Pa.  His  parents,  Orin  L. 
and  Mary  (Rivenburg)  Hallstead,  were  both  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  former  was  in  early 
years  a  farmer,  but  later  became  connected  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western.  Until . 
fifteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Hallstead  followed  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  attending  the  village  school 
about  three  months  each  year.  In  1851  he  began 
working  on  the  railroad,  then  in  process  of  con- 
struction from  Scranton  to  Great  Bend.  When 
the  section  was  completed  he  was  employed  as 
brakeman  on  a  gravel  train,  but  was  soon  pro- 
moted to  be  conductor,  and  in  a  few  months  was 
made  yard  dispatcher  at  Scranton.  In  1856  he 
became  assistant  superintendent  and  in  1868  was 
advanced  to  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the 
Northern  division,  Binghamton  to  Main  Line 
Junction.  Shortly  afterward  he  was  given  charge 
of  the  line  from  Syracuse  to  Binghamton,  in  all 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  under  his 
personal  supervision.  Later  he  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  Utica.  Chenango  &  Sus- 
(|uehanna  branch,  and  several  years  afterward 
liad  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  line  from 
Binghamton  to  Buffalo,  which  was  completed  in 
1883.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  general  man- 
ager of  the  entire  system. 

The  company  with  which  he  is  connected  has, 
in  addition  to  its  main  line,  many  branches  ex- 
tending to  the  coal  fields  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
rich  farming  sections  of  New  York;   owns  thou- 


I050 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sands  of  acres  of  coal  lands,  operates  many  mines, 
employs  over  eighteen  thousand  hands,  and  has 
a  pay  roll  that  averages  $1,250,000  monthly,  much 
of  this  amount  being  put  in  circulation  in  Scran- 
ton. 

In  June,  1858,  Mr.  Hallstead  married  Mary 
Harding,  of  New  Milford,  Susquehanna  County, 
Pa.,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  a  son, 
George.  Mr.  Hallstead  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  most  efficient  and  best  qualified  railroad  men 
in  the  country.  Step  by  step  he  has  advanced  to 
the  responsible  position  which  he  now  fills,  hav- 
ing worked  his  way  from  a  humble  beginning  to 
a  place  of  trust  and  honor. 


GEORGE  W.  FRITZ  is  one  of  the  oldest, 
as  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful business  men  of  Scranton,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  harness  and 
trunk  business  at  No.  410  Lackawanna  Avenue. 
His  location  is  an  excellent  one,  advantageous 
for  the  purposes  of  trade,  and  the  building,  in 
which  he  has  floor  space  of  four  stories,  is  also 
conveniently  arranged  and  equipped.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  manufacture  of  harness,  he  is  a  dealer 
in  trunks  and  traveling  bags  of  all  descriptions, 
riding  saddles  and  bridles,  horse  boots,  blankets 
and  robes,  and  in  these  lines  has  built  up  an  ex- 
tensive trade. 

The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Fritz  on  his  father's 
side  was  for  some  time  a  land  agent  in  Philadel- 
phia, but  on  retiring  from  business,  settled  in  Col- 
umbia County  on  what  is  known  as  Fritz  Hill. 
In  that  region  the  majority  of  his  descendants 
now  reside.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Ezekiel 
Fritz,  was  born  in  Columbia  County,  in  early 
manhood  spent  a  short  time  in  Montrose,  Sus- 
quehanna County,  and  then  removed  to  Spring- 
villc,  Susquehanna  County,  where  he  conducted 
a  merchant  tailoring  business  until  he  retired. 
His  death  occurred  in  Scranton  when  he  was 
eighty-four.  He  married  Esther  Frink,  who  was 
l)orn  in  Susquehanna  County  and  there  died. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Long  Island  and  with 
.some  of  his  brothers  came  from  theri-  to  i\nn- 
sylvania  in  an  early  day. 

The  only  survivor  of  four  children,  our  subject 


was  born  in  Springville,  Susquehanna  County, 
June  16,  1835.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools,  and  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
began  an  apprenticeship  to  the  harness  maker's 
trade  in  Montrose.  After  three  years  he  went 
to  Tunkhannock,  where  he  worked  as  foreman 
for  two  years.  He  was  then  a  traveling  salesman 
for  one  year.  In  August,  1856,  he  opened  a 
harness  shop  in  Penn  Avenue,  Scranton,  and  con- 
tinued there  until  1S68,  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  location.  An  excellent  manager  and  a 
man  of  genuine  business  ability,  he  has  accumu- 
lated a  small  fortune  through  his  industrious  and 
intelligent  efforts. 

In  political  views  Mr.  Fritz  is  a  Republican, 
and  fraternally  is  identified  with  LTnion  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  a  member  of  Grace  Re- 
formed Church  and  serves  the  congregation  as 
vestryman.  In  1866  he  built  a  home  in  IMadison 
Avenue,  but  has  since  erected  a  more  modern 
and  commodious  residence.  His  marriage  took 
place  in  Tunkhannock  May  17,  1858,  and  united 
him  with  Miss  Mary  Lovenia  Leas,  daughter  of 
Worley  Leas,  a  tanner  residing  in  the  southern 
part  of  this  state.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children  living:  John  A.,  who  assists  his  father  in 
business,  and  Rozilla,  at  home. 


JOHN  W.  TIFFANY  was  born  in  Harford, 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  in  1833,  the  son 
of  Orville  and  Mary  (Marcy)  Tiffany,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Harford  and  Nicholson,  Pa. 
Both  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  Of  their 
children  si.x  are  yet  living.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents, Thomas  and  Milly  Tiffany,  removed 
from  Massachusetts  in  1794  to  Susquehanna 
County,  Pa.,  and  resided  upon  a  farm  there  un- 
til death.  The  maternal  grandparents,  John  and 
Polly  (Hartley)  Marcy,  were  natives  of  Wyoming 
County,  and  both  died  in  Nicholson.  Great- 
grandfather Marcy  was  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  came  to  Pennsylvania  with  the  Clarks,  bring- 
ing with  him  an  apple  tree,  from  which  origi- 
nated the  celebrated  Clark  apple  of  this  section. 
During  the  Wyoming  massacre  a  tobacco  box 
saved  his  life. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  John  W.  Tiffany  was  edu- 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1051 


cated  in  the  district  schools  and  Harford  Acad- 
emy. May  18,  1862,  he  married  a  daughter  of 
Solomon  and  Polly  (Briggs)  Finn,  natives  respec- 
tively of  Blakely  Township,  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, and  Wyoming  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tiffany 
had  five  children,  and  three  are  now  living,  Jen- 
nie, Findley  and  Carl  W.  After  his  marriage 
Mr.  Tififany  operated  a  mill  at  Nicholson.  Prior 
to  his  marriage  he  taught  four  terms,  and  after- 
ward twelve  terms;  his  wife  was  highly  edu- 
cated and  taught  for  eight  years  before  her  mar- 
riage. For  twelve  years  he  was  school  director. 
His  first  vote  was  cast  for  J.  C.  Fremont  and  he 
has  since  always  supported  Republican  princi- 
ples, attending  the  party  caucuses  and  township 
and  county  conventions.  With  his  family  he  is 
identified  with  the  Baptist  Church  and  was  Sun- 
day-school superintendent  for  twelve  years. 


ROBERT  DAVIDSON  was  born  in  Rox- 
buryshire,  Scotland,  in  the  year  1784.  He 
was  a  civil  and  mechanical  engineer.  He 
sailed  for  America  in  181 2.  The  vessel  was  cap- 
tured by  an  American  privateer  and  the  passen- 
gers landed  in  Canada.  In  the  search  that  fol- 
lowed the  capture,  Mr.  Davidson  lost  his  tools 
and  all  extra  clothing.  He  came  across  the  bor- 
der into  New  York  State,  where  he  lived  until 
1829.  He  married  Helen  Kelly,  of  Saratoga 
County,  N.  Y.  They  became  the  parents  of  five 
children:  Helen,  who  died  an  infant;  Margaret, 
who  died  at  sixteen  years;  Mrs.  Jane  Stewart,  of 
Carbondale,  who  died  in  1895;  Mrs.  Esther  Muir, 
of  Brownville,  Neb.;  and  Peter  Davidson,  of  Lack- 
awanna County.  In  1829  Robert  Davidson  set- 
tled in  Greenfield,  Lackawanna  County,  Pa., 
where  he  bought  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  thir- 
ty-eight acres.  He  died  in  Carbondale  in  1871  at 
the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  For  many  years 
he  devoted  himself  to  general  surveying  and  me- 
chanics. He  superintended  the  setting  up  of  the 
machinery  in  many  of  the  mills  along  the  Hud- 
son and  in  the  state  of  Virginia.  He  surveyed 
many  of  the  roads  in  Lackawanna  County.  From 
1845  his  farm  of  over  seven  hundred  acres  occu- 
pied  his  attention. 

Peter  Davidson,  after  the  death  of  his  father. 


Robert  Davidson,  came  into  possession  of  the 
home  farm.  He  married  Miss  Charlotte  Parker, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Charles  Parker,  of  Abington, 
Lackawanna  County.  Of  the  eight  children  born 
to  them,  six  are  living.  For  six  years  Mr.  Da- 
vidson made  his  home  in  Waverly  that  his  chil- 
dren might  have  the  advantages  of  study  in  Madi- 
son Academy,  of  which  he  was  treasurer  and 
trustee.  Since  1885  he  has  resided  in  Scranton. 
All  of  his  children,  excepting  one,  have  made 
Scranton  their  home. 

Mrs.  Peter  Davidson's  paternal  grandfather, 
Stephen  Parker,  came  from  Rhode  Island  and 
settled  in  Abington  in  the  year  1800.  In  the  fall 
of  the  year  he  planted  his  wheat,  going  back  to 
Rhode  Island  for  the  winter.  When  spring  came, 
he  brought  his  wife  out  to  the  new  home.  The 
house  that  he  built  and  the  farm  he  settled  upon, 
are  now  the  property  of  his  grandson,  Charles 
Marenus  Parker.  Mrs.  Davidson's  maternal 
grandfather,  Jonathan  Hall,  settled  in  Abingdon 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.  His 
grandchildren  now  own  the  farm  that  he  cleared 
and  the  house  that  he  built. 

Charles  Parker  Davidson,  son  of  Peter  David- 
son, was  born  in  Greenfield,  Lackawanna  Coun- 
ty, in  1855.  He  attended  Madison  Academy  un- 
til he  was  ready  for  college.  He  entered  Cornell 
University  in  1874  and  spent  two  years  there. 
Later  he  studied  real  estate  law  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania.  In  1888  he  married  Miss  Anna 
E.  Broadwell  of  Jacksonville,  111.  They  are  the 
parents  of  five  children. 

Mr.  Davidson  has  been  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness since  1881.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Lacka- 
wanna Lumber  Company,  Peck  Lumber  Manu- 
facturing Company  and  the  J.  J.  Newman  Lum- 
ber Company,  and  is  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade  Real  Estate  Company. 


DAVID  WILLIAMS,  who  resides  at  No. 
1 201  Hampton  Street,  Scranton,  and  who 
for  five  years  served  as  alderman  from  the 
first  ward,  is  of  Welsh  birth  and  parentage.  His 
father,  David,  and  grandfather,  William,  were 
both  natives  of  Breconshire,  where  the  latter,  a 
farmer  and  plasterer,  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 


I052 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


two;  and  the  latter,  wlio  was  reared  upon  a  farm. 
but  followed  mining  throughout  the  greater  yjarl 
of  his  life,  died  at  sixty-eight  years.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  Sarah  Morgan,  born  at  Bryn 
Tail  farm,  Glamorganshire,  and  reared  in  Car- 
villy  upon  the  farm  operated  by  her  father. 
George  Morgan.  The  family  to  which  she  be- 
longed was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  re- 
spected in  the  shire  of  Glamorgan.  Her  death 
occurred  when  she  was  forty-four  years  of  age. 

In  the  family  of  David  and  Sarah  Williams 
there  were  four  children  who  attained  years  of 
maturity,  and  of  these  two  are  living,  David  and 
George  M.,  a  miner  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  road.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Rhymney,  Glamorganshire,  March  3,  1834, 
and  in  childhood  attended  a  private  school  for 
a  short  time.  When  only  seven  years  of  age  he 
began  to  work  in  the  mines  as  an  assistant  to  his 
father,  holding  the  positions  of  door  boy  and 
driver  and  later  working  as  a  miner.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1859,  he  took  passage  at  Liverpool  on  the 
steamer,  "City  of  Glasgow,''  and  after  a  stormy 
voyage  of  twenty-two  days,  landed  in  New  York. 
From  there  he  went  to  Pittston  and  secured  work 
with  a  coal  company,  under  John  J.  Evans,  super- 
intendent. 

Coming  from  Pittston  to  Scranton  in  1872,  Mr. 
Williams  began  to  work  in  the  Jermyn  (now  the 
Manville)  shaft  at  Green  Ridge,  where  he  was 
employed  until  his  election  as  alderman.  In  1890 
he  was  nominated  on  the  Republican  ticket  as 
alderman  from  the  first  ward  of  Scranton,  gained 
the  election  by  a  good  majority  and  was  commis- 
sioned by  Governor  Beaver.  He  established  his 
ofifice  in  Providence  Scjuarc,  where  he  dispensed 
justice  for  five  years,  retiring  in  1895.  He  makes 
liis  home  in  Hyde  Park,  his  residence  being  sit- 
uated on  tlie  cf)rnt-r  of  ll;inipti>n  and  'I'wclfth 
Streets. 

The  first  wife  oi  .Mr.  Williams  was  Mrs.  Ann 
(Thomas)  Evans,  who  was  born  in  Swansea  \'al- 
ley,  Wales,  and  thence  came  with  her  father,  Wil- 
liam T.  Thomas,  to  Scranton  in  1849,  and  contin- 
ued to  make  this  place  her  home  until  her  death 
in  1890.  Eight  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
of  whom  Myvanwy  and  Ivor  are  deceased;  the 
others  reside  in  Lackawanna  County,  excepting 


William,  who  lives  in  Pittston.  The  second  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Williams,  which  was  solemnized  in 
Xanticokc.  united  him  with  Mrs.  Anna  (Davis) 
Rowland,  the  widow  of  Thomas  Rowland,  a 
miner  who  came  to  America  in  1863,  and  settled 
in  Scranton,  where  he  died.  Mrs.  Williams  was 
born  in  Merthyr  Tydvil,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  Davis,  natives  of  Pembrokeshire,  South 
Wales,  the  former  a  farmer  and  later  a  miner. 
Mrs.  Williams  is  the  mother  of  five  children.  In 
the  miners'  and  labor  reform  movement,  our  sul:)- 
ject  took  an  active  part  and  was  deeply  interested. 
Politically  he  votes  the  Republican  ticket  and 
fraternally  was  in  former  years  identified  with  the 
Independent  Onler  of  Odd  Fellows.  l)ut  is  not 
now  connected  with  the  lodge. 


RE\'.  JAS.  L.  SHAXLEY,  A.  M.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Honesdale. 
Wayne  County,  Pa.,  on  the  ist  of  Alarch, 
1861,  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Margaret  (Curran) 
Shanley.  About  the  year  1847  the  father  came 
from  Ireland  and  located  in  Honesdale,  there  en- 
gaging in  business,  in  which  he  continued  until 
his  death  in  1883.  The  mother  is  still  a  resident 
of  that  place.  Father  Shanley  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  at  the  Honesdale  Academy, 
graduating  in  1880.  The  same  year  he  entered 
Niagara  University,  Suspension  Bridge,  N.  Y., 
and  on  his  graduation  from  that  institution  in 
1884  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
Two  years  later  his  Alma  Mater  conferred  upon 
him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  Deciding  to 
study  for  the  church,  he  entered  upon  his  phil- 
osophical and  theological  studies  in  the  seminary 
of  the  above  university  and  completed  the  course 
in  three  years.  While  a  student  he  was  one  of 
the  editors  of  the  "Niagara  Index,"  a  long-estab- 
lished and  well  known  college  journal.  He  was 
ordained  to  the  priesthood  by  Bishop  O'Hara,  at 
St.  Peters  Cathedral,  Scranton,  on  the  24th  of 
August,  1888,  together  with  Revs.  J.  O'Reilly,  J. 
V.  Hussie,  J.  Enright,  J.  Fagan  and  P.  J.  Col- 
ligan. 

Father  Shanley  was  then  sent  as  assistant  to 
Rev.  P.  T.  Roche,  pastor  of  the  church  of  St. 
Thomas  Acquinas,  Archbald,  and  after  tlie  death 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1053 


of  the  latter  in  July,  1889,  our  subject  had  charge 
of  the  parish  until  the  appointment  of  a  new 
rector  in  January,  1890.  In  1891  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Haw  ley,  where  he  had  temporary  charge 
of  St.  Philoniena's  Church,  remaining  at  that 
place  two  years  and  a  half.  In  1894  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  St.  Leo's  Church,  Ashley,  Pa., 
while  Bishop  Holan,  the  pastor,  was  on  a  six 
months'  trip  in  the  Holy  Land. 

On  leaving  that  place  Father  Shanley  came  to 
Dickson  City  as  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Thomas  the  Apostle,  where  he  has  done  effective 
work,  clearing  the  debt  on  the  property  as  well 
as  advancing  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  congre- 
gation, which  now  numbers  between  seven  and 
eight  hundred  souls.  Many  years  ago  the  church 
was  started  as  a  mission  of  the  Holy  Rosary 
Church,  Providence,  and  the  first  house  of  wor- 
ship was  erected  in  1886  by  Rev.  T.  F.  Kernan,  of 
Parsons.  It  was  set  apart  as  a  distinct  congrega- 
tion October  12,  1892,  Rev.  M.  J.  Conway  be- 
coming the  first  pastor,  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
Father  Shanley  on  the  12th  of  July,  1894.  In 
the  parish  there  are  established  several  societies, 
including  Division  No.  14,  Ancient  Order  of  Hi- 
bernians, a  branch  of  the  Young  Men's  Institute, 
Father  Mathew  Temperance  Society  and  a 
Father  Mathew  Cadet  Society. 


WILBUR  F.  CLEMENTS,  of  the  firm 
of  Gaige  &  Clements,  of  Moscow,  w-as 
bom  in  Salem,  Pa.,  November  6,  1840, 
the  son  of  Hiram  and  Sarah  K.  (Kunkel)  Clem- 
ents. His  early  years  were  spent  in  attendance 
at  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and 
in  work  at  home.  After  completing  the  stud- 
ies of  the  neighborhood  schools,  he  entered 
Kingston  Academy  and  was  also  for  a  time  a 
student  in  Lawrence  Academy.  When  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  began  to  teach  school  and  was 
thus  employed  for  two  terms.  March  7,  1859,  he 
came  to  Moscow  and  secured  employment  as  a 
clerk  in  a  general  store,  where  he  remained  for 
five  years,  and  then,  February  i,  1864,  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Henr>-  L.  Gaige  in  the  busi- 
ness they  have  since  owned  and  conducted. 
September  13,   1S64,  Mr.  Clements  married  a 


daughter  of  H.  H.  Yeager,  of  Moscow.  They 
have  one  son,  Henry  L.,  who  recently  graduated 
from  Wesleyan  University  at  Middlctown,  Conn., 
and  is  now  taking  a  course  in  the  New  York  Con- 
servatory of  Music,  cultivating  the  talent  which 
he  possesses  in  this  art.  In  politics  Mr.  Clem- 
ents is  a  Prohibitionist  and  has  been  active  in 
local  matters,  but  has  never  accepted  office.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order, 
and  was  a  charter  member  of  Moscow  Lodge  No. 
504,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  masters.  In 
1867  he  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  has  since  been  trustee  and  steward, 
and  for  twenty-four  years  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school. 


WILLIAM  H.  DAVIS.  In  modern  times 
few  occupations  have  received  more 
thoughtful  attention  than  has  the  cul- 
tivation of  flowers.  Rare  plants  have  been  intro- 
duced, new  varieties  have  been  developed  and 
those  already  well  known  have  been  brought  to 
a  higher  stage  of  perfection.  Among  the  men 
who  have  made  a  success  of  the  florist's  business, 
may  be  mentioned  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  sen- 
ior member  of  the  firm  of  Davis  &  Beagle,  of 
Scranton.  In  the  few  years  which  he  has  devoted 
to  the  business,  success  has  rewarded  his  efforts. 
He  now  owns  the  block,  on  Washburn  Street  and 
Fillmore  Avenue,  near  the  Washburn  Street 
cemetery,  where  he  has  built  seven  large  green- 
houses, containing  plants  of  every  variety.  A 
specialty  is  made  of  roses,  carnations,  chrysan- 
themums and  Easter  plants.  The  buildings  are 
heated  by  steam,  furnished  by  a  boiler  of  one 
hundred  horse-power.  The  office  of  the  firm  is 
at  No.  430  Spruce  Street. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Blooms- 
burg,  Pa.,  January  27,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  Jo- 
seph and  Emma  (Kearnes)  Davis.  His  grand- 
father, James  Davis,  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican 
War,  was  in  early  life  a  farmer,  but  afterward 
located  in  Danville  and  secured  employment  in 
the  iron  works.  The  great-grandfather,  who  lived 
in  Columbia  County,  was  a  hero  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. Joseph  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Blooms- 
burg,  was  there  engaged  as  a  machinist  and  later 


10S4 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


as  an  ore  miner.  During  the  Civil  War  he  twice 
enHsted  in  the  Union  army  and  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  cavalry.  His  death  occurred  in  1879; 
his  wife  passed  away  prior  to  his  demise.  Five 
of  their  children  are  living,  two  in  Bloomsburg, 
two  in  Scranton,  and  one  in  South  Lancaster, 
Mass. 

Orphaned  at  eight  years  of  age,  our  subject 
early  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
In  1886  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  florist,  J.  L.  Dil- 
lon, of  Bloomsburg,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
six  years.  Beginning  at  the  foundation  of  the 
business  he  became  familiar  with  every  depart- 
ment and  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
entire  work,  so  that  he  was  prepared  to  success- 
fully engage  in  business  for  himself.  Coming  to 
Scranton  in  1892,  soon  afterward  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  John  W.  Beagle  and  purchased 
a  florist's  business,  which  he  has  since  enlarged 
in  every  department.  In  addition  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  flowers,  he  carries  a  line  of  shrubs  and 
trees  and  does  considerable  business  as  a  nur- 
seryman. In  decorative  work  his  services  are 
also  in  demand.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle,  Knights  of 
Malta,  Order  of  American  Mechanics  and  holds 
a  policy  in  the  Mechanics'  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany. In  political  views  he  supports  Republican 
[irinciples. 


GEORGE  W.  WILDER.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Rebellion,  when  an  appeal  was 
made  for  volunteers  to  protect  the  Union, 
among  those  who  enlisted  was  George  W.  Wild- 
er, of  Scranton.  His  record  as  a  soldier  is  one 
of  which  he  may  be  justly  proud.  Though  only 
eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  enlistment, 
he  was  as  brave  as  any  veteran,  and  his  enthu- 
siasm in  the  cause  was  not  weakened  by  the  hard- 
ships of  camp  life,  the  tedium  of  long  marches,  or 
the  perils  of  conflict  with  the  enemy.  After  three 
years  of  faithful  service,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  mustered  out  as  sergeant. 

Born  in  Peterboro,  Hillsboro  County,  N.  H., 
May  14,  1843,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son 
of  James  Wilder,  a  native  of  Dublin,  N.  H.,  and 
a  farmer  and  carpenter.    From  Peterboro  he  re- 


moved to  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  and  thence  came  to 
Scranton,  settling  in  Hyde  Park  in  1852  and  re- 
moving to  Providence  the  following  year.  He 
engaged  in  building  the  trestle  work  of  bridges 
for  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  road, 
and  later  for  some  fifteen  years  was  a  contractor 
for  the  moving  of  buildings.  During  the  war  he 
enlisted  for  service,  but  was  rejected  on  account 
of  his  age.  He  died  in  this  city  in  1877.  The 
family  of  which  he  was  a  member  originated  in 
England,  and  his  grandfather  was  a  participant  in 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  and  other  conflicts  of 
the  Revolution. 

Twice  married,  by  his  first  union  James  Wilder 
had  three  sons.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Bet- 
sey B.,  daughter  of  Joseph  Boyd,  of  Antrim,  N. 
H.  She  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine, 
and  of  her  eight  children  only  two  are  living, 
George  W.  being  the  only  one  in  Scranton  and 
the  only  one  who  took  part  in  the  Civil  War. 
He  was  a  boy  of  nine  years  when  his  parents 
came  to  this  city  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
attended  the  schools  of  Hyde  Park  and  Provi- 
dence. At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  car- 
pentry work  under  his  brother,  in  the  shops  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  (then  the 
Lackawanna  &  Bloomsburg).  Later  he  was 
engaged  in  bridge  work  at  Catawissa  and  Wil- 
liamsport. 

In  September,  1861,  Mr.  Wilder  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  H,  Fifty-second  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  and  was  mustered  into  service  at 
Harrisburg  November  4.  The  winter  was  spent 
in  Washington,  after  which  he  took  part  in  the 
various  battles  of  the  Pennsylvania  campaign  un- 
der General  MacClellan.  Thence  he  was  ordered 
south  with  his  regiment  and  was  stationed  on 
Morris  Island  and  in  different  places  in  that  sec- 
tion for  almost  two  years,  meantime  being  under 
fire  often  and  experiencing  some  narrow  escapes. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Harrisburg,  November  4,  1864, 
with  the  rank  of  sergeant. 

Returning  to  Providence,  Mr.  Wilder  was  em- 
ployed as  a  carpenter  with  the  Delaware  &  Hud- 
son Company  and  assisted  in  building  Leggett's 
Creek  breaker.  In  1866  he  took  charge  of  the 
carpenter  work   in  this  mine,  and  in   1883  was 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORI). 


1055 


made  outside  superintendent  of  the  collier}-.  Un- 
der his  supervision  there  are  one  hundred  and 
thirty  hands,  and  he  also  has;  in  charge  the  or- 
dering of  all  supplies  for  the  mines.  He  was 
married  in  this  city  to  Miss  Mary  Cowles,  who 
was  born  in  Honesdale,  Pa.  Fraternall\  he  is 
past  master  of  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  is  a  member  of  the  Heptasophs,  Lieut.  Ezra 
S.  Grififin  Post  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  asso- 
ciation of  the  survivors  of  the  Fifty-second  Regi- 
ment. In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian 
and  politically  affiliates  witli  the  Republican 
party. 


DAN  POWELL.  It  is  said  that  biography 
yields  to  no  other  subject  in  point  of  in- 
terest and  profit,  and  it  is  especially  inter- 
esting to  note  the  progress  that  has  been  made 
along  various  lines  of  business  by  those  of  for- 
eign birth  who  have  sought  homes  in  America, 
the  readiness  with  which  they  adapt  themselves 
to  the  different  methods  and  customs  of  Amer- 
ica, recognize  the  advantages  offered  and  utilize 
the  opportunities  which  the  New  World  affords. 
Mr.  Powell,  who  has  for  thirty  years  been  iden- 
tified with  the  interests  of  Dunmore,  has  made  his 
own  way  in  the  world  from  an  early  age,  and  to- 
day is  numbered  among  the  most  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  the  place. 

He  was  born  January  10,  1853,  in  Blaina,  South 
Wales,  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Williams) 
Powell,  also  natives  of  the  same  county.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Anthony  Powell,  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  was  born  in  Caermarthenshire, 
Wales,  and  died  in  early  life.  John  Powell  was 
also  born  in  Caermarthenshire.  and  by  the  death 
of  his  father  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
when  quite  small.  He  became  a  practical  miner 
of  Monmouthshire,  Wales,  and  twice  came  to 
America  before  locating  permanently  here,  first 
before  the  birth  of  our  subject,  and  again  in  1863. 
In  1865  he  came  with  the  intention  of  soon  send- 
ing for  his  family,  and  secured  employment  with 
the  Roaring  Brook  Coal  Company,  but  inside  of 
nine  months  met  with  an  accident,  a  roof  falling 
upon  him,  thus  disabling  him  for  work  for  about 
thirteen  weeks.  In  }ulv.  1867,  however,  he  was 
46 


joined  by  his  family.  He  continued  to  work  for 
different  mining  companies  until  finally  he  retired 
from  active  life,  and  died  in  Dunmore  in  April, 
1895  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  P'or  one 
term  he  creditably  served  as  street  commissioner 
of  that  place.  His  wife  was  reared  in  Blaina, 
Wales,  and  died  in  Dunmore,  January  15.  1883. 
Her  father,  Reese  Williams,  a  native  of  South 
^^'ales,  was  supply  agent  for  the  Blaina  Iron 
Works  for  many  years.  He  survived  his  wife 
seven  years  and  joined  his  children  in  America, 
dying  in  Hyde  Park,  at  the  age  of  eighty -two. 
To  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  eleven 
children,  of  whom  four  sons  and  two  daughters 
came  to  the  United  States:  Reese,  who  died  in 
Dunmore;  John,  a  resident  of  that  place;  An- 
thony, who  had  just  gone  back  to  Wales,  where 
he  was  killed  in  a  mine  in  October,  1895;  Dan; 
Mrs.  Maria  Jones,  of  Jermyn,  Pa.;  and  Mrs. 
Eliza  Weber,  of  Dunmore.  ilrs.  Ann  Harris 
still  makes  her  home  in  South  Wales. 

Until  twelve  years  of  age,  Dan  Powell  attended 
the  schools  of  his  native  land,  and  for  the  follow- 
ing two  years  clerked  in  the  grocery  store  of 
William  Michael.  With  the  family  he  then  left 
Liverpool  on  the  steamer  "Malta,"'  which  reached 
the  harbor  of  New  York  July  30,  1867,  after  a 
voyage  of  fourteen  days.  For  two  years  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  in  the  schools  of  this  country, 
after  which  he  was  employed  for  three  months 
in  the  planing  shops  of  the  Pennsylvania  Coal 
Company,  and  later  served  for  three  years  as  clerk 
in  the  general  store  of  Bryden  &  Co.  In  1872 
he  accepted  a  similar  position  with  Johnson, 
Baxter  &  Co.,  general  merchants  in  Dunmore, 
the  firm  later  being  changed  to  Allen,  Baxter  & 
Co.  After  spending  some  time  as  clerk  he  w-as 
made  a  member  of  the  company,  which  for  three 
years  successfully  engaged  in  business  under  the 
style  of  Allen  &  Powell.  On  selling  out,  he  pur- 
chased the  establishment  of  McMillen  &  Co., 
which  he  carried  on  alone  for  three  years,  but  in 
1883  disposed  of  the  business  and  became  general 
manager  of  the  general  mercantile  store  of  O.  S. 
Johnson  on  Blakely  Street,  where  he  has  since 
remained. 

December   24,    1874.    in    Newton,   N.  J.,   Mr. 
Powell  wedded  Miss  Sarah  E.  Space,  a  native  of 


1056 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


thai  place,  and  a  daughter  of  Jackson  Space,  a 
fanner,  who  belonged  to  an  old  New  Jersey  fam- 
ily. Five  children  blessed  this  union:  Grace  E., 
Elsie  C,  Annie  B.,  Bessie  .M.  and  Helen  L.  Mr. 
Powell  is  a  charter  member  of  King  Solomon 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  been  a  member  of 
Dunmore  Lodge  No.  8i6,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  since  1874. 
He  has  twice  represented  the  latter  order  in  the 
grand  lodge,  was  a  member  of  the  building  com- 
mittee during  the  time  of  the  erection  of  their 
building,  and  has  served  as  trustee  for  many 
years.  An  ardent  Republican,  he  has  served  as  a 
delegate  to  the  county  conventions  of  his  party, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1897,  without  his.soHcitation 
was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  office  of  bur- 
gess of  Dunmore.  He  accepted  the  nomination, 
believing  that  if  elected  he  could  further  advance 
the  interests  of  his  adopted  borough,  as  he  is  one 
of  the  most  public-spirited  and  progressive  citi- 
zens of  the  place.  Since  1870  he  has  been  a  con- 
sistent and  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Dunmore,  of  which  he  has 
been  trustee  for  many  years,  and  is  now  presi- 
dent of  the  board.  For  twelve  years  he  has  most 
effectively  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school, which  under  his  control  has  grown  to 
be  one  of  the  largest  in  Lackawanna  County, 
numbering  over  four  hundred  members.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  building  committee  and 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  when  the  house 
of  worship  was  erected,  and  to  him  great  credit 
is  due  for  its  satisfactory  completion.  Upright 
and  honorable  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  com- 
mands the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


M 


ICHAEL  F.  GILROY.  who  through  en- 
ergy and  hard  work  has  accumulated  a 
competency  and  is  now  in  charge  of  the 
blacksmith  shop  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel 
Company  at  Scranton,  was  born  in  Liberty,  Sul- 
livan County,  X.  Y.,  .August  15,  1856,  and  is  a 
son  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Dolphin)  Gilroy.  His 
father,  who  for  some  time  was  engaged  in  the 
tanning  business  in  Liberty,  removed  in  1863  to 
Tanner's  Falls,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  and  thence 
came  to  Scranton  in  November  of  r866.     From 


that  time  he  was  employed  by  the  Dickson  Manu- 
facturing Company  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red in  January,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  when  he  was  in  church  one  Sunday  morn- 
ing. During  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War  he 
served  in  the  Union  Army  as  a  member  of  a  New 
Y'^ork  state  regiment.  His  wife  passed  away 
July  31,  1884. 

The  family  of  Michael  and  Mary  Gilroy  con- 
sisted of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  five  died  in 
childhood  and  six  are  now  living,  Michael  F,  be- 
ing next  to  the  youngest  of  the  number.  For 
three  years  he  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Wayne  County,  but  after  coming  to  Scranton 
in  1866  he  had  few  opportunities  for  gaining  fur- 
ther education.  For  three  summers  he  worked 
in  a  brick  yard  here  for  the  Lackawanna  fron  & 
Coal  Company,  after  which  he  w'as  employed  on 
a  section  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  West- 
ern Railroad,  and  then  for  fourteen  months  was 
in  the  machine  shops  of  the  Dickson  Manufactur- 
ing Company.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was 
apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  Lacka- 
wanna Avenue,  on  the  present  site  of  the  Dela- 
ware &  Hudson  depot,  and  after  three  years  there 
began  to  do  journeyman  work.  For  seven  years 
he  was  with  the  Fairlawn  Coal  Company,  in 
charge  of  their  blacksmithing  department,  and 
afterw'ard  for  two  years  was  under  foreman  Bish- 
op, in  the  locomotive  shops  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western.  In  May,  1887,  he  re- 
signed to  accept  a  position  with  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  &  Coal  Company,  with  which  he  has  since 
remained  under  its  change  of  name. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Gilroy  married  Miss  Mary  Mul- 
len, daughter  of  Thomas  Mullen,  an  old  settler 
here,  no\v  deceased.  They  are  the  parents  of  six 
children,  one  of  whom  died  at  five  years  of  age, 
a  daughter,  named  Annie.  The  others  are  John, 
Maggie,  Edward,  Michael  and  Mary.  In  1885-86 
our  subject  served  as  tax  collector.  In  1805  'i^ 
was  nominated  to  represent  the  seventh  ward  in 
the  common  council,  being  the  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  party,  endorsed  by  the  Republicans. 
He  was  elected  to  serve  a  term  of  two  years,  and 
has  since  served  as  chairman  of  the  light  and  wa- 
ter committee,  and  member  of  the  auditing,  judi- 
ciarv,  license,  sewers  and  drains,  and  streets  and 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1057 


bridges  committees.  He  has  frequently  repre- 
sented his  party,  the  Democratic,  as  delegate  to 
local  convention.s  and  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  city  and  county  committees. 

What  Mr.  Gilroy  has  acquired  in  the  way  of 
success  and  prosperity  is  the  result  of  his  un- 
wearied exertions.  He  has  had  his  share  of  the 
"hard  knocks'"  of  life,  but  has  never  allowed  him- 
self to  become  discouraged,  even  though  the  sur- 
roundings were  unfavorable.  During  the  last 
nine  years  he  has  averaged  at  least  thirty  days 
per  month  of  hard  work,  and  while  connected 
with  the  Fairlawn  Coal  Company  he  worked  from 
thirty  to  forty-four  days  every  month.  Night  as 
well  as  day  has  been  given  to  his  labors,  and  he 
has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world  by  the  deter- 
mined and  steady  force  of  his  character. 


PROF.  THEODORE  HEMBERGER,  a 
celebrated  violinist  of  Scranton,  has  done 
as  much  as  any  other  man  to  elevate 
the  standard  of  appreciation  of  fine  classical  mu- 
sic in  this  locality.  He  comes  of  a  family  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  musical  genius  and  it  is  lit- 
tle wonder  that  he  is  an  enthusiast  in  his  sacred 
art.  The  Symphony  Orchestra  Society  of  this 
city,  was  founded  by  him  and  under  his  direction 
'three  or  four  concerts  are  given  each  year.  There 
are  some  fifty  or  more  members  in  this  organiza- 
tion and  the  general  public  are  greatly  interested 
in  their  success,  patronizing  the  concerts  in  which 
they  participate,  very  liberally.  The  professor 
also  is  the  leader  of  the  Arion,  a  German  society. 
His  grandfather,  Franz  Hemberger,  a  native 
of  Baden,  Germany,  was  a  contractor  and  erected 
many  public  buildings.  His  wife,  who  before 
their  marriage  was  Kathrina  Anna  Huber,  was  a 
pianist  and  musician  of  great  talent.  Their  son, 
Jacob,  father  of  our  subject,  studied  music  in 
Mannheim,  and  for  years  has  been  recognized  as 
a  leader  in  the  musical  circles  of  Baden.  For 
twenty-eight  years  he  has  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  Conservatory  of  Music  there  and  as  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  it  soon  after  its  organization 
its  entire  success  may  justly  be  given  to  him.  He 
married  Anna  Huber,  whose  father,  Frederick, 
was  a  large  landed  proprietor.  Having  purchased 


the  estate  of  an  old  noble  family  near  the  famed 
Mummelsea,  in  middle  Baden,  he  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  One  of  his  sons,  Joseph,  a 
lieutenant  in  the  revolution  of  1848,  fell,  struck 
by  a  spent  ball,  at  the  bridge  of  Staufcn,  and  was 
the  only  one  killed  at  that  time;  John,  oldest  of 
Jacob  Hemberger's  ten  children,  inherited  the  lik- 
ing for  music  common  to  this  family,  but  turned 
his  especial  attention  to  manufacturing  and  mer- 
chandising in  Pforzheim.  Another  son,  Fred- 
erick, is  a  distinguished  'cello  player  in  Germany. 

The  birth  of  Theodore  Hemberger  occurred 
in  Baden.  From  the  age  of  seven  years  he  prac- 
ticed on  the  violin,  under  his  father's  instruction. 
It  was  his  mother's  intention  to  make  a  lawyer 
of  the  boy,  but  his  talent  was  evidently  in  a  musi- 
cal direction.  When  he  was  but  fourteen  he  en- 
tered Karlsruhe,  to  study  with  Prof.  Ernst  Spies 
and  remained  there  until  four  years  had  passed. 
In  the  meantime  he  graduated  from  the  gymnasi- 
um at  Karlsruhe  and  pursued  his  musical  studies 
under  the  well  known  f  omposer,  Vincennes  Lach- 
ner,  who  taught  him  theory  and  composition. 
Desirous  of  attaining  greater  things  than  the  or- 
dinary, he  took  up  the  difificult  task  of  conducting 
an  orchestra,  his  instructor  being  Felix  Motte. 
At  sixteen  he  became  a  substitute  for  the  second 
concert-master  of  the  royal  orchestra  in  Karls- 
ruhe. Two  years  later  he  went  to  Berlin  and 
during  his  four  and  a  half  years  there  took  violin 
lessons  from  Joseph  Joachim  and  composition 
under  the  tutelage  of  Bargiel. 

In  order  to  locate  in  this  country  Prof.  Hem- 
berger was  obliged  to  cancel  an  engagement  as 
concert-master  of  an  opera  house  in  Weimar, 
Germany.  He  is  acquainted  with  the  leading 
violinists,  composers  and  musicians  of  the  world 
and  has  traveled  extensively.  Soon  after  his  ar- 
rival here  he  opened  an  office  at  No.  415  Adams 
Avenue  and  gives  lessons  in  theory  and  composi- 
tion, piano  and  violin.  Two  days  of  each  week 
he  spends  in  Kingston,  Pa.,  where  he  is  principal 
of  the  violin  department  of  Wyoming  Seminary. 
Many  of  his  compositions  have  been  published  in 
Germany  and  a  few  in  this  land. 

While  thus  taken  up  with  his  art  he  yet  found 
time  to  consider  other  subjects  of  as  great  im- 
portance, for  after  meeting  Miss  Emma  Conrad, 


1058 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


daughter  of  our  citiyen,  Andrew  Conrad,  he  de- 
termined to  win  her  for  his  wife.  She  is  devoted 
to  music,  had  the  privilege  of  making  it  a  study 
for  seven  years  at  the  Conservatory  of  Stuttgart, 
Germanv,  and  subsequently  was  for  a  year  one  of 
the  first  sopranos  in  an  opera  at  Strausburg.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Heniberger  were  united  in  marriage  in 
Scranton,  June  28,   1894.     They  have  two  sons. 


CHARLES  WAGNER.  Scranton  may 
well  be  proud  of  the  amount  of  brains  and 
energy  possessed  by  her  representative 
business  men.  for,  taken  as  a  whole,  there  are  in 
the  stale  none  more  energetic  or  more  capable 
than  they.  One  of  this  class  is  Mr.  Wagner,  who 
has  spent  his  entire  life  here  and  is  well  known  as 
a  contracting  painter.  He  is  of  German  parent- 
age, his  father,  Peter  Wagner,  having  been  born 
in  the  city  of  Drahboch,  Germany,  where  he  was 
reared  and  married.  About  1853  he  started  to 
America  with  his  wife  antl  little  daughter,  but 
the  latter  died  during  the  voyage  and  was  buried 
at  sea.  Coming  to  Scranton,  he  became  an  em- 
plove  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company 
and  continued  a  resident  of  this  city  until  his 
death  in  1864.  During  the  Civil  War  he  took 
part  as  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  but 
was  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability 
and  returned  home,  where  he  died  a  year  after- 
ward. In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Lutheran. 
His  wife  reared  the  three  sons  and  one  daughter 
born  of  their  marriage,  of  whom  the  daughter  is 
now^  deceased.  After  Mr.  Wagner  died  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  A.  Wohlers  and  now  resides  in 
Dunmore. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  Aas  born  in  Peters- 
burg, Scranton,  July  28,  1855.  and  received  a 
district  and  high  school  education.  When  only 
eleven  years  of  age  he  began  to  work,  in  order 
to  assist  his  mother  in  supporting  the  family,  his 
f:rst  situation  being  that  of  slate  picker  for  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company.  After  a  few- 
years  with  them,  he  was  employed  for  three  years 
as  a  machinist  with  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western  Railroad,  and  was  then  apprenticed 
to  the  painter's  trade  under  Alexander  Hay,  with 
whom  he  learned  painting,  decorating  and  sign 


work.  In  1888  he  began  as  a  contracting  painter, 
and  has  been  thus  engaged  since,  having  his  shop 
at  Xo.  337  North  Washington  Avenue,  where 
he  retails  ready  mixed  paints.  Among  his  con- 
tracts were  those  for  the  Congregational  Church 
at  Taylor,  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Scran- 
ton. Wyoming  House,  and  numerous  residences 
here  and  in  adjoining  villages  and  cities.  In  ad- 
dition he  does  a  large  amount  of  sign  work. 

In  the  Liederkranz,  of  which  he  is  an  active 
member.  Mr.  Wagner  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  He 
clings  to  the  religious  faith  of  his  ancestors,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 
In  Scranton  he  married  Miss  Adella  Hay,  who 
was  born  in  Cologne,  German)-,  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  his  old  preceptor,  Alexander  Hay.  They 
are  the  parents  of  four  children,  .\nna,  Carl,  Alex- 
ander and  Adella. 


SA-MUEL  SEWARD,  foreman  of  the  con- 
struction department  of  the  Lackawanna 
iron  &  Steel  Company,  of  Scranton,  is  one 
of  the  oldest  employes  of  this  large  concern,  hav- 
ing been  with  them  for  nearly  thirty  years.  As 
a  soldier  and  citizen,  employe  and  business  man 
and  in  all  the  many  relations  of  life,  he  has  al- 
ways acted  in  a  most  w-orthy,  upright  and  con- 
scientious manner,  striving  to  do  his  duty  to- 
ward all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

liorn  in  Fairmount  Springs,  Luzerne  County, 
January  20,  1838,  Mr.  Seward  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Rebecca  (Schaum)  Seward.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Gad  Seward,  came  from  an  old  Con- 
necticut family,  of  English  descent.  He  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut  and  early  settled  in  Lu- 
zerne County.  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming, 
and  lived  to  be  over  eighty  years  of  age.  The 
maternal  grandfather.  Christian  Schaum,  was 
born  and  was  a  farmer  near  Wind  Gap,  North- 
ampton County,  Pa.  David  Seward  was,  like  his 
son,  a  native  of  h^airmount  .springs  and  when  he 
reached  maturity  engaged  in  various  pursuits. 
At  one  time  he  owned  a  saw  mill  at  the  head  of 
the  Schuylkill  River  and  supplied  timber  for  the 
mines  of  the  locality,  and  at  other  periods  he  was 
eni[)loyed  in  farming  and  teaming,  his  home  be- 
ing then  near  r)rockville.  Pa.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  i8=;().  wlien  lie  w-as  but  fifty-two  years 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


IOS9 


of  age.  His  wife,  Rebecca,  was  born  in  her 
father's  old  homestead  near  Wind  Gap  and  was 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Reformed  Church.  She 
was  summoned  to  her  reward  at  the  good  old 
age  of  seventy-four  years. 

The  family  of  David  and  Rebecca  Seward  num- 
bered eleven  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
turity, but  now  only  four  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters survive.  John  volunteered  for  three  months' 
service  when  the  war  came  on  and  re-enlisted  for 
three  years  in  the  Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania 
\'olunteers.  At  the  battle  of  Antietam,  where 
he  was  acting  as  first  duty  sergeant  of  Company 
E,  one  of  his  legs  was  shot  off  by  a  shell, 
which  did  further  terrible  work  as  it  plowed 
through  the  ranks,  killing  the  first  lieutenant, 
and  the  corporal  of  Company  K,  taking  off  one 
hand  from  the  fifth  duty  sergeant,  wounding  a 
corporal  of  Company  E  and  killing  a  private  in 
the  same  company.  John  Seward  was  otherwise 
wounded  and  received  an  honorable  discharge; 
he  died  in  Scranton,  in  1889.  Christian,  another 
son,  was  in  the  same  regiment,  but  in  Company  I, 
which  he  joined  on  the  organization  of  the  regi- 
ment in  July,  1861,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Scranton. 

The  boyhood  of  Samuel  Seward  passed  in  the 
usual  uneventful  manner  common  to  farmers' 
sons  and  when  he  was  about  nine  years  old  his 
parents  removed  to  Schuylkill  County.  He  was 
given  a  general  education,  such  as  was  afforded 
by  the  district  schools  of  the  day  and  when  he 
was  old  enough  he  began  learning  the  details  of 
the  lumber  business.  About  1853  he  started  to 
work  as  a  carpenter  under  a  Mr.  Williams  of 
Mauch  Chunk  and  was  thus  occupied  when  the 
war  came  on.  September  9,  1861,  he  enlisted 
from  Wilkesbarre,  but  was  credited  to  Schuylkill 
County,  and  was  assigned  to  Company  E,  Forty- 
eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  and  was  mustered 
in  as  a  private  at  Harrisburg.  He  was  first  sent 
to  Fortress  Monroe,  where  he  worked  some  six 
weeks,  then  being  transferred  to  Ilatteras  Island, 
N.  C,  where  he  built  forts,  etc.,  until  the  follow- 
ing spring.  The  regiment  was  then  divided,  part 
being  left  to  do  garrison  duty  and  the  others  or- 


dered to  help  to  take  Newbern;  afterward  the 
two  divisions  came  together  again.  He  re- 
mained on  the  island  until  July,  when  he  went 
to  Newbern,  N.  C.  Going  next  to  reinforce 
the  troops  of  General  Banks  at  Cedar  Moun- 
tain he  joined  in  their  retreat  and  later  was 
in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  his 
company  lost  heavily,  some  thirty-nine  out  of 
sixty-three  men.  After  the  battle  of  Chantilly  he 
was  sent  on  to  Washington,  but  participated  in 
the  encounter  with  the  enemy  at  South  Moun- 
tain and  Antietam.  Owing  to  severe  illness  he 
was  sent  to  the  hospital  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged April  10,  1863. 

After  Mr.  Seward  had  somewhat  recovered 
from  his  long  and  arduous  campaign  in  the  south 
he  re-embarked  in  the  carpenter's  trade  and  in 
1869,  coming  to  Scranton,  entered  the  construc- 
tion department  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal 
Company.  When  the  south  mill  was  being 
erected  he  was  made  general  foreman  of  the  work 
and  has  ever  since  held  the  office  of  head  of  the 
construction  corps.  He  has  the  entire  charge  of  all 
carpenter  work  and  repairs  in  the  mills  and  super- 
vises a  large  force  of  men.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican.  In  1863  he  married  Miss  Rosanna 
Faust,  who  was  born  in  Schuylkill  County  and  is 
a  daughter  of  George  Faust,  a  cabinetmaker. 
Their  eldest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  John  Mc- 
Connell,  and  the  other  two,  Nellie  and  Florence, 
are  at  home.  The  pretty  and  tastefully  furnished 
home  of  the  family  is  situated  at  No.  620  ^lill 
Street. 


M 


ISS  EVA  M.  HETSEL.  In  this  pro- 
gressive age  it  is  no  longer  a  matter  of 
surprise  to  find  women  successfully  con- 
ducting large  business  enterprises  and  at  the 
head  of  important  concerns.  The  life  of  such 
a  one  will  bring  a  valuable  lesson  to  other  wom- 
en, especially  to  the  bright  and  quick-witted  girls 
entering  upon  their  separate  paths  of  work, 
where  their  resources  will  be  taxed  to  win  the 
place  that  a  laudable  ambition  tells  them  is  theirs 
by  right  divine.  The  lesson  of  another  life  shows 
them  the  broad  perspective  ahead  and  teaches 
them  to  work  where  their  deft  hands  and  quick 
brains  can  accomplish  the  greatest  good. 


io6o 


PORTRAIT   AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  her  chosen  business  Miss  Hetscl  has  been 
successful,  and  her  manicuring,  chiropody  and 
liair  dressing  parlors  in  Scranton  are  considered 
ef|ual  to  the  metropolitan  parlors  of  Philadel- 
phia or  New  York.  She  has  studied  manicuring 
and  chiropody  luider  the  best  instructors,  and  in 
the  same  way  has  attained  proficiency  in  the  art 
of  hair  dressing.  In  addition  to  these,  she  is 
well  known  as  a  complexion  specialist,  having 
prepared  remedies  for  blemishes  of  the  skin  and 
also  cosmetics  that  are  guaranteed  to  be  abso- 
lutely effective  and  harmless.  Among  her  prepa- 
rations are  Superior  Face  Bleach,  Benzoin  Com- 
plexion Soap,  Azaleine  Cream,  Fairy  Bloom, 
Azalea  Face  Powder,  Enamilene  Liquid  Cos- 
metic, Cherryine,  Ruby  Tint  Liquid  Rouge, 
Dandriline  and  Thrixogene. 

From  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  the  place  of 
her  birth.  Miss  Hetsel  came  to  Scranton  in  1873. 
She  received  her  education  in  Wyoming  Semi- 
nary, Kingston,  after  which,  at  an  early  age,  she 
began  the  study  of  the  specialties  in  which  she 
now  engages,  being  for  a  time  under  a  talented 
French  preceptor  in  New  York  City.  In  1890 
she  opened  parlors  in  Scranton  and  has  since 
gradually  enlarged  her  business.  She  makes  a 
specialty  of  facial  massage  treatment  and  is  an 
exjjerienced  dermatologist,  having  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  skin  diseases.  She  manufactures 
about  twelve  preparations  for  the  complexion  and 
toilet,  which  she  sells  at  wholesale  and  retail. 
Her  parlors  at  No.  330  Lackawanna  Avenue  are 
the  finest  in  the  city,  an  entire  floor  being  occu- 
pied by  the  salesroom  and  private  apartments. 
Among  her  patients  have  been  a  number  of  the 
most  famous  actresses  in  the  United  States,  as 
well  as  ladies  high  in  society,  whose  commenda- 
tion proves  their  confidence  in  her  superior 
knowledge. 


JOSEPH  E.  LOVELAND  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous business  men  of  Moscow,  where  he 
is  successfully  engaged  as  merchant,  miller 
and  lumberman.  He  was  born  in  this  village 
November  16,  1857,  the  son  of  Josepli  and  Elsie 
(Potter)  Loveland,  natives  respectively  of  New 
Hartford,  Conn.,  and  Susquehanna  County,  Pa. 
His  father  came  to  Madison  Township,  Lacka- 


wanna County,  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of 
about  fourteen  years  and  for  several  years  worked 
in  the  employ  of  Col.  Henry  Drinker,  in  the  real 
estate  and  lumber  business  in  Moscow.  After- 
ward he  purchased  a  farm  adjoining  the  village 
and  for  several  years  engaged  in  its  cultivation. 
From  that  he  turned  his  attention  to  merchan- 
dising, in  which  he  was  interested  about  eigh- 
teen years.  Meantime  he  became  the  owner  of 
large  tracts  of  land  and  engaged  extensively  in 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  lumber.  LTnfortun- 
ately,  he  lost  the  larger  portion  of  his  property 
through  investments  that  proved  disastrous.  Ac- 
tive in  the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party,  he, 
however,  always  refused  to  accept  office,  prefer-  • 
ring  to  give  his  attention  to  business  matters. 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of  the  vil- 
lage and  contributed  his  quota  to  its  advance- 
ment.    He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Joseph 
Loveland,  who  was  born  near  Hartford,  Conn., 
and  there  married  and  engaged  in  farming.  On 
coming  to  Lackawanna  County  he  settled  upon 
land  adjoining  the  village  of  Moscow,  where  he 
spent  the  balance  of  his  life.  In  the  summer  he 
cultivated  his  farm,  and  during  the  winter  months 
taught  school  for  several  years.  The  family  of 
which  our  subject  is  a  member  consisted  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Effie,  wife  of  J-  S.  Miller,  of 
Scranton:  John,  Ida,  Joseph  E. ;  Mrs.  Malintha 
Elizabeth  Wingert,  of  Hazelton,  Pa.;  Etta  P., 
wife  of  George  Bingham,  of  Scranton;  Minnie, 
Mrs.  Albert  Hathrall,  of  Moscow,  and  George, 
who  died  in  infancv. 

The  common  schools  of  Moscow  gave  our  sub- 
ject a  fair  education.  After  his  marriage  he  pur- 
chased his  father's  farm  and  has  since  resided 
upon  the  old  homestead,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
farming  and  the  dairy  business.  About  1889  he 
became  interested  in  the  lumber  business  and  in 
1892  began  milling  in  company  with  two  other 
parties.  In  January  of  1894  he  purchased  a  saw 
mill  and  six  hundred  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  has  since  engaged 
in  manufacturing  lumber  from  the  native  woods, 
shipping  the  product  to  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia. In  August,  1894,  he  bought  the  mill  which 
he  still  owns  and  operates. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1061 


The  marriage  of  Mr.  Loveland,  September  27,, 
1885,  united  him  with  Miss  Effie  M.  Wardell  of 
Daleville.  They  have  four  children,  Mary,  Ern- 
est, Elsie  and  Henry  Wardell.  The  family  are 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Church,  of  which 
Mr.  Loveland  has  been  trustee  for  several  years, 
member  of  the  official  board  and  its  treasurer,  and 
a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  Believing  firm- 
ly in  the  principles  of  prohibition,  he  gives  his 
vote  to  the  party  pledged  to  this  principle.  In 
local  affairs  he  casts  his  ballots  for  the  men  who 
he  thinks  will  best  represent  the  people,  and  nev- 
er, knowingly,  votes  for  the  corrupt  demagogues 
that  seek  success  to  gratify  tlieir  own  unprinci- 
pled ends.  He  has  served  as  auditor  of  the  town- 
ship and  in  other  local  positions  of  trust.  A  por- 
tion of  his  farm  he  has  laid  off  into  lots  and  dur- 
ing the  past  twelve  years  has  erected  about  a 
dozen  dwelling  houses,  and  besides  this  he  has  im- 
proved his  mill  property.  Fraternally  he  has 
filled  all  the  chairs  in  Moscow  Lodge  No.  703. 
I.  O.  O.  P.,  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America  and  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  Moscow  Camp  No.  248. 


CAPT.  WILLIAM  KELLOW.  During 
the  period  of  the  Civil  War,  among  the 
brave  men  who  went  forth  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  assist  in  defending  the  Union,  was  a 
youth  of  seventeen  years,  filled  with  patriotic  am- 
bition to  serve  his  country  in  her  hour  of  need. 
Becoming  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Pennsyl- 
vania Reserves  he  served  with  meritorious  brav- 
ery for  three  years,  his  valor  winning  him  a  com- 
mission. He  participated  in  thirty-two  battles, 
some  of  them  among  the  most  important  of  the 
war,  and  the  others  equally  dangerous  to  life, 
though  less  vital  in  results.  On  one  occasion  he 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Confederate  forces,  but 
succeeded  in  effecting  his  escape  within  twenty- 
four  hours. 

This  brave  soldier,  William  Kellow,  was  born 
in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  Pa.,  in  1845,  and 
in  youth  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  Upon 
his  return  from  the  army  he  settled  in  Scranton, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death.  For 
a  vear  he  was  a  workman  in  the  wood  depart- 


ment of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western, 
then  was  promoted  to  be  foreman  of  the  shop, 
and  afterward  was  made  foreman  of  another  de- 
partment, remaining  in  that  position  until  his 
death  in  March,  1895.  Faithful  to  his  country, 
he  was  equally  faithful  to  his  employers,  ever 
ready  to  do  anything  that  would  enhance  their 
prosperity  and  promote  the  interests  of  the  busi- 
ness. 

In  1877  Captain  Kellow  assisted  in  organizing 
Company  B,  Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  in 
which  he  was  first  a  lieutenant  and  then  captain, 
holding  the  latter  position  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  buried  in  Forest  Hill  cemetery  with  mili- 
tary honors,  attended  to  the  grave  by  his  old  com- 
rades with  whom  he  had  been  so  long  and  in- 
timately associated.  Interested  in  Grand  Army 
matters,  he  was  connected  with  Lieut.  Ezra  S. 
Griffin  Post  No.  139.  It  is  said  that  few  men  in 
the  city  were  so  well  posted  in  military  tactics 
as  was  he,  and  his  efficiency  in  this  line  was  well 
known.  An  active  and  prominent  Republican, 
he  was  for  fourteen  years  a  member  of  the  select 
council  and  was  its  president  for  several  years. 
He  was  elected  to  the  council  from  the  sixteenth 
ward,  where  he  made  his  home.  .-Xt  one  time  he 
was  offered  the  party  nomination  for  mayor,  but 
refused  to  enter  the  race.  As  a  citizen  he  was 
respected  bv  all  who  were  associated  with  him 
and  it  was  his  aim,  at  all  times,  to  promote  the 
measures  best  calculated  to  advance  the  interests 
of  the  city. 

The  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  Captain  Kel- 
low and  who  now  survives  him,  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Frances  A.  Spangenbery,  and  was  born 
in  Honesdale,  Wayne  County,  the  descendant  of 
German  ancestors.  Her  grandfather,  Thomas 
Spangenbery,  was  an  old  settler  of  Bethany, 
Wayne  County,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  there.  Her  father.  Col.  John  S.  Span- 
genbery. was  also  a  merchant  of  Bethany  for  a 
time,  but  in  the  '50s  came  to  Scranton  and  pur- 
chased property  in  Mulberry  Street.  When  a 
yoimg  man  he  had  learned  the  painting  and  dec- 
orating business  and  this  he  followed  as  a  con- 
tractor in  Scranton  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His  .title  of 
colonel  was  won  during  his  service  in  the  Mexi- 


io62 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RFXORD. 


can  War.  He  was  a  man  oi  some  local  promi- 
uence  and  while  living  in  Wayne  County  held  the 
office  of  sheriff,  to  which  he  was  elected  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  His  wife,  who  was  a  cousin 
of  Col.  Ira  Tripp,  was  Susan  A.  Brown,  a  native 
of  Slocum's  Hollow,  deceased  here  at  seventy- 
one  years.  Of  their  two  sons  and  one  daughter, 
the  latter  alone  survives.  She  was  reared  in 
Scranton  from  infancy  and  attended  the  public 
schools  of  this  city  and  Wyoming  Seminary  at 
Kingston,  after  which  she  engaged  in  teaching 
for  a  time  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  makes  her 
home  at  No.  214  Mulberry  Street,  where  she  is 
surrounded  by  ever}'  comfort  that  can  enhance 
the  pleasure  of  life,  and  has  a  host  of  friends 
among  those  with  whom  she  has  associated  from 
girlhood. 


GEORGE  KINBACK.  It  is  astonishing 
to  witness  the  success  of  young  men  who 
have  emigrated  to  America  without  capi- 
tal and  from  a  position  of  comparative  obscurity 
worked  their  way  upward  to  a  position  of  promi- 
nence. The  readiness  with  which  they  adapt 
themselves  to  circumstances  and  take  advantage 
of  opportunities  olifered  brings  to  them  success 
and  wins  them  a  place  among  the  leading  men  of 
the  community  in  which  they  reside.  To  this 
class  belongs  the  subject  of  this  review,  who  is 
a  prominent  resident  of  Scranton  and  ex-county 
treasurer  of  Lackawanna  County. 

Mr.  Kinback  was  born  on  the  6th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1850,  in  Schmisheim,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, a  son  of  John  and  Katherine  (Becker)  Kin- 
back,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  Father- 
land, the  former  dying  in  1854  and  the  latter  in 
1862.  By  occupation  the  father  was  a  miller,  and 
he  owned  the  mill  which  he  operated.  Our  sub- 
ject is  next  to  the  youngest  in  the  family  of  elev- 
en children,  of  whom  one  son,  John,  came  to  the 
New  World  in  1854,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Car- 
bondale,  Pa. 

The  childhood  of  George  Kinback  was  passed 
in  the  land  of  his  birth,  where  he  attended  the 
common  schools  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when 
he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world 
and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own  re- 


sources for  a  livelihood.  Resolved  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  United  States,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
in  1866  on  the  steamer  "Germania,"  which  left 
the  harbor  of  Hamburg  and  arrived  at  Xew  York 
City  in  due  time.  Coming  at  once  to  Scranton, 
Pa.,  he  secured  employment  in  the  hotel  and  bak- 
ery of  Peter  Groder,  and  later  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  Charles  Schadt,  Sr.,  who  was  then  con- 
ilucting  a  hotel  on  the  corner  of  Wayne  and  Cen- 
tre. In  1874,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Schadt,  he 
started  the  hotel  called  The  Office  on  Wyoming 
Avenue,  which  was  carried  on  under  the  name  of 
Kinback  &  Co.,  until  1877,  when  our  subject  be- 
came sole  proprietor.  A  genial  popular  landlord, 
he  received  a  liberal  share  of  the  public  patron- 
age, and  successfully  conducted  the  hotel  until 
1892,  when  he  sold  out,  but  the  place  is  still 
known  as  The  Office,  a  name  that  was  originated 
by  Mr.  Kinback.  He  has  been  very  successful  in 
his  business  ventures,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
two  good  brick  blocks,  which  he  erected  at  the 
foot  of  Lackawanna  Street. 

As  a  stanch  Democrat,  Mr  Kinback  takes  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  political  affairs,  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  the  state  conventions,  and 
has  several  times  been  an  efficient  member  of 
county  Democratic  central  committee,  in  wOiich 
capacity  he  has  done  much  to  promote  the  inter- 
ests of  his  party.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  was  elected 
county  treasurer  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  and 
on  the  first  of  the  following  year  assumed  the  du- 
ties of  the  office,  which  he  faithfully  discharged 
until  January.  1886,  when  he  retired  to  private 
life.  Lender  protest  he  again  accepted  the  nomi- 
nation for  that  office  in  i8gi,  but  this  time  was  de- 
feated. He  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
llirnugliout  the  county,  and  has  made  hosts  of 
warm  friends  in  the  land  of  his  adoption. 


SAMUEL  MacEACHEN,  president  of  the 
National  Boring  &  Drilling  Company, 
president  of  the  .\nthracite-Bituminous 
Fuel  Company,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Eureka  Enamel  Company,  and  secretary  of  the 
C'larks  Summit  Water  Company,  has  resided  in 
Scranton  since  1875,  and  now  has  his  business  of- 
fice in  the  Commonwealth  Building.  He  was  born 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RI-CORI). 


1063 


of  Scotch  parentage  in  Perth,  Lanark  County, 
Ontario,  Canada,  July  29,  1844.  The  family  of 
which  he  is  a  member  is  descended  from  Hector 
MacDonald,  of  the  clan  MacDonald,  who  were 
once  lords  of  the  isle  of  Inverness  and  were 
among  the  last  to  be  conquered  in  Scotland.  The 
Gaelic  for  Hector  is  Eachen,  so  he  took  the  name 
Mack  Eachen,  which  was  shortened  by  his  de- 
scendants to  MacEachen. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  whose  name 
was  also  Samuel,  learned  the  machinist's  trade 
in  Glasgow,  whither  he  had  gone  from  his  native 
isle  of  Inverness,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of 
seven  years  to  the  trade.  On  coming  to  America 
he  settled  at  Glengarryan,  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
River,  but  afterward  removed  to  Lanark  County, 
Ontario,  where  he  became  the  original  proprie- 
tor of  Perth,  the  county  seat,  and  the  owner  of 
Cockburn  Island.  He  had  a  machine  shop,  in 
whicli  he  did  the  mechanical  work,  while  his 
brother-in-law,  Hugh  MacDonald,  did  the  car- 
pentering. He  had  an  interest  in  the  steamer 
"Oueenstown,"  the  first  steamer  on  Lake  On- 
tario. His  wife,  who  was  a  Miss  MacDonald  of 
Inverness,  attained  the  great  age  of  ninety-nine 
3'ears.  His  ancestors,  for  seven  generations  back, 
had  been  iron  workers.  While  on  board  the 
"Queenstown,"'  the  ship  was  wrecked  and  in  his 
efforts  to  save  his  life  and  the  lives  of  others,  he 
caught  a  cold  that  resulted  in  his  death  before  he 
reached  home.  He  was  then  thirty-seven  years 
of  age. 

John  MacEachen,  our  subject's  father,  was 
born  in  the  shire  of  Inverness,  and  devoted  his 
active  life  to  farming  and  lumbering,  but  is  now 
living  retired.  His  stepfather  and  brothers  were 
McKinzie  men  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  the 
windmill.  He  married  Eliza  Morris,  who  was 
born  in  Perth,  daughter  of  Joseph  Morris,  a  na- 
tive of  County  Down,  Ireland,  and  member  of 
the  Church  of  England ;  her  mother  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Rev.  Mr.  Stone,  a  Methodist  minister  who 
went  from  England  to  the  north  of  Ireland.  Mrs. 
Eliza  MacEachen  died  in  Canada,  leaving  two 
sons  and  three  daughters:  Samuel;,  Sarah,  who 
remains  in  Canada :  Mary,  living  in  Grand  Forks. 
N.  Dak.;  Margaret,  of  Canada,  and  John,  whose 
home  is  in  New  York. 


Educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Perth,  Mr.  MacEachen  left  home  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  with  the  intention  of  learning  tlie  ma- 
chinist's trade  in  Kingston,  but  the  fact  he  would 
be  obliged  to  sei;vc  a  long  apprenticeship  deter- 
red him  from  carrying  out  the  plan.  In  1863  he 
went  to  the  oil  regions  recently  opened  in  Frank- 
lin, Venango  County,  Pa.,  and  began  prospect- 
ing. In  1866  he  was  the  youngest  oil  producer  in 
the  United  States  and  owned  a  well  in  Warren 
County,  five  hundred  feet  deep.  He  became  an 
extensive  and  successful  contractor  in  wells,  oper- 
ating in  twelve  counties.  In  1875  he  came  to 
Scranton  and  has  since  continued  in  contract 
drilling.  Originating  and  patenting  a  drill  that 
worked  by  friction  in  the  revolution  of  the  pipe, 
thus  forcing  out  the  sediment,  his  new  idea 
proved  a  success  and  was  widely  adopted.  As 
soon  as  he  had  perfected  it,  in  1892  he  organized 
the  National  Boring  &  Drilling  Company  and 
was  its  president  from  the  first.  He  drilled  an  ar- 
tesian well,  twenty-four  hundred  and  five  feet, 
the  deepest  in  northeastern  Pennsylvania,  for  the 
Pancoast  Coal  Company,  and  bored  the  deepest 
diamond  drill  in  the  state,  twenty-three  hundred 
and  fifty-three  feet,  two  inches  in  diameter. 

In  gold  and  silver  mining  in  the  west  and  in 
Central  America,  Mr.  MacEachen  has  been  in- 
terested, and  is  now  a  director  of  the  St.  Lucia 
Mining  &  Milling  Company,  of  Honduras,  Cen- 
tral America.  At  one  time  he  was  a  director  in 
five  companies  prospecting  in  that  part  of  Ameri- 
ca. He  is  interested  in  the  Throop  Novelty 
Works  at  Dickson  City,  a  director  in  the  Union 
Transfer  Company  of  Scranton,  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Republic  Savings  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation of  Scranton,  and  in  1892  made  the  origi- 
nal survey  of  the  Mt.  Connell  &  Shamokin  Rail- 
road, secured  the  right  of  way  for  fifteen  miles 
and  organized  the  company  that  is  now  in  suc- 
cessful operation. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  MacEachen  stands  on  the 
corner  of  Oak  Street  and  Wayne  Avenue.  He 
was  married  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Anna 
]\IcTamnev,  who  was  born  there,  daugliter  of 
Henry  ]\IcTamney,  a  farmer  and  member  of  an 
old  York  State  family.  They  are  the  parents  of 
four  children:     John  IT.,  who  is  an  assayer  and 


1064 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


chemist;  Gertrude,  wife  of  M.  H.  Higgins,  of  the 
firm  of  Short  &  Higgins,  of  Scranton;  Daniel 
li.  ami  Samuel  F.  In  national  issues  he  favors 
bimetallism  and  the  protection  of  home  indus- 
tries, and  uniformly  votes  the  P.epublican  ticket, 
but  always  refuses  to  accept  nominations  for  of- 
fice. He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees,  past 
master  of  Hiram  Lodge  No.  261,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  member  of  the  Scranton  Consistory,  thirty- 
second  desrree. 


JOHN  J.  O'BOYLE.  Since  boyhood  years 
this  gentleman  has  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Scranton.  first  as  the  associate 
of  his  father  and  then  as  his  successor  in  the 
ownership  of  the  store,  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Penn  Avenue  and  Linden  .Street.  On  the  first 
floor  he  carries  a  full  line  of  groceries  and  prod- 
uce, while  the  second  floor  is  devoted  to  the 
undertaking  business,  which  is  the  next  to  the 
oldest  establishment  in  that  line  in  the  entire 
city.  He  carries  a  stock  of  coaches  and  hearses 
and  has  been  frequently  called  upon  to  act  as 
fiuieral  director  in  many  other  parts  of  the 
county. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Michael  O'Boyle,  a 
pioneer  of  Scranton  and  one  of  the  most  highly 
respected  citizens  this  place  has  ever  had,  came 
from  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  to  Scranton  in  1838  and 
settled  on  what  is  now. South  Washington  Ave- 
nue, where  he  opened  a  general  store.  The  books 
whicli  he  kept  from  that  time  until  his  death  are 
still  in  the  possession  of  his  son.  In  1875  he 
moved  his  store  to  his  present  location.  No.  244 
Penn  Avenue,  and  here  he  built  up  a  large  trade, 
gaining  a  name  as  an  honest,  energetic  business 
man.  In  1872  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
select  council  and  served  for  three  years.  He 
was  one  of  the  early  treasurers  of  the  borough  of 
Scranton.  At  the  age  of  eighty-four,  he  departed 
this  life  at  his  home,  in  September,  1886.  He 
was  one  of  the  original  niemljcrs  of  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral. 

In  Carbondale  Mr.  O'Boyle  married  Mary 
O'Donnell,  who  died  in  Scranton  at  the  age  of 


sixty-eight,  in  1884.  Her  mother  attained  an 
advanced  age,  dying  when  ninety.  Seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  the  union  of  Michael  and  Mary 
O'Donnell,  of  whom  four  are  living,  namely: 
Mary  A.,  Sister  Bernedette,  of  the  convent  at 
Carbondale;  John  J.;  M.  W.,  formerly  teller  in 
the  -Merchants  &  Mechanics  Bank  at  Scranton, 
now  proprietor  of  the  Alpine  Knitting  Mill  at 
Pittston.  and  Kate  A.,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Brown,  of  Scran- 
ton. 

Reared  in  Scranton,  where  he  was  born  Octo- 
ber 23,  1854,  our  subject  early  became  interested 
in  the  business  carried  on  by  his  father,  and  since 
1875  'i^s  been  connected  with  it  financially, 
though  his  first  introduction  into  the  business 
dates  from  1866.  He  has  in  his  possession  the 
first  carriage  eVer  used  in  Scranton,  then  the 
property  of  Col.  George  W.  Scranton,  but  which 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  senior  Mr. 
O'Boyle  forty-five  years  ago  and  is  now  kept  as 
a  relic  for  exhibition  on  great  occasions.  In  na- 
tional politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served 
on  the  county  and  state  committees,  and  frequent- 
ly attends  state  conventions  of  the  party.  For 
two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  health. 
He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Catholic  Alutual 
Benevolent  Association  and  was  its  first  vice- 
president.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  this 
city,  with  Miss  Annie  E.  Donnelly,  who  was  born 
in  Susquehanna  County  and  died  in  Scranton. 
Of  their  five  children,  three  are  living,  Mary, 
Harry  and  Kittie. 


CHARLES  W.  SCHARAR,  division  min- 
ing engineer  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson 
Canal  Company,  with  headquarters  in 
.Scranton,  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  January 
4,  1863,  and  on  the  paternal  side  is  of  German  lin- 
eage. His  father,  Christian  H.  Scharar,  was  born 
in  Germany,  and  at  the  age  of  two  years  was 
brought  to  .America  by  his  parents,  who  settled 
in  Luzerne  County.  There  he  grew  to  manhood 
and  at  an  early  age  became  familiar  with  mines 
and  mining,  to  which  industry  his  life  has  been 
devoted.  For  some  years  he  has  held  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  chief  engineer  of  the  coal  depart- 
ment of  the   Delavvarc  &  Hudson  Canal   Com- 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1065 


pany,  with  headquarters  in  Scranton.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  M.  Stevens, 
who  was  born  in  Verplanck,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  Hudson  River  family. 

The  older  of  two  children,  Charles  W.  Scharar, 
received  the  rudiments  of  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Wilkesbarre,  and  from  that  city 
came  with  his  parents  to  Scranton  in  1875.  For 
a  time  he  was  a  student  at  Nazareth  Hall  and  also 
carried  on  his  studies  in  Granville  Military  Acad- 
emy, where  he  graduated  in  1880,  with  the  rank 
of  second  lieutenant  of  his  company.  July  16, 
1880,  he  was  appointed  an  assistant  to  the  mining 
engineers'  corps  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Can- 
al Company,  and  through  gradual  promotions 
worked  his  way  up  to  be  mining  engineer,  in 
1887.  In  1895  he  was  appointed  to  his  present 
position  of  division  engineer,  in  charge  of  two 
corps,  and  with  ten  mines  under  his  supervision. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Scharar,  which  took  place 
in  Columbia,  N.  J-.  imitcd  him  with  Miss  Eva, 
daughter  of  Henry  Griffin,  a  contractor  residing 
in  that  place  and  a  member  of  "an  old  eastern  fam- 
ily. They  and  their  son,  Donald,  reside  at  No. 
639  East  Market  Street.  While  Mr.  Scharar  has 
never  identified  himself  closely  with  politics,  he 
is  interested  in  local  and  national  questions,  and 
votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  and  his  wife 
attend  services  at  the  Green  Ridge  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  November,  1896,  the  board  of  school 
control  appointed  him  a  member  of  that  body 
from  the  first  ward,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  resignation  of  George  Mitchell. 


GEORGE  W.  OKELL.  Like  many  of  the 
men  now  prominent  in  business  and  pub- 
lic life  of  Lackawanna  County,  Mr.  Okell 
began  to  earn  his  livelihood  at  a  very  early  age 
by  working  as  a  slate  picker.  The  fact  that  he 
has  advanced  to  a  position  of  influence  in  Scran- 
ton shows  that  he  is  a  man  of  ability.  For  some 
years  he  has  been  chief  detective  for  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  &  Steel  Company,  and  has  filled  this 
position  so  efficiently  that  his  name  has  often  been 
mentioned  as  candidate  for  sheriff  of  the  county, 
his  past  experience  having  admirably  qualified 
him  for  the  duties  of  that  office. 


Of  English  descent,  Mr.  Okell  is  a  member  of 
one  of  the  old  families  of  Great  Britain  and  traces 
his  ancestry  to  Lord  Okell.  His  father,  George, 
was  born  near  Bristol,  and  for  a  time  resided  in 
Wales  and  Scotland,  being  superintendent  of 
rolling  mills  in  the  latter  country.  On  coming 
to  America  he  settled  near  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
where  he  was  employed  in  a  rolling  mill.  At  the 
time  he  came  to  Scranton,  early  in  the  '40s,  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Company  had  just 
been  organized,  and  he  at  once  secured  work  in 
the  mill,  teaching  the  men  who  came  under  him 
the  process  of  roller  heating.  To-day  men  are 
working  here  who  learned  the  trade  under  him. 
Some  years  ago  he  retired,  and  now,  hale  and 
vigorous  at  eighty-one  years,  he  makes  his  home 
at  Moscow.  A  Republican  in  politics,  he  was  a 
popular  stump  speaker  in  campaigns  and  spoke 
for  Fremont,  Lincoln,  and  other  presidential 
candidates,  including  Major  McKinley.  Not- 
withstanding his  prominence,  he  was  never  a 
candidate  for  office.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  Lackawanna  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  and  in 
religious  belief  is  a  Methodist. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Rosanna  Williams, 
was  born  in  Wales,  and  died  in  Moscow,  in 
November,  1883.  Of  her  nine  children  only  four 
are  living,  namely:  George  W.,  the  eldest  of 
the  family;  John,  general  manager  for  Arbuckle 
in  Brooklyn.  N.  Y. :  Frank  T.,  a  lawyer  in  Scran- 
ton, and  Mrs.  Frank  Hallstead.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Scranton  November  27,  1845,  and  was 
reared  in  this  city.  When  little  more  than  seven 
years  of  age  he  began  as  a  slate  picker  in  the  Dia- 
mond mines,  and  two  years  later  was  given  work 
in  the  rolling  mills,  where  he  learned  puddling, 
then  rolling,  then  heating,  under  his  father's  su- 
pervision. In  1877  he  was  given  his  present  posi- 
tion by  the  old  company,  having  charge  of  their 
timber  lands,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  position 
of  chief  detective.  .A.t  his  residence,  corner  of 
Taylor  and  Gibson,  he  erected  a  liberty  pole,  July 
4,  1896.  with  a  flag  10x22.  and  had  a  band  here, 
for  he  is  one  of  those  genial,  pleasant  men,  who 
believe  in  having  a  good  time  and  in  helping 
others  to  do  the  same. 

In  Scranton  Mr.  Okell  married  Miss  .A.nna  E. 
Sloat,  who  was  bor  1  in  Wavne  Countv.  Pa.,  her 


io66 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


father,  George  H.  Sloat.  having  removed  there 
from  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  Two  children 
blessed  their  union,  but  both  died  when  small. 
An  enthusiastic  Republican,  Mr.  Okell  is  a  mem- 
ber of  city  and  county  committees,  and  a  leader 
in  his  party.  He  is  identified  with  the  Sons  of  St. 
George,  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle,  Saenger- 
unde.  Elm  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church; 
the  Lady  Washington  Engine  Company,  and  the 
Phoenix  Hose  Company,  of  which  he  has  been 
president.  In  the  organization  of  the  Okell  Rod 
and  Gun  Club  of  Scranton  he  took  an  active  part 
and  has  been  president  from  the  first.  There  are 
twelve  members,  including  Judge  Gunster,  ex- 
Mayor  Fellows,  Charles  and  Philip  Robinson, 
Theodore  Miller  and  Lawrence  E.  Schimpff. 
They  own  forty-five  acres  in  Roaring  Brook 
Township,  where  they  have  fishing  pond  and 
club  house;  also  hunting  grounds  in  Pike  Coun- 
ty at  Rock  Hill.  A  fine  shot  and  enthusiastic 
sportsman,  Mr.  Okell  has  many  souvenirs  of  his 
hunts.  He  has  shot  many  deer  and  one  bear  in 
Lackawanna  County  and  two  bears  in  Pike  Coun- 
ty, and  as  a  marksman  can  hold  his  own  with  the 
other  members  of  the  club. 


CAPT.  WILLIAM  T.  SIMPSON.  While 
there  were  thousands  of  brave  men  who 
fought  beneath  our  country's  colors  dur- 
ing the  Rebellion,  there  were  few  so  young  as  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
there  were  none  more  brave.  He  was  a  youth  of 
less  than  fourteen  years  when,  in  June,  1861,  he 
was  accepted  as  drummer  boy  for  Company  A, 
Twenty-eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  at 
that  time  weighed  only  ninety-eight  pounds  and 
was  four  feet  and  eight  inches  in  height,  .\fler 
two  and  one-half  years  he  was  made  second  mu- 
sician and  in  1864  became  first  musician  on  the 
non-commissioned  staff  of  the  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  the  youthful  sol- 
dier was  transferred  from  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac to  the  Western  .'\rniy  under  General 
Hooker,  and  was  present  at  the  engagements  of 
Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Ring- 
gold,  the  march   of  Sherman   through   Georgia, 


then  north  through  the  Carolinas,  the  battles  of 
Bentonville  and  Goldsboro,  and  the  surrender 
of  Richmond.  On  the  memorable  day  of  the 
grand  review  at  Washington,  he  was  in  charge 
of  a  division  drum  corps.  He  was  mustered  out 
July  17,  1865,  and  discharged  at  Camp  Cadwalla- 
der  on  the  26th  of  the  same  month.  After  a  ser- 
vice of  four  years  and  nearly  two  months,  he 
returned  home,  being  then  less  than  eighteen 
years  of  age.  During  all  the  period  of  service, 
he  was  never  off  duty  nor  away  from  his  regi- 
ment. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  Pennsyl- 
vanian,  born  in  Mauchchunk  August  27,  1847. 
The  family  is  of  Puritan  stock  and  its  lineage  is 
traced  back  to  Jacob  Simpson,  who  about  1700 
occupied  the  old  cedar  cabin,  still  standing  at 
Southold,  L.  I.  The  great-grandfather  Simpson 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  The  grand- 
father, William  T.,  who  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, was  an  expert  bookkeeper  and  accountant, 
first  in  Pottsville,  later  in  Mauchchunk.  In  1862 
he  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  until  after  the  war,  and 
then  returned  to  Mauchchunk.  He  died  in  Clin- 
ton County  and  was  buried  in  Washington  in 
the  Congressional  graveyard. 

George  W.,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  and  followed  the  carpenter's  trade 
in  Mauchchunk  and  Nanticoke.  In  1861  he  en- 
listed as  lieutenant  of  Company  I,  Sixty-seventh 
Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  became  its  captain, 
being  commissioned  while  in  prison.  At  Win- 
chester, June  15,  1863,  he  was  captured  by  the 
Rebels  and  sent  to  Libby  prison,  where  he  was 
confined  eleven  months.  From  there  he  was 
transferred  to  Macon,  Ga.  He  was  one  of  the 
fifteen  hundred  Union  officers  selected  to  be 
placed  under  fire  of  the  Union  guns  at  Charles- 
ton. After  a  short  time  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  he 
was  sent  to  Wilinington  to  be  exchanged,  and 
finally  secured  freedom  after  an  imprisonment  of 
twenty-one  months.  Tie  returned  home  March 
12,  1865,  after  an  honorable  service  in  defense 
of  his  country.  He  has  since  Ijeen  active  in 
Grand  Army  circles. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Louisa  Harris,  was 
l)oni    near  Kingston,  Pa.,   a   daughter  of   .\bra- 


PORTRAIT  A.N'D    BKJGRAPIIUAL    RlaoRI). 


1067 


ham  Harris,  who  was  born  near  Philadelphia 
and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Kingston 
and  Mauchchunk.  Later  he  settled  at  White 
Bear,  near  Summit  Hill,  Carbon  County,  and 
carried  on  a  meat  business,  also  built  and  con- 
ducted the  E^gle  Hotel.  He  died  in  Bethlehem, 
while  engaged  in  business  there.  Our  subject  is 
the  eldest  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  all  but  one 
attained  maturity  and  eight  are  living.  His  grand- 
mother, Anna  ]\Iaria  (Horton)  Simpson,  was  in 
the  sanitary  commission  and  her  children  often 
proudly  said  that  she  was  the  bravest  soldier  of 
them  all.  She  rendered  effective  service  from 
the  beginning  of  the  war  until  its  close,  after 
which  she  returned  home  and  soon  afterward 
died  of  intermittent  fever.  By  special  permis- 
sion her  body  was  buried  in  the  Congressional 
burial  ground  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Her  daugh- 
ter, Amelia,  was  in  the  ordnance  department, 
as  also  was  a  son,  A.  J.  Two  other  sons  saw  ac- 
tive service,  one,  John  T.,  as  sergeant  of  Com- 
pany A,  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  later 
in  the  naval  department;  and  another  son,  Wil- 
liam T.,  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Eleventh 
Pennsylvania  Infantry. 

Born  in  IMauchchunk,  August  27,  1847,  ^l'^ 
subject  of  this  sketch  attended  school  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted.  There 
were  no  less  than  twenty  of  his  cousins  in  the 
army,  and  he  was  inspired  with  a  patriotic  zeal 
that  was  so  noticeable  in  the  other  relatives.  On 
his  return  to  Mauchchunk  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  under  his 
father,  with  whom  he  continued  until  detailed  as 
a  detective  in  the  Molly  Maguire  raids.  For  ten 
years  he  was  postal  clerk  on  the  New  York  and 
Elmira  route  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  road,  but  re- 
tired under  the  Cleveland  administration  in  1886. 
He  then  came  to  Scranton  and  engaged  in  the 
art  business  with  W.  W.  Davenport  for  a  year. 

After  one  year  as  patrolman  on  the  police  force. 
Captain  Simpson  was  made  desk  sergeant  and 
served  for  three  years,  until  February  i,  1891. 
He  was  then  appointed  chief  of  police  by  John 
H.  Fellows  and  served  until  May  24,  1896,  when 
he  resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  warden  of 
the  county  jail.  The  jail  is  a  modern  substantial 
building,  covering  a  whole  block,  with  walls  thir- 


ty feet  deep,  and  now  contains  one  iiundrcd  and 
thirty-eight  prisoners.  While  chief  he  brought 
the  police  force  up  to  a  standard  not  surpassed 
in  the  state,  and  also  ferreted  out  some  import- 
ant cases,  among  them  the  capture  of  the  Italian 
shoplifters,  a  gang  that  had  been  in  existence  for 
two  years,  and  the  arrest  of  parties  who  had 
robbed  many  residences. 

Politically  Captain  Simpson  is  a  very  strong 
friend  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in  Carbon 
County  he  served  as  under  sheriff.  He  is  past 
commander  of  Chapman  Post  No.  61,  G.  A.  R., 
at  Alauchchunk,  and  is  warmly  interested  in 
Grand  Army  affairs.  In  religious  connections 
he  is  a  member  of  Grace  Reformed  Church  in 
Scranton.  In  Mauchchunk  he  married  Miss  E. 
^I.  Detterline,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Mrs.  Emma  Armbrust,  of  Scranton; 
;\Iay;  Robert,  a  clerk  with  the  Blue  Ridge  Coal 
Company;   and  Edsall. 


ROBERT  ROBINSON,  member  of  the 
select  council  and  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  Scranton,  was  born  in  this 
city,  December  18,  1869.  To  the  sketch  of  his 
brother,  Philip,  presented  upon  another  page,  the 
reader  is  referred  for  the  family  history.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  he  has  supplemented 
the  information  there  obtained  by  reading  not 
only  the  record  of  current  events,  but  also  the  best 
thoughts  of  the  greatest  men  of  this  and  other 
ages.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  secured  a  clerk- 
ship in  the  insurance  office  of  C.  G.  Boland  and 
afterward  was  a  bookkeeper  in  the  Merchants  & 
Mechanics  Bank  for  three  years.  The  death  of 
an  uncle  whose  successor  in  business  he  became, 
was  the  cause  of  his  first  connection  with  the 
brewery  that  he  now  assists  in  managing. 

The  firm  of  M.  Robinson  &  Co.  are  proprietors 
of  a  large  brewery  on  the  south  side,  situated  on 
the  corner  of  Cedar  Avenue  and  Alder  Street. 
In  1881  the  plant  was  burned  down,  but  was  im- 
mediately rebuilt,  with  its  present  dimensions.  Its 
products,  including  the  special  grades  of  Extra 
Bavaria  and  Budweiss,  are  sold  throughout  the 
northeastern  part  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  south- 
ern part  of  New  York.  The  plant  consists  of  a 
storage  house,  50x100,  four  stories  high;   brew- 


io68 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD.' 


ing  house,  50x60,  alio  four  stories;  engine  room, 
40x35,  and  two  ice  machines,  of  fifty  and  thirty- 
five  tons  respectively. 

In  his  political  views  a  pronounced  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party,  Mr.  Robinson  has  al- 
ways taken  an  active  interest  in  local  matters. 
When  just  past  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  was 
elected  to  the  common  council  and  during  his 
term  of  two  years  served  on  various  committees, 
proving  a  warm  ally  of  muncipal  improvements. 
The  fact  that  his  services  were  appreciated  is 
proved  by  his  re-election  in  1893  for  another  term 
of  two  years.  However,  at  the  expiration  of  a 
year  he  resigned  in  order  to  accept  the  nomina- 
tion of  select  councilman,  to  which  he  was  elected. 
Again,  in  1896,  he  was  elected  to  the  position  by 
a  majority  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five. 
While  he  is  the  youngest  member  of  the  select 
council,  he  is  one  of  the  most  progressive,  ener- 
getic and  able,  and  his  services  in  the  interest  of 
the  people  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  entitle  him 
to  rank  among  the  most  public-spirited  men  of 
the  city.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Schil- 
ler Lodge  No.  345,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum, and  Scranton  Athletic  Club,  of  which  he 
has  been  the  treasurer  for  some  years. 


ROBERT  REAVES,  of  Scranton,  was  born 
in  Carbondale,  Pa.,  June  30,  1851,  and  is 
the  son  of  P.  A.  and  Mary  (Love)  Reaves. 
His  father,  who  was  born  on  the  Mohawk  River 
in  New  York,  was  a  son  of  Peter  Reaves,  a  na- 
tive of  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  who  came  to  America 
in  young  manhood,  settled  in  New  York  and 
there  engaged  in  farm  pursuits  until  his  death. 
By  his  marriage  to  Louise,  sister  of  the  late  James 
Archbald,  he  had  a  son,  P.  A.,  who  came  to  Car- 
bondale in  youth  and  learned  the  machinist's 
trade  in  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  shops  with 
Thomas,  George  and  John  Dickson.  Afterward 
he  was  appointed  master  mechanic  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Coal  Company  with  headquarters  at 
Pittston.  Then  going  west,  he  engaged  in  the 
construction  of  mining  machinery  in  Omaha  and 
different  places.  After  some  six  years  in  the  west 
he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  master  mechanic  with  the  Delaware,  Lack- 
awanna &  Western    in  the  mines  south  of  Scran- 


ton, establishing  his  headquarters  in  Kingston. 
He  bears  his  seventy-six  years  lightly,  and  his 
hair,  as  yet  untinged  with  gray,  and  his  face,  still 
free  from  lines  of  care,  show  few  traces  of  time's 
harsh  fingers. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John 
Love,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  brought  his  fam- 
ily here  at  the  same  time  with  John  Dickson. 
Settling  in  Carbondale,  he  became  a  pattern  mak- 
er for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  and  con- 
tinued in  that  position  until  his  death.  The  pa- 
rents of  our  subject  are  consistent  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  They  have  three  sons  and 
a  daughter:  Robert;  Louisa,  of  Kingston; 
George,  a  grocer  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  James 
A.,  a  prosperous  druggist.  From  the  age  of  three 
years  our  subject  was  reared  in  Pittston.  In  1872 
he  became  connected  with  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  engineering  corps  as  civil  en- 
gineer, and  was  connected  with  the  mining  and 
transportation  department  until  1880,  when  he 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  ore  mines  at 
Brewster,  N.  Y.  After  two  years  he  resigned  and 
took  the  contract  for  the  building  of  a  portion  of 
the  Buffalo  extension  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad,  which  occupied 
about  twenty  months.  On  the  completion  of  the 
contract,  he  took  charge  of  the  Lucas  Coal  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  Vi'as  one  of  the  organizers,  su- 
perintendent and  a  director,  and  had  supervision 
of  the  work  of  sinking  the  shaft  and  constructing 
the  breaker,  which  was  afterward  sold  to  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  and  is  now 
the  Dickson  mines. 

About  1882  Mr.  Judson  resigned  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  gas  and  water  company,  and  W. 
W.  Scranton  offered  the  position  to  Mr.  Reaves, 
who  accepted  it  and  has  since  filled  it  with  effici- 
ency. When  the  Scranton  Electric  Light  &  Heat 
Company  was  organized  he  was  made  superin- 
dent  and  constructed  these  works,  which  are  the 
largest  in  the  city  and  the  third  largest  in  tlie 
state.  He  has  rebuilt  the  gas  works  and  con- 
structed the  reservoirs  at  Elmhurst.  In  1892  he 
aided  in  organizing  the  Economy  Heat,  Light  & 
Power  Company,  of  which  he  is  a  director,  and  in 
1896  was  made  its  vice-president;  on  account  of 
Judge  Willard.  the  president,  being  on  the  bench. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1069 


he  served  as  acting  president.  He  superintended 
the  construction  of  the  new  plant  in  CHff  Street. 
One  of  the  organizers  and  a  director  of  the  Po- 
cono  Ice  Company,  on  its  consoHdation  with  the 
Consumers'  Ice  Company,  he  became  a  director 
in  the  new  organization.  He  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber and  the  first  secretary  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Heat  &  Light  Company  of  Philadelphia,  which 
has  absorbed  and  controls  all  other  concerns  of 
the  kind  in  that  city  and  is  the  largest  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  to-day,  having  a  capital  stock  of  $10,- 
000,000;  he  is  still  one  of  its  stockholders. 

In-  Scranton,  in  1882,  Mr.  Reaves  married  Miss 
Emma  Lucas,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lucas,  a  mer- 
chant by  occupation.  She  was  educated  in  Port- 
land and  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  is  the  mother  of  a 
son,  Robert,  Jr.,  who  resides  with  his  parents  in 
Piatt  Place.  Upon  the  formation  of  Lackawanna 
County  in  1877,  he  was  appointed  the  first  audi- 
tor bv  Governor  Hartranft,  but  was  not  a  candi- 
date for  election  to  that  position.  Politically  a 
Republican,  he  has  served  on  the  city  committee. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Scranton 
City  Guard  and  of  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment, N.  G.  P.,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Order  of  Elks. 


GEORGE  W.  REYNOLDS.  In  the  life 
of  this  successful  business  man  of  Car- 
bondale  are  illustrated  the  results  of  en- 
ergy and  perseverance,  coupled  with  executive 
ability  and  sound  common  sense.  He  is  a  citi- 
zen of  whom  anv  community  might  well  be  proud 
and  the  people  of  this  place,  fully  appreciating 
his  labors,  accord  him  a  place  among  the  repre- 
sentative business  men.  He  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  G.  W.  Reynolds  &  Son.  deal- 
ers in  dry  goods,  fancy  groceries  and  provisions, 
at  No.  30  Lincoln  Avenue.  Not  only  is  he  one 
of  the  most  influential  business  men  of  Carbon- 
dale,  but  in  point  of  years  of  continuous  activ- 
ity he  is  the  oldest  merchant  here,  and  during 
the  long  period  of  his  connection  with  the  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  town  he  has  deservedly 
won  recognition  for  enterprise  and  sagacity. 

A  native  and  lifelong  resident  of  Lackawanna 
County,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  born  in  Fell  Town- 


ship, January  30,  1837,  and  was  the  eldest  of  five 
children,  the  others  being  Otis,  who  was  for 
many  years  the  partner  of  George  W.,  but  is  now 
deceased;  Dorcas,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years;  Catherine,  wife  of  Solomon  Bolton, 
a  merchant  of  Carbondale;  and  Henry,  who  is 
employed  on  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Railroad. 
The  family  was  first  represented  in  Lackawanna 
(then  known  as  Luzerne)  County  by  our  subject's 
paternal  grandfather,  George  Reynolds,  a  native 
of  Rhode  Island  and  an  early  settler  of  Fell 
Township,  where  he  spent  his  closing  years. 

Henry  G.  G.  Reynolds,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1807  and  in  child- 
hood came  to  Fell  Township,  where  his  boy- 
hood years  were  passed  in  manual  labor,  with- 
out any  opportunity  for  an  education.  In  spite 
of  disadvantages,  however,  he  became  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  his  locality  and  was  frequently 
called  upon  to  fill  local  offices.  In  advanced  years 
he  retired  from  the  labors  that  had  formerly  en- 
grossed his  attention,  and  lived  in  Carbondale 
until  his  death,  October  14,  1874.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Louisa  Burdick, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  but  in  girlhood  re- 
moved to  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  of  which 
her  parents  were  pioneers.  At  this  writing  she  re- 
sides with  our  subject,  and  though  eighty  years  of 
age  is  as  active  and  energetic  as  many  women  of 
only  half  her  age.  In  her  long  life,  spent  mostly 
in  this  region,  she  has  witnessed  many  remark- 
able changes  and  in  reflecting  upon  the  advance- 
ment of  Carbondale  cannot  but  compare  the 
present  with  the  past.  The  clanking  of  machin- 
ery, the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive,  the  long 
trains  of  freight  cars  from  all  directions,  the  fine 
stores,  schools,  churches  and  residences,  all  pro- 
claim the  community  to  be  the  abode  of  prosper- 
ity and  plenty,  and  present  a  marked  contrast  to 
the  condition  a  half  century  ago. 

In  boyhood  the  subject  of  this  narrative  alter- 
nated attendance  at  the  district  schools  with 
work  on  the  home  farm,  in  which  manner  he  be- 
came fitted,  physically  and  mentally,  for  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  life.  In  i860  he  opened  a  dry- 
goods  store  in  Carbondale  and  has  been  contin- 
uously in  business  since  that  date.  Three  times 
he  was  burned  out  and  each  time.  Phoenix-like, 


lO/O 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RI'XORD. 


a  large  business  was  built  on  the  ashes  of  the 
one  destroyed.  While  his  losses  have  been  heavy 
in  these  fires,  he  has  always  paid  every  cent  of  his 
indebtedness  and  has  acted  in  an  honorable  and 
upright  manner.  In  addition  to  this  concern,  he 
is  interested  as  a  stockholder  in  various  other  en- 
terprises. In  religious  belief  he  is  identified  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he 
has  been  a  trustee  for  many  years.  Politically  he 
favors  protection  of  American  interests  and 
sound  money,  and  uniformly  votes  the  Republi- 
can ticket.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  a 
Knight  Templar. 

January  14,  1863,  G.  W.  Reynolds  married 
Miss  Nancy  A.  Avery,  of  Fell  Township.  They 
have  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  A. 
W.,  a  druggist  in  Carbondale;  R.  H.,  who  is 
his  father's  partner  in  the  mercantile  Inisiness; 
Minnie  N.,  and  Morris  Kimball. 

Mr.  Reynolds  is  a  man  whose  life  has  been 
successful,  but  whose  success  has  been  achieved 
by  energy,  perseverance  and  shrewd  business 
qualities.  In  his  youth  he  was  taugbt  habits  of 
self-reliance  that  have  been  of  service  to  him  in 
every  subse(|uent  step  in  life.  He  is  known  for 
his  careful  judgment  as  a  business  man;  for  the 
enterprise  that  has  made  him  willing  to  under- 
take any  venture  that  promised  a  successful  ter- 
mination: and  for  the  regard  for  fairness,  hon- 
esty and  integrity  characteristic  of  him  in  every 
transaction. 


WILLIAM  PENN  MORGAN,  superin- 
tendent of  the  coal  department  of  the 
Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company 
and  a  popular  citizen  of  Scranton,  was  born  in 
Nesquchoning,  Carbon  County,  Pa.,  November 
22,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  George  G.  and  Eleanor 
(Thomas)  Morgan,  natives  of  South  Wales.  His 
father,  who  in  boyhood  was  employed  as  a  miner 
in  his  native  place,  came  to  .America  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  and  was  employed  as  a  miner  in 
Pennsylvania  until  his  death.  In  i860  he  came 
to  Scranton  and  was  afterward  connected  with 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company 
in  their  mines.     His  wife  died  in  this  city. 

The  family  of  George  G.  Morgan  consisted  of 
five  children  who  attained  mature  years,  and  of 


these  two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  now  liv- 
ing. Our  subject's  brother,  Thomas  G.,  is  out- 
side foreman  of  the  Capouse  colliery  of  the  Lack- 
awanna Iron  &  Steel  Company.  From  an  early 
age  our  subject  has  resided  in  Scranton,  and  here 
he  began  to  earn  his  livelihood  as  a  slate  picker 
in  the  Hampton  mines  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Company,  but  after  a  few 
months  in  that  capacity  was  sent  into  the  mines 
as  a  door  boy.  His  next  position  was  that  of 
driver.  November  i,  1869,  he  became  connected 
with  the  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Company, 
and  about  1884  was  made  assistant  foreman  at 
the  Capouse  mines.  After  holding  that  position 
about  two  years,  he  was  made  foreman  of  the 
mines.  In  1893  he  was  promoted  to  be  superin- 
tendent of  the  coal  department,  which  position 
gives  him  charge  of  the  entire  coal  department, 
including  two  collieries,  Pine  Brook  and  Capouse, 
in  each  of  which  about  six  hundred  hands  are 
employed. 

In  -Scranton  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss  Ruth 
Mazy,  who  was  born  in  South  Wales,  the  daugh- 
ter of  David  Mazy,  an  employe  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  in  this  city.  They  are 
the  parents  of  four  children:  William  H.,  an 
able  young  man  and  time  clerk  at  the  Pine  Brook 
colliery;  Roy,  Arja  and  Annie,  who  reside  with 
their  parents  at  No.  1521  Jackson  Street.  Mr. 
Morgan  takes  an  interest  in  political  matters  and 
uniformly  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  is 
a  Baptist  in  religious  views  and  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Jackson  Street  Church.  Fraternally 
he  is  identified  with  the  Heptasophs,  Slocum 
Lodge  No.  976,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Pa-noo-ka  Tribe 
No.  141,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  in  wliicJi  he  has  been 
sachem. 


THE  SLOCUM  FAMILY.  Before  closing 
this  volume,  we  wish  to  revert  briefly  to 
the  history  of  a  family  identified  with 
the  early  days  of  this  locality,  a  family  v^'hose 
members  have  been  brave,  upright  and  energetic, 
and  whose  name  deserves  to  be  perpetuated  upon 
the  pages  of  history.  The  little  hamlet  of  Slo- 
cum's  Hollow,  where  they  made  settlement  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  has  given  place  to  the  pros- 
iH'rous  citv  of  Scranton.  with  its  flourishing  in- 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHTCAT.   RECORD. 


107 1 


dustries  and  busy  thousands;  but  the  men  who 
lived  and  labored  here  a  century  gone  by  are 
not  forgotten.  In  the  hearts  of  posterity  their 
memory  will  be  forever  green. 

Jonathan  Slocum  was  born  in  East  Greenwich 
Township,  Kent  County,  R.  I.,  May  i,  1733.  He 
married  Ruth  Tripp,  daughter  of  Isaac  Tripp, 
who,  with  Joseph  Slocum,  father  of  Jonathan,  re- 
moved to  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  in  1768.  In  1771 
Jonathan  purchased  lands  in  the  Wyoming  Val- 
ley and  in  1774  removed  there  with  his  family. 
November  2,  1778,  his  daughter,  Frances,  was 
captured  by  the  Indians  and  though  diligently 
sought,  was  not  found  by  her  relatives  for  nearly 
fifty-nine  years.  In  the  same  year  (1778),  on  the 
1 6th  of  December,  while  within  sight  of  the  fort, 
Jonathan  and  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Tripp,  were 
fired  upon  by  Indians ;  the  former  was  killed  and 
the  latter  wounded,  and  both  scalped. 

Ebenezer,  son  of  Jonathan  Slocum,  was  born 
in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  Januaiy  10,  1766,  and  married 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  and  Obedience 
(Sperry)  Davis.  In  1790  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  grist  mill  at  Deep  Hollow,  soon  afterward 
known  as  Slocum's  Hollow.  He  built  a  distillery 
in  1798  and  a  saw  mill  the  year  following.  In 
1800  he  and  a  brother,  Benjamin,  built  an  iron 
forge  and  in  181 1  a  second  distillery.  In  1805  he 
built  the  first  frame  house  at  Slocum's  Hollow, 
which  was  for  years  a  landmark  as  the  oldest 
building  in  Scranton  and  known  as  the  Slocum 


red  house.  In  1821  he  was  justice  of  the  peace. 
He  acquired  considerable  land,  mostly  underlaid 
with  coal.    He  died  of  apoplexy  July  25,  1832. 

Joseph,  son  of  Ebenezer  Slocum,  early  turned 
his  attention  to  the  various  interests  of  his  father. 
In  1828  he  and  a  brother,  Samuel,  took  entire 
charge  of  the  business.  His  marriage,  December 
22,  1830,  united  him  with  Eklida,  daughter  of 
Rodolphus  and  Sarah  (KimblcJ  Hingham,  of  Pal- 
myra, i'ike  County,  Pa.,  and  in  1832  they  settled 
in  Slocum's  Hollow.  He  was  township  collector 
in  1833  and  was  elected  first  burgess  of  Scranton 
when  it  was  incorporated  as  a  borough  in  1856, 
also  filled  other  offices  afterward.  He  possessed 
a  very  robust  constitution  and  was  quite  active  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  June  22, 
1890. 

Joseph  Warren  Slocum,  son  of  Joseph  and 
Eldida  Slocum,  waj  born  at  Slocum's  Hollow 
July  23,  1833.  From  1849  until  1851  he  attended 
Wyoming  Seminary.  February  21,  1856,  he  mar- 
ried Hannah  M.  Collins,  of  Salem,  Wayne  Coun- 
ty, Pa.  During  the  spring  of  1856  he  opened  a 
lumber  yard  in  Scranton  and  continued  it  until 
1864.  He  served  for  three  years  from  1872  upon 
the  select  council  and  from  1871  to  1883  was  dep- 
uty United  States  marshal  for  the  western  district 
of  Pennsylvania.  Upon  his  retirement  from  pub- 
lic office  he  resumed  the  occupation  of  farming 
and  lumbering,  meantune  continuing  his  resi- 
dence at  the  old  homestead  in  his  native  city. 


47 


INDE^C. 


Ackerley,  Ma].  A.  1 576 

Adams,  John   23 

Adams,    John   Q 39 

Adams,    Simeon   H 532 

Aitken,  John  W 197 

Akerley,    Stephen   E 905 

Albright,    Joseph    J 205 

Alexander,   Joseph   433 

Alexander,  T.  L.,  M.  D 156 

Amerman,   Hon.    Lemuel..  165 
Ammann,  John  B.,  M.  D..102S 

Amsden,  Capt.  Fred  J 147 

Archbald,  James  712 

Archbald,   Judge  R.  W 1021 

Armbrust,    Henry    S37 

Arms,   Henry  E 440 

Arnold,   Miss  Blanche   371 

Arnold,  Prank  P 386 

Arthur,    Chester    A 99 

Atherton,  Bicknell   B 591 

Atherton,    E.    A 782 

Atherton,   Henry  F 330 

Atherton,    Ira   C 635 

Atherton,   J.    L 787 

Atherton,   William   435 

Atkins,   George   S 584 


Baker,   Dr.  William  J 423 

Ball,   Charles   P 299 

Banks,    Anthony   M 260 

Barnard,    MaJ.    Montrose..  764 

Barrett,    James    140 

Barrett,    Miss    Mary  E 290 

Barrett,  Thomas  G.,  M.  D.  766 
Barrowman,    Alexander    ..  363 

Barrowman,   Thomas    177 

Bartl,    Edmund    A 553 

Battenberg,  A.  F.  A 218 

Bauer,  Prof.  R.  J 1029 

Bayley,    Anson    W 560 

Baylor,   William    428 

Beach,  George  B.,   M.   D. .  402 
Beach.   Scott  W 280 


Beck,  Hon.   William  K....  436 

Beemer,    George  W 697 

Bell,   Charles   L 310 

Bell,    James    R 401 

Bentley,  James  K.,  M.  D..  609 

Berry,    Alric    494 

Bessey,  Herman,  M.  D 196 

Best,   James   F 548 

Biedlingmaier,    Ferdinand.  871 

Biesecker,   Charles  H 634 

Biesecker,   George  W 434 

Biesecker,    Isaac    642 

Billieimer,  J.  J.,   M.  D 769 

Birkett,   Joseph    487 

Birtley,   David   P 479 

Bittenbender,    Abraham   ..  979 

Black,    Robert   T 155 

Blair,    Bryce    R 235 

Blair,    James    119 

Blair,   Maj.    M.    L 770 

Blatter,    John    217 

Blewitt,    Edward   P 644 

Blewitt,    Patrick    677 

Bogart,    Garrett   990 

Bogart,   John   B 828 

Boies,   Col.  Henry  M 545 

Boies,    Joseph    M 646 

Boldry,    Frederick    836 

Borchers,   Frank   V 379 

Bortree,    Luther    C 765 

Boundy,  Thomas   132 

Bower,  E.  Ziegler,  M.   D..  201 

Bowman,   Jacob   722 

Boyd,    William    S 506 

Brady,  William  F.,   M.  D.  543 
Breck.  Charles  du  Pont...  26? 

Brennan,   Henry  J 449 

Briegel,    John    1020 

Bright,    William    378 

Broadbent,   Sidney   727 

Brooks,   Reese  G 195 

Brooks,    Thomas    R 196 

Brown,    David   J.    S 927 

Brown,  George  C,  M.  D..  864 

Brown,    Morris    D 983 

Brown,    Thomas    819 

Bryson,    Robert   A 523 

Buchanan,  James   76 

Buck,    Herbert    D 9C4 

Buell,    Prof.   Walter   H....  318 

Bunnell,    E.    B 958 

Bunnell,    Loring   1 179 

Burschel,  Victor   649 

Bustced,    Richard,   Jr 763 

Butler,    Pierce    544 


Cann,  Marion  S 1043 

Cann,    Rev.   Thomas  M 988 

Cannon,    Benjamin   J 904 

Carbondale   Lumber  Co...  958 

Carlton,    George    W 439 

Carlucci,    Frank    669 

Carpenter,    Dell   434 

Carpenter,    Edwin    G 566 

Carr,    Thaddeus   B 762 

Carson,  George  B 212 

Carter,   Pulaski    327 

Caryl,    Josiah    D 406 

Casey,    P.   J 921 

Castner,   William   R 821 

Cawley,    Charles    H .W8 

Chamberlain.  G.  J.,  M.  D.  760 

Chambers.     Wellington 1037 

Chappell,  Henry   351 

Chappell.    Stephen    352 

Church,    Dwight    S 622 

Church.   Joseph   364 

Clark,    Bdwin    A 473 

Clark,   George  R 369 

Clark,  Ira  J 445 

Clark,    Jacob    D 772 

Clark,    William   E 642 

Clarke,    Edward    M 682 

Clarkson,    Edward   200 

Clearwater,   George  A 670 

Clements.   Wilbur  F 1053 

Cleveland,   S.    Grover 103 

Cobb,    Asa  E 744 

Cobb,   Joseph   C 10-12 

Cobb,  William  B 699 

Coffman,    David 1032 

Colligan,   John    750 

Colvin,    Harrison    H 444 

Coraegys.    Cornelius    761 

Comegys,  Henry  C,  M.  D.  407 

Connell,   Alexander  863 

Connell,  Hon.  A.  T 70O 

Connell,  Alfred  B 1007 

Connell,    Charles    R 750 

Connell,  James  L 888 

Connell.  Hon.   William 135 

Connell,  William  A 942 

Conner,  Edward  G 756 

Connolly,    Hon.    D.    W....  339 

Connolly,    Frank   P 876 

Connolly,     L.    Tyler 719 

Connor,    Michael    219 


Conrad,  William   9S4 

Conwell,    William    C 883 

Cooper,    H.   S.,   M.   D 723 

Cooper,   John   P 8M 

Corby,  John  F 298 

Corey,   George  W 550 

Costello.   P.   W 571 

Couch,   George  D B16 

Coarsen,    Edgar  G 755 

Coiirsen,  Col.  Henry  A...  805 
Courtrlght.  Benjamin  F..  643 
Courtrlght.    William    F....  617 

Cowles,  Benjamin  E 1016 

Cowles,    William   C 1008 

Cox.   Herbert  B 372 

Cox,  John  S 312 

Coyne,   Malachi  L 350 

Cramer,  Adon   L 218 

Crane,   Israel   127 

Crippen,  Randolph  619 

Cross.    J.    H 220 

Crothamel.  Emanuel  K 872 

Cure,  John  W sat 


Dale,  David  W 439 

Dale,   Thomas  H 295 

Daniels,    William    468 

Davidson,  Charles  P 1061 

Davidson,   Robert  1061 

Davis.   Berton   E 635 

Davis.   Miss  Harriet  J 547 

Davis,   John    R 462 

Davis.    William    H 567 

Davis,  William  H 1063 

Dawson.  Harry  E.,  M.  D..  528 

Dawson,    Walter    915 

Dean,   G.  Edgar,  M.  D....  272 

Dean,    Wlllander    A 444 

Deans,  Gen.  Kil.  C 477 

Decker,  Willhim  B 910 

DeLacy,  ilon.  Patrick 610 

Dcmblnskl,    Rev.    B 394 

Demutb,   John    1009 

Dershlmer.   Thomas    854 

Devancy.    Felix    391 

Devaney,  John   202 

DeWItt,  Mm.  haam  M 23« 

Dick.    William    878 

Dickon,   Krin.i^    r  ,   .  w» 


I074 


INDEX. 


Dickson.    George    L. 456 

nickson,  James  P 503 

Dickson.    Thomas    502 

Dimock.    George   H 23(1 

nonlan.    Rev.   M.    B 701 

Donne.  William  D..  M.  D..  587 

Donovan,    Judge   C.    C 231 

Douglass,  Prank  S.,  M.  D.  75-! 

Drake.  Ebenczer   559 

Drake,    Thomas    504 

Duckworth,  John  A 210 

Dunn,    Benjamin   P 527 

Dunn,  Rev.  J.  Ignatius 743 

Durr,    Fred    743 


Kdwards,   Henry   M 916 

Ellis,    Charles    G 341 

Emerson,  Horace  M 560 

Emerson,    Thomas    518 

Evans,  B.  P.,  M.  D 459 

Evans,  Edwin  H 1027 

Evans,   Prof.    Haydn 362 

Everhart,    James    M 747 

Everett,   Frank  B 890 

Everitt,  M,  S.,  M.  D 680 

Eynon,    Albert    B 742 

Eynon,   Thomas    516 


Fadden,    Michael   F 741 

Fahey,   John    J 573 

Fairchild,   George  E 472 

Farber,    Hon.    George 808 

Farr,   Edward   786 

Faulkner,    James    B 333 

Fellows,    Hon.   John    H....  2.58 

Felts,    Isaac    B 876 

Fenner,    Stephen    P 948 

Ferber,    Henry    P 688 

Pern,   John   ...626 

Fillmore.  Millard  67 

Finch,    William    R 438 

Finkler.   Peter  570 

l''inn.    Marion   W 383 

Fish,  Maj.  John  B 399 

Fitziiatrick.    John    T 737 

Plannelly.   Michael   247 

Foster,    William  B 302 

Fowler,   Charles   S.,   Jr 8S4 

Francis,    Frod    M 1039 

Francois.    Alexander   L 344 

Fraslcr,    Charles  W G32 

Freeman,   William    H 922 

Frcy,    Henry    199 

Frlchtel,   John    967 

Frick,   Walter   232 

Frlnk,    William    740 

Fritz,   George  W 1050 

Fuller,    Laton    S 7S8 

Fulton,    Charles   W 981 


Galge,  Henry  L. 
Gardner,    Abel    . 


468 
613 


Gardner,  A.  P.,  M.  D 847 

Gardner,    Benajah    S 9C8 

Gardner.   Milo   484 

Garfield,   James   A 95 

Garvey.   James   B,,   M.  D.  .  664 

Gebhardt.    Augustus    F 1.37 

Gibbons.    John    286 

Gilhool.   James   B 257 

Gillespie.    John    B 889 

Gilroy.  Michael  F 1056 

Glover,   Elijah  A.,  M.   D..  631 

Goodrich.     Samuel    P 227 

Gordon,    Patrick    P lOOB 

Gordon,   William  H 708 

Gorman,    John   J 288 

Graham,    Charles    894 

CJrant,    Ulysses   S 87 

Graves,    Albert    634 

Graves,  Isaac  S..  M.  D 138 

Graves,    John    N 627 

Gray,  William  A 741 

Green,    Alfred    L 334 

Green,  James  P 882 

Greene,    Birdsal!    C 588 

Gregory,    Isaac  M 539 

Grower,  Edward  C,  M.  D.  835 

Griffin,   George    524 

GrifRn,    Leander    L 898 

Gritman,  George  H 460 

Grosvenor,  Charles   M 800 

Grover,    Hon.    Frank  J 647 

G rover,    John    B. ,    M.    D...  221 

Guild,   Rev.   George  E 310 

Gunster.  Hon.  P.  W 934 

Giinster.    Joseph    H 1.57 

Gutknecht,   John   G 793 


H 


Haberstroh,  Lorenz  396 

Hagen,    Ferdinand     416 

Haggerty,  William,   M.  D.  980 

Halkyer.    Lawrence    249 

Hall.  Charles  W 858 

Hall,    John    799 

Hall,    Warner    J 961 

Hallstead,    William    F 1049 

Halpert.   Henry,    M.    D 682 

Halstoad.   Nathaniel    869 

Hamilton,   J.  J.  H 347 

Hand,   Hon.    Alfred    145 

Hand,  David  B..   M.   D 881 

Hand,   Michael    418 

Hand,  William  J 1041 

Hanks.   Reuel,  D.   D 472 

Hannah,    Hugh    M 896 

Haran,  Luke    632 

Ilaran,   Patrick   F 636 

Harlow,    Prank  W 457 

Harrison,    Benjamin    107 

Harrison,   William  H 51 

Harvey,  Alfred  949 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Hecrmans,  E.  A.,  M.  D 534 

Ileilner,  Herbert  P.,  M.  D.  149 

Holmes,    Curtis    E 140 

Ilembcrgcr,  Prof.  T 1057 

Hendrlck,   Hon.    Eli   E 942 

Ilenwood,   Charles    5,90 

Hcnwood,  Walter  Lincoln.  676 


Herbert.    George   A 250 

Herz.  Ambrose    482 

Hetspl.    Miss    Eva    M 10.59 

Hill,  Dr.   George  E 150 

Hinnian,   Heatchcott  0 8U3 

Hisled.  Oscar  E 307 

Histed,    William   H 374 

Hockenberry,   Prof.   H.  J. .  368 

Hoffman,    John    H 593 

Hollister,    Hershel   H 895 

Holllster,  Horace,  M.  D. ..  739 

Hopkins,  B.  C,  M.  D 738 

Hopkins,   William    S 1026 

Horan,    P.   J 843 

Horn,    Capt.    John 689 

Horn.  William  H 650 

Hornbaker.  George  W 633 

Houser.  J.  W..   M.   D 616 

Howe,  John  T 167 

Howe,   Thomas  B 533 

Huester.  Charles  1048 

Hughes,    Anthony    395 

Hughes,    Hon.    Benjamin..  185 

Hughes.    James    S97 

Hughes.   Reese   349 

Hull,    Howard   W 474 

Hull,    John    L 178 

Hunter,    Charles   M 483 

Hutchins,  John  C 300 

Huyck,  Daniel  C 733 


Ives,   Samuel  M 670 

Iwanowski,    Rev.    B 739 


Jackson,    Andrew    43 

Jacobs,  Charles  S 6,56 

Jadwin,    Charles    P 297 

Jadwin,   John   S 130 

Jay,   Douglas  H 696 

Jefferson,    Thomas   27 

Jenkins,  Daniel  H.,  M.  D.  792 

Jenkins.  B.  D 1024 

Jenkins.    George    W 604 

Jenkins,  W.  W.,  M.  D 188 

Jermyn,    Edmund    B 1045 

Jessup.   Hon.  William  H..  971 

John.   Owen    D.. 769 

Johnson.    Andrew   S3' 

Jones,    Charles   P 679, 

Jones,  Daniel    D 540 

Jones,  Hon.   D.   M 305 

Jones,  Prof.    Reeve 198 

Jones.  Samuel     S 266 

Jones,  William    H 446 

Jordan,   James    389 

Joslin,    Philander    S 168 

Judge,    Martin     C 952 


Kay,  Thomas  W.,  M.  D....  857 

Kapmryer,  Frederick  566 

Kearney,  John  J 1016 

Kellow,   George  F 775 


Kellow,    Richard    W 658 

Kellow,  Capt.  William 1061 

Kelley,    Michael    J 953 

Kelly,   Hon.    John   P 240 

Kennedy,  James  S 126 

Kennedy,  W.  P.,  M.  D sa 

Kenny,  Miss  Jennie  A 739 

Ketrick,  Prof.  M.  J 415 

Kiefer,    A.    E 1025 

Kierstead.    Aaron    B 151 

Kiesel,  William  P 322 

Kilpatrick,  John  W 298 

Kinhack,   George   1062 

Kingsley.  Burton  E 691 

Kingsley,    George   D 794 

Kistler,    Jared    M 954 

Knedler.  J.  Warren,  M.  D.  832 

Knickerbocker.    Jay    437 

Knight,    Jeremiah    D 488 

Koehler,    Henry   T 324 

Kriegelstein.  Gustave 1029 

Krouse,    Alvy    720 

Kruegermann.    F.   G 280 

Kuettle.   E.    Joseph 211 

Kunz,    Frederick   237 

Kunz,    Henry   J 237 


L 


I.jaBar,    John    A 518 

LaBar,    Reuben    N 958 

Lacoe,    William    A 490 

L'Amoreaux,  S.  W.,  M.  D.  471 
Lange,   Fred   W,,    M.    D...  180 

Langstaff.   Daniel    903 

Langstaff.    William    S 641 

Lanning,    J.    Wesley 533 

Lathrop,  Charles  E 181 

LaTouche,    Hon.   John    S. .  450 
Laubach.  Dr.  Charles  C...  734 

Law.   Anna,    M.    D 721 

Leach,   Henry   838 

Learn,    David    734 

Lee,    Arthur    H 340 

Lee,  Luther 230 

Leighton,    Andrew    500 

Leonard,    Michael    J 413 

Letchworth.   Thomas  P 852 

Leuthner,   Frank  X 323 

Lewis,   Benjamin    S 1044 

Lewis,    Pardon     583 

Lewis,    Col.    Thomas    D...  207 
Lewis,  Judge  William  J...  315 

Lincoln,    Abraham    79 

I.indahury,  A.  A.,  M.  D...  261 

Lingfelter,    John   H 481 

LIngfelter,   Samuel  F 414 

Lloyd,   Joseph   D 496 

Loftus,    James    P 157 

Logan,    Rev.    S.    C 1017 

Long,    Harvey    R 890 

Longatreet,    S.    P.,   M.    D..1005 

Loomis.   Francis  E 610 

Lorenz.    C 859 

Loughran,    Rev.    John 806 

Love,    William    342 

Loveland.    Joseph    B 1060 

Lowry.   Milton  W 292 

Lutts,    George    H 732 

Lynde,   Edward   H 919 


INDEX. 


M 


MacEachen,    Samuel 1062 

McAndrew.    James   T 142 

McAndrew,   P.  H.,  M.  D..  141 

McCann,    Peter    J 584 

McCawIey,    John    322 

McCIave,   William   594 

McClintock,   Thomas  B 698 

McClure,   James  C 1030 

McDonald,  Frank  P 672 

McDonald.   Hon.    M.   E 677 

McDonnell,    Patrick    F 22G 

McDonough.  William  J.  Jr.  219 

McFarland.   Frank   S.il 

McFarland.  Milton   390 

AfcGarry.   Patrick   247 

McGraw,   Dr.  William  H..  329 

McHale,    Edward    J 287 

McHale,  James  T 210 

McKenna,   Robert   316 

McKinley,   William    Ill 

McKinney,    C.     W 598 

McKinney..  James  600 

Mcl.can,   John   W 353 

McLean,  Joseph  R.,  M.  D.  187 

MoManus,   Rev.  N.  J 671 

McManus,   Rev.  P.  J 654 

McMullen,    Silas    A 465 

McMuUen,  William  J 575 

McTighe.    Barnard   352 

McWilliom,    John    610 

Mackey,  Charles  D..  M.  D.  809 
Mackey,  Hon.  N.  C,  M.  D.  791 
Madenspacher,    Joseph    ...  957 

Madison,    James    31 

Mahon,    Andrew   J 408 

Manlcy,    P.    D 870 

Manness,   William  W 731 

Manville,    Rollin     120 

Marcy,   William   L.,   M.  D.  659 

Marshall,    John  W 724 

Martin,     Richard     638 

Medway,  Joseph  L 360 

Megargel,    Isaac   F 826 

Melley,  Rev,  Edward  J 714 

Mellon,  James  A 859 

Merrifield,  Hon.   Edward..  225 

Merrill,   James   386 

Merritt,    Joseph    526 

Millar,    Maj.  W.    S 139 

Miller,   Edwin   E 354 

Miller,    John    W 458 

Miller,  Hon.  Joshua  S 860 

Miller,    Michael    296 

Miller,  Theodore  M 707 

Mills,    Dwight    277 

Mitchell,    Andrew    275 

Mitchell,    George    900 

Moir,   Capt.   James 159 

Monies,   Arthur  C 706 

Monroe,  James   35 

Montgomery,    Henry   W...  893 

Moore,    Thomas    J 300 

Moore,    William    332 

Morel    Brothers    898 

Morgan.  J,  Miltord  718 

Morgan,   Thomas  T 276 

Morgan,  William   Penn 1070 

Morrison,  William    5.37 


Morss,    George    Lord 499 

Moyer,    Frank    M 160 

Moyer,   Samuel  E 219 

Mulherin,    Patrick    865 

Mullen,  John   466 

Mullen,    Thomas    P 317 

Murray,   Anthony  J 963 

Murray,  M.  J 753 


Nealon,    John    122 

Nelson,  John   911 

Neuls.    Charles 1023 

Nichols,  Asa  A 620 

Nicholson,   James    B 282 

Nicol,    Andrew    678 

Niles,  John  B.,  M.   D 730 

Norrman.   Axel   J 370 

Northup,  Henry  W 887 

Norton,    Charles   H ...358 

Nyhant,    Jacob   T 222 


Oakford,    Maj.    James   W..  615 

O'Boyle.  J.  J 1064 

O'Brien,    Joseph    221 

O'Connell,  Thomas  324 

Okell,  Hon.  Frank  T 1016 

Okell,  George  W 1055 

Olmstead,  W.  H..  M.  D...  912 
O'Malley,  Hon.  Charles  P.  512 

O'Malley,   James  J 413 

Orchard.    Thomas    361 

Osborne.  Hon.  J.  B 1034 

Osterhout,   Edward  W 928 

Osterhout,   Milo   D 531 

Osterhout,    Silas    186 

Osterhout,    W.    D 918 

Osthaus,    Col,    Herman....  261 


Padden,    James   J 342 

Page,   Enoch    1012 

Page,  Plummer  S 405 

Page,     Rensselaer    H 906 

Paine,  W.  A.,  M.  D 1038 

Parke,  Charles  R.,  M.  D..  169 

Parker,    Rondino   P 501 

Patrick,   Horatio  N 877 

Patterson,   Roswell  P 417 

Pauli,   Francis  S 411 

Pearce.    Charles  W 720 

Pearce,  Capt.  Edwin  W...  190 

Pearl,    George    H 995 

Peck,    Earl    M 402 

Pennington,  J.  Alfred 56"! 


Peters,  Frederick   711 

Pethick,    J.    T 968 

Pethick,   R.   W 958 

Phillips,    Joseph    P 452 

Phinney,  Gen.  Ellsha 561 

Pierce,   Franklin    71 

Pinnell,    Jones    665 

Piatt,  Joseph  Curtis.. 937 

Polk,    James    K 59 

Porteus,  James  S.,  M.  D..  917 

Potter,    Leland    B 844 

Powderly,  Hugh  W 138 

Powderly,   P.   A 131 

Powell,    Dan 1055 

Powell,  David  W 932 

Price,  William  &  Son 997 

Purdon,   Thomas   A 430 

Purdy,  Kelsey  D 544 


Quinnan,  Hon.  John   P. 


160 


Ratfelt,   Charles  T 606 

Randall,    Silas    525 

Raynor,  Samuel  E 128 

Rea,  James  L.,  M.  D 690 

Reaves,   Robert 1068 

Reed,  Eugene  H 1033 

Reed,  Nicholas  G 932 

Reese,  Joseph    919 

Regan,   John    394 

Regan,    John    E 478 

Reinhardt,   .\dam    505 

Rennie,    Richard    T    841 

Replogle,    Daniel  B 925 

Rettew,    Charles   E 270 

Reynolds,  G.   B.,  M.  D....  526 

Reynolds,  George  W 1069 

Reynolds,  Hon.  John  P 1S9 

Rhodes,   James  M 383 

Richards,   Peter  850 

Richmond,    William  H 245 

Rink,   John   P 393 

Ripple,    Col.   Ezra   H 215 

Roberts,   C.   W.,    M.    D....  269 

Roberts,  Henry,  M.  D 728 

Roberts,  John  J.,  M.  D....1041 

Robertson,    John    M 1002 

Robinson,    August   285 

Robinson,    Hon.    Charles..  443 

Robinson..  Joseph  F 554 

Robinson,   Philip  547 

Robinson,   Preston   828 

Robinson,    Robert ;  — 1067 

Robinson,   Tylman   C 813 

Robinson,   William 1046 

Roche,   Hon.   John   E 1048 

Roderick,   Edward   555 


1075 

Roesler,  Charles  W 909 

Ros.ir,    Peter    301 

Rose,    Charles  C 827 

Ross,    Flnley   599 

Ruane,    William    W B62 

Russell,  James  960 

Rutherford,    James    161 


Sanborn,    Joseph    P 1011 

Sando,   Jo.seph   W 700 

Sant.  William  H 516 

Savage,   Robert  P 797 

Schadt,    Charles    H 978 

Schadt,   John   A 1037 

Scharar,   Charles  W..,.^.1064 

Scheuer,  John,  Jr.... 308 

Schimpff,  August 681 

Schneider,    John    J 875 

Schnell,  Philip    947 

Schoenfeld,  Reinhard  993 

Scholl,    William    825 

Schoonmaker,  Col.   U.   G..  685 

Schreiber,  Joseph   1006 

Schreifer,    O.    B 982 

Schultz,    George    999 

Schultz,    John    W 849 

Scranton,  Col.  G.  W 1047 

Seamans,    Charles   S 1019 

Seamans,   William   H 781 

Seward,   Samuel 1058 

Shafer,  Hampton  C 992 

Shanley,  Rev.  J.   L 1062 

Shannon,   John   B 337 

Shedd,  Charles  H 227 

Shepherd,  Mary  A.,  M.  D,.  172 
Sherman,    Christopher  A,.  969 

Sherman,    Roscoe   B 538 

Shoemaker,    Samuel    G 962 

Shopland,  Alfred  H 1031 

Shumway,  C.  D.,  M.  D 493 

Siegel.  J.    FYank 717 

Silkman,     William    .M 816 

Simpson,   Alexander    692 

Simpson,    Edward    637 

Simpson,    Capt.    W.   T 1066 

Slmrell,   Horace   B 852 

Slack,   Commodore  P 702 

Slocum,    Enos  V 440 

Slocum  Family,  The 1070 

Smith.  Andrew    692 

Smith,  Claude   R 412 

Smith,  Edwin    G 279 

Smith,    Elias   A 627 

Smith,   Garrett  987 

Smith,   Henry   989 

Smith,  Jacob  K 380 

Smith,    Thomas    451 

Smith,    T.    Griffin 176 

Snover,   Thanlel  C 373 

Snover,  Dr.  Welcome  C...  697 

Snyder,   Jesse   H 60O 

Snyder,   J.   B 996 

Snyder,  Marion  D.,  M.  D..  822 

Soramers,  Henry  655 

Southworth,    E.   E 977 


[076 


INDEX. 


Jpellman,  Patrick  E 776 

Spencer,  Dr.   Walter  A 187 

ipruks  Brothers    278 

iqulre,  Ralph  A.,  M.  D...  ■127 

italr,    Frank  H 291 

itanton,    Silas    L 828 

Itark,    Hiram    695 

jlegner.   Adam,   M.   D 505 

itevens,    Asa   B 255 

Itevens,    John    424 

;tipp.   Peter   603 

itone,    Calvin    E 973 

Itone,   Emory   496 

Itone,    Ervln   H 567 

Itone,    John    L 829 

Itorr,    Christian    281 

lullivan,  John  J.,  M.  D...  343 

Iwaitz,    Edward    T 1010 

lykes,    Samuel    252 

Izlupas,   John,   M.   D 248 


'aylor.   John    F 634 

'aylor,  John    M 461 

'aylor,    J.    James 578 

'aylor.    Dr.    Robert   F 1009 

'aylor,    Zachary    63 

'hnmas,    John    H 974 

"homas,   William    604 

'homas,   William    407 

'hompson,  Charles,  M.  D.  771 
'hompson,    Crandall    W...  675 

'hompson,   Nathan    1001 

'hou-ot.    Dr.    Charles   L. .  162 

■hroop.   B.   H..   M.    D 125 

iiTany,  John  W 10.50 

orrey,  James  H 994 


Travis.   Capt.   Hiram   S...  807 

Tripp,   Col.  Ira 688 

Tripp,   Leander  S 650 

Tripp,    Sterling  B 648 

Tyler,    John    55 

Tryon,  George  H 483 


Vail,  Micah  637 

Van   Bergen,  Joseph   B 377 

Van  Brunt,  Courtland  P. .  549 

Van    Buren,   Martin    47 

Van  Buskirk,   Clarence  L.  686 

Vandling,    Frank    M 14G 

Van  Doren.  William,  M.  D.  229 

Vetter,    Col.    Philip    J 785 

Von   Storch,   Alexander  J.  581 
Von  Storch,   Corrington  S.  357 

Von   Storch,  Ferdinand 984 

Von  Storch,  Frederick  G..  246 

Von    Storch,    Godfrey 609 

Von -Storch,  H.  L.  C 250 

Von   Storch,   Justus 455 

Von  Storch,  Robert 238 

Von    Storch,    Theodore 1015 

Von    Storch,   William 931 

Vosburg,    Charles    612 


W 


Wagner,    Charles 1058 

Wagner,   Charles  F 950 

Wagner,  James  S 569 

Walker,    R.    W 991 

Walsh,    Anthony   A 798 


Walsh,    Frank    480 

Walsh,   John   J.,   M.   D....  821 

Walters,    Thomas    815 

Ward,    Christopher    F 815 

Ward,    Frederick    L 998 

Ward.  Hon.  W.  G 170 

Ward.  William  810 

Warden,   Henry   F 621 

Warnke,    Frederick    605 

Warnke,    Jacob  W 490 

Warren,    Maj.    Everett 241 

Washington,   George   19 

Watres,    Charles    778 

Watres,   Hon.   Louis  A 820 

Watson,  Hon.  W.  W„ 175 

Watts,    Thomas    H 784 

Wedeman,  San  ford  E 232 

Wedeman,    William    H 20S 

VVehrum.    J.    C.    Henry 321 

Weichel,    Charles   J 1000 

Wells,  Andrew 489 

Wells,    Orlanzo    229 

Welsh,    William    J 149 

Wentz,    John    L.,    M.    D...  142 

Weston,     Charles    S 952 

Weston,    Edward   W 951 

Westpfahl,    Charles  W....  290 

Wetherby.   Chester  B. 460 

Whelan,   Rev.  James  B...;  653 

White,    Robert   E ....415 

White,    Warren    H...^T^.,  831 

Wilbur.  C.   J..   M.   D 970 

Wilder,   George  W 1054 

Williams.    Arja    288 

Williams,    David ...1051 

Williams,    Edwin   S 063 

Williams,    Evan    H 572 

Williams,    Isaac   L 302 

Williams,  John  H 259 

Williams,  John  T 548 

Williams,  Hon.  John  T 265 

Williams,    William    309 


Wilson,    William  R 777 

Winaus,   George  G 162 

Wint,    Jonathan    R 660 

Wint,  Louis  H 849 

Winters,   Peter,    M.   D 657 

Wiuton,   Byron  M 916 

Woeikers,   Joseph    P 687 

Wolf,    Theodore   G 421 

Wonnacott.  Eugene  A 571 

Wonnacott,  Ulysses  S 280 

Woodbrldge,   Thomas   614 

Wooler,  Prof.  Alfred n'il 

Wormser,   Frederick  L 171 

Wyllie,  Andrew  130 

Wymbs,    Michael   F 905 


Yeager,   Henry  H 467 

Yeager,   Peter  423 

Yeager,   William   367 

Yeager,  William  W 837 

Young,   Thomas   R 804 


Zang.   Charles   412 

Ziegler,   Charles  W 331 

Ziegler,    Henry    J 392 

Zizelmann,   Rev.   Philip  P.  209 
Zurlinden,    Jacob    660 


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